Photos: Peterborough Musicfest Crowd Gets 'Down With Webster'

Toronto-based band Down With Webster brought their rap-rock musical stylings to a packed Del Crary Park for Peterborough Musicfest, keeping the crowd riled up throughout the concert on Wednesday night.

Down With Webster guitarist Patrick Gillett (left) with vocalist Cameron Hunter (right) pumping up the Peterborough Musicfest crowd with "One In a Million." All photos by David Tuan Bui.

The band, consisting of Tyler Armes, Patrick Gillett, Cameron Hunter, Andrew ‘Marty’ Martino and Martin ‘Bucky’ Seja, opened up with their song ‘One In a Million to get the crowd pumped.

They played several of their smash hits including ‘Rich Girl$,’ ‘Your Man’ and ‘Woah Is Me.’

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July Talk Announced As Saturday Headliner For Peterborough Folk Festival

July Talk has been announced as the main stage headliner for Saturday night at the 35th annual Peterborough Folk Festival (PFF) on August 17.

Photo courtesy of Peterborough Folk Fest.

The four-time JUNO Award-winning group is known as one of Canada’s premier touring acts. Their energizing live performances and familiar radio hits have led to Gold Records and number-one songs in Canada.

“We are thrilled to share the full lineup for this year's festival after announcing the first wave in early June," says Peterborough Folk Festival artistic director, Ryan Kemp. “July Talk are not only an amazing live band, they share Peterborough Folk Festival’s values of inclusion and creating a safe and welcoming performance environment.”

“It's so exciting to bring them back to Peterborough and have Leah Fay Goldstein and Peter Dreimanis, surrounded by whiplashing guitarists Ian Docherty and Josh Warburton and double drummers Danny Miles and Dani Nash, perform their award-winning music,” said Kemp. I hope people who have yet to attend Canada's longest-running free folk festival will come out and see/hear all the amazing artists and experience this incredible community gathering.”

Greg Keelor of Blue Rodeo, The Spades (opening for July Talk), Katie Tupper, Mariel Buckley, Pretty Archie, SHEBAD and Odario, Irish Millie, Nicholas Campbell, Darren Roy Clarke (The Stables), Hunt the Hare, SJ Riley Chet Singh and B.A Johnston are also part of the lineup announced for PFF.

The lineups are as follows in no particular order:

Saturday (Aug. 17) lineup:

• July Talk

• The Spades

• Mariel Buckley

• Leanne Betasamosake Simpson

• Odario

• Kalàscima featuring Andrea Ramolo

• Sharon, Lois and Bram sing-along with Sharon and Randi

• B.A Johnston

• Polky

• Pretty Archie

• Quote The Raven

• SHEBAD

• Evan Redsky

• Nicholas Campbell

• Irish Millie

• VanCamp

• Chet Singh

• Mr. Sauga

Sunday (Aug. 18) lineup:

• Greg Keelor

• Boy Golden

• Katie Tupper

• Brooks and Bowskill

• Meredith Moon

• Jadea Kelly

• Darren Roy Clarke

• Hunt The Hare

• The Spades

• Irish Millie

• Pretty Archie

• Andrea Ramolo

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Country-Pop Sensation Lindsay Ell Hitting the Peterborough Musicfest Stage On Aug. 10

Calgary-born country-pop sensation Lindsay Ell was named the Aug. 10 act for Peterborough Musicfest in her first-ever appearence, announced on Wednesday.

Photo courtesy of Peterborough Musicfest.

Famed Canadian musician Randy Bachman discovered Ell at the age of 15 and she has been an award-winning singer, songwriter and philanthropist since then. She has been playing guitar since age eight and songwriting since age ten.

Ell has been nominated for numerous awards including:

• ACM Award for New Female Vocalist (2019)

• New Female Vocalist (2020)

• Music Event of the Year (2020)

• CMT Awards (Social Superstar (2015)

• Collaborative Video of the Year (2019)

• CMA Awards (Musical Event of the Year (2019)

• JUNO Awards (Country Album of the Year (2021)

• 20 CCMA Awards

Lindsay reached the Top 5 on the US Billboard charts with her hit duet with Brantley Gilbert, ‘What Happens in a Small Town.’ Last year, she earned her first Canadian Screen Award nomination (Best Host or Presenter, Factual or Reality/Competition) for her role as host of Canada's highest-rated reality TV program, Canada's Got Talent.

In December 2013, her first official single, ‘Trippin' on Us,’ debuted as the most-added song on country music radio in Canada and the United States, with over 50 first-week adds.

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Peterborough Memorial Centre Takes Blast to the Past With "The 80s Club" On Nov. 24

Bust out your neon scrunchies and get your acid wash jeans as the Peterborough Memorial Centre (PMC) is hosting ‘The 80s Club’ featuring four bands bringing back the nostalgia for Nov. 24.

Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Memorial Centre.

Honeymoon Suite, A Flock of Seagulls, Men Without Hats and Spoons are performing their massive hits at the PMC.

