This Week In Art/Culture/Entertainment
By John Swartz
Saturday evening February 21, the Mariposa Folk Festival has their annual Gospel and Blues concert at the Opera House House. As usual Lance Anderson is the ringmaster. There has not been a version of these over 15 years I have not thoroughly enjoyed.
Lance is possibly the most connected musician in Ontario, if not Canada because he always has a stacked band with the best musicians and singers – and every year the band is different. This year he has:
Garnetta Cromwell, her band, Dagroovmasters, won the Maple Blues Award, for New Artist/Group, as well as the 2024 Blues Blast Magazine Music Award for New Artist Debut Album Gavin Hope.
Jesse O’Brien is everybody’s keyboardist, notably with the Colin James Band and Tom Wilson and Lee Harvey Osmond. He has played in Orillia many times. His second time was a when Garth Hudson played a packed room in Lagoon City back in 2003.
Mackenzie Jordan is a member of Matchedash Parish.
Steve Pelletier has played with Colin James Band, The Julian Taylor Band, and Matt Andersen. Jeff Healey, David Wilcox, Sass Jordan, Long John Baldry, Steve Lukather, Sue Foley, Crystal Shawanda and the Shuffle Demons.
Everton White has played with played with Quisha Wint and Lance’s Everyday People – The Music of Sly and the Family Stone show.
There are still some tickets left, 4 on the main floor and about 100 in the balcony, and you can get them online.
Mariposa has three other things happening. The Free Label with Evan Rotella opening will be at St. Paul’s Centre March 28 for a concert. The band is based in Toronto and Cole Mendez and Jacob Thompson are from Orillia. They are currently in Europe touring. You can get tickets for that gig online.
The annual audition concert is happening April 11 at St. Paul’s. Nine or ten acts will play three-song sets and three or four of them will get to perform at the July festival. It usually starts at 1 p.m., though I don’t see a start time published, and it runs almost all afternoon. It’s free to attend.
And the summer festival lineup is out. Lance will be bringing back his Sunday morning Gospel breakfast show, and the Free Label will be appearing on the main stage.
Some of the 66 acts also appearing this year are Steve Earle, Bully Bragg, Taj Mahal, The Barr Brothers, Great Lakes Swimmers, Sarah Harmer, Boreal (Tannis Slimmon, Katherine Wheatley and Angie Nussey), the Devin Cuddy Band, the High Steppin’ Strutters (Steve Porter, Vince Therrien, and Scott Thomas), Reuben And The Bullhorn Singers (same Reuben as Rueben and the Dark), Shred Kelly, Red and Blue Jeff Monague, Heather McIntyre and Michael Martyn) and Dr. Bonkers (Nate Mills). That makes eight people from Orillia in the festival this year.
Tickets for the July festival are online now.
Concert Association
The Orillia Concert Association has the 2nd of their series happening February 22 at the Opera House at 2:30 p.m.. Flautist Terry Lim leads a quintet, 2nd violin, cello, percussion, and piano. With two more concerts in the series (Daniel Vnukowski March 22 and The Brooks, Ronai/Teske Trio May 3) season tickets at $90 are still a great deal and you can get them online.
Other Concerts and Events
Arts Orillia has the dance program Umsamo choreographed by Mafa Makhubalo, with performances by members of the Orillia and Area Black Community Association, happening at the Opera House February 27. You can get tickets online. They also have their 2nd annual Showcase 2026 dinner/performance fundraiser at the Opera House April 24. Get tickets online.
The Orillia Concert Band’s next is March 7 at St. Paul’s. They are doing a program of music from around the world. Alexandra Teske will be their guest. You can get tickets online.
The Orillia Silver Band also has a concert coming up. It’s at St. Paul’s and they’ll be playing music from the Highlands. You can get tickets online.
The Shorts
- OMAH has three new exhibits to see, the annual Women’s Day Art Show and Made in Orillia; and Face To Face: Portraits From the Permanent Collection you can also see Tracing Places: Advertising In Orillia and the permanent display of artefacts from Gord’s estate… Maker’s Circle has Molly Farquharson’s art featured all month… Peter Street Arts has Judy Flinn’s art featured all month.
- Quayle’s Brewery has Marlon Gibbons playing Feb. 21; Jojo plays Feb. 22; Paul Morgan Feb. 28 and Chris Lemay Mar. 1… the Hog ‘N Penny has The Kemnpencelts in Feb. 21 and an afternoon jam session every Sunday with Sean Patrick and others… The ANAF Club has Klasik playing Feb. 21 at 7:30 p.m.
(Photos by Swartz – SUNonline/Orillia and Images Supplied) Main: Lance Anderson at the Mariposa Folk Festival 2018.
