The Peterborough Memorial Centre Celebrates a Successful Summer Concert Series

As summer comes to an end the Peterborough Memorial Centre (PMC) is celebrating the success of their PTBOLive Summer Concert Series, hosted at the Enbrige Energy Stage.

Giles says that the Mini Pop Kids concert on August 15 had the highest attendance. Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Memorial Centre.

Jeremy Giles, Facility Manager at The Peterborough Memorial Centre said that while restrictions made it difficult to gather, the COVID-19 pandemic brought with it the need to do just that.

“Our whole existence is to be a meeting place for the community and for the city of Peterborough and for the people who live there,” he said. “Our industry is an escape, it’s something for people to do and come together and celebrate and have fun and let loose a little bit.”

Throughout the summer the PMC hosted 18 events with thousands of attendees passing through the venue safely.

Giles said through PTBOLive summer series, the project was able to support ten local businesses.

Companies involved included Porter Sound, That’s A Wrap Catering, Til Death BBQ, Peterburgers, The Entertainment Group, Market Hall, Showplace, Peterborough Museum and Archives, Peterborough MusicFest and Don on the Job.

By collection donations through ticket sales PTBOLive donated $580 to Peterborough Arts Alive Fund, which provides financial assistance to charitable arts organizations.

The PMC is now transitioning back to indoor events as COVID-19 restrictions lift. Giles says he hopes that next summer is business as usual at the PMC, but the success of this summers concert series proved that they can adapt as needed.

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New Foundation Music For Minds to Host Fundraiser at The Venue

Local musician Maxwell McWilliams is launching his new mental health foundation, Music for Minds, with a live performance at The Venue on Sept. 11.

Photo courtesy of Maxwell McWilliams

McWilliams started his journey as a local musician when he was 11 years old. He played in local bars and at Market Hall, opening for Max Gomez from Taos, NM.

In February 2020, McWilliams launched his solo headline campaign ‘The Maxwell McWilliams Music Administration for Mental Health Awareness’ which sold out Market Hall.

After his success in last year, McWilliams plans to continue fundraising for mental health.

“Mental health doesn’t stop regardless of what is going on in the world,” he said.

On Sept.11 at 7:30 p.m. McWilliams will perform at The Venue to kickstart his new foundation.

Music for Minds aims to improve the lives of young people suffering from mental illness through the power of music, says McWilliams.

“We just saw the tip of the iceberg with community support and raising awareness last year when we ran our campaign,” he explained. “We can’t stop at one show and one donation when there are so many seeking support in our local communities.”

This is an all-ages event with limited ticket sales due to COVID-19 restrictions.

To purchase tickets call the ticket hotline number at (705) 768-7036.

There are event sponsorship opportunities available, call the ticket hotline to inquire.

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Peterborough Memorial Centre to Host “A Celtic Family Christmas”

The Peterborough Memorial Centre will host “A Celtic Family Christmas” featuring Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy for the PMC announced on Monday.

Photo Courtesy of the Peterborough Memorial Centre.

The performance is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 17 for one night only.

MacMaster and Leahy are joined with their seven children for their acts as they will play music, show their unique way of life with Christmas traditions still honoured and celebrated.

This show will feature some traditional and original music with the family, special numbers with their own incredible band as well as a few personal stories and candid moments from the MacMaster/Leahy setting.

“Last year, the Leahy family invited us into their home for a virtual Christmas experience. Fans fell in love with the music and traditions that this exceptional family displayed,” said Jeremy Giles, PMC facility manager. “We are so excited to be able to welcome fans back to the facility this December to experience the love, the family and the magic of the holiday season that only the Leahy’s can provide.”

Tickets for A Celtic Family Christmas at the Peterborough Memorial Centre are on sale Thursday, Aug. 19, in person at the Grant Thornton Box Office inside the PMC, by phone at 705-743-3561 and online at www.memorialcentre.ca.

The exclusive pre-sale for PMC Scoop members happens Monday, Aug 16 at 12:00 p.m. Tickets are $45.00, $65.00 and $75.00 (plus applicable fees).

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Stony Lake Private Island Concert Raises $10,000 for Ronald McDonald House Charity

A local couple, Bruce and Susan Hodges hosted Spoons, a JUNO award winning band, and Images in Vogue, at their island property on Stony Lake to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House charity on Saturday.

