I Was There, Man!

John & Ingrid are in a band. They are asked to play an X-Mas Party... for a 1% Outlaw Biker Gang!!! 

Picture this… Sweaty room. Sticky floor. No personal space. Just bodies packed wall to wall at The Concert Hall in Toronto. The band kicks in, the floor starts to move, and suddenly it’s not a crowd anymore — it’s a wave.

Picture this… You go out one night thinking you’re just gonna catch a fun cover band. Maybe hear a few familiar songs, have a drink, call it a night.  But this isn’t just any cover band. This is a full-on tribute to one of the most untouchable catalogs in music — Prince.

Picture this… You’re on stage at a club in Toronto. Just another gig. Small crowd, low lights, the kind of night where you’re just locked in with the band. Nothing fancy. No expectations. Just another set with friends.Then, out of nowhere, a very large man approaches the stage. Not subtle. Not shy. The kind of guy who doesn’t ask questions unless it matters. He leans in and speaks to the guitar player… and suddenly the vibe shifts.There’s a request. Not from him — from his boss. And it’s not the kind of request you say no to  Next thing you know, John’s being asked to step aside… 

Picture this… Las Vegas, 1990. The Jubilee Theater at Bally’s. Two absolute architects of rock ’n’ roll sharing the same bill. Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry. Piano pounding, duck walks, the whole foundation of rock music right there on one stage.

Picture this… It’s 1983. A sweaty club in Toronto. Cameras rolling for CHUM/CityTV. And on stage — a young guitar player who’s about to take over the world. Stevie Ray Vaughan wasn’t a household name yet… but if you were in that room at The El Mocambo, you knew you were witnessing something different.Doug McClement was there to record it. Not just as a fan — but as the guy responsible for capturing lightning in a bottle. And here’s the thing about lightning… sometimes it bites back. The night before, in Hamilton, Stevie got shocked by a live mic. Not metaphorically. For real.

Jojo’s there to work — credentialed, backstage access, the whole deal. And then he’s given a choice. He can shoot the first three songs in the pit for Sabbath…or he can head backstage and meet Lemmy. For most photographers, that’s not even a question. But for Jojo… it was. Because to some people, rock stars are legends…

Picture this… You finally get a ticket to see one of the greatest songwriters of all time. A quiet night. An acoustic guitar. The perfect room. Massey Hall in Toronto. Red seats. Warm lights. The kind of venue built for stories and subtlety. And on stage? John Prine. Just a man and his songs. Brad from CIUT’s Phil’s in Radio Show had been waiting for this one. But when he went to grab a ticket…The only seat left was way up top. In the Balcony. Back row.

IWTM Episode 28 ‘He Named The Boy Trent’ is brought to you by Soulyric. Details at the end of the show, Brad - the Founder and Creator of Soulyric is the story teller.

Picture this… You grow up idolizing the blues and rock N roll. Studying it. Chasing it. Building your own sound brick by brick. And then one day, you find yourself face to face with one of your heroes — not on record, not on a poster — but in real life.For Gordie Johnson of Big Sugar, that moment came when he met a true blues original. A guy with a nickname that says everything… The Iceman. Gordie expected stories about the music. Maybe a few road tales. What he didn’t expect was a masterclass in how to run the whole operation.

Picture this… You’re 27 years old. You left home chasing a dream. And suddenly, the road to stardom takes you straight to the heart of country music. Nashville, Tennessee. Songwriters. Record Labels. And Studios that have history soaked into the walls.

Sometimes rock stardom isn’t about limos and luxury. Sometimes it’s about bad decisions made in concrete hallways. We Call this episode ‘We were rock Starz’

Staind had sold over 10 million albums worldwide, and were bringing their brand of nu-metal to this intimate venue. The anticipation in France was high, particularly for Laetitia and her dad, who, by the end of the day, would have travelled 6 hours round trip to rock out together.

