When I was a kid/young adult I was a fan of bands like Van Halen, Judas Priest, Rush, the Scorpions, Ted Nugent and AC/DC. Somehow, though, Anvil slipped under my radar. If you read Stephen LaRose’s profile on the band here, you’ll learn that I wasn’t exactly alone in that regard.
For most of the band’s 30+ year career, it’s toiled in the heavy metal shadows. In 2008, though, a documentary about the band was released called Anvil!: The Story of Anvil. The film, along with a book by the same name which was released the next year, revived interest in the band — which, while it never reached the commercial heights of many of its contemporaries, has long been acknowledged by them as a major influence (ie. the forward in the book was written by former Guns ‘n’ Roses guitarist Slash).
Tonight, Anvil is rocking the Exchange. Doors are at 7 p.m., and tickets are $18. To close, here’s the trailer for the documentary.
