The Sweet Sounds of Summer in Whistler

Here I sit on yet another rainy summer day in Whistler. But who am I to complain when for the past 2 nights I and mine got to enjoy 2 free- Yes Free! — outdoor concerts featuring 2 Canadian rock and roll masters. Set up in the newly designed Olympic plaza, productions presented by none other than the Municipality of Whistler, Tom Cochrane with Red Rider on Friday night and Colin James and his Little Big Band on Saturday.

Bringing me back to my teenage years, Tom and the boys played both Tom Cochrane hits and the golden oldies by Red Rider. For those of you non-Canadians, if these names don’t strike a chord, you’ll definitely remember dancing in the bar or the après ski club to Tom Cochrane’s greatest hit ​“Life is a Highway”.

Colin James’ magic on his guitar – trained by the one and only legend Stevie Ray Vaughn, sure can get the crowd to its feet. Colin and his band thrilled the fans with some of his newer swing music and many of his original hits like ​“Just Came Back”, ​“Why’d You Lie”, and a great cover of Van the Man’s ​“Into The Mystic”. 

All in all — a fantastic weekend for everyone. While the diverse crowd was mesmerized by the performers on stage, the artists enjoyed views of their fans under the amazing vista of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains lit up by the full moon.

These are just 2 of many in a series of Canadian artists featured in the Olympic venue this summer. Oh, and did I mention they’re all free? Whistler in the summer – a pretty great place to be while waiting for the snow to fall once again. It makes my heart glow, eh!