By Yuri Woodfall – Western Lead Photojournalist, Sound Check Entertainment
Some concerts are great. Others become milestones. On June 10 at Rogers Place, Canadian rock history unfolded in front of a packed Edmonton crowd as The Guess Who reunited with founding members Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman, delivering a celebration of one of the most influential catalogues ever produced by a Canadian band.
Before the main event took the stage, former Eagles guitarist Don Felder warmed up the crowd with a set packed with classic rock favourites. Opening with Already Gone and One of These Nights, Felder quickly established that this wasn’t going to be a routine opening act appearance.
The night’s only hiccup came shortly before Victim of Love, when a technical issue temporarily halted the performance. Rather than allowing the delay to slow the momentum, Felder kept the audience engaged by sharing the story behind the writing of Hotel California and how the song evolved into one of the most iconic tracks in rock history. The impromptu storytelling session transformed a minor setback into one of the evening’s most memorable moments, giving fans a rare glimpse into the creation of a classic.
Once the issue was resolved, Felder and his band launched into Victim of Love and never looked back. The remainder of the set featured crowd-pleasing favourites including Seven Bridges Road, Life in the Fast Lane, and Heartache Tonight, while Heavy Metal and Hollywood Victim highlighted material from Felder’s solo career. The set culminated with a powerful performance of Hotel California, drawing one of the loudest ovations of the opening set and sending the audience into the break eager for the historic reunion still to come.
The atmosphere inside Rogers Place felt more like a national celebration than a typical concert. Fans spanning multiple generations filled the arena, many of them waiting decades to see Cummings and Bachman share a stage once again. As the lights dimmed and the opening notes of Runnin’ Back to Saskatoon rang out, it became clear this would be far more than a nostalgia trip.
The prairie anthem immediately had the crowd singing along, setting the tone for an evening built around beloved classics and deep cuts alike. Proper Stranger followed, giving longtime fans a reminder that The Guess Who’s catalogue extends well beyond the radio staples. Hand Me Down World brought a harder edge, with Bachman’s guitar work remaining remarkably sharp and energetic throughout the night.
The first truly emotional moment arrived with These Eyes. Cummings’ voice may carry a little more age than it did in the late 1960s, but the warmth and emotion remain intact. Thousands of fans joined in on every word, creating one of the evening’s loudest singalongs.
The band kept the momentum rolling through Albert Flasher before shifting gears into Let It Ride, the first of two Bachman-Turner Overdrive favourites. The crowd embraced the detour enthusiastically, proving that Bachman’s songwriting legacy extends far beyond The Guess Who.
Clap for the Wolfman brought smiles throughout Rogers Place, while Laughing showcased the band’s remarkable ability to blend sophisticated melodies with memorable hooks. One of the night’s surprises came with Guns Guns Guns, a deeper cut that demonstrated the band’s willingness to reward longtime fans instead of simply running through a greatest-hits package.
The middle portion of the show continued to highlight the breadth of the catalogue. Undun and Star Baby drew strong reactions from the audience, while You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet turned the arena into a giant singalong once again.
By this point, the chemistry between Cummings and Bachman was impossible to miss. Their interactions felt natural and genuine, reflecting decades of shared musical history. At one point, Cummings took the crowd back to the band’s earliest days, recalling that The Guess Who opened for Dino, Desi & Billy in Edmonton in 1967. The memory drew smiles and applause from the audience, serving as a reminder of just how remarkable the band’s journey has been. Nearly six decades after opening shows in the city, Cummings and Bachman returned to Edmonton as Canadian music legends, performing to a packed Rogers Place crowd eager to celebrate the songs that helped define generations.
Cummings then stepped into the spotlight with My Own Way to Rock, reminding the audience that his solo career produced plenty of memorable material in its own right. The reflective A Wednesday in Your Garden provided one of the night’s quieter moments before the band launched into the stretch everyone had been waiting for.
The unmistakable opening riff of American Woman sent Rogers Place into a frenzy. The performance included a brief snippet of Roadhouse Blues, adding another layer of excitement to an already electric rendition. The song remains one of Canada’s defining rock exports, and hearing it performed by the musicians who originally brought it to life felt genuinely special.
Without letting the energy dip, the band followed with No Sugar Tonight / New Mother Nature and No Time, creating a closing sequence packed with some of the most recognizable songs in Canadian rock history. Every lyric was echoed back from the audience as the band exited to a thunderous standing ovation.
The encore delivered exactly what fans hoped for. Share the Land transformed the arena into a celebration of unity and nostalgia, while Takin’ Care of Business provided the perfect ending. Though technically a Bachman-Turner Overdrive classic, it felt entirely appropriate as the final song of the evening. By the final chorus, nearly everyone in Rogers Place was on their feet, singing along and soaking in the last moments of a truly historic performance.
More than fifty years after helping define Canadian rock music, Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman proved that great songs never lose their power. The Guess Who’s reunion wasn’t simply a look back at the past – it was a reminder of why these songs continue to resonate with audiences today.
For one night in Edmonton, Canadian rock royalty returned to the throne, and Rogers Place was fortunate enough to witness it. Between Don Felder’s glimpse behind one of rock’s most famous songs and The Guess Who’s triumphant reunion, fans were treated to an evening packed with nostalgia, musicianship, and a celebration of the music that helped shape generations.
