Peterborough Blogs
DBIA Featured Post: The Spill
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If you’re a live music fan in Peterborough, chances are that you know The Spill. For those who have yet to experience perhaps one of the city’s most unique intimate live music atmospheres, there is no better time than the present to take in a show!
Located at 414 George St N and owned by the ever charismatic Dave Tobey, The Spill has been a launching pad for many artists from local to international noise makers of various kinds for 10 years now. The term “noise makers” seems to fit because Dave says they’ve had everything from rock bands and pop acts to 17 piece blues orchestras and poets grace the renowned stage.
Dave says if you can fit your equipment through the doors, then you can put on any kind of show there! In owning The Spill, it is Dave’s desire to be a platform for art and culture to collide. The atmosphere is laid back and features artwork from far and wide, including quite a bit from the local community! With the only real unwritten rule being that you must be there for a good time and not to stir things up, Dave says that anything and everything can happen depending on the night of the week.
With such a wide range of talent able to take the stage almost at will, the experiences its patrons receive rarely duplicates. While being an events venue first, The Spill does offer some great food and beverage options for its customers who pack it on a regular basis. The Spill offers a fully stocked bar, featuring many local beers, homemade sweet tea, and what can be considered the best “dripbrew” coffee in the area.
They also specialize with an epic homemade salsa, hummus and pita which is to die for and incredibly simple but delicious hotpressed sandwiches. Dave and his staff absolutely love the history of Peterborough and the downtown core that they operate within. This can be seen immediately with the old High Tops sign that they proudly display on their wall. The Spill has become more than just a workplace for him, taking on a homey feeling that he is very proud of. His goal is to continue to be a place for anyone from Juno Award Winners to first time performers to be able to use at their will to play their music to the masses.
Over the years, The Spill has taken part in various community causes and is usually the backdrop for benefit shows. Habitat for Humanity has hosted benefit concerts there, and they also recently held a show for StopABully.ca. More recently, it has also been the backdrop for the local Focus Fair which showcases local artists. It can also be considered the unofficial home of the Peterborough Poetry Slam as well.
Dave and his staff invite you to come out for a night and check what many locals already have. It’s an experience you won’t soon forget!
For more on The Spill (414 George St N), go to:
Facebook: The Spill
Twitter: @TheSpillBar
Phone: 705.748.6167
For more on Downtown Peterborough and the Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA), click here.
—By Aaron Elliott
New Bandwagon With Elliott Brood Filmed At Local Tim Hortons
/What's more Canadian than rocking out going through a Tim Hortons drive-thru, eh? Exhibit A: Mark, Casey and Stephen from country-rock band Elliott Brood as they order coffee and drive around Peterborough performing "Rusty Nail" in the latest Bandwagon episode.
[via Bandwagon YouTube channel]
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Peterborough Rock Band Super Quest Goes Viral With Hilarious How To Death Metal Video
/[UPDATE: November 27th: The video now has more than a million views]
Peterborough-based hard rock band Super Quest—comprised of Roger Sage, John Whitten, Alex Donchak and Tyler McIntyre—has a massive hit on their hands with their hilarious tongue-in-cheek How to Death Metal video riff on YouTube. The band has been giving How To music tutorial videos on their YouTube channel, but this one with John Witten is their breakout hit. Well played boys. It has gone viral, with nearly 900,000 views since being uploaded November 12th, and will most certainly hit a million. (Warning, NSFW.) If you're not at work, turn it up and watch for yourself...
—PTBOCanada's Scott Arnold
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Peterborough Native Phil Davies Enters Song Into CBC's Hockey Night In Canada Song Quest
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Peterborough native Phil Davies is on a quest, a Song Quest to be exact. The St. Peter's Secondary School grad has entered his latest tune "Rise Up" into CBC's Song Quest for the chance to record a studio version with Joel Plaskett to be aired in prime time during one of the iconic montages that precede Hockey Night in Canada broadcasts. If Davies wins, he'll also be flown out to Lloydminster, Alberta where he will get to play his tune live during the Scotiabank Hockey Night in Canada concert (the same event that Peterborough had the honour of hosting last February).
Paul Pengelly of The Vanishers provides vocals on his track while Davies plays guitar, bass and percussions. "Rise Up" is about "living life to the fullest, no matter the cards that you have been dealt" and was inspired by the last conversation Davies had with his dad George before he passed away last year. Davies currently lives in Guelph but still has strong ties to the city; his brother Mike Davies is a sports writer for Peterborough Examiner.
Contestants have until November 20th to submit their songs and then the first round of voting will begin on the 23rd.
The winning song will be selected in part by the fans and also by celebrity judges that include Joel Plaskett, Theo Fleury, P.J. Stock, Chantal Kreviazuk and Sara Quin—all of whom have been recent guests in Davies' hometown of Peterborough:
• Plaskett opened up this year's Peterborough Folk Festival at Market Hall in August.
• Fleury strolled through Peterborough in May with his courageous Victor Walk.
• P.J. was here in February as part of the Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada festivities.
• Kreviazuk has played Peterborough several times and was here last March when her husband Raine Maida hit The Venue's stage with Our Lady Peace—the first time the band had played Peterborough in 18 years.
• Sara Quin has not played Peterborough lately but fun fact: the twin sister duo Tegan and Sara did play The Trasheteria about 10 years ago (November 2nd, 2003).
You can check out Phil Davies' entry "Rise Up" here, and don't forget that voting begins November 23rd!
—PTBOCanada's Scott Arnold
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Birthday Tribute To Neil Young At Rock And Roll Underground
/Mark this one in your calendars. November 12th.
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Here's A Flash Mob Acapella In The Lansdowne Place Mall Food Court
/The flash mob took place August 24th. It featured Kawartha Music Company (Peterborough) with members from Eastside Harmony (Ajax/Pickering), Durham Shores (Oshawa) and Northumberland Chorus (Cobourg), who sang Good Ol' Acapella.
[YouTube]
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PTBOPics: Ptarmigan Playing At The Silver Bean
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Art Folk band Ptarmigan returned to Peterborough as part of their Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Lowlands Tour on Sunday. The rain didn't keep family, friends and fans away as the Silver Bean Cafe was a great setting for the band to play.
The band had their CD release party here in Peterborough at the Gordon Best last year. You can follow Ptarmigan on Bandcamp and Facebook.
