Artist: Steve Pineo

Date of Concert: May 2, 2015

Artist website: stevepineo.com

Artist bio:

My name is Steve, let me tell you a little about myself. I was born in Ontario (O.K. Toronto) to Nova Scotian parents and moved to Calgary in 1978. I was tought “Stairway to Heaven” at summer camp when I was nine and got my first guitar at age ten. I wrote my first song when I was eleven (it was terrible). When I was in Junior High I was in a garage band with Whitey Kirst who went on to play with Iggy Pop. We were called “The Tomatoes”. In high school, punk and new wave came to Calgary and my friends stopped talking to me. Soon came the preppy thing, electro-pop and the A.I.D.S scare. What a terrible time to grow up. My heart was in the 60’s and I loved Bob Dylan, the Beatles and the Stones. I discovered B.B. King and then Howlin’ Wolf and then Stevie Ray Vaughn came along, which gave me a glimmer of hope amidst all the crap I was hearing on the radio.

I spent three misguided years at U. Vic. Trying to get a degree while playing at every house party and jam session I could find and then dropped out, dejected and heartbroken. So I moved back to Calgary and joined a country-rock band (while hitting all the blues jams I could). At a house party at Tim Leacock’s house, Neil MacGonigill heard me playing some Hank Williams tunes and decided to take me on. I worked with Neil for about ten years and got many breaks, including tours with Jann Arden, having my song “Canadian Man” covered by Paul Brandt, and a trip to Nashville to try to get a publishing deal. Neil also introduced me to Russell DeCarle and Keith Glass of Prairie Oyster, who have become lifelong friends as well as honouring me by recording “Too Bad For Me”. So, thanks Neil!

In the mid 90’s, I was in a band with compadres Tim Leacock and Ross Watson from legendary rock band “The Burners” as well as Danny Patton who was in a great band called “The Unusuals” and owned the recording studio we used to record in and hang out at. Also in the band was a quirky singer songwriter who had just come off the road with “Junior Gone Wild” named Jane Hawley. Together we were called “Beautiful Joe” and we were pretty good on a good night! We had the honour of appearing on the last episode of “Rita and Friends”Every once in a while we would back up another Neil MacGonigill protégé named Billy Cowsill. When Billy moved to Calgary to clean up, he eventually started playing the odd gig with his old friend Tim Leacock, whom he taught to play the bass. I sat in on one of their shows and soon I was in the band. About six months later we added Ross Watson on the drums and the Co-Dependents were born. The co-Dependents was the best band I’ve ever been in and it was really because of Billy. Great leaders and performers like him are indeed a rarity and I’ve worked with a few (especially Willy MacCalder).We were in situation that we knew wouldn’t last and then Billy’s health took a turn for the worse and the Mecca burnt down. The surviving members of the Co-Dependents still play as the Joe-Defendents (which is a nod to Beautiful Joe and the Co-Dependents)

Through all these years I always worked as a solo act as well as having the Steve Pineo Band which has ranged from a three piece to a nine piece. I play every Monday night with Kelly Kruse and Kit Johnson at Mikey’s which has been a godsend.Considering all of the bands I’ve played with and all the styles, it’s nice to know you can go to the same place every week wityh the same guys and work on you stuff in a friendly environment.So music has been pretty good to me so far.

On a more personal note, I have been married since 2000 to my high school sweetheart and have two beautiful kids. I like skiing, golfing cooking, poker, cheering for the Flames and the great outdoors.