Peterborough Musicfest Welcomes Alyssa Reid And Valley On Saturday
/Valley and Alyssa Reid will hit the stage at Del Crary Park on Saturday as part of the Peterborough Musicfest Summer Concert Series.
Photo by Luke Best.
Peterborough Blogs
Peterborough Folk Festival Seeking Volunteers For Children's Village
/The Peterborough Folk Festival is looking for volunteers to help with the Children’s Village taking place from Aug. 19 to 21 at Nicholls Oval.
Photo courtesy of Nicholls Oval.
All volunteers receive a limited-edition volunteer T-shirt, complimentary food and drinks during the event and first access to their year-round programming according to their website.
The Children’s Village operates from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and has tasks such as face painting, running craft tables, helping children with their art projects and hauling water for the water wall. High school students seeking volunteer hours can get their hours through this event. Anyone 18 or older requires a police record check for the Children’s Village.
The music and art festival is also accepting volunteers for other positions such as setup and cleaning.
Anyone looking to volunteer can visit the festival’s volunteer website.
The Trews Acoustic is one of the headlining acts for this year’s festival.
Let's Dance As Bowie Tribute Hits Del Crary Park Stage On Saturday
/The Bowie Lives featuring Peterborough’s own Michael Bell will hit the stage at Del Crary Park on Saturday.
Photo by Luke Best.
In collaboration with musical director Michael Beauclerc, Bell debuted The Bowie Lives in 2017 and has since fronted the tribute to the late singer, songwriter and actor, performing at venues across Ontario and beyond. In bringing Bowie back to life, Bell et al perform a long list of hit songs that dominated the charts over five decades – Ziggy Stardust, Suffragette City, Fame, Golden Years, Let’s Dance, Modern Love and many more.
The Bowie Lives is actually Bell’s second homage to the singer. In the late ‘80s, he toured ChangesAllBowie but eventually turned his attention full-‐time to The Wire MEGAzine, the Peterborough-‐based tabloid that he founded, and raising his family. Following Bowie’s death in 2016, Bell’s passion for the singer’s music and legacy picked up right where it left off, fueled by heightened music industry and public interest.
This event is completely free, with first come first served seating. It is suggested that concert goers bring a lawn chair or chairs will be available to rent at the venue.
If a storm occurs during a concert, a cancellation announcement will be made from the stage. Peterborough Musicfest will not issue a cancellation call until 7:45 p.m. fifteen minutes before the scheduled start of 8 p.m. Rescheduling of cancelled concerts is not guaranteed.
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54-40 Fills Del Crary Park With Biggest Show Of the Season For Peterborough Musicfest
/It was a packed house at Del Crary Park as rock band 54-40 had the city on their feet at Peterborough Musicfest on Wednesday night.
The band wasted no time in getting the crowd pumped, opening with their hit song ‘Nice to Luv You.’ They followed their act with several more fan favourites such as She La, Ocean Pearl and I Go Blind. During their encore, the band slipped in a cover of Neil Diamond’s ‘Sweet Caroline’ in the middle of their set.
This concert had the biggest attendance of the season according to Tracey Randall, Musicfest general manager.
“There are over 8,000 or 9,000 people here, she said. “This is more than the Sam Roberts band.”
54-40 Returns To Del Crary Park For Wednesday Night Musicfest
/54-40, multi Juno Award-‐nominated Canadian alternative rock band, will perform at Del Crary Park on Wednesday at Peterborough Musicfest.
Photo courtesy of Peterborough Musicfest.
Formed in 1980 by high school pals Neil Osborne and Brad Merritt, 54-‐40 was featured heavily on Canadian rock charts from the mid 1980s to the late 1990s on the strength of hit songs such as She-‐La, Ocean Pearl, Luv You, Baby Ran and I Go Blind – the latter inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2021.
In addition, three 54-‐40 albums – Dear Dear (1992), Smilin’ Buddha Cabaret (1994) and Trusted By Millions (1996) were certified platinum while 1998’s Since When earned gold status. 2018’s Keep On Walking was the band’s 14th album.
