This Week In Art/Culture/Entertainment
By John Swartz
Today, Saturday June 27 is Christmas in June at the Port of Orillia. This event is usually packed with spectators and boaters, plus a few dogs masquerading as reindeer, or otherwise oblivious to the goings on.
Many of the boaters go nuts with decorations on their crafts, and there are few, like me, who barely manage to put up a coloured light or two, maybe some tinsel, I think that’s tinsel. It used to be tinsel, I never got around to taking it down.
The legion also has a dance happening in the evening. The Ugly Christmas Sweater Dance Party is hosted by DJ Rudy. Admission in $10.
Also happening this day, the Orillia Youth Centre has a fundraiser happening at St. Paul’s Centre. Hardcore vs. Pop Punk features seven bands: Slewfoot, Hey Slugger, Rockpyle, Shallows, Butcher, Tossed Out and Hoperfilly, some of which play one kind of music and the others play country. Just pulling your leg, the others play Pop Punk. Hardcore, by the way is a sub genre of Punk. So the question is do you like the colour Juniper, or prefer Moss.
Doors open at 6 p.m. for this all ages show and admission is $20 or pay what you can.
The youth center has another fundraiser happening on Sunday June 28 way out in Sebright. The annual Farm Fest features Evan Rotella opening for Rebekah Hawker, who has a bunch of new tunes out and will be heading west this week for some shows in Alberta and British Columbia. Evan played last years’ Mariposa Folk Festival, and their spring concert opening for The Free Label.
It’s from 4 to 7 p.m. and you can get tickets online. It does happen at a farm, so there will be enough room for everyone.
Hold On To Your Seats
This is going to be a busy week. Wednesday is Canada Day and there will be action at Couchiching Beach Park and in Centennial Park in Washago (lots of bands all day long). Then on Thursday the Mariposa Folk Festival starts with a concert downtown, followed by the three-day festival in Tudhope Park stating Friday.
The Canada Day committee has been promoting the event pretty heavily the last couple months. The midway has been up and running Since Thursday. The annual parade is at noon. The kid’s Wheely Great Parade is at 10:30 a..m.
There’s a lot to do all day (cake at 2 p.m.) and the Beer Garden opens at 11 a.m. with a great view of the Aqua Theatre where the High Steppin’ Strutters open the day at the same time. Upbeat Groove plays next at 2 p.m., the Frank Clarkson Magic Show is at 4 p.m. the Kelly Davis Band plays at 5:15 p.m. and Charlotte and the Dirty Cowboys play at 7:30 until things go boom at about 9:45 p.m. I wonder if they will close their set with Light My Fire, or maybe something by Sparks?
I neglected to start this bit with breakfast, pancakes, at 8 a.m.
Meanwhile in Washago, the list of performers looks like this: The Harmonicity Singers are up first at noon, followed by The Fossil Tones, Samantha Windover, Charlotte and the Dirty Cowboys, the Wendy Whelan Band, Shoot the Moon, Under the Influence, High Sticking, and Large.
Mariposa
Thursday, downtown, the annual Mariposa kick off happens. It’s one day earlier than usual, which means anyone wanting to take in both this and the 5 p.m. start of the festival Friday won’t have to bail on downtown early like previous years.
The groups performing on Thursday are Eva Kabande at 5 p.m., Boreal (Tannis Slimmon, Katherine Wheatley and Angie Nussey) at 6, Wreckless Harbour at 7 and Lloyd Spiegel at 8 p.m.
Eva plays the first notes on Friday at 4:30 p.m. in the pub stage and DeeDee Austin opens the main stage at 5.
The rest of the main stage lineup on Friday is Foxwarren, Ocie Elliott, Billy Bragg and Father John Misty.
Saturday is full of workshops on a bunch of stages and of course the point is turned over to the kids. Of note, Doctor Bonkers (Nate Mills) will do a show at 11 a.m. (Sunday too) and as himself at 1:30 p.m. and a workshop Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
The main stage has Leith Ross at 5 p.m., the Barr Brothers, Sarah Harmer, Taj Mahal & the Phantom Blues Band, with Sharon Van Etten and The Attachment Theory closing out the night.
Sunday Reuben and The Bullhorn Singers start at 5 p.m. (Reuben used to front Reuben and the Dark), Dan Mangan, Steve Earle, St. Paul and The Broken Bones and our own The Free Label closes out the main stage.
I don’t have familiarity with many of the pub performers, but then I never do. Nonetheless I’ve seen some fantastic performances over the years. Of note Shred Kelly is playing Friday at 8 p.m. Nixon Boyd is part of a workshop at 2 p.m. Saturday, at 5 p.m. Aaron Goldstein will reproduce some of his Neil Young Massey Hall 80th birthday retrospective concert he stickhandled along with an unnamed cast of performers. Lance Anderson’s Gospel Tent Revival (the band lineup is undocumented, but Casino Rama regulars are betting on you’ll know everyone on the stage).
Sunday, Nixon Boyd is back (along with Taylor Knox, Steve Henry, and Mike Vandyk and other guest performers) to the pub at 6:30 as part of a tribute to the Tragically Hip. Finally, The Lemon Bucket Orkestra closes out the festival at 11 p.m.
You can see the full schedule online. There are still some weekend passes available (teens are $60 for the weekend). And you can get those online too. Kids under 12 get in free if they are with a ticket holder.
The Shorts
- The Orillia Museum of Art and History has two new exhibits The Many Faces of Paul Shilling: A Retrospective. and Awaken The Spirits. – art by Rama’s Drake Williams; other exhibits to see are a textile show, From Hand to Heirloom: The Art of Craft , and the permanent exhibit of Gordon Lightfoot’s personal effects… Cloud Gallery has Michelle Paradis in for their Meet the Artist program July 4 from noon to 2 p.m. and also has their My Happy Place show happening… Peter Street Fine Arts has works by Beth Chapman and Lee McBain this month.
- Bleeker has another smoking new tune, Elephant, out.
- Sunday evening band concerts at the Aqua Theatre start this weekend with the Orillia Concert Band playing at 6:30 p.m.. the rest of the summer’s lineup is: the Orillia Silver Band July 12, the Orillia Big Band July 26, the Newmarket Citizen’s Band Aug. 2, The Barrie Concert Band Aug. 9, the Baytowne Big Band Aug. 16 and the Simcoe County Band Aug.23. There will also be Saturday evening concerts starting July 11 with Still Deciding and Seasons Change. Movies in the Park starts July 10 with Jurassic Park at dusk.
- Quayle’s Brewery has My Missing Piece playing June 27; Ian Chaplin is in June 28; Emma Walker plays the afternoon July 1 and Andrew Walker in the evening; Mark Gunn plays July 2; Francesca Panetta July 3; Bridget Eve the afternoon July 4 and Alex Barber the evening; Ron Whitman is in July 5 the evening… Kensingtons has an open mic led by Timmy Kehoe every Tuesday night… The ANAF Club has Mr. Mad playing June 27… Dave Shaw plays the Hog ‘N Penny June 27.
(Photos by Swartz – SUNonline/Orillia and Images Supplied)
