We took time off from our busy schedules in Brandon to visit our kids in Winnipeg on July 3, 2010. It seemed like an excellent way to spend the long weekend since Queen Elizabeth II was visiting Winnipeg and such royal visits are always a special occasion. 

Earlier in the week, John Einarson -- curator of the Shakin' All Over exhibit had encouraged us to visit the Museum since Sue-On and I have spent over four decades as Manitoba-based performers. The displays were very creative and promised to represent a wide swath of Manitoba entertainment history. On the eve of our trip into the 'Peg we came across a YouTube video showing some behind-the-scenes work on the exhibits and were happy to see that we were featured in the Country section. 

Although we were excited to see the artifacts from the many other artists we had worked with over the years, we naturally were drawn to the Country section first. We were delighted to see our record and CD albums featured beside a Manitoba Entertainers of the Year Award trophy - an award we received in 1979 - as well as two blow-ups of one of our 1974 tour photos. 

I took many photos of all the pod displays which I've featured in this Web series. . . but first the section nearest to our hearts.
BTW: We never did get to see the Queen : )

Celebrate Manitoba’s Musical Legacy with
Shakin’ All Over The Manitoba Museum has become a Mecca of Manitoba music, complete with rare memorabilia, fascinating exhibits, vintage guitars, live entertainment – and even disco balls.  “It’s a celebration of all aspects of Manitoba music,” explains John Einarson. Einarson, one of Manitoba’s most noted and respected music historians, is the curator of Shakin’ All Over: The Manitoba Music Experience.

The exhibit is a multi-media celebration of music in our province over time. Each genre of music will have a semi-circular “pod” space allocated to it, in which you can view artifacts, learn history, and hear the music specific to that genre. The themes of the pods are: Country, Folk, Jazz, Classical ? Opera, First Nations, M?tis, Franco-Manitoban, Blues, Children ? Family and Rock ‘n Roll. The pods were designed by the Winnipeg-based design firm of Hilderman Thomas Frank Cram.  “You follow your way through each of these nine pods, getting a sense of the tremendous amount of music that has come out of this province,” says Einarson.

The Country pod, for instance, features guitars from Winnipeg’s Linkon Pedal Steel Guitar company – the only Canadian business that manufactures such guitars. Country fans will enjoy viewing singer Cindi Cain’s famous stage outfits and boots, jackets from the Double Eagle Band, as well as posters, pictures, and other memorabilia. 

In the Rock 'n Roll pod, you can see bass guitars and gold records donated by Bachman Turner Overdrive's Fred Turner, original Garnet amplifiers from the 1960s, and the door from the renowned Cellar night club of the same era.
Another show stopper? The gorgeous “bubble gum dress” from Transit of Venus, the first Manitoba Opera performance commissioned for main-stage production.

Einarson has also overseen the creation of a 70-seat stage area where visitors can experience Manitoba music first-hand. 

Shakin’ All Over: The Manitoba Music Experience runs until Sept. 6

Ref: The Manitoba Museum

John Einarson is a widely-respected rock-music historian and author of more than a dozen books, including critically acclaimed biographies of Neil Young, Buffalo Springfield, Gene Clark, Randy Bachman, and the Flying Burrito Brothers. John has written for many magazines and contributed to a number of television productions. 

He lives with his wife and family in Winnipeg where he teaches a popular course on rock’n’roll history at the University of Winnipeg and is involved in the creation of a Manitoba music museum.