Tablet Pharmacy: Ever find yourself waiting endlessly at a big box pharmacy, feeling like just another number? At Tablet Pharmacy, they provide the personalized service you deserve. They offer free delivery and blister packaging options to make managing your medications easier than ever. Check their competitive prices online at tabletpharmacy.ca.

Rockin’ Rhonda: Peter and Dave, they’re on the mics. All right, join the ride. It’s gonna feel just right.

Peter McCully: Welcome back to the PULSE Community Podcast. Springtime on Vancouver Island progresses as the temperatures creep upward and the days grow longer. The patios are open and the golf courses are filling up 

Dave Graham: And I’m Dave Graham. Golf — oh yeah. I’m all about golf.

Peter McCully: Dave, you don’t golf.

Dave Graham: No, but I’ve been studying it. The aim of the game is to lose a ball down a hole in as few tries as possible. I’m very good at losing things, so that makes me a natural. This isn’t baseball. It isn’t played while running. This isn’t basketball. I don’t want to brag, but all the games of mini golf I’ve played have shown me that I have a touch.

Peter McCully: I’m sure Rory McIlroy is breathing a sigh of relief that you’re busy with other things. We’re anticipating a couple of significant golf course events locally. The first-ever SOS For Our Families golf tournament is set to help the Society of Organized Services at Morningstar Golf Club on June 6th. $180 buys 18 holes, a cart, a buffet dinner, on-course challenges, a chance to win a brand new vehicle, and a long list of wonderful items in the silent auction.

Dave Graham: Do we have details on the buffet dinner menu? I can help with that. I’m fully qualified to hand out dinner rolls.

Peter McCully: The second event will be at the Qualicum Beach Memorial Golf Course for Rock the Range, September 12th. We are giving away a general admission pass for two to Rock the Range — the newest live music event on the Island. It features 54–40 in their only Vancouver Island appearance this year, plus Kyle McKearney, the Chris Buck Band, and The Studies.

Dave Graham: To enter, head to our website or our Facebook or Instagram pages and tell us who you are most looking forward to seeing perform at Rock the Range. The contest closes at midnight on Thursday, April 23rd. 54–40 co-founder and bassist Brad Merritt will be joining us today on the podcast. The new album Porto, recorded in Portugal, is out now.

Brad Merritt: We are still doing it. We still like it. We do it as well or better than we ever have. I just had a birthday in March and Neil gives me a call — it’s something we do every year. He says, yeah, I think this rock and roll thing helps keep you young. I said, yeah, it really does. I know lots of people my age, and they just don’t act, look, or think the way that we do. And that’s okay. It’s a little bit like the Dave Davies song from The Kinks — I’m not like everybody else. And that’s okay. 

Dave Graham: Former NHL goalie Richard Brodeur backstopped the Vancouver Canucks to their very first Stanley Cup final. Now Richard is a successful artist who is trading the crease for the canvas. He’s bringing his art to Parksville and opening a new gallery.

Richard Brodeur: It’s not only my paintings. Right now there are eight of us. We’re going to have a potter, sculptures, different styles of painting. Professional artists — I would say 80 per cent are from the Island. The gallery you’re going to see is different art, very diversified.

Peter McCully: Roy Forbes will be on a future podcast. He’ll be appearing at Char’s Landing in Port Alberni.

Dave Graham: We’ll soon hear what’s happening at the Parksville Museum from Sarah Ronald. The museum is a busy place — they have another live music concert series planned.

Peter McCully: AJay Friese of Victoria joins us to talk about his new album and his new role in a television show with Kevin Kline and Laura Linney.

Dave Graham: Chris Buck of the Chris Buck Band, and the organizer of the Boots and Boats Singer-Songwriter Festival in the Nanaimo region, will stop by for a chat.

Peter McCully: Stay tuned to the podcast and our website and social pages for our upcoming contests. We have a summer of giveaways planned.

Dave Graham: Yes — there will be tickets for 54–40, April Wine, Beach Fest Rocks, and more.

