Rock icon Randy Bachman talks to Omer Beland at Omer's Pawn Shop. Photo by Phil Novak, BayToday.ca. The Bare Naked Ladies drop by, and Blue Rodeo pops in whenever they're in town.
Rock icon Randy Bachman talks to Omer Beland at Omer's Pawn Shop. Photo by Phil Novak, BayToday.ca.
The Bare Naked Ladies drop by, and Blue Rodeo pops in whenever they're in town.
No, it's not some trendy North Bay cafe or waterring hole, but Omer's Pawn Shop, a place, says owner Omer Beland, where you can "try a fiddle, get your dog washed or have your vacuum cleaner repaired."
Omer's also carries used guitars and amplifiers, and that seems to be the attraction for rock groups visiting the city.
Nice guitars Friday was no exception as rock icon Randy Bachman dropped by to pay his respects.
"Omer always sends me nice guitars when they come in," Bachman said while browsing the store.
Beland agreed, saying when an unusual or hard to find guitar does arrive, he'll contact the former Guess Who guitarist and 40-million record seller.
During Bachman's visit to Omer's, Beland said, he didn't try out any guitars, "but he played a tune on one of my fiddles."
My collection Bachman collects guitars, particularly vintage Gretsch models.
"One of my Gretsch guitars was stolen from a Toronto studio so I contacted pawn shops in southern Ontario and Buffalo thinking the thief might try to pawn it," Bachman told BayToday.ca.
"So every so often a pawn shop would call me and say they didn't have my Gretsch, but had another one I might be interested in. And I'd buy it and that's what helped build up my collection."
Great guy Beland said he was "thrilled" to have Bachman in his store.
"He's really a great guy and will give me really good feedback when I send him the guitars," Beland said.
"So I'm planning to go to Randy's show tonight at the Heritage Festival."
