Anyone under 30 could be forgiven for not knowing who the heck Triumph are. It’s been more than three decades since the Mississauga-formed trio released an album, and even longer since frontman and Canadian rock legend Rik Emmett left the band. Save for a few reunions here and there, Emmett hasn’t been with Triumph on a large-scale tour since 1988.
When Triumph’s reunion tour was announced back in December, there was some initial excitement followed largely by radio silence. Swarms of blue dots on Ticketmaster’s webpage before a concert are never a good sign, so I thought it would be interesting to see if the band’s old-school fans would remember them and show up. Spoiler alert: they did.
Thousands of leather-clad fans packed the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary on Friday night (May 8) for what would probably be Triumph’s last show there — if they ever tour again, that is. With a long overdue new arena going up down the street, Calgarians are counting the days until they can finally get with the times and enjoy concerts (and hockey) in the new digs.
There’s something nostalgic about the ‘Dome though, with its $12 beers, brutal parking and lukewarm hot dogs. Its curved roof is a feat of architecture that would seem sacrilege to remove from Calgary’s skyline; I’ve seen dozens of shows there, and despite everyone and their dog complaining that we don’t get enough concerts because the Saddledome’s roof can’t bear the load of intense rigging, the sound is actually decent for a hockey arena.
It’s also fitting that Triumph picked the ‘Dome to play a their reunion show in the city, as it’s where they were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at the JUNO Awards in 2008. Those blue dots be damned: Calgarians showed up in droves on Friday and were rewarded with one hell of a show, powered by blistering guitars and thundering drums.
Canadian rock legends April Wine opened the show with a high-energy barrage of hits. One could argue this version of the group was more of a tribute — guitarist Brian Greenway is the only original member — but nevertheless, the band kept it tight and got the crowd moving through an electric wave of classic radio hits.
“Oowatanite” got things going, with the crowd going nuts for its cowbell-driven percussion section. Not bopping your head to the band’s staples like “You Could’ve Been a Lady” and “Enough Is Enough” proved to be a futile endeavour. Led by Greenway’s tight riffs and frontman Marc Parent’s towering vocals, the “new” April Wine were tight, energetic, and determined to get Calgary moving, if only for a short time.
Parent — who was personally selected by original April Wine frontman Myles Goodwyn as his replacement before the iconic singer passed in 2023 — had no trouble belting out fan favourites like “Sign of the Gypsy Queen,” “I Like to Rock” and closing tune “Roller.” No matter how you feel about classic rock bands using hired guns to enhance their sound, April Wine showed that not only does it work, but there’s still a pretty good demand for this type of thing amongst a certain demographic.
After a short break, it was time to answer the burning question: could Triumph still deliver after such a long time away? The lights went out and a (purposely?) corny video introduced the audience to the Triumph “Time Machine,” complete with band photos, album covers and possibly AI-generated images.
Triumph launched into the fittingly titled “When the Lights Go Down””and immediately turned the volume up to 11. Backed by their own horde of session musicians — riff-master Phil X on guitar, Canadian icon Todd Kerns on bass, and multi-instrument wizard Brent Fitz on drums — Triumph pulled fans in early on and didn’t let up for over 100 minutes.
Sure, three-fifths of the people on stage were not in the original band, but at this point, who cares? If you need experienced musicians to help carry the load, you couldn’t have picked a better trio. Kerns’ lead vocals soared on the hard rocking “Spellbound,” while Phil X’s shredding pierced your ears like a knife on the band’s own “Rock ‘N’ Roll Machine” and their cover of Joe Walsh’s “Rocky Mountain Way.”
While hardcore fans may be disappointed that original bassist Mike Levine wasn’t able to join the band on this Western leg of the tour, Emmett and drummer Gil Moore carried the torch with pride, showing that the Triumph spirit is alive and well.
Emmett in particular is a marvel. He’s the kind of old-school frontman that fans who grew up in the ’70s and ’80s yearn for: one who takes immense pride in the craft of songwriting and strives to push positive messaging in his lyrics, effortlessly convincing his Canadian-made Godin guitars to conjure the beautiful soundscapes that carry hits like “Magic Power” and “Lay It on the Line.” Although the keys of some songs were changed to match Emmett’s mature voice, it didn’t affect the performance, and the audience was eating up every note.
His guitar playing was also impeccable. The aforementioned “Rock ‘N’ Roll Machine” was the clear highlight, Emmett confidently taking centre stage and performing a jaw-dropping solo that included everything from pinch harmonics to volume swells, to mind-bending, speedy runs with spot-on tone and precision. It’s no stretch to say that Emmett is a living legend; he could even rival Jimmy Page as one of the best guitarists alive.
Throughout the show, a giant screen behind the band provided visuals — with everything from chess pieces to Van Gogh-esque landscapes, to fiery versions of the Triumph logo — as the backdrop for an unforgettable night. Pyro lit up the stage on closing tune “Fight the Good Fight,” a song that proves positive messaging in rock ‘n’ roll is sorely missed.
Before “Magic Power,” Emmett gave the audience a heartwarming speech about how, at 72, he didn’t think his music was still wanted or needed — a statement that Calgary triumphantly (pun very much intended) proved wrong.