SOS: When families are supported, our whole community thrives. That’s why SOS launched For Our Families — a campaign dedicated to keeping essential SOS Child, Youth and Family programs open, accessible, and vibrant. You can make a donation through the SOS website, and you can help by teeing off at the first-ever SOS For Our Families golf tournament, June 6th at Morningstar Golf Club. For just $180 per person: enjoy the driving range, 18 holes, a cart, buffet dinner, on-course challenges, a chance to win a vehicle from Parksville Chrysler, and great prizes. Learn more at sosd69.com.

Ian Lindsay & Associates: Ian Lindsay of Lindsay and Associates has played an active role in the local community since 1979. He has been with RE/MAX — Vancouver Island’s most advanced real estate business network — since 1996, marketing and selling residential, rural, strata, recreational, investment, and project development real estate. Ian has received awards for exceptional community commitment locally, as well as awards for outstanding performance from both RE/MAX International and the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board. You’ll find true real estate professionals at ianlindsay.ca. 

Dave Graham: This is the PULSE Community Podcast with a focus on mid-Vancouver Island, and we are always looking for stories. If you have one to share, or know of one we could be covering, contact us — leave a voice or text message or head to our website and click on the contact link.

Peter McCully: Visit our website and find links to Vancouver Island webcams, plus all of our podcasts and information on guests and contests, all at thepulsecommunity.ca.

Dave Graham: The PULSE Community Podcast is available on Apple, Amazon, iHeart, Spotify, TikTok, and YouTube, and also on Facebook and Instagram. And now we are ready for our first guest. Here’s Marilyn.

Marilyn: Richard Brodeur spent 17 years between the pipes in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League, but it was the spring of 1982 that cemented his place in hockey history, backstopping the Vancouver Canucks to their very first Stanley Cup final. Now Richard is a successful artist who is trading the crease for the canvas. He’s bringing his art to Parksville when he opens Gallery 35.

Peter McCully: Thanks for joining us on the podcast today, Richard. I’m always happy to welcome goaltenders.

Richard Brodeur: Thank you. I’m happy to be here. Goaltending has been a long time ago though.

Peter McCully: We’ll have some questions about hockey. We’ll want to talk about the art you’ve been making for the last 25 years or so, especially now that you’re living on Vancouver Island. Let’s start at the start. When did you pick up a goalie stick and when did you pick up a pencil or a brush in earnest? 

Richard Brodeur: I was probably four years old when my dad set up a backyard rink in Montreal — that’s where we started. But playing goal came at 11. I was chasing pucks like everybody else. Then we lost a couple of games by a big score and the goalie said he was done. The coach asked who wanted to play goal, I said okay. We won the first game. He asked if I was going to stay in. That was it. Ten years later, I was in the pros.

Peter McCully: That’s funny — I was a catcher in baseball and a goaltender in hockey. I never made it to the pros though. 

Richard Brodeur: You have to be fortunate. It was something that was with me all the time and I loved to do it. People say you’re crazy, you’re a goalie. Yes, I am crazy and I’m a goalie. It’s a lonely job. They can tell you how to stop the puck, but you have to figure it out yourself. There are five guys in front of you, but you’re the last line. For me, it’s all about preparation. When you’re young, you just go out and play. But at the junior and pro level, it’s all about preparation — knowing who’s the best scorer on that team, how they play their power play. If you’re prepared, you just go out there and play the game.

Peter McCully: Goaltenders are often described as a different breed — cerebral, independent, a little eccentric. Do you think that makeup is also what lends itself to being an artist?

Richard Brodeur: I have two passions in my life — not talking about family. I had hockey, I got to do it professionally, and now I get to do art professionally. Is there a correlation? I would say yes. It’s you and the canvas, just like it’s you and the boys on the ice. When you paint, it’s the same as playing hockey — it’s all about being prepared before you start. The ice was a little more difficult than the canvas, because on the canvas you have an idea. On the ice, things happen unexpectedly and it’s really fast. But they’re both true passions.

Peter McCully: I understand you kept your passion for painting a secret from your teammates for many years — you were bringing a sketchpad on road trips. What was it like carrying that creative life privately during your hockey career?

Richard Brodeur: If you remember the seventies — really macho, right? It was a big man’s world. You’re a goalie, you’re already considered crazy, and then you’re going to tell them you’re an artist on top of that? The first thing that would come to their mind — can we count on him? So I kept it to myself. I painted at home. Sometimes after a game I could paint till three or four in the morning. On the road I had my sketchpad. Toward the end of my career I started painting more and more — I was doing little shows back east. I knew my career was coming to an end, but I still loved to paint. And it became a career for me.

