Millions of Canadians will gather to watch the Grey Cup this Sunday — many with the expectation that they’ll have something memorable to take away from the game beyond the football. For some, the halftime show is the real main course.
Prior to 1991, the Grey Cup usually had a marching band entertain fans when teams retreated to their locker rooms midway through the game, but that all changed when Juno Award–winning musician Luba sang at the 79th Grey Cup at Winnipeg Stadium. It sparked a tradition that has seen many famous Canadian acts get their moment on the big stage.
This year, Keith Urban will take the stage in Calgary at the 107th Grey Cup — marking one of the rare times a non-Canadian has gotten the call. Looking back, only five other halftime performers have come from somewhere other than the Great White North (full list here).
Before we go back and look at some of the best Grey Cup halftime performances, here are some that didn’t hit the right note — for a variety of reasons.
Justin Bieber, Carly Rae Jepsen, Marianas Trench, Gordon Lightfoot (2012)
The CFL went big for the 100th Grey Cup halftime show, bringing in a couple of hugely popular Canadian artists along with one of the country’s most accomplished songwriters.
The show got off to a great start with the crowd giving a big ovation for Lightfoot, who performed “The Canadian Railroad Trilogy.”
Marianas Trench had a tough act to follow, performing their hit song “Stutter,” before Jepsen came on to perform “This Kiss” and her hit single “Call Me Maybe.”
But the show went off the rails when Bieber appeared on the Jumbotron to a chorus of boos from the Toronto crowd. The “Beliebers” in the crowd did their best to support the Stratford, Ont., native, but his performance of “Boyfriend” and “Beauty and a Beat” couldn’t win over most of those in attendance.
The Black Eyed Peas (2005)
Before she was giving eyebrow-raising performances of the “Star-Spangled Banner” at the NBA All-Star Game, Fergie was touring as a member of the Black Eyed Peas, who seemingly never said no to a football halftime show, performing at the 2005 Grey Cup at BC Place Stadium.
There should be a reward for anyone who re-watches this performance from start to finish — especially when Fergie starts dancing during “My Humps.”
Fortunately for the CFL, there were enough performances that should help fans forget past blunders. Here are the best of the best.
Honourable Mention
OneRepublic (2016)
It was hard to leave this performance off the list as OneRepublic was a big get for the CFL. There were a couple of hundred dancers in LED jackets that made on the field, which looked great for those watching on TV. As for the music itself, OneRepublic was on their game, performing “Counting Stars,” “Love Runs Out,” and “Let’s Hurt Tonight.”
5. The Guess Who (2000)
The Guess Who are one of the more accomplished Canadian rock bands in history and it was only fitting they got a chance to perform at the 88th Grey Cup in Calgary on one of their reunion tours.
Once they got over some audio issues that delayed the performance, the band put together a trademark performance, playing “No Time,” “Bus Rider” and “Share the Land.” It wasn’t flashy by any means, but they entertained the crowd — especially Randy Bachman, who was at his best with each guitar solo. He would get another chance to play in 2010 when Bachman Turner Overdrive (BTO) played in Edmonton.
The only downside to the show was that they didn’t play “American Woman,” which ironically was performed by Lenny Kravitz in 2007.
4. Blue Rodeo (2009)
Growing up as a big CFL supporter, Blue Rodeo’s Jim Cuddy was looking forward to playing the Grey Cup and gave fans a chance to pick the songs they performed. Talk about giving the people what they want.
With a mass of fans around the stage, the band played “Til I Am Myself Again,” “Hasn’t Hit Me Yet,” and “Lost Together.” Saskatchewan Roughriders fans might have been disappointed by losing the game on the infamous “13th Man” penalty, but Blue Rodeo brought their A-game.
3. Alessia Cara (2018)
The league hit a home run getting an emerging Canadian star, and she did not disappoint with a 15-minute medley with songs like, “Here,” “Stay,” “Scars to Your Beautiful,” “Wild Things” and “How Far I’ll Go,” as well as singles “Growing Pains” and “Trust My Lonely.”
Not only was she actually singing in the frigid weather in Edmonton, she had a bit of everything in her performance. The drum line was an especially nice touch considering they weren’t just for show.
Topped off with a fireworks display, her performance drew rave reviews online — and for good reason.
2. The Tragically Hip (2004)
Fortunately for Canadians, the Tragically Hip got their moment to perform the Grey Cup halftime show in 2004.
Gord Downie always had a flair for the big stage, and this halftime show wasn’t any different. The band performed “Gus: The Polar Bear from Central Park” and “Courage,” which was a big hit in the nation’s capital. It’s too bad they only performed two songs and didn’t get another chance to grace the stage, but we can count ourselves lucky that we got it at all.
1. Shania Twain (2017)
It’s rare to see an artist perform at two Grey Cup halftime shows, but when you’re Canadian music royalty, no one’s going to question the decision.
While the Toronto Argonauts were the story of the 105th Grey Cup, pulling off an upset over the heavily favoured Calgary Stampeders, Twain definitely stole some of the spotlight with her memorable performance. After performing at the 90th Grey Cup in 2002 at Commonwealth Stadium, the Windsor Ont., pulled out all the stops in Ottawa.
Many of you no doubt remember Twain making her way to the stage on a dog sled on a snowy night in the nation’s capital wearing an all-red outfit. It was as Canadian a moment as they come, and trended on social media for obvious reason.
Watching @ShaniaTwain come in on a dog sled, in a blizzard, in Ottawa to perform the half time show at the Grey Cup is the most Canadian thing I’ve ever seen. Unreal
— Matt Duchene (@Matt9Duchene) November 27, 2017
The performance itself was a classic, with Twain performing “That Don’t Impress Me Much,” “Life’s About To Get Good” and “Man! I Feel Like A Woman.”
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