“This tour is exciting for us in so many ways,” said Gord Deppe of Spoons. “It's the first time we've toured the country from coast to coast in decades, performing some places we haven't been to since the 80s. On top of that, I get to play with my own group, Spoons, as well as with my new bandmates, A Flock of Seagulls.”

Honeymoon Suite lit Canadian radio on fire in the 80s with hits including ‘Stay in the Light,’ ‘New Girl Now,’ ‘Feel it Again,’ ‘Wave Babies,’ and ‘Burning in Love.’

England’s A Flock of Seagulls is led by singer Mike Score. The Grammy Award-winning new wave act had massive hits like ‘I Ran (So Far Away)’ and ‘Space Age Love Song.’

Bringing their iconic 80s pop songs are Men Without Hat’s ‘The Safety Dance’ and ‘Pop Goes the World!’ The band’s Ivan Doroschuk was recently inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Formed in 1980, Spoons was an intrepid young band from Burlington that helped define the sound of Canadian 80s pop. Their album Arias & Symphonies was named one of the 20 Most Influential Albums of the 80s by The Chart Magazine. They have memorable hits such as ‘Romantic Traffic,’ ‘Old Emotions,’ and ‘Nova Heart.’ 

Tickets are available at the PMC’s website.

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Sarah McLachlan Kicks Off Canadian Tour Leg at the Peterborough Memorial Centre On Nov. 2

Grammy and Juno-award winning artist Sarah McLachlan has Peterborough and the Memorial Centre the first stop of her Fumbling Towards Ecstasy 30th Anniversary Tour.

Photo courtesy of Live Nation Entertainment.

Joining her is the acoustic harmony trio Tiny Habits on their first tour of Canada.

“I think it’s interesting as an artist or as a human for that matter, to be able to go back and look at a postcard of a time in your life and reflect on it,” said McLachlan. “I think this tour is going to be a real walk down memory lane for me and I’m hoping that my audience, many of whom have been with me for 30 years, will also be able to go back in time with me.”

The tour celebrates McLachlan’s third studio album, Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, first released Oct. 22, 1993.

One dollar per ticket sale will be donated to the non-profit Sarah McLachlan School of Music which provides music education and mentorship free to children and youth facing barriers to access.

Tickets will be available starting with the artist presale on Tuesday. Additional presales will run throughout the week before the general on-sale begins May 31 at 10 a.m.

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I Mother Earth, David Wilcox and Dwayne Gretzky Announced For Peterborough Musicfest Lineup With Several Other Acts

I Mother Earth, David Wilcox and Dwayne Gretzky were some of the acts listed for this year’s Peterborough Musicfest lineup, announced at the Silver Bean Café on Tuesday morning.

TRACY CONDON, PETERBOROUGH MUSICFEST BOARD CHAIR (LEFT) WITH TRACEY RANDALL, GENERAL MANAGER (RIGHT) AS THE FREE CONCERT SERIES RELEASES THEIR LINEUP FOR THIS YEAR. PHOTO BY DAVID TUAN BUI.

This adds to acts Tenille Townes, Down With Webster and Metric who were announced before the full lineup release.

Three dates (July 10, July 27 and Aug. 10) will be announced later.

“There's something for everyone, there's so many acts that I want to check out and I just think it's going to be an incredible summer,” said Tracy Condon, Musicfest chair.

Statistics regarding the Musicfest’s economic impact, according to a study conducted by Community Futures Peterborough and PKED supported the Economic Impact Assessment, were released during the announcement.

They were surveyed at the park last summer and were evaluated by STEAM Pro (Sport Tourism Canada).

“The $4.3M Economic Impact was assessed by evaluating the amount of money generated by Festival activity which encompasses the local community, the county, province and even nationally,” said Raff Melito, Musicfest marketing and communications manager. “It includes not only fees paid out by the festival for its operations, but also the broader impacts on local businesses, increased employment and the multiplier effect of circulating money within the economy.”

“The $2.3M combined spending reflects the amount that people attending the festival spent last year,” explained Melito. “That would include accommodations, meals out, transport, spending in local shops, etc.”

The free concert series kicks off with country music star Tenille Townes on June 29. In its 37th season, Musicfest hopes to continue to draw crowds that has been supportive over the years.

“It's free, I think that's the most important thing. There's no barriers to people attending and I think that's so important in this day and age when everything is a little harder for people economically,” said Condon. “I think it's a place where you get to see such talent. Music brings everyone together, it's so good for community and for mental health so all of these things coupled together, you can't go wrong with that.”

The following is this year’s Musicfest schedule:

• June 29: Tenille Townes

• July 1: Road Apples (Tragically Hip Tribute Band)

• July 3: Aysanabee w/ Cale Crowe

• July 6: Tim Baker and the Great Lake Swimmers

• July 10: TBA

• July 13: I Mother Earth

• July 17: Metric

• July 20: Beau Dixon Band

• July 24: Rêve

• July 27: TBA

• July 31: Down With Webster

• Aug. 3: Elton Rohn (Elton John Tribute)

• Aug. 76: Dwayne Gretzky

• Aug. 10: TBA

• Aug. 14: Choir! Choir! Choir!