Peter McCully: I read somewhere that you said painting may have saved your life during a difficult battle with depression. 

Richard Brodeur: I had 13 concussions when I played. We didn’t have the big masks, the big protection. So when you got hit in the head, you got knocked out. Complicated blackout. Headaches for two, three days. That led to depression. I had to fight it for at least 30 years. If it wasn’t for my art, I wouldn’t be here today. Because that was my refuge — my place where I was happy, where I could find myself again. I’m not ashamed of saying that. I’m not the only one. But I was fortunate enough to have this anchor — something I could grab and say, get me away from the dark places.

Peter McCully: Your Childhood Hockey Memories series has resonated with Canadians coast to coast — nostalgic scenes of kids on backyard rinks. Where did the inspiration come from?

Richard Brodeur: Some of it came from my own backyard. We grew up in the suburbs of Montreal. My dad flooded the backyard rink. We lived along the St. Lawrence River and skated on it. We played on my uncle’s farm — he had a creek going through it. It was part of who we are. And as a Canadian, I paint scenes where people say, yeah, I know this place. I’ve even sold in Finland, Sweden, and Germany, and people there say they grew up like that too. Back then, things were simpler. We played outdoors, just for the fun of it. We didn’t think at 12 years old about making the NHL. We just played. The other side of my art is landscape — a completely different mindset. I go on site, or people give me a reference, and that’s my interpretation of what I see. I’m not a realist. I’m an expressionist. The colours are my colours. And then there’s contemporary — when I see people, when I see things, I paint them my way. I like the human being with their emotion. So I diversify. The Childhood Hockey Memories series started because the owner of the Birthplace of BC Gallery in Fort Langley asked all 22 of her artists to do something on ice and snow. I thought she was crazy. But on my way home I thought about it — the mindset was ready for it. I did four paintings for the show. She sold them in an hour and a half. She said, you’re going to keep doing that. About 850 sold, 12 years later, and we’re still going.

Peter McCully: You work in oils, acrylics, and watercolours across multiple styles — folk art, post-impressionism, and abstract. That’s a wide palette, if you’ll pardon the pun.

Richard Brodeur: Wide palette in the scramble in my head. I paint what I love. My mind goes a hundred miles an hour all the time. So when I sit down, I always have three paintings on the go. When I get tired of one, I move to another. I have to refresh. I paint quickly. It’s spontaneous. I don’t take a month to do a painting — I take a day, or four hours. My mentor, Père Cliché, was really well known. He sold everywhere around the world. One summer I spent time painting with him. Three days later he said: you know everything you need to know, you’re very good at what you do. Just find the colour of your heart. That was profound. That’s the truth. You have to find yourself. 

Peter McCully: You’ve recently done some live painting sessions in Victoria as part of your Crease to Canvas series. What’s it like creating in front of an audience?

Richard Brodeur: I get into my bubble. I can’t talk to people, but I know where I’m going with the painting, so even if you talk to me, it doesn’t matter. I do artist-in-residence events and shows. I’m going to White Rock next week, then Ladysmith, then Langley for the West Star Show. I’m booked until Christmas right now. 

Peter McCully: And on top of that, you’re opening a new gallery here in Parksville — very exciting news for us. What drew you specifically to Parksville, and what can people expect when they walk through the door?

Richard Brodeur: It’s close to my heart. I’ve wanted to do this for a long time. My son has been living here for over 25 years — he’s my partner in it. It’s a gallery where my friends will also be there. Right now there are eight of us. We’re going to have a potter, sculptures, different styles of painting. Professional artists — about 80 per cent from the Island. The gallery is going to be diversified. We’ll also have a stage in the gallery for events, and art classes. This is something we want to bring to the community. We’re finishing the location now — my son is painting the walls, putting up the lights.

Peter McCully: Richard, could we do a speed round? Morning painter or night owl?

 Richard Brodeur: Morning.

Peter McCully: Favourite NHL arena you’ve played in?

