After 30 years, the Juno-nominated Canadian band The Northern Pikes returns to rock out at the Red River Ex. The four-member rock and pop band first hit the stage at the Ex on June 28, 1993. Almost three decades later, and on the heels of a new album release, The Northern Pikes are returning to the Ex this summer as featured headliners.
Even if you don’t recognize the name, you’ll recognize the music by Bryan Potvin, Don Schmid, Jay Semko and Kevin Kane. The Pikes are celebrating their 40th anniversary in January 2024 and they’re bringing four decades worth of hits to The Loop Stage.
Released on the 1990 Snow in June platinum album, hit singles including She Ain’t Pretty, Kiss Me You Fool and Girl with a Problem have played on radio stations and at live gigs everywhere. The Northern Pikes have stripped these songs, along with four additional favourites from Snow in June down to their essentials, re-recording and re-imagining them as acoustic arrangements for their newest album TIME to TIME. The new album, released June 9, 2023 also features three new songs.
TIME to TIME is four years in the making as The Pikes started in studio in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed recording sessions but led to the evolution of the album. “It took us a long time to decide if we liked the idea of including new songs with the re-recorded songs,” said drummer Don Schmid. “We’ve never done a record like this before.”
The Northern Pikes aren’t strangers to playing in Winnipeg. Over the span of their almost 40-year career they’ve played multiple venues in our city.
“I bet you we’ve played Winnipeg 20 times,” Don said.
From falling plaster plus sprinklers and fire alarms going off at The Fort Garry Hotel, to New Year’s Eve gigs where crowd and band members fell off stage, the band has many memories playing in Winnipeg.
“Whenever we come to Winnipeg, we’ve always had a great time. It’s been a good show and it brings out more rock in the band,” says Don.
The Northern Pikes love playing live as they feed off the crowd and adapt to the energy. They’ve changed set lists in the middle of shows to reflect the audience experience.
“That’s what makes live, live. It’s a one-off thing. You’re either there or you’re not.”
You can expect a great show from the Western Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductees at this year’s Red River Ex.
In addition to the great music, The Pikes will have brand new merch for sale including the new album TIME to TIME, toques, vinyl, ballcaps, shirts and more.
So, if you’ve been wondering who’s playing at the 2023 Red River Ex, you can look forward to the familiar and fun Northern Pikes headlining. Enjoy The Northern Pikes at The Loop Stage on Sunday, June 18th at 8:30 PM for what’s sure to be an incredible show!
Learn more about The Northern Pikes including the new TIME to TIME album: www.thenorthernpikes.com
The album, which also features three brand-new songs, is scheduled for release June 9, 2023.
View the full Red River Ex music schedule: www.redriverex.com/music
To find out everything else you need to know about this year’s action, read our Ultimate Guide to the 2023 Red River Ex.