A great Canadian playlist for your long weekend BBQ
The Canada Day long weekend is here and since we’ve already given you meals ideas and told you about our awesome cooler packing service, we’re doing something a little different on the blog this week. It’s time to create your Canada Day playlist—something to listen to while you grill those delicious burgers, sausages, hot dogs, pork chops and chicken breasts. Download these gems, hook up your outdoor speaker and get ready for a good time—happy Canada Day!
VG’s favourite summer jams
For obvious reasons, we’re going with Canadian musicians for this long weekend playlist. If you’ve got songs to add to this list, let us know in the comments on Facebook. There’s no such thing as too much awesome music, so share your picks and create a Canada Day playlist that’s entirely your own! Here are our picks to start with.
- Courage, Fully Completely, Fifty Mission Cap, Blow At High Dough, Little Bones, New Orleans is Sinking and Boots or Hearts by The Tragically Hip. (You’ll want to hear Bobcaygeon, Wheat Kings and Ahead By A Century later in the evening, but start your day with something more upbeat.)
- Five Days In May, Hasn’t Hit Me Yet, Til I Am Myself Again and Lost Together by Blue Rodeo. (Throw on Try, Bad Timing and Bulletproof later on, if you’re feeling mellow and nostalgic after sunset.)
- Sundown, Carefree Highway, If You Could Read My Mind and The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Gordon Lightfoot. The latter may turn into a dramatic singalong, which isn’t a bad thing.
- Heart of Gold, Harvest Moon and Old Man by Neil Young. These ones deserve to be played at full volume! Singalong optional but definitely encouraged.
- Tom Sawyer, The Spirit of Radio, Working Man and Closer To The Heart by Rush. These ones may result in air guitar depending on what time of day you play them. Choose wisely!
- The Weight and The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down by The Band. You’ve gotta appreciate the classics.
- Life is a Highway by Tom Cochrane. Love it or hate it, it’s a crowd-pleaser and it’s gotta be on your long weekend playlist!
- Patio Lanterns by Kim Mitchell for the same reason. Including this song on Canadian-themed playlists may actually be provincial law. Don’t quote us, though.
- Summer of ‘69 by Bryan Adams. See above. Depending on the crowd, you may want to add Cuts Like A Knife, Run To You and Can’t Stop This Thing We Started. Save the ballads for another day—a BBQ is simply not the place for Everything I Do, I Do It For You (though you might get away with Heaven).
- Next, add some great country jams by Brent Kissel, Tenille Townes, George Canyon and Dean Brody. You don’t need a cowboy hat or boots to enjoy these songs, but you’re more than welcome to go that route if you please.
- All of the hits from Arkells, City and Colour, The Trews, Billy Talent and Sloan. This could be a playlist of its own—have fun choosing your favourites!
- For the millennial crowd, a selection of songs by Metric, Broken Social Scene and Feist, plus one Our Lady Peace song from the ‘90s (probably Superman’s Dead) and if you really want a throwback, One More Astronaut by I Mother Earth. Was that a core memory from middle school you just unlocked?
- Canada Day, Up Canada Way by Stompin’ Tom if your goal is to encourage older friends and relatives to start dancing in a jaunty, enthusiastic way that sort of resembles a jig. Feel free to phase into Great Big Sea songs at this point in the night.
- A selection of your favourite Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen songs to end the evening and show off your sophisticated side. Classy!
Did we forget anything? Add your favourites in the comments on Facebook and remember to stop at VG Meats for all of your long weekend BBQ needs. With some delicious food, great music and awesome people, you’re bound to have an amazing time. Happy Canada Day!