Richard Brodeur: Chicago. The old barn — that place was unbelievable. So loud, crazy people. 

Peter McCully: Oil, acrylic, or watercolour?

Richard Brodeur: Childhood Memories — acrylic. Landscape — oil.

Peter McCully: Wayne Gretzky — greatest of all time, yes or no? 

Richard Brodeur: So far? Yes. 

Peter McCully: Outdoor rink or indoor rink? 

Richard Brodeur: Outdoor. I grew up outdoors.

Peter McCully: Favourite painting you’ve created?

Richard Brodeur: Mother Nature Is Crying. It’s a painting of Mother Nature, and the universe looking at her, and she’s crying. Her coat has all the flowers, the bees. That is my favourite. It’s a statement — it shows what I feel about what’s going on.

Peter McCully: Coffee or tea in the studio? 

Richard Brodeur: Coffee.

Peter McCully: What music do you listen to in the studio?

Richard Brodeur: All kinds, depending on my mood. Country, classical, pop. No hip hop though — that doesn’t ring a bell with me.

Peter McCully: The theme from Hockey Night in Canada? 

Richard Brodeur: No. I’m done with that.

Peter McCully: Best save you ever made?

Richard Brodeur: I think it was against Denis Savard in Chicago. It was the last game. He came out on a breakaway right off the top, and I kicked it out. We took over after that. That was a big save. 

Peter McCully: 1982 playoffs — one word.

Richard Brodeur: Incredible. It was like we didn’t care. We were like a pack of wolves.

Peter McCully: Favourite colour on the palette?

Richard Brodeur: Red.

Peter McCully: Biggest influence as an artist?

Richard Brodeur: Père Cliché. He wasn’t a formal mentor, but the colour he put in his palette — Quebec art is really rooted in wood colours, and I think that’s where I come from.

Peter McCully: Hockey card or art print — which would you rather sign?

Richard Brodeur: I make more money with a hockey card. Let’s put it that way.

Peter McCully: Favourite spot on Vancouver Island so far? 

Richard Brodeur: I love Nanoose Bay. That’s where I live now, and I just love it there.

Peter McCully: Last thing you painted?

Richard Brodeur: I did two commission paintings for Kenny Tire to raise money — one for Greater Vancouver and one for Halifax and the Maritimes. I finished one and I’m almost done with the other. 

Peter McCully: If you weren’t a goalie or an artist, what would you have been? 

Richard Brodeur: I would have loved to sing. I’m not really good, but I’d love to sing. So in my next life, I’ll come back as a singer.

 Peter McCully: What style of music?

Richard Brodeur: Rock and roll. I’m an old rocker.

Peter McCully: For a young hockey player on Vancouver Island dreaming of the NHL, what’s one piece of advice you wish someone had given you as a youngster?

Richard Brodeur: Listen to your coach. Understand it’s a team game. Love what you do. If you don’t, get out and do something else. If you want to play hockey, just go for it — be disciplined, be prepared. You’re going to make mistakes. You’re going to have success. Just keep going.

Peter McCully: For a young artist — maybe a teenager who’s quietly sketching in a notebook, unsure whether to pursue it — what would you tell them? 

Richard Brodeur: Follow the colours of your heart. Art is very subjective — it’s not only painting, it could be anything. It could be singing. Just follow your art and your heart. That’s the big thing. 

Peter McCully: Richard, you’ve gone from crease to canvas, from Quebec to Vancouver Island. What chapter are you in right now, and what do the next few years look like? 

Richard Brodeur: I want to slow down a little and really work at the gallery — choose where I want to go and what I want to do. I’m only 73. I’ve got 25 years to go. But I’m at the stage in my career where I can pick where I want to go, which is nice. 

Dave Graham: Richard Brodeur. He was remarkable between the pipes and he’s now bringing that same focus and passion to his art. Gallery 35 opens soon in Parksville. It will be of interest to art lovers and hockey fans alike. Links in our story notes at thepulsecommunity.ca. 

Peter McCully: You’ll also find Skookum Kid’s Stories on our website. Each week sees a new story featuring Peter and Gracie the Eskimo dog or the Mellow Submarine. Our stories now offer colouring pages to go along with each new episode. 

