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 Musicfest is Returning as a Drive in Concert

Peterborough Musicfest is returning with its first ever drive in concert on August 29, 2021.

The Sam Roberts Band has been nominated for fifteen Juno Awards, winning six, including Artist of the Year (2004 and 2009) and Album of the Year (2004). Photo Courtesy of Peterborough Musicfest.

The Sam Roberts Band with special guest The Webbers Brothers Band will take to the Enbridge Energy Stage at the Memorial Centre for this free event.

“All Musicfest concerts are free of charge thanks to our incredible sponsors, says Musicfest board chair Paul Rellinger. “We’re so pleased we could partner with the Memorial Centre to bring our fans this show, it’s going to be a great time.”

Free-admission tickets to the show will be available starting at 10:00 a.m. on August 9 online or by phone at 705.743.3561.

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Local Recording Studio Looking to Break Out Past the Pandemic

The music industry has not been spared from the COVID-19 pandemic but David Joyce and Treblecock Studios are ready to make their mark on Peterborough as the province opens up.

Treblecock Studios is located at 159 King St. Suite 108 just off the corner of George Street in Dowtntown Peterborough. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Joyce opened the recording studio in downtown Peterborough on June 2019. He was inspired to stay in Peterborough after a second date at the downtown music venue The Garnet for a live show. He had a home studio in Ajax during the time.

“I’m a bit of an old-school guy. I grew up loving music in the ‘70s and 80’s and the music scene everywhere was enormous,” said Joyce. “When I discovered Peterborough, it was like a snapshot in time. Live music is everywhere and I was really gravitated towards that.”

He was shut down since the world went into quarantine in March last year and closed up again on Boxing Day.

During the first quarantine period, he met local musician SJ (Sarah-Jayne) Riley through a Facebook acting group. The film industry was able to operate during the pandemic according to Joyce and recruited her as an actress.

They would take part in filming short films found on the studio’s Youtube page until Joyce heard of Riley’s singing ability.

The duo have collaborated on a number of songs and videos since meeting each other as a result.

Several of Riley’s songs were produced by Joyce and Treblecock Studios such as “Mansion of Broken Hearts” and “Whoever This Was Written To.”

Riley is performing her first major live gig at the PTBOLive Summer Concert Series this Friday, opening up for country music star Chad Brownlee.

Riley has performed in Peterborough twice in local venues such as the Dark Horse Pub and The Garnet. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

When Treblecock opened back up last month, Joyce noticed a surge of musicians that wanted to record music to regain a sense of normalcy for Peterborough.

“When I was able to open again this June, it feels like everybody wants to get in here and record some music that they've been writing during the pandemic,” said Joyce.

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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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Irish Millie Brings a New Generation to Celtic Music

Ameilia Shadgett is breaking the age barrier of Celtic music and bringing the culture to people of all ages.

Thirteen by Irish Millie. Cover art done by Barking Pixel Design Co. Photo Courtesy of Irish Millie.

The 14-year-old, known as Irish Millie, released her first album titled Thirteen in May.

Recording an album has been a dream of hers for a long time but it took time to get the ball rolling.

While playing at a local farmer’s market, Gregory Pastic from LaunchPad Records approached Millie and her dad Murray with hopes to record an album. Her dreams came true when the pandemic hit and she had more time to focus on her music.

“It feels like I’m stepping up a bit and getting a little bit bigger,” she said. “When I would listen to my favourite artists on Spotify I’d think ‘I want that for myself and the fact that that has happened — I’m overjoyed.”

Now Millie and her dad spend their time playing gigs at local venues. While most of the crowd is often much older than Millie, she says her friends are a great support and she hopes that more young people will come to realize just how fun Celtic music can be.

Millie says she feels fiddle music is often directed at people older than herself and she wants to change that.

“It’s a very cool culture and a very diverse community of people that are involved in this kind of music,” she said. “I don’t think a lot of younger people realize that until they’ve heard it.”

The music Millie plays makes her feel empowered and she wants anyone that listens to feel the same.

“I want everyone to understand why I love it.”

Irish Millie is playing at The Blackhorse Pub on July 7 and 21 at 6:00 p.m.

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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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Local Country Artist To Release Upcoming Album While Reflecting Recent Success

It has been a long 13 years of being in the country music business but Peterborough’s Elyse Saunders displays the evolution of her career with a new single for her upcoming album released this fall.

Saunders is the current Country Music Association of Ontario Artist of the Month for June, one of seven new finalists in the Boots & Hearts Emerging Artist Showcase and was a top five finalist in CBC Music’s 2021 Searchlight competition. Photo Courtesy Of Liz Rosa Photography.

“Sunshine State Of Mind” is Saunders’s latest song that debuted in mid-May and one of three singles — “Free” and “Wine Down” as the others — that have been released for her upcoming album “Free”.

Co-written by Saunders and T.J. Simpson, this was the first single since being nominated for Female Artist of the Year and Rising Star of the Year by the Country Music Association of Ontario.

