Canned Heat Concert rocks CL Lodge

BY Dawn Rankins

Canned Heat finally made it to the Canyon Lake Lodge Stage. The pandemic kept the group away, but Friday night Canned Heat showed up, performed for over 200 Canyon Lakers and left its audience thrilled.

Canned Heat was set to perform last year, however, due to COVID-19 restrictions, the show was rescheduled three times. “Third time’s a charm,” Skip Taylor, manager of the group, said.

The band played the night before for 220 guests at a winery and, after the Canyon Lake concert, performed the following night for a crowd of just 120. The band said they love playing, so it doesn’t matter how big or small the crowd is.

This was the band members’ first trip to Canyon Lake and they said they felt right at home after being greeted with so much excitement from Doug Schultz and his committee of helpers.

Canyon Lake resident Aprile McKinnon and her guest singer son Shaun McKinnon perform a number during Aprile’s open act to Canned Heat Saturday at the Lodge.

Skip Taylor said that he and Concerts at the Lodge Series Producer Doug Schultz became instant friends over the phone last year and Friday was the first time they had met in person.

“Doug knows the music business like no other,” Skip said. “He has a real love for booking bands such as Canned Heat.”

The opening act for the evening was Canyon Lake’s Aprile McKinnon. Aprile opened with “Piece of My Heart’’ by Janis Joplin, which amazed the audience and revved them up for more singing. She then brought the audience to their feet as they sang along to “Hotel California.’’

Aprile next had a surprise for the audience. She introduced her son, 17-year-old Shaun McKinnon, to the stage where he amazed the audience with his version of “Sound of Silence.” The crowd appeared to be blown away by the youngster’s rendition. The mother-son duo then sang together, as Aprile revved up the audience by throwing in, “Are you ready for Canned Heat?”

Aprile said she had always wanted to sing with Shaun and on the Lodge stage Friday it finally became a reality. She fought back tears as she expressed how much singing with him was a dream come true.

One of the strategies of these concert goers is to sit on the back row of the Lodge concerts so they can stand and dance throughout the entire evening. Dance they did at the Canned Heat Concert Friday. Photos by Dawn Rankins.

One concert goer, Becky Bassett, said she was mesmerized by the mother-son duo of Aprile and Shaun. She said she and her friends were equally excited to hear Canned Heat.

“We always sit in the back row so they can stand and dance throughout the entire evening,” Becky said. “This night was no different.”

Doug said he loved seeing how Canned Heat brought the entire audience to their feet during the “Woodstock Boogie.” Canyon Lakers were dancing, smiling, laughing and having the time of their lives, he said.

Doug said the audience sang along with the band and took cell phone videos to songs such as “Going up the Country,” “On the Road Again’’ and “Let’s Work Together.” They told him, he said, that Canned Heat was the very best live performance they had witnessed in Canyon Lake.

“The band was so accommodating,” Doug said. “It hosted an after-show Meet and Greet with several from the audience who received autographs and took photos with the band. The night was dynamic.”