Dave Graham: In this week’s story, Captain Dave and his first mate Larry the Lobster take the Mellow Submarine to a car show.

Peter McCully: Our Radio Archaeology classic radio series features original episodes of Dragnet with Sergeant Joe Friday and Gunsmoke with Marshall Matt Dillon.

Dave Graham: Our partners in podcasting also include A Resilience Project with Cindy Thompson of Parksville and Stories of Resilience — moving from surviving to thriving.

Peter McCully: Parksville counsellors Joel Grenz and Sean Wood help us understand and navigate the inner workings of municipal politics in Non-Partisan Hacks. 

Dave Graham: You’ll find these podcasts and more at thepulsecommunity.ca. While you’re there, sign up for our newsletter and be among the first to know about upcoming guests and contests.

Thrifty Foods Parksville: At Thrifty Foods, we love to help nonprofits, charities, and schools. Our Thrifty Foods Smile Card bulk program allows organizations to immediately save up to 6% on the purchase of Smile Cards in bulk, keeping more money in your organization’s pockets. Ask for details at Thrifty Foods in Parksville. 

Tablet Pharmacy: Ever find yourself waiting endlessly at a big box pharmacy, feeling like just another number? There’s a better way. At Tablet Pharmacy, they provide the personalized service you deserve. Check their competitive prices online at tabletpharmacy.ca before you even leave home. They offer free delivery and blister packaging options to make managing your medications easier than ever. With convenient locations in Parksville, Qualicum Beach, and now open in Nanaimo near The Brick, Tablet Pharmacy has been serving Vancouver Island since 2019. Stop being just a prescription number. Experience the Tablet Pharmacy difference today.

Dave Graham: Back to golf for a moment. I’ve been giving this more thought. I think the sport is missing something, Peter. It’s too quiet. They need to get rid of the rule that spectators be quiet while the players play. I think there should be music, maybe some cheerleading, and the golfers just have to cope with the distractions.

Peter McCully: I think there are lots of folks who are grateful that you are not in charge of golf, Dave. And I think now would be a good time for our next guest. He’s been rocking stages across the country for 45 years. Here’s Marilyn. 

Marilyn: Brad Merritt is the co-founder and bassist of one of Canada’s most iconic rock bands, a group that has been rocking stages across this country for 45 years. Born out of the Vancouver punk scene, 54–40 helped define the sound of Canadian alternative rock. Their brand new album Porto is out now. 54–40 will be bringing that music to Qualicum Beach for Rock the Range.

Peter McCully: Thanks for joining us on the podcast today, Brad. It’s been a while since we chatted.

Brad Merritt: I’m happy to be here, Peter.

Peter McCully: I was chatting with Greg Adams recently — the man behind SunFest. 54–40 was the very first band to play the very first SunFest on the Island. And now you’ll be playing at the very first Burns to Beaches Festival in Tsawwassen, and then heading to Qualicum Beach this summer for the very first Rock the Range Music Festival in September. I’m sensing a pattern here, Brad.

Brad Merritt: We do that. We kick off a lot of new events.

Peter McCully: What do you remember about the very first SunFest?

Brad Merritt: I don’t think it was sunny that day, as I recall. It was on a piece of property — essentially a farm where they built a really nice stage. We had a couple thousand people out there. It was a modest start. I remember the show, having a good time, people enjoying themselves. It was in the middle of the summer, so we had natural light until about nine o’clock. In the end it turned out to be quite a beautiful evening.

Peter McCully: Being the first act at a brand new festival — do you approach that differently as a band than a venue you’ve played multiple times. 

Brad Merritt: No — that’s the easy answer. This is what we do. We’ve done it 3,500 times. Not that every show is the same by any stretch, but we let things unfold the way they unfold. We do our thing. What we try to do, Peter, is create a sense of community. We work with the audience, be responsive to them, and create a synergy — that’s what makes playing live so great. Whether I go and see a band or whether our band is playing, we’re able to get together and create a unique experience.

Peter McCully: You and Neil have been creating unique experiences for pretty much 50 years — a friendship and a creative partnership. What’s the secret to that kind of longevity?

