By Robin Tarnowetzki
Journal Staff Writer
Get ready to rock out at Humboldt Streetfest with the performance of Streetheart, a classic rock band led by Nokomis-born Kenny Shields.
"Kenny's got a real signature voice and he continues to impress people as he always has," said bandmate, Jeff Neill.
The band began in 1977 in Regina, and has gone through various iterations since then (Neill was their third guitarist and joined the band in 1981). The band broke up for almost 20 years and reunited in 2003 and has been together since then.
"We've been very lucky," Neill said. "We've had great loyal fans that have hung on to us all these years."
All the band members live in Winnipeg now, except for Neill, who lives in B.C. He estimates they do 30 to 40 shows a year, so they don't need to practice in between, meaning Neill's distance from the rest of the band isn't an issue.
"We're in the business of being a good band and being good means showing up and knowing your stuff," he said.
While Streetheart has shared the stage with bands like AC/DC and Prism, the band also enjoys playing smaller venues for the palpable sense of enjoyment from the audience.
"Our fans have always been good to us," Neill said. "When we play towns like Humboldt, there's a real sense of enjoyment for what we're doing."
Unfortunately, they won't be able to take in Streetfest after their performance; they have a show in Carlyle the next day.
The classic rock community is a nice one, and Neill says the band has made many professional friendships over the years.
"I think that it's important that when we're working together, we feel fortunate to be there," he said. "There's no room for egos."
What Neill appreciates most about touring has changed over his years in the band. He said he used to have a lot more fun on tours, but now he enjoys being at his home.
"The thing that I like best about the road is when we jump on a plane and go home on a Sunday night, that we've done a good job, that people have had fun, and that the promoters are happy," he said.
He hopes that people just have a good time and says it is very important for the band to put on a good show and give people their money's worth.
"It's really important for us to go out there and not disappoint our fans by phoning it in," Neill said. "We genuinely enjoy playing for the fans it's our way of saying thanks for buying our records and whatnot. We have a responsibility to show some gratitude."
As part of the band is from Saskatchewan originally (other than Shields, keyboardist Daryl Gutheil was born in Regina), the band is no stranger to touring the province.
"I know so many wonderful people from the province of Saskatchewan," Neill said. "I'm grateful for that."
"And you can make good time on the highway," he added.
