Burndog Hyena played its first show as a two-piece at a battle of the bands at Vanier Hall in 1983. They received the loudest response even if it was a mixture of boos and yays. Joe Bodner (drums/vocals) and Evan Symons (guitar but now on bass/vocals) met in a basement cover band in 1980. The basement was host to multitudes of typical high school drinking parties. After the cover band fizzled out, they started doing long crazy jams at Joe’s parent’s house. Joe’s dad, Ed Bodner, was on Prince George city council and ran for mayor. Completed original songs eventually emerged so they bought a four track reel-to-reel and started recording. Brian Halverson (guitar) and Evan grew up together on the Hart Highway and are in the same grade 1 class picture. Brian started joining Joe and Evan for jams more regularly once Evan rented a small cabin at Summit Lake. In 1985, Evan bought his parents house on Northwood Pulp Mill road and built a recording studio. The bass player from the cover band was recruited. Home-made cassettes of songs and experiments were duplicated and given away. Things got complicated once they got serious. Brian was working in camp and everyone else could practice more. Evan got impatient. Brian left the band. The band never really recovered, but did go on to play shows at Prince George Playhouse, Vanier Hall and Eagles Hall on the Hart Highway. Joe and Evan moved to Vancouver around 1987/1988 separately where they eventually collaborated in the bands “Space Junk”, “Uneven Steps” and “Four Food Groups of the Apocalypse”. Joe is known affectionately as “Fat Joe Satan” and has also been in the groups “Untooned” and “Vancouver’s Shame”. Evan has toured extensively as a solo one person band and was also in “Transylvanian Polka”. Brian still lives in Prince George and with Wayne Hughes produces RIP Radio (showcasing music of the deceased) on CFIS 93.1. Brian is also a cook for Activators (a half-way house). Joe lives in Courtenay and Evan does a monthly loop between Vancouver, Texada Island and Prince George. This has allowed Burndog Hyena to reform their project as old men.
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