By John Johnson, photos by Chaz Dykes of Chaz D Photography
The clouds hanging over MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheater looked like they had bad intentions all afternoon. Every weather app I checked seemed convinced Tampa was about to get swallowed by a much needed, but ill-timed downpour. Ponchos were out, nervous glances toward the sky were constant, and every armchair weather person in the parking lot was saying, “Well… let’s see how long this lasts.” Added tension, as the Amp still hasn’t replaced the “roof” since it was blown off by those two storms from 2024. I know the individual hurricane’s names, but why give them any more press. Alas, somehow though, the rock gods intervened. Not a drop. It was humid enough to steam a lobster, sure, but the rain stayed away and gave thousands of classic rock fans the perfect night for a double-shot of Canadian arena rock.
Opening the evening was April Wine, a band that I have always dug and have only seen once live, 41 years ago. It was incredibly satisfying hearing those revered pop rock tunes blasting through the Amp just as the sun started disappearing behind the empty lawn (it was closed for this show). The dual guitars had bite, the harmonies were tight (even without founder Myles Goodwyn who passed in 2023), as Marc Parent filled the large shoes of Goodwyn quite adequately. Even without the recognizable nasal tone that Goodwyn had, Parent and original guitarist/singer Brian Greenway sounded great together. The whole set, even though a short ten songs, had this loose, veteran confidence to it, and the mix had punch. Joining Parent and Greenway, were bassist Richard Lanthier and drummer Roy Nichol. Just four seasoned rock musicians cranking out tunes that I used to blast in my Chevy Vega on the way to Clearwater Beach.
By the middle of their tiny set, most of the crowd had finally made it to their seats. You see, there was a lightning alert that caused entering the venue to be postponed, even if the bands start times remained the same as scheduled. Starting with “I Like to Rock”, arguably their oldest and most recognizable song, with riffs from “Satisfaction” by the Stones and the Beatles “Daytripper” overlapping in the bridge. As much as I loved hearing it, I couldn’t help feel bad for the attendees still in line to enter. The six or so songs after “I Like to Rock” however, seemed to be lost on all but a few guests that had made it to their seats. Although they sounded great and the crowd obviously enjoyed them, only a smattering of April Wino’s (that’s not an official fan title, but maybe it should be) sang along. It was the last three songs however that the majority of the crowd truly grasped enough to stand and sing along with the band. The ballad “Just Between You and Me” and “Sign of the Gypsy Queen”, both off 1981’s Nature of the Beast and the set ender “Roller” off First Glance were bangers. April Wine, to me anyway, didn’t feel like an opener trying to warm up the audience, they felt like co-headliners with a shorter set and less pyro. Now let’s hope it’s not another 41 years until I catch them again, because I’ll be 103.
And then came Triumph and the “50th Rock and Roll Machine Reloaded Tour,” which might be one of the most gloriously over-the-top tour names ever created. Truth be told, I had come to see April Wine because, and don’t hate me, I was never a Triumph “fan” per se. Don’t get me wrong, I always liked them, they just weren’t in my rotation. I did however think it was cool when I discovered, back in the day, that Rik Emmett is also an illustrator and was a pretty good cartoonist. So I did actually geek out about the fact that he could sing like that, play guitar so well AND he was a cartoon artist. And having interviewed Gil Moore a few weeks back, and found him engaging and well, a great dude, I was excited to see Triumph for different reasons other than what the super fans came to see. And there were plenty. Male AND female, but mostly male obviously and several still sporting mullets, and even more than a few with epic skullets. Whatever level of fan the 6,000 plus congregation landed in, the evening had cooled and the anticipation was palpable. Deservedly so as the three original guys haven’t toured together since 1988.
The lights dropped, the crowd exploded, and suddenly the amphitheater transformed into a time machine fueled entirely by guitar riffs and pounding tom-toms, and there were a ton of both. From the opening notes of “When The Lights Go Out”, Triumph sounded massive. Singer guitarist Rik Emmett and singing drummer Gil Moore, the only two of the original members in attendance waltzed out. Bassist/keyboardest Mike Levine was not able to join the tour as he is battling some health issues. Emmett decked out in red and white in honor of his homeland to the North, was a spry and cheerful 72 year old. He truly looked excited and joyful to be up there on stage, and the audience fed off of that energy. Joking with the crowd on several occasions, even mentioning the humidity at one point by stating “We Canadians find it a bit moist.” Joining Moore and Emmett were Phil X on guitar and vocals, Brent Fitz on drums and vocals and Todd Kerns on bass and vocals. Kerns sported a shirt that read TAMPA DAMMIT and now I’m on the hunt for one for myself. To the Triumph purist, having more than three performers up there may have caused apprehension, but it was short lived because the five players up there jibed like they had been in the band all along. Now with Emmett and Moore already being singers you would think, damn, that’s a lot of singers. Well, you’d be right, but I’m here to tell you they all sounded amazing, seamlessly trading off leads throughout the 15 song set. Conversely, having two drummers allowed the tall, svelte, bespectacled Moore to come out front and croon while pacing along the stages edge.
What struck me most was how much fun everyone seemed to be having — band and audience alike. This wasn’t one of those legacy-act shows where musicians stare at their shoes while mechanically running through old hits. Triumph attacked the songs like they still meant everything. From lesser known tunes like “Somebody’s Out There”, “Blinding Light Show” and “24 Hours a Day”, to the colossal radio hits “Hold On”, “Lay It On The Line”, “Magic Power” and show closer “Fight the Good Fight”, the set was packed and the performers were extremely tight. The light show, the corresponding stories on the video monitors and multiple pyrotechnic moments were icing on the cake. The members played off of each other well and during “Allied Forces”, every stringed instrument strummer was rocking a Flying V. ’Twas definitely a nice touch.
It really was a celebration a long time coming, as both April Wine and Triumph proved that they haven’t lost a step and their music still gets the masses energized. And maybe the best part? The weather forecast lost.
For one night in Tampa, the storms stayed away, the guitars stayed loud, and two Canadian rock institutions reminded everybody that arena rock is supposed to be fun, oversized, and just over-the-top enough to escape the daily grind. A heart felt thank you to our neighbors from up North, please, come back any time.
Now. Go Out and See, Hear and Feel l Live Music
