Eric’s Trip - Live in Halifax & Live at Pop Montreal
Released on May 2nd, 2025
Eric’s Trip are the most important band in Canada, as far as I’m concerned. I’ve never seen them live, and they broke up when I was 15 years old. They are the epitome of cool. A thing that could only have existed when they did and could only have come from Moncton. Frontman Rick White did an amazing job archiving the band’s career and because of that, we have these two amazing live recordings from wildly different times in the band’s career.
Live in Halifax, March 17, 1992 is taken from the band’s second show ever in Halifax. Recorded from the board and remastered by White. They played two sets of originals and covers. White says “I decided to not upload the entire two sets as many of the songs were played in both. I picked the best version of each of those songs.” The set opens with “Kiss Me On The Head”, the opening track from Warmgirl, their first recording with drummer Mark Gaudet. It’s an incredible track. If someone asks what Eric’s Trip sound like, this song would explain it as well as any. Aside from other Warmgirl tracks, there are songs from the Belong 7-inch and the Drowning EP.
Of the 13 tracks, four are covers, including R.E.M.’s “The One I Love”, Neil Young’s “Heart of Gold”, Madonna’s “Open Your Heart” and The Ramones’ “Beat On The Brat”. There is something sweet and grounding about these songs. It’s neat to see them as a young band, wedging in covers to fill out their sets.
If the band broke up on March 18, 1992, this live recording would be an incredible document. It sounds rough, but not like shit. The band is tight and the songwriting is so advanced. Anyone could listen to this and know that Eric’s Trip are a truly great band.
They didn’t break up, though. They released a bunch of tapes and 7-inches, along with three perfect LPs. All in a four year span. Then they broke up.
Luckily, they got back together for Pop Montreal in 2007 and this recording is a stereo recording from the board, remastered by White. This recording in on another level. The band is on another level and the tracks span the bands later discography. In fact, only one song, “Little Red Haired Girl”, was played both nights.
Live At Pop Montreal 2007 opens with the first Eric’s Trip song that I ever fell in love with, “Smother”, from the Never Mind The Molluscs compilation. “Smother” is catchy and scrappy, and has a bunch of White and bassist Julie Doiron trading vocals back and forth and imperfectly weaving harmonies together, which is a total Eric’s Trip thing. White and Chris Thompson’s guitars sound crystal clear. Gaudet’s drums drive, crash and rip and you feel every note of Doiron’s bass. Nothing gets lost. They are a monstrously powerful band.
I listened to Live at Pop Montreal 2007 dozens of times. Each time I would get taken back to the summer of 2003. I had just moved to Halifax and met a friend from Moncton. I was on strike from my job and he and I would meet up, smoke weed and listen to Eric’s Trip. We would leave the house only to get lunch or play frisbee and then we’d go back and listen to more Eric’s Trip. Their songs hit me differently than before. They weren’t just good songs from a good band. They were complicated and emotional, real and raw. Eric’s Trip were artful and tuneful. Every song they wrote mattered, from the very beginning. It’s all wheat and no chaff. I fell in love with them that summer and the love has never waned.
These albums are cool because you get to see snapshots from such different parts of their career. Their infancy and their old age. Both are crucial. If you’ve ever fallen in love with this band, you get it. If you haven’t, I hope you do.
