This Week In Art/Culture/Entertainment
By John Swartz
If you asked me the first year of the chamber of commerce’s Pirate Party, I would have said, and did say, good luck with that. For the entire time I have lived in Orillia people have tried Labour Day events and crashed and burned spectacularly, including my one attempt more than 20 years ago.
To walk around the Port of Orillia on Labour Day Weekend and take in all that was happening and not think , ‘this is working,’ would be to be oblivious to your surroundings.
Without taking out the counter, my general impression is there were twice as many people attending the event as last year (and last year had more than the previous). There seemed to be twice as many tents and people playing the roles than last year. There certainly was a lot more food available. There were maybe three or four times as many people, spectators, who dressed up.
In short, it was a very successful event.
I haven’t mentioned the music yet.
So, on reflection, it seems to me what a new event needs is a personality to drive it. Allan Lafontaine is that personality in this case. He came up with the idea, he has promoted it tirelessly each year and on the day of is the ringleader, putting on the wig and costume becoming the face of the Pirate Party.
Sure it takes a crew of people to make such events happened, but I argue the success is all his doing. He even convinced the Downtown Orillia Management Board to jump in and join the party.
The Walk the Plank featurette also had more people along to witness the witless do their part. Here is the point where some improvements can be offered. This year instead of a peashooter cannon being fired from one of the pirate vessels out on the water to start the dunking, a real cannon was wheeled in to water’s edge. This meant putting up barriers around it to keep the really witless away for their own good. It also meant the rest of the watchers were further away from the dividing line between dry and wet.
The problem here was taking out the dock. Despite it being mentioned here that move was going to affect events at the Port, it has proved to hamper staging and viewing things like the Walk the Plank and the Cardboard Boat Race. In fact, the Cardboard Boat Race had to be moved because the basin next to the Port building is inadequate for the event now. It wasn’t broken, but it is now.
At the same time, the number of people taking the plunge was not as great as it should be. I don’t know why. Maybe this one piece of the weekend needs a face, a promoter to bring some focus to it. Maybe a floating plank, like on a boat, needs to be used, make a spectacle of loading the prisoners onto the boat and drifting out into the basin so the audience can reclaim some vantage. Make a production of parading the prisoners, I mean good citizens; politicians, that’s what I mean, to the craft of their demise can rile excitement.
Next, the music was perfect. Each night had a different band playing. Ronnie Douglas and company played the Friday night. Whoever changed the orientation of the stage made a good move. There were maybe about 100 people who gathered to enjoy (until it rained).
That was not as many as Saturday night when the Fat Tony Band played. I think the difference was twofold. The audience Friday was made up of people who came to hear some great musicianship, while Saturday it was partiers. Maybe that’s because more boaters, a captive audience, arrived Saturday. Maybe that’s because more people were in the park already Saturday and stuck around. It certainly wasn’t because the music was better played.
Ronnie draws deep from the Blues genre, doing tunes that are maybe not standards, but nevertheless tunes people can get into even if they never heard them before. On the other hand, Fat Tony did covers of good bar tunes, good rockers. I was impressed when one of the guitarists traded for a fiddle to do The Devil Went Down To Georgia and the band cranked out a credible rendition of it.
Sunday’s crowd was large too. The Orangemen are maybe more Top 40, but certainly provide the beat for a good party.
With some time to think about why each night’s musical element seemed to be better than the previous, I have landed on things that are not about the music or the performances. One of the biggest differences was production. Each night was a step up, most evident by the amount of lighting used. I think the bands involved brought their own lighting and if there is one thing serious musicians (blues, jazz and classical) tend to overlook is they rely a lot on being good musicians and don’t think about the eye candy enough.
It’s one thing to be able to hear good playing, that can be done in close proximity, or from a distance. But, people are like moths; they want to be were the bright flashing lights are. Even a crowd of the same number will look more involved when packed in front of a stage, as opposed to spread out within earshot.
The other thing is refreshments. Several people asked me about where to get a beer. I don’t know why a stranger would pick me out of the crowd as a person who would know the answer, but it happened a few times. They raised a good point. A beer garden close by the stage would have made a huge difference. Not that beer is necessary, but it is summer, there is good music, and three hours is a long time to go without even a coke, let alone a cold beer.
On the whole, there have been a few people over the course of the week who have mentioned to me they went to the Pirate Party and had a good time, so let’s hope for the continued success of this unlikely gem.
Lightfoot Days
Before you know it, we’ll be into November and the first weekend is when the now annual Lightfoot Days festival happens.
I just got off the phone with one of the organizers, John Winchester, which happened after writing about the Pirate Party and it occurred to me they are doing the very thing I said made the Pirate Party so successful.
They are promoting the crap out of it. They have been at the Farmers’ Market several times, they were at Mariposa, and they have had a presence at other events. That’s on top of keeping their Facebook page fresh with new info being added just about weekly.
The festival starts with a performance by the Lightfoot Band October 31. This is Gord’s band with Andy Mauck doing the singing. Since their debut gig in January at the El Macombo they’ve been on the road constantly (they took July off).
John told me they have some venues which have already booked musical acts, and the other marquee event, Memories of Gord( which is a number of people telling their stories about Gord) will happen November 1 at Creative Nomad. Linda Leatherdale is going to be the ringleader, with a number of people including Barry Keane (Gord’s drummer) telling tales. He’s been prepping by making a number of radio appearances in advance of the band’s gigs, so he’ll probably have some good ones fresh in mind.
They also have picked up a major sponsor, but the ink isn’t dry yet, so that info will come shortly.
