Broken Social Scene Announced As Headliners of the Peterborough Folk Festival 2023

The Peterborough Folk Festival have announced the band Broken Social Scene as the headliners of this year’s festival August 19.

photo courtesy of the peterborough folk festival, facebook.

Throughout their two-decade run, Broken Social Scene have achieved all the markers of modern indie success—rave reviews from Pitchfork, invites to play Coachella and Lollapalooza, multiple Juno Awards and Letterman appearances, and name-drops in Lorde songs. And their victories have ultimately been Toronto’s as well – through the establishment of a record label (Arts & Crafts) and a music festival (Field Trip) that became rallying points for the local scene and nurtured the next generation of indie upstarts.

Broken Social Scene is described as living proof that underdogs are most effective when travelling in a pack, that mass audiences can be led into uncharted waters through collective enthusiasm, and that the better world we all dream of begins with community.

“Inclusivity, belonging and community are at the heart of Peterborough Folk Festival,” says artistic director Ryan Kemp. “I can barely express how thrilled we are to have this iconic Canadian band take the main stage as the PFF 2023 headliner on August 19th.”

This will be Broken Social Scene’s first-ever performance in Peterborough. Earlier this month, Kemp shared that internationally-acclaimed Celtic singer/songwriter Loreena McKennitt will headline the main stage of the 34th annual Peterborough Folk Festival on Sunday, August 20.

"We’ve been building momentum with our festival partners, sponsors and volunteer-run board to create a memorable event for everyone in Peterborough and across the region to enjoy. It’s incredible to have this come together with the announcement of these fantastic performers,” he continued.

The 2023 Peterborough Folk Festival kicks off with ticketed concerts on Thursday, August 17 at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre and Friday, August 18 at the Gordon Best Theatre, followed by a free weekend of music, food and performance on Saturday, August 19 and Sunday, August 20 at Nicholls Oval Park. Organizers will be making additional announcements during June, including the complete line-up of performers and PFF’s Emerging Artist of the Year.

For more information about PFF 2023, including how to get involved as a sponsor, volunteer, or vendor, visit the website.

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The Borderless Music & Arts Festival Is Back at The Gordon Best Theatre

The Borderless Music & Arts Festival 2023 is set to feature a line-up that celebrates local artists & cultural diversity through soulful music, poetry, dance and community at the Gordon Best Theatre starting June 23.

photo courtesy of The Borderless Music & Arts Festival.

Since 2016, the Borderless Music & Arts Festival has been a multidisciplinary arts showcase that centres women, BIPOC, intersectional identities, multiculturalism, and inclusive community-building with a mosaic of music, dance, visual art, drag, poetry, comedy, circus and film. For over 6 years, Borderless artists have brought an amazing wealth of diversity, culture, collaboration, innovation and excitement to the City.

Borderless Festival 2023 Begins

Friday, June 23:

Poetry by Robyn Pierson

Dance performance & workshop by Mintu Maria James

Music by:

The Colton Sisters

Will Ward

Harbhajunkie

Shahrazi

Featuring a pop-up booth by Indigenously Infused.

Saturday, June 24:

OMBIIGIZI

Singing Wild Rice Girl (Missy Knott)

Will Ward

Danny Taro

photo courtesy of The Borderless Music & Arts Festival.

Tickets available at the door and through borderlesshearts.ca. For more information, check out the website.

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The Glorious Sons Announce North American Dates For The Glory Tour; Coming to the Peterborough Memorial Centre February 16

Following the release of their new single ‘Mercy Mercy’ The Glorious Sons have announced the Glory Tour, coming to the Peterborough Memorial Centre February 16.

photo courtesy of the peterborough memorial centre.

The rock band from Kingston, Ontario have garnered critical acclaim and commercial success off their previous albums, earning them multiple JUNO Awards, sold-out tours and a dedicated global fanbase. ‘Mercy Mercy’ is said to mark the next milestone in the band’s career and serves as the first track off their fourth studio album ‘Glory’ which is due out this fall.

Beginning September 6 in Pittsburgh, PA, the North American run of the tour will visit 57-cities in both the U.S. and Canada, making stops in Nashville, Boston, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Edmonton, Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa and more before wrapping in St. Catharines on February 17, 2024. The Glory Tour will feature special guests The Blue Stones and the Velveteers on select dates, and a special hometown show will have the band ringing the New Year at Kingston’s Leon’s Centre on December 31.

They have three dates as part of the 2024 leg of the tour, with Peterborough as the second-last stop.

photo courtesy of the peterborough memorial centre.

The Glorious Sons’ pre-sale begins June 20 at 3 p.m. ET exclusively in the TGS Union App, followed by the Spotify pre-sale on June 21 at 10 a.m. local time. The public on sale is confirmed for June 23 at 10 a.m. local time. A limited number of VIP packages which include a pre-show acoustic set and other exclusive experience and merchandise are available beginning today at 3 p.m. ET.

Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy To Open Peterborough Musicfest This Canada Day

Peterborough Musicfest lifts the curtain on its 36th season on Saturday, July 1, helping thousands celebrate Canada Day by presenting fiddle music duo Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy.

photo courtesy of peterborough musicfest.

