Stompin' Tom: No Beaver Jokes Allowed

It's hard to avoid the Canadian cliches when writing about Stompin' Tom Connors.

Every other article we've ever read on the country's unofficial anthem writer has traveled that same tired road. We challenge you to find one music journalist that's ever written a piece on Connors without including some beaver, beer or hockey joke. How many times can you make references to our country without getting stale?

Well, it seems some people can do it more than 500 times. That's the astounding number of songs Stompin' Tom has composed in his career, with 45 (!) albums and a long list of other achievements under his belt. And no doubt, the majority of those compositions were love songs for the Great White North. From "Rocky Mountain Love" to "The Maritime Waltz," Connors has become a Canadian institution by singing simple country songs dripping in patriotism.

He's tapped into a unique way of building a long-lasting career, sticking to formula and counting on the Canadian citizen's pride to pay his bills. While it's a wonder that someone can devote an entire career to fawning over their country, we'll give Connors' all the credit he deserves for remaining prolific and churning out his contribution to Canadian history.

And on June 11, Stompin' Tom will release yet another record. Fittingly entitled Ode For The Road, Connors intends on mounting a full-scale tour out to the East Coast and back to support the album. Hitting cities like Belleville or Pictou, it seems that he's trying to cover every corner of this country, hoping to serenede every Canadian resident at some point in his life.

This time he's heading all the way out to Prince Edward Island, where the University of PEI will present him with an honourary degree. Connors can display the degree next to his Order of Canada, The Governor General's Award of Performing Excellence and a couple doctorates he's recieved from various universities across the country.

It looks as though everybody wants to be associated with Stompin' Tom. Who would have thought that singing songs like "The Moon Man Newfie" could earn you a doctorate? So as we struggle to find a beaver joke to end this article with (to continue the tradition of unoriginal rock journalists everywhere), we urge you to check out Stompin' Tom when he stops by your town if for no other reason than to show you love your country.

Oh. The beaver joke... right, um... why did the beaver cross the... how about we just forget it. We guess we're just not that witty.

Stompin' Tom Tour Dates:
May 15 Brockville, ON @ Arts Centre
May 17 Ottawa, ON @ Tulip Festival
May 21 Miramichi, NB @ Civic Centre
May 23 Saint John, NB @ Imperial Theatre
May 25 Wolfville, NS @ Acadia University
May 27 Halifax, NS @ Rebecca Cohn Auditorium
May 29 Pictou, NS @ DeCoste Centre
June 1 Charlottetown, PEI @ Civic Centre
June 3 Summerside, PEI @ Jubilee Theatre
June 5 Fredericton, NB @ Aitken Centre
June 8 Montreal, QC @ St. Denis Theatre
June 10 Peterborough, ON @ Memorial Centre
June 13 St. Catherines, ON @ Sean O'Sullivan Theatre
June 16 Ottawa, ON @ Governor General Picnic
June 18 Brantford, ON @ Sanderson Centre
June 20 London, ON @ Centennial Hall
June 22 Gravenhurst, ON @ Arena
June 25 Hamilton, ON @ Hamilton Place
June 27 Mississauga, ON @ Hershey Centre
July 1 Kingsville, ON @ Migration Hall
July 3 Guelph, ON @ River Run Centre