Newt's rock 'n' roll weekend planner, Vancouver edition, April 17 to 19

Well, it's playoff time again, and that can only mean one thing. Well, two things actually: hockey and BEER!

Okay, better make it three things: hockey, beer, and TV!

At least that's the combo I've got planned for Friday night, when those wacky Canucks take on the Flames in game two of their best-of-seven series. The locals lost a squeaker 2-1 last night (Wednesday), so it's time to exact some revenge on the stinkin' Cowtowners.

No need for us beer-fueled TV watchers to flip cars over if the Canuckleheads choke again, though. We can just invade the ice-rink the next night to kick old-school ass with Def Leppard!

I've been going to Leppard shows ever since that time they played the Coliseum with Uriah Heep on the Pyromania tour in '83. The group opened up its Canadian tour in Penticton last night and encored with the Pyromania tracks "Rock of Ages" and "Photograph", so you know that can't be bad.

As an added bonus it's been performing the 1981 instrumental "Switch 625", no doubt as a tribute to original guitarist Steve Clark, who tragically died of a drug overdose in '91 at the age of 30.

The opening act for Def Leppard is One Bad Son, originally from Saskatoon but now based in Van. Perhaps the quartet won over Leppard vocalist Joe Elliott with its obvious affection for Thin Lizzy, which he has close connections to.

Maybe they played him an acoustic version of "Cowboy Song" and he declared, "That's it, you're on the tour!"

One fine way to get in the mood for some Def Leppard riffs--and to spend some quality time searching around for old Lizzy vinyl--is to spend Record Store Day down at Neptoon Records, where bands will be performing for free from 10 am to 10 pm.

The lineup features 10 acts, including No Sinner, Tough Age, Woolworm, and the Lazys, and there's a meet 'n' greet with the legendary Eric Burdon, who performs with his band the Animals later that night at Hard Rock Casino Vancouver.

One more worthy option for Saturday night is Danko Jones at Venue, and I'm not just giving him the Newt Nod because it creates another excuse to bring up Thin Lizzy.

Or maybe I am.

Anyway, when I interviewed Jones back in 2008 he was touring behind the Never Too Loud album, which included a track called "City Streets" that boasted an unmistakeable Lizzy vibe. 

“I’ve been compared to Phil [Lynott] ever since we started the band,” Danko told me at the time, “I just could never hear it; I was always puzzled by it. But it’s not as if they were never an influence, so this time we decided to kinda wear it on our sleeves. I mean that song’s a real ode to Phil.”

And if you are heading to the Danko Jones show, be aware that doors open at 7 and you'll want to get there early enough to see openers the Lazys, fresh from their aforementioned appearance at Neptoon. They're a good old guitar-rock band from Australia that sounds exactly like a good old guitar-rock band from Australia.

Hands up everyone who thinks AC/DC might be the most influential band of all time.