Despite the rain, drizzle and fog, the Summersault 98
(www.summersault98.com)
concert in St. John's was an overwhelming success.
Close to 12,000 people, with rain jackets and umbrellas, showed
up for the event which took place in Bowring Park, St. John's
on September 3rd. The concert was created by the popular Canadian
band, Our Lady Peace and featured bands that OLP played with
in the past or found to be an inspiration. The concert also visited
Barrie, Ontario; Shediac, New Brunswick; and Quebec City with
a slightly different line-up in each location.
Other than the poor weather conditions, the organizers of
Summersault were faced with an additional problem. Because of
an airline strike, one of the headlining bands, Sloan was unable
to make the trip to St. John's. Many fans were disappointed but
none the less enjoyed the concert.
"I love Sloan, I was really disappointed that they didn't
show," explained Krista Gregory, a fan of Sloan's. "But,
the concert was great. I had a good time and it seemed that everyone
else did too."
Newfoundland's growing contribution to the Canadian music
scene was evident as I Mother Earth took the stage. Steady Brook
native, Brian Byrne, who is now lead vocalist for the band, made
a huge impression on the fans. He is certainly something to be
proud of.
"I always liked I Mother Earth's sound," said Michael
Penney, who attended the concert. "Now they're even better
with Brian up there singing."
In addition to the headlining bands, several local groups
also appeared including Hung Up and Bucket Truck, both are St.
John's based. Lead singer, Matt Wells, of Bucket Truck hoped
that their performance at Summersault would help to push the
bands music career ahead. The concert was possibly the band's
big break, the crowd really loved their raw energy.
Summersault 98 was successful, despite a couple hitches.
With any luck, it will help attract other bands and festivals
to the province next summer. |