Brad Merritt: I just renewed my passport. Used Neil as a reference. How long have you known him? I wrote 49 years. When we started out, we were 20 years old. We didn’t know anything about anything — not just music, or what it takes to start a band. There was a lot of conflict, a lot of staking out positions, disagreements about whatever. We were a three-piece, and our drummer — we’d start to do something, it would stop, and Neil and I would argue for about half an hour while he just sat there by the drums. But that’s an essential part of the whole thing. You work it out and understand each other. And then you agree to work together, and that whole thing goes away. I’ve become a Neil booster in my old age. I just wish the best for him, whatever he does. 

Peter McCully: Until the early nineties, even with platinum albums and touring everywhere, all the members of the band had a second job. What does that say about what the band is built on? 

Brad Merritt: The level of commitment and the amount of work you have to put in — people probably don’t really appreciate that. When we were making our early records, I’d work all day, sleep in the afternoon, get to the studio at 11 or 11:30 at night, record from midnight to seven in the morning, and then go to work. All the touring we did was on holidays and weekends — jumping in the van and doing our thing. That’s what you have to do when you start in the arts. You’re going to have another job because you’re not going to make a living at it right away. Eventually there’s a crossover period, and then you’re able to do what you love full time. It was 11 years before I could quit my day job. The last four or five were just part-time, but that’s what you have to do. We’re all better for the experience. 

Peter McCully: Hootie & the Blowfish has been covering “I Go Blind” since the eighties. I read that they saw you play at a club in Washington in 1989. What was your reaction when you found out they were going to record it?

Brad Merritt: Mark and Darius come from Maryland. Going to school at the University of South Carolina. The club was the 9:30 Club — very famous rock club in Washington. We used to play there quite a bit. We were assigned to an American label and toured the US constantly for three or four years. They were fans of the band and could play the whole Green record from beginning to end. They’d come to our shows — a couple I remember specifically at the 9:30 Club. After the show, they’d sit around and eat our pizza and drink our beer from our rider. Then a few years later, we’re playing Snow Jam in Banff, and our WEA rep said, this band Hootie & the Blowfish has recorded “I Go Blind” and put it on the B-side of their first single. We figured out who it was — it was this band that used to come to our shows. The record started selling — 17 or 18 million copies. They didn’t put it on the album. If they had, it would’ve been worth a lot of money to us. What happened is their A&R rep was putting together a compilation for the TV show Friends. It came out on the Friends soundtrack, wasn’t even supposed to be a single, but radio started playing it anyway. It became the number three most-played song in the United States. We got a Billboard Award and an ASCAP Award as writers. So we actually did make some money in royalties — which was great. It was vindication that we were capable of doing something that attracted a lot of attention.

Peter McCully: You were mentioning that members of the band had jobs well into 10 years of being 54–40. I read somewhere that Darius Rucker worked in a music store while they were on the road.

Brad Merritt: The guys in REM did that too. Peter Buck used to work at a record store — still living in Athens, Georgia at the time. One day a week when he was in town he’d work there. It was his way of staying on top of things. I didn’t do that — at a certain point we just became who we became. We created a synergy within the band that helped us find a unique sound rather than trying to emulate whatever was popular. I do admire those artists who want to stay current, but good for Darius. Good for Peter Buck. 

Peter McCully: Didn’t you open for Hootie & the Blowfish on some Canadian shows back in the day?

Brad Merritt: Yeah, we played the SkyDome. Here’s a story. We did eight or ten shows across Canada. First show was at what was called the Corel Centre in Ottawa. We’re playing 45 minutes to an hour, and in the middle of the set there’s a big kerfuffle at the side of the stage. We find out after the fact that their tour manager was going to pull the plug on us because we were playing a Hootie & the Blowfish song. We didn’t realize it was our song. After that, we said, okay, you play the song — we’ve got lots of songs, we don’t need to play that one. 

Peter McCully: 54–40 has had a very busy year with the new album. Last fall you were opening for Foreigner across the country on the Jukebox Heroes tour — their biggest Canadian tour to date. What was that experience like?

Brad Merritt: It was fun. First of all, we like playing bigger rooms. We like playing outside. We like playing small clubs. We like playing everything. To have 11 or 12 shows in a row in big venues with great crowds — it’s just a chance to play in front of people who don’t normally come to your shows. That was a good thing for us in every sense. Even though it’s not the original members, they’ve all played with the original members and they carry on whatever it is they’re carrying on. I just think overall it was a very positive experience.