MacMaster, a native of Nova Scotia, and Leahy, lead fiddler for the famed musical family from Lakefield, married in 2002 and remain Canada’s reigning couple of Celtic music. Often performing with their musical children, they have been awarded numerous honours including Juno and East Coast Music awards.

MacMaster and Leahy have recorded three albums together.

In 2015, their debut album ‘One,’ produced by the legendary Bob Ezrin, was released. The following year saw the release of ‘A Celtic Family Christmas.’ There things sat until earlier this year and the release of ‘Canvas,’ which introduced rock, pop, Latin and classical influences to their trademark Celtic sound, featuring guest support from Rhiannon Giddens, Yo-Yo Ma and Brian Finnegan.

“The fiddle was definitely common ground for us when we first got together,” reflects MacMaster, a member of the Order of Canada since 2006. “I was so in awe of Donnell’s family, of 11 siblings who could play and had a family band. And here I am now doing almost exactly the same thing. Well, kind of. This whole thing - first playing music by myself, then playing music with Donnell, then touring with Donnell and the children and all of us playing music together - has evolved in a very natural way. We feel incredibly lucky to be together as a family and to be letting our children develop their musical talent.”

“The only downside is that we can’t do all we’re asked to do and might like to do in other circumstances because we are parents first,” adds Leahy.

With Canadian jazz music great Moe Koffman headlining, Peterborough Musicfest debuted July 1, 1987 under the name Peterborough Festival of Lights with concert series founder Fred Anderson at the helm. Over the years since, artists representing practically every genre of music have headlined, bringing thousands to Peterborough’s Del Crary Park.

Peterborough Musicfest is funded by corporate sponsorships – most of those being locally owned businesses – multiple levels of government support, fundraising initiatives and private donations. As a result, Musicfest has been, and steadfastly remains, a uniquely free admission event. Dallas Green, Our Lady Peace, Serena Ryder, Gordon Lightfoot, 54-40 and Blue Rodeo are just a few of the sensational music acts that have appeared over the years.

Overseen by general manager Tracey Randall, staff and a board of directors, Peterborough Musicfest’s stated mission is to “provide diverse, affordable live music to enrich cultural and economic prosperity in our community.” In order to fulfill this mandate and keep attracting legendary musicians to our stage, Peterborough Musicfest encourages any individual or business interested in sponsoring the festival to reach out online or via phone at 705-755- 1111.

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JUNO Award-Winning Artist Amanda Marshall Performing at the PMC on June 14

Diamond-selling and multi-JUNO Award-nominated singer-songwriter Amanda Marshall is set to perform at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on June 14, announced on Monday.

Marshall has the distinction of being one of only 24 Canadian albums to achieve Diamond certification in Canada. Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Memorial Centre.

The performance is part of her ‘25 & Counting: The Heavy Lifting Tour’ with Peterborough as her third stop. It features Marshall’s new song collection entitled ‘Heavy Lifting’ being released this summer, with the first single ‘I Hope She Cheats’ being released this Friday on all streaming services.

Tickets for all dates are on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday and available at her official website. VIP packages for the tour will be available, including a meet and greet with Marshall and merchandise. 

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Photos: 33rd Annual Peterborough Folk Festival Rocks Nicholls Oval Park

Following ticketed events at Market Hall on Thursday and Friday evenings, free performances were held throughout the weekend in Nicholls Oval park as part of Peterborough Folk Festival.

Nathan Truax and band performs during Peterborough Folk Festival 2022. Photo by Luke Best

First organized in 1989 as part of the now defunct Peterborough Arts Umbrella, the festival became a not-for-profit organization in 2001 and a registered charity in 2018.

The mandate of the festival is to promote folk music and arts within the Peterborough community as well as provide safely accessible venues and diverse audiences for both local and Canadian touring musicians.

The 2022 edition of Folk Fest featured acts such as the Sudbury string band, Murder Murder.

I, The Mountain from Kitchener played through sunset and into the evening.

Afie Jurvanen, known by his stage name, Bahamas headlined the show with a packed performance on Saturday Night. Jurvanen was born in Toronto and raised in Barrie.

On Sunday the 12-piece band from the Niagara area, My Son The Hurricane performed during the day. Lead singer Jacob Bergsma, wore a Zellers smock to commemorate the announcement that the Canadian company would be returning.

In addition to the performances, the festival featured an artisan village, a food village and valet bicycling parking provided by B!KE Community Bike Shop. Reusable dishes were used by food vendors and a team of volunteers washed and returned them to keep the festival as eco-friendly as possible.

The Peterborough Folk Festival is a volunteer-run, non-profit, registered charity organization and relies on the generosity of sponsors and donors to keep the event free.
If you’re interested in making a donation or learning more: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/peterborough-folk-festival/

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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.

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76th Annual Kiwanis Music Festival To Take Place This week

The 76th annual Kiwanis Music Festival will run in Peterborough from Monday to Friday.

Photo courtesy of Kiwanis Music Festival.

Competitions will be at Park Street Baptist Church at 16 Park St. N. and Cephas Reform Church at 220 Goodfellow Rd. Spoken art events will be held at long & McQuade (129 Aylmer St. N.).

All events are open to the public. There is no admission fee, though donations at the door are encouraged.

Competitions take place Mon - Fri from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. For a full schedule visit peterborough.kiwanismusicfestival.com.

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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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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.

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.

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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