Brent Shindell comes by his talent naturally. So it comes as no surprise that when St. Albert singer Rocko Vaugeois invited him to perform at LB’s Pub Thursday Night Open Stage, Shindell accepted.
More surprising is that his gig is on Thursday, Dec. 26, when most musicians are at home snuggling with family and close friends.
“Playing is number one. I’ve done it all my life and I want to play,” says Shindell in a telephone interview from his Vancouver home. “I wasn’t expecting to play, but when Rocko emailed me I thought ‘why not?’”
The two met during the One Horse Blue days when Shindell wrote the Canadian hit Bringing Back Your Love for the band. It reached No. 1 on the RPM Country Tracks in July 1995.
Rather than being front and centre, Shindell gained a reputation as a reliable and creative support player. He has written songs for The Doucettes and Shari Ulrich and made music with Ringo Starr, Harry Nilssen, Valdy, and Chilliwack.
And winning a Juno for Most Promising Group with ’80s rock band The Doucettes certainly cemented his stature.
One of the high points of his career was performing with Canadian Indo-blues musician Harry Manx at Vancouver’s 2010 Jazz Festival.
“Harry Manx – he’s such an interesting artist. Harry has a very unique style of music and you can’t compare him to anyone. I consider him to be one of the best artists in the country,” Shindell said.
Shindell last played in Edmonton during country legend George Jones’ last tour. Dubbed the Grand Tour 2013, it would visit 60 cities. It stopped at the Jubilee Auditorium and Shindell played a set with Mike Gouchie.
“It was a real thrill to warm up the set,” Shindell said. “But backstage he (Jones) was quiet. You didn’t talk to him. His wife was super friendly. He’d come out of his bus and do his show and go back in. But as an artist, he was a unique icon. Certainly he had a long career when he started putting out hit singles in the ’50s.”
Although Shindell’s primary work is as a support player, he’s also released his own CD. Stolen Moments, an indie release produced by Vaugeois. It’s a nine-track mix of rock, country, funk and blues.
“For me just going to Edmonton and visiting with family has a nice vibe. And coming to LB’s Pub and playing with Rocko is going to be a fun party with old friends.”
The open stage runs 8 p.m. to midnight. No cover.