• Aug. 17: David Wilcox

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Blippi: Join the Band Tour Makes Peterborough Memorial Center a Stop On Oct. 23

Blippi: Join the Band Tour is making a stop in Peterborough to entertain kids and their families at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on Oct. 23, announced on Tuesday.

Blippi on Tour has traveled the globe multiple times and has delighted millions of international fans throughout North America, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, with plans to visit many more new countries in 2024. Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Memorial Centre.

The brand-new production features live musicians playing on stage in a never-before-seen show.

Tickets go on sale this Friday, with pre-sales beginning on Tuesday.

Blippi will be joined onstage by Meekah, their singing and dancing buddies and musicians. They’ll explore what makes music, including sounds, rhythms and instruments, with fan-favorite Blippi hits

“We are turning it up to 11 with the Blippi: Join the Band Tour this Fall,” said Stephen Shaw, Founder and Co-President of Round Room Live. “Blippi is a rockstar for today’s kids and has been delighting millions of children and families all over the world.  A brand new show that amps up the excitement to an even higher volume with a live band onstage was the next logical step in continuing Blippi touring around the world.”

“Following the success of previous tours, Blippi: Join the Band Tour will bring families to their feet across the country to dance and sing along to their favorite Blippi hits as well as some brand new songs.” said Susan Vargo, Head of Global Experiences at Moonbug Entertainment. “Parents and kids alike will share in making music the Blippi way, with curiosity and silliness center stage.”

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Country Music Star Tenille Townes Kicks Off Peterborough Musicfest For June 29

Five-time reigning Female Artist of the Year and country music star Tenille Townes is kicking off the 37th annual Peterborough Musicfest with a free concert at Del Crary Park on June 29.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The Grande Prairie, Alb. native first fell in love with music from her parents’ influence at home. She then discovered her passion for songwriting at age 14.

“My grandparents gave me a guitar and I started learning the chords I needed to make songs out of what I was writing in my journal,” said Townes.

Towens has toured with well-known names within the music industry such as Stevie Nicks, Miranda Lambert, Shania Twain, Keith Urban, Reba, Zac Brown Band, and Dierks Bentley.

Townes has won two JUNO Awards, 17 Canadian Country Music Association Awards and two Academy Of Country Music Awards.

This is her first appearance in the Peterborough area. 

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Down With Webster Announced As Peterborough Musicfest's Second Concert of 2024 Season For July 31

Peterborough Musicfest is bringing the rap and rock stylings of Down With Webster as its second concert of the 2024 season to Del Crary Park on July 31.

The band first achieved commercial success with the release of the 2009 EP, Time to Win, Vol. I which consisted of the singles "Rich Girl$", "Your Man" and "Whoa Is Me." Their major-label debut album, Time to Win, Vol. II (2011) featured the track "She's Dope.” The 2014 follow-up album, Party for Your Life, included the songs "One in a Million" and "Chills." Down With Webster has been nominated for Juno Awards, MuchMusic Video Awards, and Canadian Radio Music Awards. Photo courtesy of Peterborough Musicfest.

Their songs have charted on Top 40 Radio, sold millions of singles and amassed hundreds of millions of streams. They have had performances at the Much Music Video Awards, Junos and festivals across Canada. 

This will be the band’s first appearance on the Fred Anderson stage. Down With Webster last played in Peterborough at the Peterborough Memorial Centre in 2013 alongside Marianas Trench and Anami Vice.

This is the 37th year Peterborough Musicfest has been providing free summer concerts in Del Crary Park. Peterborough Musicfest's 2024 season runs from June 29 to Aug. 17 every Wednesday and Saturday night.

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Country Music Legends Sawyer Brown to Rock Peterborough Memorial Centre on Oct. 30

Country Music legends Sawyer Brown, alongside Shenandoah and special guest George Fox, will stop at the Peterborough Memorial Centre as a tour stop on Oct. 30, announced on Monday.

Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Memorial Centre.

“One of the unique things about the band is we don’t really have a lot of love songs. We have life songs,” said Mark Miller, Sawyer Brown lead singer and frontman.

Sawyer Brown delivers their blue-collar, grass-roots message through music.

Marty Raybon and Mike McGuire formed Shenandoah in 1984 in Muscle Shoals, Alabama with bassist Ralph Ezell, keyboardist Stan Thorn and guitarist Jim Seales.

Legendary Canadian singer George Fox will open the show. Fox has a mantle of country music awards, has recorded 11 albums, opened for some of the biggest names in country music, and headlined sold-out shows coast to coast.

Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. online, by phone at 705-743-3561 or in person at the PMC Box Office. Tickets prices range from $59.00 to $95.00 (plus applicable fees).

There is a venue presale for PMC Scoop members beginning Wednesday at 10 a.m. – fans can sign up to receive the promo code online.

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