Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Rock Plaza Central


Toronto six-piece Rock Plaza Central is preparing for the second leg of their tour of the US, this time hitting the Midwest and west coast. To kick off their tour, and in celebration of their forthcoming album and Paper Bag Records debut, At The Moment Of Our Most Needing, Or If Only They Could Turn Around, They Would Know They Weren't Alone (out this week!), the band is offering their take on Van Halen's "Panama."

Their version of "Panama," is so incredibly different and so potentially depressing that Diamond Dave would probably have to seek help if he heard it. I don't mean that in a negative way. Rock Plaza Central have taken the classic and turned it on it's head. It's a slow, acoustic version that sounds as if the end of days have arrived in the convertible.

According to front man Chris Eaton, "...it really all happened as a result of two things. I had an idea to host a night about four years ago where I'd book bands and give them a list of songs they'd have to cover. It was pretty brilliant. And then I had to stop because my partner got a job in Panama for four months. I couldn't get the song out of my head, so one day I just clicked record on the tape recorder and this came out."

You can see them tackle the tune in person on these tour dates...
June 19 Albany, NY @ Valentine's
June 20 Philadelphia, PA @ Popped! Music Festival
July 4 Milwaukee, WI @ PBR Event outside Burnheart's
July 5 Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St.Entry
July 7 Winnipeg, MB @ The Pyramid Cabaret
July 8 Saskatoon, SK @ Walker's Nightclub
July 9 Edmonton, AB @ Brixx
July 10 Calgary, AB @ Dicken's Pub
July 11 Canmore, AB @ Canmore Hotel
July 13 Kennewick, WA @ Red Room
July 14 Seattle, WA @ The Sunset Tavern
July 15 Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
July 16 Bellingham, WA @ The Wild Buffalo
July 22 Detroit Lake, MN @ 10,000 Lakes Festival
Sept 18 Champaign, IL @ Pygmalion Festival

Download: Panama
Download: (Don't You Believe The Words Of) Handsome Men

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