Peterborough Blogs
35th Peterborough Folk Festival Releases First Wave of Acts; Calvin Bakelaar Announced as Emerging Artist of the Year
/Peterborough Folk Festival (PFF) has stated its first wave of artists, declaring Calvin Bakelaar Emerging Artist of the Year for the 35th annual event which will run from Aug. 15 to 18, announced on Wednesday.
Photo by David Tuan Bui.
New acts announced for the event include Greg Keelor, co-lead singer of Blue Rodeo, Brooks & Bowskill, Melissa Payne, Boy Golden Kalàscima featuring Andrea Ramolo, Jadea Kelly, Meredith Moon and Sonshine and Broccoli.
Other confirmed artists include Odario Williams, Polky, Quote The Raven, Mr. Sauga, Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, Evan Redsky and a Sharon Lois and Bram singalong with Sharon and Randi.
“We've got some big stars coming to play here at Nicholls Oval Park for free over the weekend,” said Rob Davis, PFF chair. “(There are) lots of regional-scale and national-scale artists. We really like to mix it up in terms of not only diversity and inclusion but also in terms of the genres of the music and appeal to a wide audience.”
Other festival highlights include the Children’s Village, Artisan Village, and Food Village. Activities at the Children’s Village include face-painting, family yoga, storytime and musical performances from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily.
The Artisan Village and Food Village includes items from over 50 local artisans, food vendors and community groups.
A second wave of artists will be announced on July 22, including the headliner for Aug. 17 and performers at downtown venues on Aug.15.
Bakelaar is a multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter based in Peterborough. Originally from Listowel, he moved to town while he was still in high school. Since coming to the city, he has been a consistent attendee of the Festival and is honoured to be on the other side this year.
“It's the culmination of a lot of work learning and constantly trying to improve myself so it's a really incredibly opportunity and I'm really grateful for it,” explained Bakelaar.
He is the voice behind indie folk act VANCAMP. Originally a drummer, he learned to play guitar and write songs in 2020.
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Free Summer Concerts Hitting Outdoor Amphitheatre For Trent University's Music on the Hill Series
/Trent University’s Catharine Parr Traill College is hosting its Music on the Hill series of free summer concerts at the Jalynn Bennett Amphitheatre.
Photo courtesy of Trent University.
The concerts begin on June 13 and are held every second Thursday evening from 7 to 9 p.m. They are open and free to the public.
The William and Nona Heaslip Music on the Hill series features six summer concerts featuring an eclectic mix of jazz, classical, and folk-rock music.
“We think it’s a great way for the family to come and hear some great music at a great venue,” said Dr. Michael Eamon, Catharine Parr Traill College principal.
Explore the life of a young J.S Bach through stories and musical interludes in J.S. Bach’s Long Walk in the Snow, presented by CBC’s Tom Allen on July 11. Enjoy a homecoming of sorts of Trent alumni playing folk-rock – think Mumford and Sons – in I, The Mountain on July 25. Or take in a performance of more than 50 local musicians in the Peterborough Concert Band on August 8.
“We like to think of it as a nexus, a community gathering place,” said Eamon. “Where the local community meets the University to experience music and culture.”
Many of the concerts feature performers from the Peterborough community, Trent alumni, and even some Trent staff and faculty. The William and Nona Heaslip Foundation, which supports the arts and education, provided funding for the series.
Rounding out the program are Carpe Noctem, featuring a local jazz group, on June 13; a chamber ensemble from the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra Chamber Ensemble, on June 27; and a two-part concert featuring musicians from the Peterborough Concert Band including Clarintella, a clarinet quintet, and Manorhill, a jazz quartet, on Aug. 22.
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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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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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Peterborough Folk Festival Celebrates Milestone, Marking 35th Year of the Free Event
/The Peterborough Folk Festival (PFF) hits a big milestone as they have launched the 35th edition of its free event, announced at Market Hall on Thursday afternoon.
Artist Missy Knott (left) and illustrator Brooklin Stormie Holbrough (right) help launch the Peterborough Folk Festival on its 35th anniversary. The latter created the design for this year’s Folk Festival. Photo by dAVID tUAN bUI.
The festival is set for Aug. 15-18 at the Nicholls Oval hillside.
“The dedication and commitment to this community that really keeps the festival going,” said Rob Davis, PFF Chair. “It's been through a lot of different people. It started in 1989 as just a half-day in Del Crary Park, moved up to Nicholls Oval in 1993 and started making use of that concrete bunker. It’s just grown and evolved every year.”
To celebrate the 35th year, illustrator Brooklie Stormie Holborough created a new design that launched the event. It was followed by a singing performance from the PFF’s Emerging Artist of the Year in 2009, Missy Knott.
