'Metric' Announced As Peterborough Musicfest's First Act of 2024

The first act for the 37th-annual Peterborough Musicfest is bringing the musical stylings of Metric to town for July 17 at Del Crary Park, announced on Tuesday.

Metric has played Coachella, one of the world's largest and most famous music festivals.  Photo courtesy of Peterborough Musicfest.

The band last appeared in Peterborough in 2010 at the Memorial Centre. Lead singer Emily Haines' brother Tim Haines operates the local record store Blue Streak Records on George Street in Downtown Peterborough. 

While this is the first act announced for Musicfest, more dates and a lineup reveal are occurring in May.

Peterborough Musicfest's 37th season runs from June 29 to August 17 with free concerts every Wednesday and Saturday night.

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Photos: Big Wreck Returns to Peterborough Musicfest To Rock Del Crary Park

After five years since their last performance at Peterborough Musicfest, Big Wreck returned to town to rock a full Del Crary Park on Wednesday night.

Big Wreck frontman and guitarist Ian Thornley joked with the audience after their opening song about rocking and seating preference.

“These people want to rock and the rest want to just… Chill. And if I had the choice, I would pick… The chair. But I respect your choice,” joked Thornley.

The band played fan favourites such as That Song, Ghosts and Bombs Away. They even played Come Again from other band ‘Thornley’ after the Big Wreck split up in 2003. The band returned after receiving chants of an encore from the elated crowd and finished off their set with The Oaf (My Luck Is Wasted).

An autographed acoustic guitar by Ian Thornley was put up for raffle during the concert and was given to a lucky winner at the end of the night.

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Peterborough Musicfest Postpones Glass Tiger/Monowhales Concert to Aug. 17 Due to Band Member Illness

Headlined Glass Tiger with opening act Monowhales for Wednesday’s Peterborough Musicfest has been postponed to Aug. 17 due to an illness from Glass Tiger’s lead singer Alan Frew, announced on Tuesday morning.

Glass Tiger. Photo courtesy of Peterborough Musicfest.

As a result of the illness, there is no Musicfest concert this Wednesday.

Peterborough Musicfest released the following statement regarding the postponed concert:

“We wish Alan a speedy recovery and look forward to having Glass Tiger on stage with us next Thursday. Monowhales will open for Glass Tiger on the new concert date of Thursday, August 17th. Showtime is 8 p.m., at Del Crary Park.”

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Canadian Rapper Classified To Hit Peterborough Musicfest For This Saturday

Peterborough Musicfest is bringing the rap scene into its music lineup as multi-awarded Canadian rapper Classified is scheduled to perform at Del Crary Park this Saturday.

Photo courtesy of Musicfest.

Classified hit the music scene in 1995. The Nova Scotia-born rapper has 18 studio albums. He has worked with some of the world’s most prominent hip hop artists, including Snoop Dogg, Raekwon and Maestro Fresh Wes. His music has amassed more than 200 million streams globally.

The artist has received 24 major award nominations, with eight wins between the Juno Awards, East Coast Music Awards and MuchMusic Video Awards.

His 2013 self-titled album debuted at number one on the Canadian Nielsen Soundscan Chart with the single ‘Inner Ninja’ earning a Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year.

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Big Wreck Returns to Peterborough For Musicfest on August 16

Five years from their last performance at Peterborough Musicfest, Big Wreck is headlining the 36th edition of the free-concert series on August 16 at Del Crary Park, announced on Tuesday.

Photo courtesy of Peterborough Musicfest.

The band last played Musicfest in 2018. Big Wreck was originally formed in Boston in 1982, adapting its name in 1994 and releasing its debut album ‘In Loving Memory Of…’ three years later. Six albums have followed that initial recording, the latest being seven released just this year.

Big Wreck has been nominated for four Junos (Rock Album of the Year for Albatross, Ghosts, Grace Street and …But For The Sun) and is known for singles such as The Oaf (My Luck Is Wasted), That Song, Blown Wide Open and Lighthouse. 