Spoons and Images in Vogue pose with Bruce and Susan Hodges. Photo by Andrew Clowater.

The Spoons perform at an annual concert for the Ronald McDonald House Charity (RMHC) but had to cancel in 2020 due to COVID.

“They needed to raise money for Ronald McDonald House and couldn’t. So we wanted to help out,” said Hodges.

RMHC gives families with sick children a place to stay closer to the hospital their child is receiving care at. According to their website over 26,000 families received assistance last year.

A recent study found that RMHC programs saved families a total of $48.3 million in out-of-pocket expenses like lodging, food, and other essentials in 2019.

In 2020 Hodges contacted the band and hosted them at their island on Stony Lake. Due to COVID restrictions at the time it was a small event and they were able to raise a few thousand dollars, according to Hodges.

Because of the success of last years concert the Spoons returned for a second concert this year.

“People had a great time, so this year we decided to do it again - make it the second annual,” Hodges said.

In hopes to make this years concert bigger and better Hodges brought in an opening band, Images in Vogue. He also invited guests to watch from a second island while both bands played on a barge in the lake. This allowed more ticket sales, while still complying with the provinces COVID restrictions.

Hodges announced on Saturday that this will be an annual event, and has already booked the band Honeymoon Suite for next year.

This years concert raised $10,000 for Ronald McDonald House Charity and Hodges hopes that they are able to maintain that donation every year.

Spoons pose with Bruce and Sandy at Saturdays concert. Photo by Andrew Clowater.

“As you get older you want to do things that matter, and this seemed to be a really good cause,” said Gord Deppe, lead singer of Spoons.

Both Deppe and Sandy Horne, vocalist and bass player in the band, said last years event was the first show they have played on an island and they were happy to be back.

Spoons also used Saturday night to celebrate their 40th anniversary and a new album release.

‘Echoes’ features different bands covering classic Spoons hits. The funds generated from this album will be donated to the Unison Fund, an organization that provides counselling and emergency relief services to the Canadian music community.

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Local Musician Reaches Milestone With Their First Big Gig

It was a surreal moment for local artist SJ Riley, performing her first large-audience show at the PTBOLive Summer Concert Series in the Peterborough Memorial Centre parking lot on Friday.

Sarah-Jayne Riley better known by her stage name SJ Riley, had her latest song “Mansion of Broken Hearts” filmed at a haunted house in Lakefield. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Riley opened the show for country music star Chad Brownlee with a six-song set — five originals and one cover song — including her signature-titled songs, “Whoever This Was Written To” and “Mansion of Broken Hearts.”

The singer/songwriter had only performed two shows prior to this performance, one at The Black Horse Pub (July 11) and The Garnet (July 17) earlier in the month.

"When you think about gigs like this, until you’re on stage doing it, how absolutely fun it is,” she said. “I had a blast.”

SJ Riley with her band, the “SJ Riley Band” performing on an overcast evening on the Enbridge Energy Stage. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Playing live was a breath of fresh air and a sign the world was giving a sense of normalcy according to Riley.

“I think it’s the first step to a time where people come together again,” she said. “There’s nothing like coming together with a group of people and sharing an experience.”

During the pandemic, SJ Riley was doing acting gigs and filming music videos at Treblecock Studios located in downtown Peterborough.

Several of her music videos were produced by the local studio to occupy her time until live concerts were allowed again due to the pandemic.

“Peterborough is fantastic,” said Riley. “The people of the city are amazing, the artists in this city here are amazing, there’s so much here so I’m just absolutely honoured to be a part of it.

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Peterborough's First-Ever Drive N' Drag Show In the Books

Peterborough’s first-ever Drive N’ Drag show filled the Peterborough Memorial Centre parking lot where fans danced all night on Saturday.

A fan celebrates her birthday at Saturdays Drive N’ Drag show. Photo By Angela O’Grady

Despite on-and-off torrential downpours during the show, local drag performers Ms. Madge Enthat and Sahira Q were in the spotlight on the Enbridge Energy Stage. They joined other stars such as Tynomi Banks, BOA, Virgo, Tash Riot, Baby Bel Bel with host Dancing Phil.

Performers danced and lip-synced to music from famous artists like Whitney Houston and Beyonce during a night filled with expression and energy.

“Sometimes it’s really hard to express yourself and this is a form of expression or an outlet to release frustrations,” said Tynomi Banks.