Fall Fairs
This would be the weekend for the Orillia Fall Fair at ODAS Park, but it’s been moved and has a new name. The 174th version is now called the Severn, Orillia and District Fall Fair and it’s happening October 18 to 20. It’s still at ODAS Park and it will still have a midway, tractor pulls and a demolition derby.
What is happening this weekend is the Severn Bridge Fall Fair on September 7 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. the Severn Bridge Agricultural Society holds it at the fairgrounds, 1153 Southwood Road.
The 160th Oro World’s Fair is September 15 and 16. It’s held at the fairgrounds on the 15/16 Sideroad at Oro-Medonte Line 7.
On the same days the Ramona Fall Fair happens at the Ramona Agricultural Society on fairgrounds Road.
The Coldwater Fall Fair is September 22 to 24. They have a midway and a demolition derby too (the Friday at 7 p.m.)
The Shorts
- Registration for the 5th annual Trunk Or Treat Halloween fundraiser for the Orillia Youth Centre doesn’t open until next week, but you can get tickets online for your kids now. The date of the event is Saturday October 26 and it’s at ODAS Park.
- The Orillia Silver Band with guests Kyung-A Lee and Parres Allen have a concert at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Sept. 14. They’re going to do Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. It’s going to be epic. Get tickets online.
- One webpage, many concert tickets available for the Orillia Youth Centre fundraising events in September. Skye Wallace, Ronnie Douglas, Matchedash Parish, Steve Poltz and Danny Michel – so many musicians (that’s not even half the list) – and a variety of dates and times.
- Arts Orillia has a new event happening Sept. 23 called Future Fest. The marquee attraction is a lecture by Bob McDonald (Orillia Hall of Famer and host of the CBC’s Quirks and Quarks). They also have a dance program happening at the Opera House called Hard Wire. You can get tickets online. They are also getting ready for the Orillia Jazz Festival in October. The festival headline gig is with Caity Gyorgy and The Thompson Egbo-Egbo Trio (along with dance by Vicki St. Denys); you can get tickets online. They also have a program with Brassworks, Autorickshaw, The Orillia All-Star Jazz Band and the All-Star Vocal Ensemble. I don’t recall Autorickshaw has played in Orillia since they were at Mariposa many years ago; get those tickets here.
- There are a few other gigs at the Opera House to be aware of. Mariposa Arts Theatre is doing Gypsy in November. They were at Starry Night promoting the play, which has Josh Halbot directing for the first time. Get tickets here. Second City is coming Oct. 4 (tickets) and guitarist Johannes Linstead has a concert Oct. 18 (many tunes and albums on various Billboard charts over the years – tickets)
- Mariposa Arts Film Night is starting again. All shows (4 and 7 p.m.) are at the Galaxy. Sept. 18 see Queen of My Dreams; Wilfred Buck plays Sept. 25; and Crossing plays Oct. 4. Ticket prices have dropped to $10 this year, and students pay $5 – at the door.
- St. Paul’s is doing Anne of Green Gables next April, but auditions are happening this month. See all the details here.
- The Sharing Place Food Centre has their 2nd annual Harvest Hoedown happening Sept. 27 at ODAS Park. The band is Muskoka River. You can get tickets online.
- The Orillia Museum of Art and History has Jeanette Luchese’s solo show, The Process Informs Me: Contemporary Abstract Frescoes; Stacey Tyrell’s Backra Bluid photography exhibit; Pawtraits and Reflections Of Our Roots Orillia From 3,000 BCE To 2024; OMAH’s annual gala is Jan. 18 and is also their 25th anniversary party; it’s at Hawk Ridge and the keynote speaker is Adam Shoalts; get tickets online; the monthly Speaker’s Night is starting soon; Dr. Chris Decker will speak about the history of the Opera House Sept. 18; this event is online and you can register online; OMAH and the Orillia Animal Centre of the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society are running a fundraiser for the OSPCA; taking a page from Pawprints, bring your pet to OMAH September 21 from 1 to 4 p.m. for your own photo… St. Paul’s Centre has the Call to Action 83 Art Project in the Ogimaa Miskwaaki Gallery… Hibernation Arts has a display of the art chosen for Sustainable Orillia’s annual calandar … Cloud Gallery still has their Great Big Show up… ODAC artists have a new show in the Green Room at the Opera House.
- Couchiching Craft Brewing has the Offcuts playing Sept. 6; Sam Johnston and Jeff Davis play Sept. 7; Liz Anderson does the afternoon Sept 8; Andrew Walker is in Sept. 13… Quayle’s Brewery has Rogan Mei playing Sept.6; Rebekah Hawker is in Sept. 7; Shawn Charlebois Sept. 8; Steph Dunn Sept. 12; and Chris Lemay Sept. 13… The Hog ‘N Penny has an Open Mic Sunday afternoons with Sean Patrick, Michael Martyn John MacDonald, Jessica Martin and whoever else shows up; Luke Crans plays Sept. 6 and Amber May Sept. 7… St. Paul’s Pub Night returns Sept. 28 with Upbeat Groove playing; $10 at the door… the Orillia Big Band plays dance music for a fundraiser for food programs at St. James’ Anglican Church Oct. 5, email orilliabigband@gmail.com for tickets… Vitalogy plays at St. Paul’s Centre Oct. 26 (tickets)
(Photos by Swartz – SUNonline/Orillia and Images Supplied) Main: Kaleb Streeter put a little spin on his plunge – and won the Walk the Plank contest.