Having headlined Peterborough Musicfest in late July 2019, 54-‐40 returns to Del Crary Park with Osborne (vocals/rhythm guitar) and Merritt (bass) joined by Dave Genn (lead guitar), Matt Johnson (drums) and David Osborne (organ/saxophone).
This event is completely free, with first come first served seating. It is suggested that concert goers bring a lawn chair or chairs will be available to rent at the venue.
If a storm occurs during a concert, a cancellation announcement will be made from the stage. Peterborough Musicfest will not issue a cancellation call until 7:45 p.m. fifteen minutes before the scheduled start of 8 p.m. Rescheduling of cancelled concerts is not guaranteed.
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Beau Dixon To Celebrate Black Music On Emancipation Day With Free Concert
/In recognition of Emancipation Day, Beau Dixon will be putting on a show of a lifetime for the Peterborough community with a one-night performance of his Freedom Cabaret: The Spirit and Legacy of Black Music on August 2.
Beau Dixon and the cast of the Freedom Cabaret: The Spirit and Legacy of Black Music performing at the Stratford Festival in 2021, photo by David Hou.
Originally presented as part of the Stratford Festival, Dixon’s Freedom Cabaret will be traveling to Peterborough. The all-Black cast is slated to deliver a heart pumping musical history of black culture at the Peterborough Square Courtyard located on the corner of Charlotte and Water Streets from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Aug. 2. Audience members will be able to experience the show free of charge.
Dixon’s Freedom Cabaret will offer audience goers an emotional exploration of Black music from the moment Black people landed on North American soil, to present day- in celebration of Black culture from church hymnals to the blues, from jazz to rock ’n’ roll, R&B and rap. The Freedom Cabaret: Spirit and Legacy of Black Music will open with local artist Niambi Tree who will deliver a deeply moving spoken word performance before the headlining cabaret show.
The Freedom Cabaret performance in Peterborough is part of a larger music project that spans across Canada and the US, funded by Music Performance Trust Fund. The music fund (MPTF) evolved from a landmark collective bargaining agreement between the American Federation of Musicians and the major recording companies as of 1948. MPTF has special funding this year for Juneteenth and Emancipation Day which will employ hundreds of Black performance artists to commemorate and recognize the abolition of slavery.
“What a privilege to be performing Freedom in my hometown. This is a deeply personal project for me. It's going to be an intense 90-minute show that will educate, entertain, and inform audience members. Our cabaret show celebrates the unsung heroes who paved the way for Black music today. I can’t wait to see the Peterborough community come out in solidarity for Emancipation Day as we collectively reflect on our shared history together,” said Dixon, award-winning actor, musician, playwright, director of Freedom Cabaret: The Spirit and Legacy of Black Music.
Last year, the Canadian government unanimously voted to mark August 1 as a civic holiday for Emancipation Day to honour people of African descent for their courage, their determination, and their resilience in the face of the transatlantic slave trade’s devastating effects on their individual freedoms, families, and cultures.
Concert goers are asked to bring their own chair or blanket for the performance. The Freedom Cabaret: The Spirit and Legacy of Black Music is sponsored by The Downtown Business Improvement Area, Peterborough Square, Union of Professional Musicians L518, Holiday Inn, and Black Honey.
Country Music Star Sacha Will Play A Hometown Show At Musicfest On Saturday
/Peterborough Musicfest will host Sacha, Canadian country music star who was born in Warkworth, on Saturday.
Photo courtesy of Richelle Umali.
Saturday will be the singer-songwriters first ‘hometown’ show since her rise to stardom in 2020.
“Growing up I remember school trips to the Lift Lock,” said Sacha. “Peterborough would be one of the closest ‘big cities’ to me growing up.”
Sacha released her EP The Best Thing and the single Standards, which, to date, has been streamed 10 million times and counting, in July 2020.
“I’ve been in the music realm for a long time but 2020, for some reason, presented an opportunity for mem to be seen and heard. I guess the world shutting down gave people the opportunity to look around.”
After the success of her EP, her collaboration with The Reklaws on their smash What The Truck gave Sacha her first gold-certified hit.
A Country Music Association of Ontario Rising Star nominee in 2021, Sacha was named an iHeartRadio Future Star, and three of her videos – for the songs Cheers, Standards and What The Truck – have received regular play on CMT.