Photo By Angela O’Grady

Fans were seemingly unbothered by the weather and danced along with the performers - some embracing the rain and some hiding under their umbrellas.

One on-scene security personnel speculated that the Drive N’ Drag show may have been one of the busiest PTBOLive performances to date.

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George Thorogood And The Destroyers Concert Announced For Peterborough

The Peterborough Memorial Centre has announced that George Thorogood And The Destroyers are coming to Peterborough for an in-person concert on May 14, 2022.

Since 1976 George Thorogood and the Destroyers have played over 8,000 live shows and sold over 15 million albums. Photo Courtesy of Peterborough Memorial Centre.

Tickets for the Good To Be Bad: 45 Years of Rock tour will go on sale Thursday and can be purchased on the Memorial Centre website, or by calling 705-743-3561.

PMC Scoop members will be eligible to purchase pre-sale tickets exclusively online on Wednesday.

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Local Band Returns to the Stage Opening for Big Wreck at PTBOLive Drive-In Concert

It was a long absence of playing live shows due to the pandemic for Heaps but they made a return in a big way, opening for Big Wreck on Friday.

(From left to right) Warren Frank (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), Tanner Paré (drums), Freddy Kwon (lead guitar and backup vocals) and Nathan Truax (bass). Heaps had shared stages with bands like Hollerado, The Sheepdogs and The Trews. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Both bands performed at the PTBOLive drive-in concert series at the Peterborough Memorial Centre parking lot on Friday.

The Peterborough/Lindsay-based band felt playing a live show again was a breath of fresh air since musicians and people had the urge for live concerts.

“It feels so great to be playing shows,” said Warren Frank, Heaps’s lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist. “It’s been a really long time since September of 2020 when we last played.”

While Heaps has shared the stage with well-known bands like Hollerado, The Trews and The Sheepdogs, they have not taken for granted the opportunities they have been given.

“(It’s) Pretty great opening for bands bigger than us, giving us new exposure and a new audience,” said drummer Tanner Paré.

“Some nights you don’t want to play any shows but now that we’ve had a year where it was all taken away, we’re not taking it for granted for a minute,” said Frank.

The timing for the band performing live concerts could not be better since Heaps were promoting their latest album “What Is Heaps” released less than a year ago.

The album contains 11 songs with featured title tracks such as “You Were There” and “Get It Back”.

After the show, the band said they are booking shows and plan to play at Algonquin College later this month.

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Peterborough's First-Ever Summer Concert Series Debuts This Week With Updated Acts

The Peterborough Memorial Centre will host their first act of their PTBOLive Summer Concert Series with performances on three consecutive days starting on Friday.

Big Wreck has performed in Peterborough on numerous occasions at places such as The Venue and Del Crary Park for Musicfest. Photo Courtesy of the Peterborough Memorial Centre.

Opening the series is the Classic Albums Live night with Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” album.

The Jim Cuddy Band with special guests and musical duo Express & Company follow the opening act on Saturday.

Splash’N Boots rounds out the three-day series opener for a more kid-oriented show on Sunday afternoon.

Classic Albums Live will be the opening act of the first-ever Summer Series held by the PMC. Photo Courtesy of the Peterborough Memorial Centre.

More acts added to the series is Peterborough’s first-ever drive and drag show featuring the Drive’N Queens scheduled for July 14.

A drive-in movie night of “The Father'“ about an aging man who must deal with his progressing memory loss will be one of two films featured for the PMC on July 19. Twelve Mighty Orphans will be the other featured drive-in movie for August 16.

The Father was nominated for six academy awards, winning two for best actor and best adapted screenplay in addition to countless other award wins and nominations. Photo Courtesy of Peterborough Memorial Centre.

The following is the current lineup of the series:

• June 25 Classic Albums Live performs Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon

• June 26 The Jim Cuddy Band with special guest Express & Company

• June 27 Splash N Boots

• July 2 Big Wreck with special guest Heaps

• July 9 The Reklaws with special guest Jesse Slack

• July 10 The Trews with special guests Adam & Cale Gontier from Saint Asonia

• July 16 Classic Albums Live performs Led Zeppelin's Zeppelin II

• July 19 “The Father” Drive-in movie night

• July 23 Chad Brownlee with special guest SJ Riley

• July 24 Drive’N Queens, Peterborough’s first-ever drive ‘n drag show

• Aug 7 Shaun Majumder with Ali Hassan

• Aug 14 Sinatra with Matt Dusk

• Aug 15 Mini Pop Kids Live

• Aug 16 12 Mighty Orphans Drive-in movie night

• Aug 20 Classic Albums Live performs The Beatles' Abbey Road

• Aug 27 Jackson Delta with Emily Burgess & The Emburys

Tickets are on sale now at the PMC’s website or by phone at (705) 743-3561.

