By Gillian Brunette
Emsdale painter, author and recording artist Mendelson Joe will open for Hawksley Workman at both of his two concerts on Saturday, July 21. While the 8 p.m. show is sold out, there are some tickets still available for the 2 p.m. performance.
Joe has enjoyed a diverse career since 1968 and the forming of his and Mike McKenna’s band called McKenna Mendelson Mainline. In December of that year, when the wave of English bands was coming to North America, McKenna Mendelson Mainline moved to England to pursue a record deal. They signed with Liberty/United Artists in the spring of 1969 and started working the English circuit, following acts Fleetwood Mac and Led Zeppelin.
The group opened for major acts such as Rod Steward, Jeff Beck and Jimi Hendrix, then in April of 1969 recorded Stink.
They returned to Canada shortly thereafter. Meanwhile, Allied Records released the demos completed in September of 1968, promoted as McKenna Mendelson Blues.
Mendelson left the band in January 1970 and in the spring of that year joined up with Tony Nolasco and Zeke Sheppard to start a trio called Mainline. They brought with them the novelty of a heavy blues/rock band, premiering at the Hawks Nest in Toronto. McKenna joined the group for the large outdoor festival Scarborough Fair. The impact was huge and Mainline became a four-piece band.
In March of 1973 McKenna, Nolasco, Harrison and King Biscuit Boy (Richard Newell) got together and performed at several selected venues. They opened for Rory Gallager at Toronto’s Colonial and headlined a sellout crowd of 10,000 at Ontario Place. In June, Mendelson replaced King Biscuit Boy for their second Australian tour, this time as a headliner. It was wildly successful.
Joe Mendelson re-named himself Mendelson Joe and has had a prolific independent recording career that has spanned five decades. His latest album Everyone Needs a Pimp was released in May 2007.
OPENING ACT: Canadian singer, artist and author Mendelson Joe will open for Hawksley Workman’s two performances on July 21.In 1975 Joe rescued some derelict paints from the garage and tried painting “to see what it was like.” A distinct style soon evolved and today Joe’s paintings are internationally recognized as outstanding, unique examples of contemporary Canadian art.
Also an accomplished writer, Joe expects his fourth book, Joe’s Politicians, to be published in early 2008.
The cost for the Hawksley Workman/Mendelson Joe concert is $35 for adults and $25 for youth under 18. Tickets can be purchased at the Algonquin Theatre box office, 789-4975, or online at www.algonquintheatre.ca.