She says that growing up in Warkworth has influenced the type of music she writes and plays.
“My parents were musicians,” she said. “I grew up small town, country living. We grew our own veggies, stuff like that. My mom played every kind of music around the house. Music was an influence from day one.”
She says that concert goers can expect songs that they can sing to, new songs and songs that take people back.
“I’ll share my story and hopefully people can leave inspired, knowing that anyone out there have a dream and all dreams can come true if you just work hard and stay authentic to yourself.”
After her show in Peterborough Sacha will head to the Boots and Hearts music festival in August, and will tour with popular country duo Maddie & Tae in the fall.
This event is completely free, with first come first served seating. It is suggested that concert goers bring a lawn chair, chairs will be available to rent at the venue.
If a storm occurs during a concert a cancellation announcement will be made from the stage. Peterborough Musicfest will not issue a cancellation call until 7:45 p.m. a fifteen minutes before the scheduled start of 8 p.m. Rescheduling of cancelled concerts is not guaranteed.
Peterborough Musicfest Celebrates Ronnie Hawkins Day On Wednesday With Special Tribute To The Late Legend
/Peterborough Musicfest will feature ‘The Last Waltz - A Musical Celebration of The Band’ with a special tribute to the late Ronnie Hawkins, featuring The Weber Brothers and special guests, on what will be Ronnie Hawkins Day in Peterborough, on Wednesday.
Photo by Luke Best.
Hawkins was among a number of artists who joined The Band for their final performance 48 years ago, performing his signature hit Who Do You Love? in rousing support of the musicians that backed him from 1958 to 1963.
Wednesday will celebrate the life and music of Hawkins, who died on May 29, 2022.
Joined by special guests Chuck Jackson, Johnny Max, Matt Weidinger and Quisha Wint, Anderson (piano/vocals) will lead a stellar nine-‐member band featuring Levon Helm’s godson Jerome Levon Avis (drums/vocals).
Also in the mix are Terry Blersh (guitar), Wayne Deadder (bass) and Rob Gusevs (organ), and a stellar horn section comprised of David Dunlop (trumpet), Simon Wallis (baritone sax), Gord Meyers (trombone) and Chris Murphy (tenor sax).
Formed in Toronto in 1967, The Band – Levon Helm, Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko, Garth Hudson and Richard Manuel – revealed itself as something very special with its critically acclaimed debut album Music From Big Pink.
The Band was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1989 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. The Last Waltz film, directed by Martin Scorsese, remains celebrated as one of the greatest concert documentaries ever made.
This event is completely free, with first come first served seating. it is suggested that concert goers bring a lawn chair, chairs will be available to rent at the venue.
If a storm occurs during a concert, a cancellation announcement will be made from the stage. Peterborough Musicfest will not issue a cancellation call until 7:45 p.m. a fifteen minutes before the scheduled start of 8 p.m. Rescheduling of cancelled concerts is not guaranteed.
Children's Music Group Wiggles To Perform At Peterborough Memorial Centre in October
/As part of their Big Show Tour!, Children’s music group ‘The Wiggles’ is performing at the Peterborough Memorial Centre (PMC) on Oct. 7 announced on Tuesday.
The group has been entertaining children for over 30 years. Their Treehouse TV shows are on in six million homes and the number one program with kids aged 2 – 11 across all kid’s networks in Canada. Photo courtesy of The Wiggles.
The group is touring Canada from Sept. 28 until Halloween and have not performed in the country in three years.
New Wiggles Tsehay Hawkins, Caterina Wiggle and John Wiggle, from the Fruit Salad TV series are new additions to the tour.
"We're so excited to be coming back to perform in Canada,” said Anthony Field, Blue Wiggle. “The show also features a variety of dance styles and performances, and we're bringing all our Wiggly friends too."
Tickets are available on the group’s website or through the PMC website starting on July 22. Children under a year old have free admission but must sit on the lap of someone with a valid ticket.
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Peterborough Musicfest Will Host Country Stars Sacha and Owen Barney Saturday Night
/Peterborough Musicfest has announced that Sacha and Owen Barney will perform Saturday night at Del Crary park.
Photo by Luke Best.