Tickets range from $100 per vehicle to $200 per vehicle plus fees (vehicle occupancy must be in accordance with the highway traffic act.) Fans are encouraged to get their tickets early as space is limited as stated in the press release.

Food is available on site but guests are permitted to bring their own food and non-alcoholic drinks for the event.

The series is a collaboration presented by Peterborough Memorial Centre, Showplace Performance Centre and Market Hall Performing Arts Centre.

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Peterborough Summer Concert Series Roundup of Updated Event Dates and Acts

The Peterborough Memorial Centre will begin the first act of their PTBOLive Summer Concert Series on June 25 after a number of additions and changes to this year’s lineup.

Big Wreck has performed in Peterborough on numerous occasions at places such as The Venue and Del Crary Park for Musicfest. Photo Courtesy of the Peterborough Memorial Centre.

The series is a collaboration presented by Peterborough Memorial Centre, Showplace Performance Centre and Market Hall Performing Arts Centre.

Actor and comedian Shaun Majumder — known for his work on YTV and “This Hour Has 22 Minutes” — with special guest and fellow comedian Ali Hassan has moved from the opening act to August 7.

Opening the series is the Classic Albums Live night with Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” album starting on Jun 25.

The Trews have performed concerts in Peterborough at venues such as Trent University and Musicfest. Photo Courtesy of the Peterborough Memorial Centre.

Rock bands such as The Trews and Big Wreck will headline two separate days of the concert series along with four other acts according to a press release.

“This will be our opening night of the PTBOLive Summer Concert Series and we couldn’t think of a better way to welcome everybody to the venue than setting them up for an evening full of fun and laughter,” said Jeremy Giles, PMC Facility Manager. “It has been a very hard year for everyone and this lineup of comedians will give fans something to finally smile about, we can’t wait.”

The Trews will have special guests and former frontman Three Days Grace, Adam Gontier and cousin Cale Gontier, bassist for Art of Dying. The previous date of June 5 has been rescheduled to July 10.

Country music duo Jenna and Stuart Walker of The Reklaws were a late addition to the lineup with special guest Jesse Slack will appear on July 9.

Siblings Jenna and Stuart Walker of The Reklaws were formed in 2012 based out of North Dumfries, Ontario. File Photo.

Country star Chad Brownlee will perform with special guest Sj Riley on July 23 as another late addition to the musical series lineup.

Other acts include Splash’N Boots, the Jim Cuddy Band, Sinatra with Matt Dusk, Mini Pop Kids Live, Jackson Delta with Emily Burgess & The Emburys and Classic Albums Live performing Led Zepplin’s Zeppelin II and The Beatles’ Abbey Road.

Brownlee was a former NHL draft pick in 2003 by the Vancouver Canucks. Photo Courtesy of Peterborough Memorial Centre.

The following is the current lineup of the series:

• June 25 Classic Albums Live performs Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon

• June 26 The Jim Cuddy Band with special guest Express & Company

• June 27 Splash N Boots

• July 2 Big Wreck with special guest Heaps

• July 9 The Reklaws with special guest Jesse Slack

• July 10 The Trews with special guests Adam & Cale Gontier from Saint Asonia

• July 16 Classic Albums Live performs Led Zeppelin's Zeppelin II

• July 23 Chad Brownlee with special guest SJ Riley

• Aug 7 Shaun Majumder with Ali Hassan

• Aug 14 Sinatra with Matt Dusk

• Aug 15 Mini Pop Kids Live

• Aug 20 Classic Albums Live performs The Beatles' Abbey Road

• Aug 27 Jackson Delta with Emily Burgess & The Emburys

Tickets are on sale now at the PMC’s website or by phone at (705) 743-3561.

Tickets range from $100 per vehicle to $200 per vehicle plus fees (vehicle occupancy must be in accordance with the highway traffic act.) Fans are encouraged to get their tickets early as space is limited as stated in the press release.

Food is available on site but guests are permitted to bring their own food and non-alcoholic drinks for the event.

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