Metallica’s rise to fame was meteoric at the time, they were headlining shows the world over and playing arenas and stadiums opening for the Prince of Darkness, Ozzy. 4 friends from the bay area, on top of the world, when tragedy stuck and the band’s founding member and  bass player, Cliff Burton is killed

Jojo was the photographer for Nash The Slash — the mysterious, bandaged performer who stayed anonymous and built his shows around spectacle, tension, and ritual. Before one show, Nash pulls Jojo aside and gives him a warning. Just Be ready…

It's the Year End and we went through the archives to bring you this Compilation Special. 'Chasing The Boss Around' is a mash up of Episodes 4 & 5 both featuring 'The Boss' Bruce Springsteen. 2 very different stories but one Denim Clad Hero binding them together. 

Jessica is back to tell us about the time in High School she and her friends went tearing around Detroit, Michigan. Trying to score free tickets to a surprise Limp Bizkit show !!!

Picture this... Your a struggling musicianlooking to 'Make It'  You make your way to Toronto from a small town. You end up sleeping on couches and in parks - busking ur way to stardom. Then it happens. Jeff Healey happens by and next thing u know - ur onstage with him at his club. Good things happen to good people. #IWTM

There was a time when U2 sang about 3 Chords & The Truth... but after seeing The Edge shopping at a local Pawn Shop - We call this Episode 'Pawn Shop Saviors'

This week our Storyteller is our friend Jamie. Back in 1999 he saw Queens Of The Stone Age at Lee's Palace in Toronto, Canada. He got backstage and everything was kool until his +1 tried to pick up The Bass Players Girl. 

Canadian Recording Engineer Doug McClement was behind the board for one of the Best Guitar Jams of All Time. Back in 1983 Stevie Ray Vaughn and one of his heroes Albert King taped a show in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada titled 'In Session'. Clips are sill going viral on Social Media 40+ years after this jam went down.

Our Navy Sailor, Lee gets a contact high while in Philly watching a Rush Show !!!

Our first Storyteller Peter is back... this time he shows up at Iggy Pop's Hotel Room with his gf in tow. When the door opens - they get a big surprise. 

Andre saw the 2nd show ever at Kingswood Music Theater at Canada's Wonderland back in 1983. The English Beat delivered a set that went on and on...

Sometimes you take the Gig no matter where it is...

We Finally got our first 'Roadie Tale' for the Podcast. Storyteller Graham, was on the road with Chris De burgh when they played a Festival in Madrid, Spain. But Bullrings are made to keep things in - not out.

When Fidel Castro and the Communist Revolution took over Cuba in 1959... Rock n' Roll Was banned. Thn in 2016 - things opened up. first The former President came to visit. Then The Pope. Then Keef Richards. 

Picture this... You are a working musician on a 60's Revival Cruise. It's 3am and you are on The Lido Deck and the Karaoke DJ starts 'You Lost That Loving Feeling'. In a haze u look to your left and Bill Medley - yes that Bill Medley - is standing there. Toronto based Musician/Producer Derek Downham was there man.

Beatlemania 1964. Toronto, Canada. Maple Leaf Gardens. Screaming Girls. All The Screaming Girls.

It's 1992. GnR & Metallica are touring North America for the summer. Things are heating up. Axl starts acting up and making headlines everywhere he goes. Hugo, our storyteller, catches the Montreal stop of the tour. All hell breaks loose. #IWTM

When you buy a ticket to a concert, you have a reasonable expectation of a fun time and a good story. But what happens when you arrive at a show with thousands of other fans and a space ship lands to bring you the band?Listen to Darren share his story of his evening with George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic….and his morning sharing sidewalk space with some ladies of the night.

Sting...a Shower...and a wide eyed young woman in the '80s...need we say more?

Everybody wants to meet their rock and roll heroes. Sometimes, it actually works out.

I Was There, Man is a series about connections with music, but sometimes the best stories are when you miss the show...by that much.

Our storyteller, Joy, adopts a kitten after she connects with the bass player from one of the world's most famous bands.

Selma was a teenager in 1969. The Rolling Stones were playing a free show in Hyde Park in London. As luck would have it, there was a free show of another kind happening right next to her.

Peter shares his story of seeing Led Zeppelin in Chicago in 1977. He got lost in the Windy City, but not before hitching a ride with a few new friends, including a friendly young woman in the back seat of a car.