The Guess Who at Riverside Casino

The Guess Who, Canada’s first international rock music superstars, formed in 1962 in Winnipeg as Chad Allen and the Reflections. Including members Randy Bachman (guitar), Jim Kale (bass) and Garry Peterson (drums), Chad Allen and the Reflections had become Chad Allen and the Expressions by the time they recorded a cover of “Shakin’ All Over”, released by Quality Records in 1965. The song was a #1 single in Canada and reached #22 in America. Burton Cummings joined the group that same year, replacing the keyboard player and sharing lead vocals.
Quality Records released the group’s first single and album, Shakin’ All Over, in a plain white record jacket with only the question “Guess Who?” written on it. The marketing ploy capitalized on curiosity and the promise of another British Invasion band. It worked. After selling two million copies the band had its trademark name: The Guess Who. Following the success of Shakin’ All Over, the band toured the U.S. as part of Dick Clark’s Caravan of Stars Road Revue, and in 1967 they landed a regular spot on the CBCTV show, Where It’s At.
Experimenting with the sounds of freedom, psychedelic, and garage rock that were filtering across the border from Minneapolis, The Guess Who traveled to Minneapolis, where they made their first recordings. Their song “His Girl” gave them a Top 20 hit in England. They eventually landed on Nimbus 9 Records.
Nimbus 9 owner, Jack Richardson, believed so strongly in The Guess Who that he mortgaged his home to finance the recording of the album, Wheatfield Soul, which was released in 1968. The first single, “These Eyes”, reached #1 in Canada, and earned the band a U.S. contract with RCA Records. Heralded as the beginning of the Canadian Invasion, “These Eyes” reached #3 in America in 1969 with total sales of more than one million copies. Their second album for RCA, Canned Wheat by The Guess Who, also released in 1968, contained the Top 10 hits “Laughing”, “No Time”, and the Top 40 hit “Undun” (the b-side of “Laughing”).
Ironically it was “American Woman”, from March of 1970, which gave The Guess Who a #1 single in the U.S. and unseated The Beatles for three weeks straight. The Top 10 album, also entitled American Woman, containing the hits “No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature” (the B-Side of American Woman), also went to #1 in Billboard for three weeks. This new trend of having double sided singles both going to #1 was a rare occurrence, only achieved by; Elvis, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Guess Who, and Creedence Clearwater Revival.
Over the next few years the group continued to chart with the singles “Hand Me Down World”, “Share The Land”, “Bus Rider”, “Rain Dance”, “Albert Flasher”, “Star Baby” and “Clap for the Wolfman” (which reached #6 on the Billboard Charts), and the album Greatest Hits. In all, the group has 14 bona fide Top 40 Hits to its credit! The band appeared together when they were inducted into the Canadian Recording Arts & Sciences (CARAS) Hall of Fame in 1987.
In 1999, The Guess Who returned to their Winnipeg roots, responding to a personal request from the Premier of Manitoba, to appear at the closing ceremonies of the Pan Am Games. The reunion was performed in driving rain before a combined live and television audience of nearly a million people. The excitement and personal enjoyment found in performing together again as The Guess Who inspired them to consider touring across Canada. Months of reunion rumors were finally confirmed in March 2000 when the Running Back Thru Canada tour announced more than 24 performances in over 22 cities across Canada.
North American classic rock radio stations have broadened the base of the group’s loyal followers. A typical audience at a concert by The Guess Who will contain fans from 16 to the most devoted Baby Boomers. The popularity of The Guess Who has increased tremendously due to the strength and the highly regarded reputation of their live concert performances.
Although membership in the group has changed through the years, they have remained musically consistent behind the strengths of original founding member Garry Peterson (drums and vocals), Derek Sharp (lead vocals and guitars), Leonard Shaw (keyboards, flute, sax and vocals), Michael Staertow (guitars and vocals) and Michael Devin (bass guitar and vocals). As they perform hit after hit in concert, it is easy to see and hear why The Guess Who remain one of today’s most sought-after touring attractions.
Tickets are $55, $45 and $35 plus tax and an online phone/ticketing fee (this fee is waived when tickets are purchased in the Gift Shop). Tickets in the ADA section are for patrons with mobility disabilities and up to three companions. If companion seating is not available because the ADA section is sold out, RCGR will offer other seats as close as possible to the accessible seat, if available, at the purchase price of the other section. Tickets go on sale to the general public at 10AM on Friday, January 20. Tickets can be purchased in the Gift Shop, by calling 877-677-3456 or online.
Doors open at 7pm for the 8pm show.