Adam Hindle likes to joke that the Rolling Stones opened for his band at Burl’s Creek a few years ago.
While technically true since they took the stage after the famed British band, the Midland native has enjoyed a prolific musical career as the drummer and percussionist for Dwayne Gretzky.
“We’re a vast band of many people from different backgrounds,” says Hindle, who has been part of the band that’s been described as a “musical juggernaut.
“We play cover songs as close to the recorded version as possible.”
And for the past 13 years, Dwayne Gretzky’s New Year’s Eve concerts have been a tradition for many people who come to hear the band bringing exuberance to many well-known songs with “their charm, fidelity and theatrical flair.”
This time around, their New Year’s show will be held at History, a top Toronto music venue.
Hindle has been playing drums since he was 12 years old and figures that even if he didn’t now do it professionally, he’d still be hitting the skins.
“It’s my favourite activity,” he says.
Celebrating classic pop and rock, from Fleetwood Mac to Fatboy Slim, Dwayne Gretzky has delivered electrifying renditions of over 600 songs.
“It’s a fun thing to be a part of so it’s all hit songs,” says Hindle, who describes himself as a huge Bruce Springsteen fan and even joined the Boss’s drummer Max Weinberg to sing Glory Days onstage during a gig at Toronto’s iconic Horseshoe Tavern.
“My favourite song to play is Born to Run.”
And what keeps Hindle and his other bandmates eager to keep playing together.
“We have so much fun on stage. There are a lot of singers at the front and they’re all incredible and we create that positive energy.
“We do a lot of public shows, but we also do a lot of private shows as well,” says Hindle, who then starts naming some of the private offerings they’ve played over the past year in places like Las Vegas, Palm Springs and Aspen.
And similar to the Grateful Dead in the 1970s and, regionally, Teenage Head in the 1980s, Dwayne Gretzky has its share of “superfans” who will try to see them play whenever they can.
But, perhaps, their most original gig happened when retired hockey player Wayne Gretzky opened his winery.
“We actually played at that,” says Hindle, who adds with a laugh that they have a shot of Gretzky in front of the drum kit emblazoned with the name ‘Dwayne Gretzky’.
“Since 2012, Dwayne Gretzky has provided the soundtrack to the new year every year to consistently sold-out crowds,” a release noted.
“Nearly 300,000 people have rung in the new year with Dwayne Gretzky since the tradition began.”
And for those who can’t make it to Toronto or can’t afford the $70 (plus fees) tickets, the concert will be livestreamed here.
