Centre Line to entertain Friday night

By Duane Hicks
Staff writer

That’s the motto of local band, “Centre-Line,” which will be performing at the RRWT on Friday night from 9:45 p.m. to 2. am. They plan rock the night away with popular tunes from the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s.
“Centre-Line,” consisting of Wes Morrisseau (lead guitar, vocals), Geoff Gillon (bass, vocals), and Tony Marinaro (drums, vocals), will be joined by guitarist Mike Kivari for this gig.
They recently played at the Emo Fair and hail from the Fort Frances area.
The band has been together since 2006, but its members collectively have decades of experience.
Marinaro, who grew up in a musical family, began playing drums at a young age. Over the years, he played in a number of district bands, such as “Wyatt” and “Milestone.”
Morrisseau, “born with a guitar in his hand,” has played for years in bands such as the “Blue Emotions” and “Images.”
Gillon also has played in numerous bands since the ’70s, such as “Mudshark,” “Stillwater,” and “North of the Tracks.”
A few years ago, the late Merle Perreault, a long-time member of “Blue Emotions” who had played with Morrisseau for many years, joined to play rhythm guitar.
Perreault passed away unexpectedly in late June. Morrisseau explained the band had three dates to do in late June/early July, and they were anticipating Perreault, who’d had bypass surgery at the beginning of June, wouldn’t be playing a couple of them, but would be rejoining them later in July.
“Unfortunately, it didn’t work out. The replacement guy we had for June so Merle could have his operation, he continued to follow through so we could continue on,” recalled Morrisseau.
“We did do the date [in Nestor Falls] the day following his death,” he added.
“It was a little trying, but I am sure Merle would have said, ‘You guys go and play. Keep going.’
“I knew Merle forever and ever; we’re from the same community, Couchiching, of course,” noted Morrisseau. “He and I actually strung our guitars together; the first time was in 1972.
“We grew up playing. Once our families were growing up, we put it down for a while.
“It was three years ago when he came back,” Morrisseau added. “It was really neat, after all the years, going back.
“But of course, it was unfortunate that it had to end like this.”
Morrisseau said “Centre-Line” hasn’t yet found a permanent replacement for Perreault, and will continue to play with guitarists filling in on a temporary basis.
They’ll also be playing a couple of gigs as a trio to see how that works out.
“We’ve had a little rough trip here, but we’ve weathered the storm,” Morrisseau remarked.
For a bunch of guys with full-time jobs and family responsibilities, “Centre-Line” keeps busy, playing an average of two gigs a month anywhere and everywhere in Borderland and Rainy River District.
When they’re not playing gigs, they get together to practice a couple of times a month. They’ve jammed in Marinaro’s old garage, then upstairs at the Emo Curling Club, and most recently in Marinaro’s new garage.
The band isn’t in it for the money.
“It’s fun. That’s all we do it for is fun,” stressed Gillon. “If it stops being fun, then we’re done.”
“Without the support of our families, it would be very difficult to do,” admitted Marinaro.
For example, Gillon noted that if the band has a gig in Nestor Falls or Rainy River, it’s a 12-hour job once you account for the travel time, set-up, play the gig, tear down, and go home.
“For myself, a stock car racer, I have to choose between the two,” noted Morrisseau. “Sometimes I even try to do both.
“I’ve ran from the stock car track to the stage in Emo.”
“We all travel a lot with our jobs. A lot of times on a Friday night, Wes will be flying in, coming from an airport in Thunder Bay or Winnipeg, and going straight to the gig and not even go home,” chuckled Marinaro.
“I’ve come from Toronto and then gone to the Legion,” he added.
“And one time we left the Legion and had to be in Thunder Bay for 6 [a.m.],” noted Gillon.
“We do it because it’s fun,” said Morrisseau.
“It’s takes your mind off all the other stuff you got going on,” reasoned Gillon.
“It’s just a lot of fun to watch other people enjoy themselves, dance, and hear songs that they really dig,” said Marinaro.
“It’s an escape for them, too.”
“As long people want to hear us, we’ll keep doing it,” concluded Morrisseau.
“I know there’s going to come a time when the only people who will listen to us will be at Rainycrest, but we’ll be there . . . the Rainycrest Rascals,” he pledged.