Have you heard of The Barenaked Ladies? Probably, if you're Canadian.
How about Sloan? A few of you? Good.
What about Odds, or The Pursuit of Happiness? What about all four at the same time?
Trans-Canada Highwaymen is a crossover that kids of the 70s, 80s and 90s are sure to appreciate. They are a quartet of homegrown musicians that have been leaving a mark on our nation's culture for decades: Chris Murphy of Sloan, ex-Barenaked Ladies frontman Steven Page, Moe Berg from the Pursuit of Happiness and Odds' Craig Northey.
They'll be heading up Highway 99 for a show on Aug. 22 as the Whistler Summer Concert Series continues.
"The original idea was: what if we all brought four songs to a 16-song set, and then we could just have just all killer, no filler, as it were," quips Murphy.
A supergroup, or a bunch of dorks?
While this unconventional outfit has been described as a "supergroup" by various media platforms, Murphy insists that that particular label is not what he would use. In his eyes, the Highwaymen are just "a bunch of dorks who have fun hanging out together and making jokes."
Their music isn't bad either.
"We've come together and we play each other's songs like a band," elaborates Murphy. "We're not just all sitting on stools. We play [various instruments]. I do mostly drums and they take turns playing drums for me. They all are not that great on drums, but Steven especially will showboat and have fun struggling on the drum kit. I think people love to see that."
All four men have known each other for many years.
Murphy first encountered The Barenaked Ladies in 1991 at a Halifax show. Despite their choice of attire, he was immediately blown away by their skill. It's not easy to impress a young, too-cool-for-school punk rocker like Murphy was back then, but Page and company did it.
"They didn't care what people thought, and they were laughing all the way to the bank," remembers Murphy.
Sloan and The Barenaked Ladies partnered up on a 2009 cruise, which Northey was also present on. He was good friends with Page beforehand and ended up becoming a mentor figure to Murphy. Berg ultimately entered the picture, and he too passed the vibe check.
'If something happens, we can just make it into a party'
The Trans-Canada Highwaymen have been entertaining audiences with a plethora of classic hits for about seven years. Its members continue to enjoy a harmonious relationship with one another.
"My favourite thing about being in the Trans-Canada Highwaymen is the hang," revealed Page in a press release. "Although I’ve known Chris and Craig and Moe since the very early 90s, it wasn’t until we started doing shows together in 2017 that we really got to spend any meaningful time together.
"And then the COVID pandemic happened and our group text threads saved me on many occasions. We made some videos, and started planning this album of [Canadian rock] covers."
Their album, Explosive Hits Vol. 1, is loaded with oldies from the 1960s and 1970s. It's a good way for people to check out the band online, but for them, few things can beat a live concert. Nowadays, their shows sell out on a regular basis.
Fortunately for Sea to Sky music aficionados, the Highwaymen's upcoming gig in Olympic Plaza is free.
"I've skied there [in Whistler] and it's awesome," said Murphy. "I've played there a couple times successfully. It's always fun. It's obviously a gorgeous place, and the Trans-Canada Highwaymen is a fun act that can roll with whatever. If something happens, we can just make it into a party."
DJ ShotSki will open the show on Aug. 22 at 6:30 p.m. The Highwaymen are slated to take the stage at 7:30 p.m. Check out more details at https://www.whistler.com/events/concerts/.