“Sunshine State of Mind” was meant to radiate joy, summer adventure and sunny escapism according to Saunders.

“We wrote it before the pandemic shut down,” she said. “It would be so nice to get away. We wanted the song to be everything people wanted to think of when they go on a tropical vacation. We also wanted that message to be on vacation no matter where you are.”

Her newest album is a culmination of what she learned in the music business and how she has grown since starting her music career in 2008.

Since 2020, the Peterborough country singer has gained a list of achievements and awards such as Video of the Year at the 2020 Mississauga Music Awards with “Free”. “Wine Down” had 100,000 streams across Spotify and Apple Music, 46,000 YouTube views with two Country Music Association of Ontario nominations.

“I’ve come into my own in the last year and a half and two years that I’ve gotten to this point feeling confident,” explains Saunders. “I feel like music has made me stronger and made me the best version of myself. It forces me out of my comfort zone so you become pretty fearless and unstoppable.”

”Sunshine State of Mind” has over 68,000 views on Youtube to date since premiering on May 15. Photo Courtesy of Elyse Saunders Jasper Anson.

Saunders reflects on growing up in Peterborough and the surrounding area with how it influenced her to become a country music singer.

The music star has lived in Keene, River Road South just outside of Peterborough and spent a lot of time with her grandmother who lived in the countryside.

“When I talk about Peterborough, a lot of my music reflects that,” said Saunders. “‘Free’ was inspired by my youth, being free of responsibility. It’s nice to come home to Peterborough.”

When asked about her end goal with country music, she wants to go as far as she can with her career.

“I imagine myself as an international artist,” said Saunders. “It’s about finding the right team doing whatever we can together. It’s an amazing gift to be able to have and sharing my music is always exciting to see.”

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PTBOLive Kicks Off Summer Concert Series With Opening Night

The PTBOLive Summer Concert Series opened its 20-show series at the Peterborough Memorial Centre parking lot Friday night.

Jeremy Giles, Market Hall Manager Chad Hogan, Coun. Keith Riel and Emily Martin on the Enbridge Energy Stage during setup of the opening night. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Kicking off the series is Classic Albums Live performs Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon on the Enbridge Energy Stage.

“We’ve got a local stage, local production crew, a local food truck and local artists on the state throughout the summer as well,” said Jeremy Giles, PMC facility manager. “It’s really a good local feel and it’s nice to do this for the community.”

The Enbridge Energy Stage at the PMC parking lot. Two digital screens accompany the stage at each side. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Concert-goers attend the show in their parked vehicles in front of the stage to comply with COVID-19 health protocols.

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

“We haven’t done anything for live music in a long time,” said Emily Martin, Showplace general manager. “Having an outdoor event is really easy to do in terms of being able to bring large numbers of people together.”

“The city has been waiting for something like this,” said Councillor Keith Riel. “It’s a night for the family and I think people need a break.”

Pink Floyd is one of three Classic Albums Live performances of PTBOLive. 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.

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Hometown PTBO: Sam and Ryan Weber Explain Peterborough's Musical Influence and Their Newly Released Album

This week on Hometown PTBO, Pete Dalliday music duo Sam and Ryan Weber of The Weber Brothers about growing up as musical talents in town, the influential music scene of Peterborough and about their newly released album: Choose Your Own Adventure.

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Local Musician Goes Viral With Golf Parody Song

What was supposed to be a fun video shared around friends and family has become viral with almost 80,000 Youtube views in less than a week for musician Chad Driscoll since its release on Sunday.

The song, “Ontario, Let Me Go (Play Some Golf)” is a parody of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads”.

The viral video is about typical golfer experiences and how they cannot golf under the unexpected shutdown extension. Ontario had prohibited golf and other outdoor recreational activities under the new restrictions on April 16.

Driscoll has received massive support and positive reviews from viewers and golf courses extending as far as Ottawa.

“A lot of golf courses have been reaching out and thanking me for the song and stuff which is kind of funny,” he said.

Driscoll released his first album, Unreliable Instincts back in 2011. Photo Courtesy of Chad Driscoll.

The lyrics and recording took roughly an hour. Using John Denver for a parody was a decision that organically happened and was recognizable by all ages according to Driscoll.

He wrote the song as a way to relate his golf experiences with others and express his grief for the sudden decision of not being able to play.

“Talk to any golfer, they’re really frustrated and it’s something that we can all resonate with,” said Driscoll. “I’ve been golfing since I was a kid. It’s been a big part of my life.”

Driscoll attended St. Peter’s Secondary School in Peterborough. Photo Courtesy of Chad Driscoll.

People are looking for things to do during the pandemic and restricting something that is safe can get mentally taxing according to Driscoll.

“It was such a great way to get out of the house,” he said. “It felt normal out there. You didn’t have a mask on and you were six feet away from each other. When they closed, I was really bummed.”

Driscoll’s first live singing performance was when he was 10 in 1991. He participated in the” Nintendo Search for the Stars” singing contest placing second at Lansdowne Place.

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