In 2011, Big Wreck had charting singles such as Albatross, Wolves, A Million Days and Ghosts. Later hits, One Good Piece Of Me and Middle of Nowhere kept Big Wreck relevant and played within mainstream media.

Original member Brian Doherty passed in 2019 but fellow band founder, singer and guitarist Ian Thornley, has kept Big Wreck relevant and on top of its game as a touring act.

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The Big Bottle of Joy and Five Alarm Funk To Join the Peterborough Musicfest Concert Line Up

Peterborough Musicfest announces that the 36th summer season of music will include Matt Andersen, fronting his band The Big Bottle of Joy, and Five alarm Funk taking the stage on July 8 and 12 at Del Crary Park.

Multi award-winning Canadian blues guitarist and singer/songwriter Matt Andersen will take the Musicfest stage with his band The Big Bottle of Joy.

The New Brunswick native embarked on his music career more than 20 years ago and has since headlined at major festivals, clubs and theatres across North America, and in Europe and Australia. Along the way, he has shared the stage with the likes of Buddy Guy, Greg Allman, Serena Ryder and more.

Since self-­releasing his debut album One Size Never Fits in 2004, Andersen hasn’t stopped writing and recording new music, amassing more 26 million YouTube streams and more than 23 million Spotify listens. His latest album, The Big Bottle of Joy, which he’s touring extensively across North American this year, features songs “infused with raw blues-­‐rock, rollicking Americana, thoughtful folk and ecstatic gospel.”

Described as a “sonic and visual assault,” Five Alarm Funk will be coming to Del Crary Park.  

Horn powered and percussion fuelled, the two-time Juno Award nominated band is led by singer and drummer Tayo Branston. Five Alarm Funk brings to its live audiences what he terms ‘punk funk’ – a raucous sound accompanied by an equally frenetic stage presence that is near impossible to somehow sit still to. 

Dozens of North American tours and hundreds of festival appearances stand as a testament to Five Alarm Funk’s enduring appeal as it marks two decades doing what it does uniquely and so very well.

Check out Matt Andersen and The Big Bottle of Joy and Five Alarm Funk for free on July 8 and July 12 at 8 p.m. at Del Crary Park.

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Hometown PTBO: Dwayne Gretzky's Nick Rose and Tyler Kyte About Performing and Growing Up With Musicfest and Their Notable Television Appearences

This week on Hometown PTBO, Pete Dalliday talks to Nick Rose and Tyler Kyte of Dwayne Gretzky about becoming staple performers at Peterborough Musicfest, their memories of the free-concert series growing up and their filmography that you may recognize from the late 90s.

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Peterborough Musicfest Adds Shawn Desman and Honeymoon Suite to the Summer Concert Lineup

Peterborough Musicfest has announced that Shawn Desman and Honeymoon Suite will be joining the lineup of free concerts at Del Crary Park this summer.

Shawn Desman, the chart-topping, multi-platinum selling, award winning artist will be coming to Peterborough Musicfest Saturday, July 15 Del Crary Park. His hit single ‘Maniac’ marked his return to the charts last October.

The Canadian Classic Rock band Honeymoon Suite began performing together in 1982, releasing chart topping hits New Girl Now, Stay In The Light and Feel It Again. Their most recent album Hands Up came out in 2017.

Musicfest will host Honeymoon Suite on Wednesday, August 2. Both shows are set to begin at 8 p.m.

For more information and full lineup details, visit the website.

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Peterborough Musicfest Approaching Final Phases Of Preparation For 2023 Season

The 36th Annual Peterborough Musicfest has less than 11 days before its first concert as the organization provided updates regarding the new stage, funding and administrative affairs at a sponsorship appreciation luncheon at Del Crary Park on Tuesday afternoon.

There are ten new sponsors that are involved in this year’s Musicfest. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The Fred Anderson stage was demolished in late April/early May earlier this year. Musicfest is meeting with The City of Peterborough on Wednesday to discuss the design of this year’s stage. Construction is beginning next week according to Tracey Randall, Musicfest general manager.

