If you’ve been to a Metro Vancouver bar or casino over the past few decades, chances are you’ve heard and seen Dan Hare perform music. The guy is an impressive gig machine with multiple dates a week, typically, including solo-acoustic and March Hare Band shows of cover songs. Then there’s American Rock Legends (tributes to the music of Bob Seger and CCR), which he’ll take to the big stage at Surrey’s Bell Performing Arts Centre on March 14.
But this month brings something new for Hare, who’s recorded an album of original rock under the name Dawn Haze Music. The 10 songs of “I Love This Life” are upbeat, optimistic and full of the retro-rock vibes Hare was raised on.
The diverse, well-crafted album comes 40-plus years after the Cloverdale-area resident first became a full-time musician and entertainer, so those spring/summer recording sessions were landmark.
“Early one morning in the first months of 2023 I awoke and realized that I needed to go to a major studio with a world-class producer/engineer and record the best versions I could of 10 of my original songs,” Hare explains. “I told my wife that this would be costly and time-consuming but was something I really needed to do. She said to go ahead and do it.”
Hare’s first call was to Mike Fraser, a Langley resident who has mixed, engineered and/or produced on a long list of rock albums/songs you’ve definitely heard — by AC/DC, Aerosmith, Metallica, Rush and way too many others to note here. With bassist Billy Mendoza, keyboardist Andrew Johns and drummer Randall Stoll, the gang got together at Vancouver’s Armoury Studios for a few days, then polished the songs at Hare’s home studio (dubbed Bobby Barker’s Sonic Playground).
Hare wrote about those thrilling days in recent Facebook posts, days after the album’s Jan. 2 release online (CDs to come).
“I really wanted to make this a fun experience for everyone in the hope that it would translate on to the recording, which it most certainly did, and we were very productive in the context of thoroughly enjoying the process.
“I am well past the point of having stars in my eyes,” Hare admitted, “and this project is primarily for me to do something I have always wanted to do. So in that respect it is a complete win for me.
“The great thing about music is that everyone has their flavour, what they hear and how they hear it, so after a lifetime of playing, performing and writing music, I offer my flavour in the hope that some people will enjoy it. I thank God for the gift of music, and my motto has always been and remains, ‘Music makes the world a better place.’ So I hope you enjoy it.”
Hare plans to perform his original music live one day, so look for concert news on facebook.com/dawnhazemusicretrorock, where his “I Love This Life” songs are also posted.
CASSETTES KEPT
Almost daily, I kick myself for not keeping any recordings of all the rock-musician interviews I did in the 1990s while at the WestEnder newspaper (now defunct), most of them done on the phone in advance of a band’s concert in Vancouver. One such smart guy is Steve Newton, the former Georgia Straight rock writer who now blogs on earofnewt.com.
A North Deltan, the enterprising “Newt” kept cassette tapes of those conversations including five with Gord Downie between 1989 and 1996. The Tragically Hip singer and band will be profiled in a four-part documentary being made by Mike Downie, Gord’s older brother, for streaming on Prime Video this October, and the director intends to use some of Newton’s old interviews in his film.
“So glad you took such good care of those cassettes, Steve,” Mike tweeted in December. “Gord seems so unguarded in your phone invus.”
Downie’s documentary will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Hip’s formation in Kingston, Ont. Project updates are on couragefilms.ca.
ALL-CHICAGO CONCERT
Tribute bands are rocking Surrey Arts Centre’s Main Stage theatre, which is busy with several events on February’s fourth weekend. As previously reported, Coast to Coast plays the music of The Scorpions, UFO and Michael Schenker Group on Saturday, Feb. 24, a night after West Coast Chicago showcases “Saturday In The Park,” “25 or 6 to 4” and other horn-y songs at the 402-seat theatre, on Friday, Feb. 23.
The all-Chicago gig, presented by The Agency, is part of the band’s 2024 Feelin’ Stronger Every Day tour, featuring musicians Paul Clarke (music director, keys), Mon Gonzales (guitar), Scott Driscoll (vocals), horn players Greg Farrugia, Garth Balint and Graham Howell, and rhythm sectionists Arne Eigenfeldt (bass) and Mike Crean (drums). The songs are performed live (no pre-recorded tracks) with visuals.
Check out promo videos on westcoastchicago.com and look for tickets on tickets.surrey.com ($59 each).