I Love Great Big Sea
I can't possibly believe that I am the first person to like Great Big Sea.
In fact, if no one likes them, who started the group. But, now that I think about it, I have seen a number of groups with "0" members. I wonder if all of the groups were imported from the Experience Project and started with 0 members each. It would make sense that some groups would not get members on Similar Worlds - which began several years later.
For example, Great Big Sea broke up about four or five years ago - while the Experience Project was operating, but before Similar Worlds began.
At any rate, my wife read an article about Great Big Sea in "Rolling Stone" 15 or more years ago. The article was about their next album, "Rant and Roar". The magazine gave a great and descriptive account of the album and the band.
We bought "Rant and Roar", and we were HOOKED! We were quickly on Amazon where we bought all of their previous albums - including a couple of imports. We stayed on top of news about the band, and bought new albums as they became available.
We also saw them twice - once in Sault Saints Marie, Ontario (about 95 miles north of our house) and once in Chicago (about 375 miles south and west of our home).
The shows were a revelation. The first show was in a hockey rink in the Soo. The atmosphere was magical - and reminiscent of Grateful Dead concerts. All generations were represented in the audience, and there was a live energy that permeated the arena and gave one a sense of FAMILY! The Grateful Dead had Deadheads; Great Big Sea had GBS-heads.
They also had their own web community that operated much like this one. The main difference was that the focus tended to be on band, its music, and the nature of the world.
They even set up - between members that wished to participate - a secret holiday gift exchange. You of course knew who you were sending a gift to; the recipient had no idea who sent the gift unless you later decided to tell them. You were supposed to buy a gift that had some special meaning to you, and you were asked to include a note explaining why you chose that gift. I participated twice, but always stayed anonymous.
Since the band has broken up, my wife and I have seen the former lead singer, Alan Doyle, three times - twice at the Ark in Ann Arbor (285 miles south of our home) and at the Ann Arbor Folk Music Festival in January of 2016. We have also purchased his - actually, he does have a backing band - first album and play it regularly.
We haven't followed the solo careers of the other two GBS members. They might be producing some great music themselves, but we've kinda hooked up with Alan.
Anyway, it's late so I need to skedaddle!
Quakertrucker
In fact, if no one likes them, who started the group. But, now that I think about it, I have seen a number of groups with "0" members. I wonder if all of the groups were imported from the Experience Project and started with 0 members each. It would make sense that some groups would not get members on Similar Worlds - which began several years later.
For example, Great Big Sea broke up about four or five years ago - while the Experience Project was operating, but before Similar Worlds began.
At any rate, my wife read an article about Great Big Sea in "Rolling Stone" 15 or more years ago. The article was about their next album, "Rant and Roar". The magazine gave a great and descriptive account of the album and the band.
We bought "Rant and Roar", and we were HOOKED! We were quickly on Amazon where we bought all of their previous albums - including a couple of imports. We stayed on top of news about the band, and bought new albums as they became available.
We also saw them twice - once in Sault Saints Marie, Ontario (about 95 miles north of our house) and once in Chicago (about 375 miles south and west of our home).
The shows were a revelation. The first show was in a hockey rink in the Soo. The atmosphere was magical - and reminiscent of Grateful Dead concerts. All generations were represented in the audience, and there was a live energy that permeated the arena and gave one a sense of FAMILY! The Grateful Dead had Deadheads; Great Big Sea had GBS-heads.
They also had their own web community that operated much like this one. The main difference was that the focus tended to be on band, its music, and the nature of the world.
They even set up - between members that wished to participate - a secret holiday gift exchange. You of course knew who you were sending a gift to; the recipient had no idea who sent the gift unless you later decided to tell them. You were supposed to buy a gift that had some special meaning to you, and you were asked to include a note explaining why you chose that gift. I participated twice, but always stayed anonymous.
Since the band has broken up, my wife and I have seen the former lead singer, Alan Doyle, three times - twice at the Ark in Ann Arbor (285 miles south of our home) and at the Ann Arbor Folk Music Festival in January of 2016. We have also purchased his - actually, he does have a backing band - first album and play it regularly.
We haven't followed the solo careers of the other two GBS members. They might be producing some great music themselves, but we've kinda hooked up with Alan.
Anyway, it's late so I need to skedaddle!
Quakertrucker
70-79, M
