If the ‘West End’ goes dark

There may have been a blizzard that night, when my father dropped me off on Ellice Avenue, though it was so long ago it’s hard to remember. What I remember is the flutter in my chest as I stepped out of the car, and the hint of paternal worry in my father’s eyes as he told me to have a great time, and that he would pick me up later.

With that, I clutched my ticket in my hands and walked wide-eyed into the West End Cultural Centre.

It was my first real concert, and first time being out on my own. I felt very grown-up, although I was just 14 years old, and transfused with the particular adolescent thrill of seeing one’s musical idols in person — in this case, an up-and-coming band from Newfoundland called Great Big Sea.

I’d discovered them one night on MuchMusic, which, like most Canadian teens of the era, I’d watch raptly for hours. Within a few years, the band would become a national sensation, launching Celtic kitchen-party tunes into the Canadian mainstream; but at the time, few knew them: they were just breaking out of The Rock.