PFF was able to obtain a major sponsor in Miskin Law for this year, a feat that had not been accomplished since 2017 according to Davis. This allows the Festival to attract more acts for the event.
The event is funded through grants, sponsorships and donations to keep it free. While the event has received enough money to cover all expenses, more sponsorships and donations are welcome to seek out more acts.
“Additional funds we raise, we try and give to our artistic director to hire a stronger performer lineup,” explained Davis. The more money we have, the stronger artists we can book.”
One aspect Davis touched on to help celebrate the 35th year is growing the Children’s Village to make kids a bigger focus for this year’s event.
“We've had an idea to introduce an instrument petting zoo for the kids so they can play some instruments and use them during the children's parade down the hill,” explained Davis. “Children and families have always been a big focus for the festival and we've always had children's performers on the Sunday. This year, we're doing it on the Saturday as well.”
PFF typically attracts more than 15,000 people each year, making it the second-largest cultural event in Peterborough.
Potential sponsors can email sponsor@peterboroughfolkfest.com and donations can be made online or at the event in person.
'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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Juno-Award Winning Rock Band Billy Talent to Take Centre Stage At the Peterborough Memorial Centre On Aug. 6
/The Peterborough Memorial Centre (PMC) stage is going to be rocked as multi-Juno award-winning band Billy Talent is hitting the stage for Aug. 6, announced on Tuesday morning.
Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Memorial Centre.
The Canadian punk quartet Billy Talent spent the latter part of the 1990s building a hard-won grassroots following before breaking out into mainstream success in 2003.
Their Juno Award-winning self-entitled debut album went quadruple-platinum,. As Subsequent albums such as Billy Talent II and III went multi-platinum and to the top of the Canadian Albums chart.
By the time of 2016's Afraid of Heights, the band had become a highly decorated rock act with an international fan base and years of hard touring to their credit. After a six-year gap, they returned with their sixth set, 2022's Crisis of Faith, which landed three consecutive number one songs at Canadian Rock Radio, leading to two Juno Nominations.
Bands Crown Lands and NOBRO are joining Billy Talent as opening acts. Crown Lands is a Juno Award winning rock duo from Oshawa as NOBRO is an all-female Canadian rock band from Quebec.
Tickets go on sale March 1 at 10 a.m. online, by phone at 705-743-3561 or in person at the PMC Box Office. Tickets are priced at $60.99, $80.99 and $90.99 (plus applicable fees). One dollar from each ticket sold will be donated to War Child Canada to help to provide aid to children and families in war and conflict areas.
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Hometown PTBO: Fiddle Player Irish Millie Playing Music With Her Father and Upcoming Tour Locations
/This week on Hometown PTBO, Pete Dalliday talks with fiddle player Irish Millie about starting music at a young age, playing alongside her father and future endeavours such as merchandising and upcoming tour destinations.
Homelessness Benefit Concert Returns With 'Peterborough Performs IV' For United Way at Showplace On March 7
/Sixteen acts are taking the stage at Showplace Performance Centre for United Way’s ‘Peterborough Performs IV: Musicians United to End Homelessness’ to fundraise for homelessness initiatives announced Thursday morning.
Musician Dan Hicks is one of 16 acts joining ‘Peterborough Performs IV."‘ Photo by David Tuan Bui.
The one-night event takes place on March 7 at Showplace (290 George St. N.) at 7 p.m. with tickets for $50.
The campaign is in its fourth year with the ultimate fundraising goal $1.45 million. The concert has raised over $84,000 to date, with 95 per cent of the proceeds going to local shelters according to Paul Rellinger, event organizer.
“We all feel homelessness is a big issue that we can't as individuals do anything about,” he said. “You can make a difference with this event.”
While the event averages over $28,000 annually in raised funds, Rellinger adds that no goal is set for this campaign's fourth edition.
“The first goal is to do better than the year before,” he said. “What I'm really excited about is the event is going to well pass $100,000 in money raised over four events and that's pretty good for something that was just an idea four years ago.”
Tiffany Arcari from ‘The Tiffany Show’ is the emcee for the event.
The following are the acts performing at this year’s concert:
The Weber Brothers Band
Emily Burgess
SJ Riley
The Austin Carson Band
The Peterborough All-Star Band (featuring Rick and Gailie Young)
The Cheryl Casselman Trio
Irish Millie
Tom Eastland
Chris Collins
Bread & Soul
Phil Stephenson/Glen Cardus/Ron Kervin
Jacques Graveline
The Hippie Chicks
Michaela Hetherington
Dan Hick
Tim Burnie (stand-up comedian)