Peter McCully: Last time we chatted, I asked if you had ever imagined making a living from music all these years later. Now you’re 45 years in with a new album recorded in Portugal.

Brad Merritt: One of the things about our band culture is that we don’t go backwards very well. We don’t get reflective. We just think — what’s next? But an interview with you is an opportunity to do that. I think it’s important to take some time to realize where you came from, and then put yourself in the shoes of those young men who started this thing and think about what that would be like today. When I do that, I go — it’s hard to comprehend that as a 20-year-old you might still be around 45 years later. But incredibly gratifying. I think a source of pride. We share this with our manager Alan, our crew, all the people who come to our shows, get the records, listen on streaming services, talk to us after shows. We’re all in it together. I was doing an interview on C-Fox — probably 20 years in at that point. The host said, you guys have been around a long time. How much longer are you going to do this? Dead air. And I think about it and say: when the Rolling Stones quit, that’s our 20-year warning. And they’re still out there. We are still doing it. We still like it. We do it as well or better than we ever have. I just had a birthday in March and Neil gives me a call — that’s something we do every year. He says, yeah, I think this rock and roll thing helps keep you young. I said, yeah, it really does. I know lots of people my age, and they just don’t act, look, or think the way that we do. And that’s okay. It’s a little bit like the Dave Davies song from The Kinks — I’m not like everybody else. And that’s okay.

Peter McCully: And there’s something about listening to those classic rock stations. I was at the gym the other morning, on the bike, listening to the music and thinking — that was huge when I was 16. That was big when I was 17. And here I am 50 years later, still listening to the same music. It’s pretty hard to feel old when you’re listening to the same thing you listened to 50 years ago.

Brad Merritt: Or playing the same stuff, in my case. During COVID, my wife and I would put on music from a different era each night and have our little dance parties. It just helps. I think the people who come and see us feel exactly the same way. It’s therapeutic. Music is a part of every single art form. Sculptors listen to music. Dancers dance to music. Actors have soundtracks or a pit orchestra. There’s a primal quality to it. Music’s been a part of our species well before we were civilized — not that we’re civilized now. Music makes the world go round.

Peter McCully: Let’s go forward now with the new album Porto, which you recorded in Portugal — 11 songs in 11 days, live off the floor. What was it about working in that particular city that unlocked something new for the band?

Brad Merritt: We always thought we’d do a destination record eventually. Every record we’ve ever done has been recorded in Vancouver or Los Angeles. Neil really took it upon himself to find a studio — he researched about 30 or 40 various parts of the world. This one in Porto is an old-fashioned analog studio. All analog gear. They could provide backline for us — guitar amps, keyboards from the sixties, bass amp, drums. That really appealed to us. Neil was also quite familiar with Porto — he’d been there a couple of times. He’d trekked the Camino from there to Santiago. And then there’s just the energy you get from being away from your natural environment. When you travel, there’s a heightened sense that’s there. Then you get to Porto and you see what the city is like, what the Portuguese people are like. There’s something that infuses the way you approach what you’re doing. You could hear it in the basic tracks — it just jumps in my playing and Matt’s playing. Neil’s vocals have never been better. We’re immensely proud of what we achieved there.

Peter McCully: How about a speed round of questions? Brad, you ready?

Brad Merritt: Ready.

Peter McCully: Beatles or Rolling Stones?

Brad Merritt: If you’d asked me 25 or 30 years ago, it would have been The Beatles. And I think it’s still The Beatles — but just barely.

Peter McCully: Bass or guitar — if you could only keep one?

Brad Merritt: Bass.

Peter McCully: One album that changed your life?

Brad Merritt: The White Album. There’s something about the way that record sounds. They got away from the psychedelic thing. They had developed as songwriters, as band members. They just had it down at that point. I think it’s an incredible achievement.

Peter McCully: Best city in Canada to play in?

Brad Merritt: That’s a loaded question. I’d say Qualicum Beach. Okay, so it’s a town — some towns are easier to rock than others. I’ll give you a bunch: Calgary, Regina, Dania, Ontario, and Buffalo, New York, which we’ve made an honorary Canadian city.

