This Week In Art/Culture/Entertainment
By John Swartz
The Orillia Youth Fall concert series has been great success. The fundraisers for programming at the Orillia Youth Centre have raised $18,000 so far with concerts by Lenny Lashley, Roger Harvey, Ronnie Douglas, Skye Wallace and several others.
The one Saturday night at St. Paul’s Centre with Danny Michel and Steve Poltz is sold out and youth center director Kevin Gangloff thinks once the proceeds from the accompanying silent auction are taken into account the concert series could net between $25,000 and $30,000 for the youth center.
It wasn’t just locals who went to those concerts. Gangloff said people came from Nova Scotia, Quebec, New York and Northern Ontario to see the concerts. Tonight, off the top of his head he said he knows some are coming from Kingston, north of us and, “the four corners of the province.”
“It’s pretty cool it brings people to our community,” Kevin said.
Since the show is sold out, there isn’t much point of saying too much about Steve or Danny, except to say those who are going are going to be thoroughly entertained. Steve was fantastic at the Mariposa Folk Festival. His stage banter is hilarious, and some of his songs are wild tales meant to amuse. Danny has been here several times, usually to sold out shows.
New Music
Zachary Lucky has a new album out. The Wind finally hit the internet this week. You can buy it as a download, CD, or vinyl on his Bandcamp page and you can listen to it on his Youtube channel.
Zachary has a small tour of Ontario and Quebec the last half of the month. His show here is at the Opera House Nov. 27 and you can get tickets online.
Samantha Windover is working on a new album. She’s got a tune, Just Picture My Love On You, you can listen to. Nice recording Sam.
The Bob Hawkins Band also has a new album, Perfect Simplicity, out. You can listen to it here.
Everybody loves My Son the Hurricane, don’t they? They played here last October at ODAS Park for the Mariposa Folk Festival’s fall outdoor concert.
Since then they have been to Europe and their lead singer, Sylvie Kindree, had to leave the band because her health was affecting touring. When I saw that news I was a little sad because she is one heck of a performer.
Then, within days of the band announcing Sylvie was leaving they announced they had a new singer/front person. Imagine my surprise when it turned out to be a good friend and daughter of a good friend, Sarah Fazackerley.
I remember hearing her first album on a road trip when her dad said, “play this.” Afterward I said she should try and get into the Mariposa Folk Fest and to that end I had a very small part getting her into the audition and she was a hit in the pub.
Sarah is making her debut with the band December 6 at the Phoenix in Toronto and I Mother Earth is on the bill too.
The Shorts
- Mariposa Arts Theatre is doing Gypsy at the Opera House until Nov. 17. see the review here.
- There will be a drop in celebration honouring the life of Gay Gutherie Nov. 26 from 5 to 7 p.m. at OMAH. Gay was the director of the Sir Sam Steele Art Gallery, which became OMAH.
- Downtown Orillia has the annual Candlelight parade happening Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. It’s starts at Front and Mississaga and ends up at the Opera House where the new tree will be turned on for the season. November 23 at 5 p.m. the Chamber’s annual Santa Claus Parade happens downtown at 5 p.m. there is still time and a need for volunteers. This is a great for high school students to pick up some volunteer hour credits. You can find links to register to volunteer here.
- You can get tickets now for the Mariposa Folk Festival’s Mariposa-In-Concert event Nov. 23 at the Opera House with Matt Weidinger’s Van Morrison show. Matt is a member of Matchedash Parish and has appeared in many of Lance Anderson’s tribute show bands.
- Tickets will go fast for The Free Label with special guests, the Harmonicity Rock Choir event at the Washago Community Centre; mainly because there are only 100 tickets. It happens Dec. 15 at 4:30 p.m.
- The annual McMichael Autumn Art Sale happens Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. Images Studio Tour regular Pauline Bradsahw has work in the juried show, as does Brigitte Granton who also has a number of paintings hanging at Cloud Gallery. Also Steven Leskew has work in it; he’s from Springwater, but a proud aunt here in town told me about this show.
- The Orillia Museum of Art and History has three exhibits to see, one is Teachers and Their Enduring Impact, The Legacy of Jose Salas, the annual Carmichael show Tradition Transformed, and Gillian Lowry’s Owl Pen Revisited. 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… St. Paul’s Centre has the Call to Action 83 Art Project in the Ogimaa Miskwaaki Gallery… Hibernation Arts has a Collage for Beginners workshop Nov. 16 with Susan Field; it’s from noon to 3 p.m. and you can register by email to mollytas@gmail.comjust got new paint, on the walls, most of the artists have brought in new work to see including a collection of work by Enrique Bravo; Pauline Henson is the guest artists for November… Peter Street Fine Arts has work by Paul Forde as guest artist for November.
- Couchiching Craft Brewing has Andrew Walker playing Nov. 9; The Surgically Hip are in Nov. 15; Dav Dickenson Nov. 16 Oct. 25.. Quayle’s Brewery has Vince Therrien playing Nov. 9; Rebekah Hawker is in Nov. 10; Jakob Pearce Nov. 14; Meredith Warboys Nov. 15; and Matt Playne Nov. 16… the Hog ‘N Penny has the Kenpencelts playing Nov. 9; Nov. 10 from 1 to 3 p.m. is the jam with Sean Patrick and company… St. Paul’s Centre Oct. 26 (tickets)… Grate Northern is at the legion Nov. 30; tickets are $10 at the door… The Skydiggers do their Christmas show at St. Paul’s Centre Dec. 5 with The Watchmen opening; get tickets online… B. Knox is at Picnic in the afternoon Nov. 10
(Photos by Swartz – SUNonline/Orillia and Images Supplied) Main: Steve Poltz and Danny Michel play St. Paul’s Centre Nov. 9
