Canadian rock icon coming to Delhi
Posted By Kaitlin Doherty, SIMCOE REFORMER
September 17, 2008

In 1977 he took the stage at the Delhi Belgian Club as part of Max Webster.

Now, returning as a solo-artist, Canadian rock icon Kim Mitchell is returning to Delhi 30 years later.

"It was, wow, a long time ago, but I do remember playing in Delhi and coming into town," said the 56-year-old musician. "I remember the Belgian Hall being on the left hand side when you drive through... I can't wait to get back there."

Mitchell, a Sarnia native and Juno Award winning musician, will be jamming on stage Saturday night in celebration of the annual Delhi Harvest Fest.

In town to promote his eighth solo album, Ain't Life Amazing, Mitchell prefers to play smaller venues when given the opportunity.

"It's more intimate," he said. "I was born and raised in a small town and it seems like it is more of an event. We have a lot more fun and a lot less stress."

This album is Mitchell's' newest material in eight years and contains animated songs, Ain't Life Amazing and Got A Line, as well as an acoustic ballad Overtime.

"There have been parts of my career that I can say I'm proud of," Mitchell said. "But this whole entire album I am very proud of. If it is the last rock record I ever do, I can say that I am most proud of this."

Mitchell's' famous songs Go for a Soda and Patio Lanterns have stood the test of time with dedicated fans and allowed him to tour each year of his 27-year solo career.

"What really makes me happy is writing and playing," said Mitchell. "I wasn't setting out to do anything but write tunes. I am a guitar player first and foremost."

With fans downloading songs from the Internet and technologically advancements like iPods working against musicians like Mitchell, he said it was hard to justify releasing a new album.

"At first I thought, what was the point of making an album if they aren't going to sell," he said. "The point is, I'm a musician. I write and I record and that's what I do. It's not actually about selling records anymore."

With music entering a "new day and age," Mitchell said the new album is a product of that. Although it is not the old, romantic way of creating music, Mitchell said a sense of spontaneity can still be felt in the tracks.

"We transferred all of our music tracks and sounds over the Internet," he said. "I would wake up and my drum tracks would be on my computer from Nashville and my bass tracks from Houston. I just played my guitar along with it.

"I actually had enough songs for a double album. I had half rock songs and half pretty songs. I decided that I would save the pretty songs for another album if I decided to release it."

Opening for Mitchell will be The Joys.

Tickets for the Saturday's show are on sale now at Dave's Variety in Delhi, CD Plus at the Simcoe Town Centre, the Delhi Belgian Club or online at www.belgianhall.ca.

Doors open Saturday at 8 p.m.