Peter McCully: Strangest place a fan has ever recognized you?

Brad Merritt: The Lager Sports bar up in Powell River.

Peter McCully: Would you record another destination album, and if so, where?

Brad Merritt: I think that’s the only kind of album we’ll do from now on.

Peter McCully: Favourite Foreigner song?

Brad Merritt: Urgent. The Junior Walker sax solo sends chills down my spine. Just amazing.

Peter McCully: Biggest thing you took away from watching them headline every night?

Brad Merritt: Everything’s exactly the same, and they’re always on time.

Peter McCully: Best thing about being a BC band?

Brad Merritt: Living in British Columbia. We were pressured to move to Los Angeles when we were signed to an American label. We could have moved to Toronto or been signed to a Canadian label and probably done better in certain ways. But this is where we want to live.

Peter McCully: Nanaimo Bar — yes or no?

Brad Merritt: Oh yes. I moved to the United States when I was two and a half, lived in New Orleans among other places, and moved back to Canada when I was 13. Through those years, my mother made Nanaimo bars. I don’t think I even knew where Nanaimo was at the time. The answer is totally yes.

Peter McCully: If 54–40 wasn’t the band name, what do you suppose it would have been?

Brad Merritt: I wrote down 40 or 50 different things. Neil wanted something iconic — like The Who, smaller and bigger. Two things could have fit that. We thought of The Safeway Rebels — a little juxtaposition, they don’t quite go together. And then the other one was The Bridgeview Dogs. We practised in a part of Surrey right by the Pattullo Bridge called Bridgeview. I had a big 130-pound shepherd cross, and there were dogs in the neighbourhood. So it could have been The Bridgeview Dogs. Those were the two things we could have been other than 54–40.

Peter McCully: 54–40 has been quietly active in social causes for many years — Amnesty International, cancer research, women’s health. That commitment doesn’t always get talked about. Why has that been important to you as a band?

Brad Merritt: I think it gets back to what we were talking about earlier — while we’re playing live, we try to create a sense of community. It’s because we believe in the concept. We’re social creatures. We have to learn to live together and work together. So many other artists do this quietly too. Rush comes to mind. I think one can set an example. Even taking a stand is important. To be counted and counted on. And we look forward to doing more.

Peter McCully: Will you be bringing your golf clubs to Rock the Range, September 12th in Qualicum Beach? 

Brad Merritt: I like golf. I like to play. And I understand there’s a golf tournament in Rob Pattie’s name — he passed away, but he was an influential Vancouver music agent and impresario, and I served with him on the Board of Music BC. A great and fun way to honour Rob. So I will bring my golf clubs, Peter. 

Dave Graham: Brad Merritt and 54–40 — still going strong after over four decades. 

Peter McCully: Brad and the boys will be playing their one Vancouver Island date this summer at Rock the Range, September 12th at the Qualicum Beach Memorial Golf Course. Enter to win a pair of general admission passes at thepulsecommunity.ca or check our Facebook or Instagram pages and tell us who you’d like most to see at Rock the Range. Contest closes at midnight, April 23rd.

Dave Graham: It is going to be a busy summer on the Island with 54–40 coming to town, plus April Wine, Beach Fest Rocks, the Boots and Boats Festival, and of course SunFest. We have giveaways coming for all of those. And if anyone is attending the SOS golf tournament, I am available for cheerleading. If I’m not allowed to cheer, well, at least I have an encouraging face.

Peter McCully: Thanks for joining us today, folks.

Dave Graham: Give me a G. Give me an L. Give me an O. Give me an F. What does that spell?

Peter McCully: That spells Glof, Dave.

Dave Graham: Okay, stand back. I’m going to do a cheerleading cartwheel. Peter, where are you going? Hey, if this doesn’t work, I might need help getting up, Peter.

Rockin’ Rhonda & The Uptown Blues Band: Here comes Peter, here comes Dave, oh listen. Bringing stories, making waves. No missing. Spinning tales in the podcast cave. So to speak. Laughs and insights everywhere, what a treat. Peter and Dave, they’re on the mics, all right. Join the ride. It’s gonna feel just right.