It seems the rock and roll gods are looking out for us after all. Canada’s own Rich Hope delivers Live At The ANZA Club, a raw and electrifying testament to the power of a band at full throttle. Out November 21, 2025 via Planned Obsolescence Recording & Novelty Inc., the record follows the release of two singles – “It Come Alive” (Sept. 19) and “Looking For Lewis And Clark” (Oct. 17) – that set the stage for a release steeped in sweat, soul, and the reckless joy of live performance.
“I have always been at my best live, and we wanted to capture what this version of the band is doing,” Rich explains. “Since we didn’t have the luxury of extended touring and recording every show, we decided on finding the best venue and taking two nights to capture lightning in a bottle. The ANZA is a venue where I played some of my first shows in a neighbourhood where I lived for many years, so I feel a personal connection to the club.”
Recorded over two sold-out nights in April at Vancouver’s beloved ANZA Club, the album showcases Hope and his powerhouse band – Leon Power and Erik Nielsen (City and Colour), Scott Smith on electric and pedal steel guitars, and Darryl Havers on keyboards – with production handled by Nielsen and the legendary Howard Redekopp (Tegan and Sara, The New Pornographers).
The setlist spans Hope’s career, from early John Ford days (“3 Minute Song”) to his solo staples (“Whip It On Ya,” “The Ballad of Black Eyed Suzy,” “Can’t Get No Lovin’”), all culminating in a searing take on The Long Ryders’ “Looking For Lewis And Clark.”
As Gordie Johnson of Big Sugar puts it:
“Some would call Rich’s original compositions ‘roots’ music but these live performances are the full green branches laden with blues, country, punk rock and soul. The audience devoured the fruit that night. Hearing this record makes us wish we were there.”
Live At The ANZA Club isn’t just a live record – it’s a reminder of what makes Rich Hope one of Canada’s most potent live performers. From his Edmonton beginnings in the Taxicrabs to sharing stages with The Black Crowes, The Flamin’ Groovies, and the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Hope has built a reputation for shows that are loose, joyful, and just dangerous enough to make you feel alive.
“I’m just the same guy playing music that I have always been,” he says. “I don’t know if I have undergone any real musical evolution. I have always loved playing live and putting on a show with my friends. So I guess that doing this live album is where I am in the evolutionary process. My main goal was to capture something like Jerry Lee Lewis’s Live At The Star Club – loose, reckless and joyful.”
For over two decades, Rich Hope has been Canada’s best-kept rock ’n’ roll secret – a preacher of garage gospel and rhythm ’n’ blues revival whose live shows leave sweat on the ceiling and converts in the aisles. In a country known for restraint, Hope delivers pure, unfiltered catharsis – a soulful roar cut from the same cloth as The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, The Flamin’ Groovies, and Big Sugar, with the grit and groove of a roadhouse sermon.
Based in Vancouver but forged on stages across North America, Hope has become a legend in Canada’s underground rock scene. His incendiary performances have made him a trusted opener for acts such as The Black Crowes, Social Distortion, Charles Bradley, Reverend Horton Heat, and The Sadies – earning him a reputation as one of the country’s most electrifying frontmen.
Born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, Hope formed his first band, The Taxicrabs, christened by Country Dick Montana of The Beat Farmers, before moving west to Vancouver. His debut solo album Good To Go (1998) led to a stint with cult garage outfit John Ford, followed by a string of blistering solo releases that cemented his standing as a modern torchbearer for vintage rock ’n’ soul.
His most recent studio album, I’m All Yours (2018), released on Planned Obsolescence Recording & Novelty Inc., captured that high-octane mix of rhythm and grit – the sound of a true believer who never left the stage.