“I had two jobs, I had dishwater hands. And on the weekend in a rock and roll band.”
In 1990 and ‘91, that song lyric was stuck in my head for the better part of two years.
Those lyrics are the opening line to the song “She Ain’t Pretty” by The Northern Pikes from their album, Snow in June.
I had a chance to speak to Pikes founding member, Jay Semko, about their upcoming gig at the Canadian Museum of History with another well-known Canadian band, The Grapes of Wrath.
One might wonder what The Pikes are doing having a concert at the Museum of History.
It is actually a perfect fit; the Canadian Museum of History is currently presenting the exhibition, Retro – Popular Music in Canada from the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ’80s.
The exhibition features over a hundred Canadian artists, ranging from Anne Murray, Quebecois singer Robert Charlebois, punk rock band DOA and, of course, The Northern Pikes.
Semko had a chance to attend the opening ceremony for the exhibition, “We were contacted by the museum a few years ago,” said Semko. “The museum considered us to be a part of a certain era in Canadian music, and we were honoured to be considered.”
Semko and The Pikes certainly earned their way to be considered one of Canada’s top rock bands.
“Coming from Saskatoon, we were used to really long drives,” reflected Semko. “We would often play six nights a week and mostly did covers. I used to joke, we were like Lynard Skynard playing keyboard/synth songs.”
Above: Multi-award-winning musician Jay Semko, primary vocalist, songwriter, and bassist for the Canadian band The Northern Pikes.
The band was not stuck playing “Free Bird” at their local bar for long. They were signed by Virgin Records in 1986 and released the album Big Blue Sky, with their first big hit, “Teenland”. Their second album, Secrets from the Alibi, would yield hits like “Hopes Go Astray” and “Let’s Pretend”.
Their 1990 album, Snow in June, would transform The Pikes from being a well-known band to a household name. “She Ain’t Pretty”, “Girl with a Problem”, and “Kiss Me You Fool” were in almost every Canadian’s tape deck in 1990-91.
““She Ain’t Pretty” and Snow in June allowed us to go from playing bars to theatres,” remembers Semko.
The band was also recognized a lot more due to heavy rotation on Much Music with songs from Snow in June. “Our label saw the potential of videos and Much Music,” said Semko, “They put a lot of money into music videos and the investment would pay off with “Girl with a Problem” rising to number one on the Much Music video charts.”
The band released their fourth album, Neptune, in 1993 and then decided to take a nine-year hiatus.
“Touring was a lot of fun but also puts a strain on families,” stated Semko. “I had a child when we were touring a lot, and it feels like I missed a lot of their early milestones.”
The band took an unplanned hiatus, but Semko was far from idle. During that time, he released a solo album, Mouse, and started to score television programs, the most notable being the Canadian show Due South.
The band would reunite in 2000 and has since released more albums and kept their love of playing music together.
During this time, Semko released numerous solo albums as well.
While The Pikes are perhaps not the elder statespersons of Canadian rock ‘n’ roll, they are definitely some of the more experienced members.
If I have missed any detail about The Pikes, don’t worry, Retro has you covered. You will see video clips of The Pikes’ career, and the exhibit even features the guitar of Pikes member Bryan Potvin.
Retro certainly does not focus exclusively on The Pikes. The exhibition is divided into three main zones: Popular Music is Social, Popular Music is Political and Popular Music is Personal.
The exhibition features iconic items like Geddy Lee’s Rickenbacker double-neck guitar and the wedding dress worn by K.D. Lang at the 1985 Juno Awards. It also features nearly 200 images, eight interactive elements and nearly 40 audiovisual components.
ABOVE: (CLOCKWISE) The dress worn by K.D. Lang to accept the 1985 Juno Award for Most Promising Female Vocalist of the Year; Geddy Lee’s doubleneck electric bass/guitar and Alex Lifeson’s doubleneck electric guitar; Promotional graphic for Retro – Popular Music in Canada from the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ’80s at the Canadian Museum of History until January 18, 2026.
Aside from just the exhibition, there are numerous special events planned around Retro, including concerts by The Pikes and Grapes of Wrath. Other activities include a concert with jazz musicians Jay Dougals and Kellylee Evans on October 10, and a talk with folk music icon Bruce Cockburn on November 8.
There is also a series of musical films being presented, including documentaries on Blue Rodeo and the Tragically Hip.
For Semko’s part, all he can promise is a great night of music. “The Grapes of Wrath are an awesome band and will be doing an acoustic show that features their songs and also stories about the band,” said Semko. “We still love playing together and getting in front of an audience. Nothing beats the thrill of a live rock n’ roll concert.”
Sounds pretty good to me.
The concert will take place on September 26 at the Canadian Museum of History at 7:30 pm. You can purchase tickets here.
For more information on Retro, visit www.historymuseum.ca/exhibitions/retro-popular-music-in-canada
Photos: Courtesy The Canadian Museum of History and The Northern Pikes