“We're meeting with them tomorrow (Wednesday) just to discuss what the new stage is going to look like, how far it's going from the backstage, make sure we have the fencing all set up and then of course, our sponsor signage has to go up,” she explained.

The stage’s removal caused minor issues but Randall says she was pleased with the process and work that went into preparing for the new stage.

“They removed a lot of the sawdust that was in the ground so we had a bit of an issue organically,” she said. “They took out all the cement and the humps and lumps around the stage so we're hoping the sod will go in any day and then we'll bring in our trailers in next week.”

There are some acts yet to be announced but funding is required in order to fill up the timeslots according to Randall. Musicfest has typically seen provincial funding every year though an announcement has not been made yet. Randall says they are asking for $125,000 for this year.

“With Havelock Jamboree folding, we're thinking some of those funds were dispersed amongst other festivals in the area so we're hoping on getting some of that chunk,” she said.

Natalie McMaster and Donald Leahy are set to open this year’s Musicfest on Canada Day, starting at 8 p.m.

The following is this year’s lineup for Musicfest:

  • July 1: Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy

  • July 5: Dwayne Gretzky

  • July 8: Matt Andersen & The Big Bottle of Joy

  • July 12: Five Alarm Funk

  • July 15: TBA

  • July 19: Jesse Cook

  • July 22: TBA

  • July 26: Little River Band

  • July 29: Melissa Payne & Friends

  • Aug. 2: TBA

  • Aug. 5: British Legends Tribute (Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney & Freddie Mercury)

  • Aug. 9: Glass Tiger

  • Aug. 12: TBA

  • Aug. 16: TBA

  • Aug. 19: Tim & The Glory Boys (with special guest TBA)

Musicfest is still seeking volunteers for this year and is still accepting sponsors until mid-July. Potential applicants can go to Musicfest’s website to register.

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Dwayne Gretzky, Glass Tiger and Melissa Payne Among Many Announced For 2023 Musicfest Lineup

Several recognizable acts such as Dwayne Gretzky, Glass Tiger and Melissa Payne have been added to Peterborough Musicfest announced at their lineup release event at the Silver Bean Café on Wednesday 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.

Five dates are listed as ‘to be announced’ as acts have been sought out are booked but require funding of roughly $125,000 to finalize everything, according to Tracey Randall, Musicfest general manager.

“Three bands are on hold until we see the funding and then we'll see how much extra I have because sponsorships are still coming in,” she said.

Randall anticipates funding from the provincial government as Musicfest typically receives $80,000 from them annually however the funding is usually given in June.

The concerts will remain at Del Crary Park despite being dismantled earlier this month. Musicfest will continue the temporary solution that was used last year according to Randall.

“We're still meeting with the City of Peterborough but they've rented the same temporary stage that we had last year,” she said.

The following is this year’s lineup for Musicfest:

  • July 1: Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy

  • July 5: Dwayne Gretzky

  • July 8: Matt Andersen & The Big Bottle of Joy

  • July 12: Five Alarm Funk

  • July 15: TBA

  • July 19: Jesse Cook

  • July 22: TBA

  • July 26: Little River Band

  • July 29: Melissa Payne & Friends

  • Aug. 2: TBA

  • Aug. 5: British Legends Tribute (Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney & Freddie Mercury)

  • Aug. 9: Glass Tiger

  • Aug. 12: TBA

  • Aug. 16: TBA

  • Aug. 19: Tim & The Glory Boys (with special guest TBA)

Peterborough Musicfest’s Diner’s Book is available to aid in providing funds for the concert series. The book has coupons for 56 restaurants for $25. It is a $600 value that allows the user to ‘buy one entrée, get the second half price.’

Diner’s Books cost $25 and are available at the customer service desk at Lansdowne Place, Peterborough and the Kawarthas Tourism office on George St. or online.

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