“They are this incredible band that is as much a performance as it is about the music,” Melito said. “So they put on a great show. It’s 50s and 60s rock’n’roll. They totally dress up. They’re like dancing. It’s going to be an excellent way to close out the season.”
Before the season comes to a close Wednesday night, there is still plenty to look back on.
A Show People Are Still Talking About
Last Wednesday’s Trans-Canada Highwaymen performance was one of those Musicfest nights that seemed to follow people home.
Steven Page of Barenaked Ladies, Chris Murphy of Sloan, Moe Berg of The Pursuit of Happiness and Craig Northey of Odds brought their combined catalogues of Canadian rock hits to the Fred Anderson Stage, but the performance was more than simply four musicians taking turns playing songs from their respective bands.
“They all rotated positions in the band and it just made for such an incredible evening,” said Melito. “They were comedic, they were joking with the audience, they were just incredible.”
The four musicians also made the most of their time in Peterborough before taking the stage.
As it turned out, the Trans-Canada Highwaymen did not even know Peterborough’s Trans Canada Trail was there. After Chris Murphy wanted to find a good cup of coffee and the group was pointed toward the Silverbean Cafe, they walked from Del Crary Park along the trail toward downtown.
When they came across a Trans Canada Trail sign, they stopped for a photo, creating a particularly fitting Peterborough moment for a band whose name was inspired in part by the trail.
“They all stopped to pose for the photo because that’s actually one of the pieces that inspired their name,” Melito said. “So it was a real moment for the band.”
And then they returned to Del Crary Park and put on a show that many Musicfest fans have already described as one of the best they have seen at the festival.
A Final Saturday Night to Rock Out
Saturday brought another packed night to the park, this time with Crystal Faith delivering the music of Styx and Bon Jovi.
The crowd was treated to a night of classic rock favourites, with people dancing and singing along to songs they knew from the opening notes.
Now, Musicfest gets one final chance to do it all again.
The Dreamboats will close out Season 39 on Wednesday night, bringing their high-energy take on 1950s and 1960s rock ’n’ roll to the Fred Anderson Stage.
“They are this incredible band that is as much a performance as it is about the music,” Melito said. “They totally dress up, they’re dancing. It’s going to be an excellent way to close out the season.”
But before The Dreamboats take the stage, the final Musicfest night will begin with a familiar local face.
Jeannie Truax Ready to Start the Final Night
Peterborough singer-songwriter Jeannie Truax will take the Future Sound Series presented by Cogeco side stage at 6:30pm, bringing her own mix of 1950s and 1960s pop, rockabilly and indie retro-inspired pop to the park.
And she could hardly be more excited about the opportunity.
“I’m so excited,” Truax said. “It’s going to be so cool.”
She is also particularly well matched with The Dreamboats.
“They’re right in the vein of what we love, that like 50s, 60s pop stuff,” she said. “It’s going to be so fun. Their show is amazing. I can’t wait.”
Music has been part of Truax’s life for as long as she can remember. She grew up in a family of musicians and started playing piano at eight years old.
“I was like forced right into it, sleeping in the piano case while I was growing up,” she joked.
It did not take long for the music to become something she genuinely loved.
She eventually picked up guitar, partly for a very practical reason.
“The reason I picked it up was because it’s really hard to bring a piano to a campfire,” Truax said. “It’s really difficult.”
Her brother later taught her how to play bass, adding another instrument to her growing musical repertoire.
But performing live was a different experience altogether.
Truax had been involved in theatre before becoming a musician, so she was accustomed to being on stage. Even so, her first musical performance brought a different kind of nerves.
“I was terrified, even though I was on the stage pretty much constantly,” she said. “But it was, as soon as I finished, it was like this euphoric feeling. I was like, this is the best day of my life. I’m going to do this forever.”
She may never have taken that first step without a little encouragement.
A friend who had heard her play for years decided she was ready, booked her a show and essentially told her she was doing it.
“He played with me and it was amazing,” Truax said.
From there, things moved quickly.
“I did one show and then I felt like I already had 10 more booked,” she said. “It was crazy how it happens like that.”
