'Say Hello' Again to April Wine as They Set Out to Rock with Triumph
- jaybroderick
- Jan 18
- 3 min read
By: Jay Broderick - On August 29, 1981, my MUCH older cousin (sorry Jim, wink, wink), took my sister and I to the CNE Grandstand in downtown Toronto to see a rock concert. It was my first ever live music experience. I was 10 years old. The band? April Wine! I remember 2 distinct things that night... the funny smell of the smoke that filled the air, and the drum solo in which the drummer's sticks glowed different colours. It was pretty damned cool!!!!
27 years later (almost to the day), my young family and I headed over to the Ajax Community Centre soccer field, lawn chairs in tow, for an August 20, 2008 free concert. It would be my son's first concert. He was even younger than I was. The band during this free event, courtesy of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, was none other than... drumroll please... April Wine!! Needless to say, the Canadian rock legends hold a very special place in my heart.
On December 12th, 2025, another iconic Canadian rock band announced their first tour in 30 years. Celebrating 50 years since the band's inception, Triumph broke the news that they would travel around North America for 24 dates to commemorate the milestone. And supporting Triumph on this tour? You guessed it... APRIL WINE!!! As a side, Triumph was coincidentally the second concert I had ever seen, and the first without a chaperone.
Having formed in Nova Scotia in 1969, April Wine has been rocking for close to 6 decades. But to add one last personal element, the band's roots actually trace back to Newfoundland (I'm deeply proud of my Newfie heritage) where founding brothers David and Ritchie Henman grew up playing music together. What's just as impressive as April Wine's longevity is that their singer Myles Goodwyn had been the band's frontman from its inception, until his very sad passing in 2023.
But the band's legacy continues, thanks to guitarist, harmonica, and vocalist Brian Greenway. With the passing of Goodwyn, Greenway is now the longest serving member of April Wine, having joined in 1977. While the band never received massive followings internationally, their importance to the Canadian music world is massively understated. As such, Greenway's decision that "the show must go on" is to the overwhelming joy of Canadian Classic Rock fans from coast to coast to coast. And now is another chance to hear the music live.
Kicking off on April 22 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Triumph, with special guests April Wine, kick off a 10 date Canadian run ending on May 8th in Calgary, Alberta. The celebration's 2nd stop is right here in Toronto on April 24th, at Scotiabank Arena. The tour then heads south of the border for a 14 date trot through the US.
Tour Dates
April 22 - Sault Ste. Marie, ON | GFL Memorial Gardens
April 24 - Toronto, ON | Scotiabank Arena
April 25 - Hamilton, ON | TD Coliseum
April 28 - Halifax, NS | Scotiabank Centre
April 29 - Moncton, NB | Avenir Centre
May 1 - Laval, QC | Place Bell (Montreal)
May 2 - Ottawa, ON | Canadian Tire Centre
May 5 - Winnipeg, MB | Canada Life Centre
May 7 - Edmonton, AB | Rogers Place
May 8 - Calgary, AB | Scotiabank Saddledome
May 13 - Rosemont, IL | Rosemont Theatre (Chicago)
May 14 - Milwaukee, WI | Miller High Life Theatre
May 16 - Kansas City, MO | Starlight Theatre
May 17 - St. Louis, MO | Hollywood Casino Amphitheater
May 20 - Irving, TX | The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory (Dallas)
May 21 - San Antonio, TX | Frost Bank Center
May 22 - Houston, TX | Smart Financial Center at Sugar Land
May 24 - Tampa, FL | MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheater
May 26 - Atlanta, GA | Synovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park
May 28 - Camden, NJ | Freedom Mortgage Pavilion (Philadelphia)
May 30 - Sterling Heights, MI | Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill (Detroit)
June 3 - Darien Center, NY | Darien Lake Amphitheater
June 5 - Wantagh, NY | Northwell at Jones Beach Theater (New York)
June 6 - Boston, MA | Leader Bank Pavilion
I have said it countless times in the past... there will come a time when the bands we love will stop touring. It is without a doubt that you have a list of bands that you would give anything to see "one last time". The reality is that you never know when that last time is going to be... so make it a point to get out to see them now.
April Wine Online
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