Article content

March 20, 1996.

For Edmonton music fans, this is one of those important ‘Were-you-there?’ dates.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Twenty years later, fans remember Radiohead's only Edmonton gig Back to video

Tony Bao was. So was Dustin Tkachuk. And Don Moore.

They were among 660 lucky fans packed into Radiohead’s one and only show in Edmonton — at a sold-out Dinwoodie Lounge on the University of Alberta campus.

At the time, vocalist Thom Yorke and his British rockers had a few hits — including Creep from Pablo Honey (1993) — and were a year into touring their second album, The Bends (1995).

“When I think about all the shows I’ve been to over the years, it’s definitely my favourite,” says Bao, now the booking manager at the Jubilee Auditorium.

“You could tell Radiohead were on the cusp of greatness. It was definitely a feast for the ears. I remember thinking ‘There’s something special about this band’ when I heard The Bends. Their first record, Pablo Honey, is probably the one I listen to the least because it’s kind of atrocious in a lot of ways. But The Bends was kind of like Pink Floyd meets ’90s alt-rock and it introduced me to a lot more British bands like Pulp, Suede and The Smiths.”