Summer concert guide '07
London Free Press, Canada
May 19, 2007
This weekend, May's "two-four" holiday, is one traditional date for the start of summer in the London region.
Musically, summer really arrives in June, then heats up in July with the arrival of the free outdoor festivals in Victoria Park -- Sunfest and the Home County Folk Festival -- and their admission-charging relatives at Harris Park, downtown London and Sarnia's waterfront.
The concert calendar for those two months is full. It is not every 61-day span when you have a calendar with easy listening master John Tesh -- at Centennial Hall -- and wildman guitarslinger Ted Nugent -- at Rock the Park IV in Harris Park -- and ex-Fleetwood Mac star Stevie Nicks -- at the John Labatt Centre.
Nicks turns 59 next Saturday. Her Crystal Visions tour reaches the downtown London arena on June 25.
Gwen Stefani and the White Stripes also have separate dates at the arena. So do the Moody Blues, who put me into dozeland on their first visit, but -- to be fair -- they're on the list that accompanies this article. So does Hilary Duff, who is older and tougher than on her previous visits. Duff is still a teen as she continues her odyssey into Cherdom.
All that proves there is a lot of choice in the two months. My own choices take in Home County, which has such attractions as broadcaster Jowi Taylor and his Six String Nation guitar plus Mae Moore and Andrea Koziol and the Dixie Flyers, to name just three of the fine London-tied performers on hand.
Then, there is Sunfest, which brings a world of worldbeat to Victoria Park.
There is a new Canadian jazz focus -- or I should say even more Canadian jazz -- this time. Italy's Fiamma Fumana was amazing in its blend of traditional accordion and bagpipes with techno and electronica in 2004. Can't wait to see what they have done this time. I do know Belize's Andy Palacio & The Garifuna Collective sound terrific on CD and the other new-to-Sunfest acts have great reps.
What about other outdoor shows? The 2007 edition of Bluesfest promises the great Los Lobos and Robert Cray as two headliners at its King-and-Clarence location.
Aerosmith and Nickelback are among the headliners at Rogers Sarnia Bayfest 2007, back-to-back behemoths in July.
This list is hardly the whole summer. Here are some names I'd recommend: Besnard Lakes, Pam Brooks, DK Ibomeka, Cheap Trick, Tom Lockwood, Catherine McInnes, Sirens, '63 Monroe. All have impressed in person or on recordings. Or both -- even if my Cheap Trick vinyl is in the basement somewhere.
Sure, there is more to summer. This is a start.
As for August, Aeolian Hall has just announced its third Summer Arts Soiree, a multi-disciplinary festival from Aug. 13 to 31. The musical performers include Irish traditional singer Sean Keane, Canada's Destino Tenors, and the hall's chief executive and president, pianist Clark Bryan and his piano duet partner Marion Miller.
Canadian singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright plays Centennial Hall on Aug. 29.
We'll get to August's list later in the season. Right now, we have June and July just over the "two-four" horizon.
May 19, 2007
This weekend, May's "two-four" holiday, is one traditional date for the start of summer in the London region.
Musically, summer really arrives in June, then heats up in July with the arrival of the free outdoor festivals in Victoria Park -- Sunfest and the Home County Folk Festival -- and their admission-charging relatives at Harris Park, downtown London and Sarnia's waterfront.
The concert calendar for those two months is full. It is not every 61-day span when you have a calendar with easy listening master John Tesh -- at Centennial Hall -- and wildman guitarslinger Ted Nugent -- at Rock the Park IV in Harris Park -- and ex-Fleetwood Mac star Stevie Nicks -- at the John Labatt Centre.
Nicks turns 59 next Saturday. Her Crystal Visions tour reaches the downtown London arena on June 25.
Gwen Stefani and the White Stripes also have separate dates at the arena. So do the Moody Blues, who put me into dozeland on their first visit, but -- to be fair -- they're on the list that accompanies this article. So does Hilary Duff, who is older and tougher than on her previous visits. Duff is still a teen as she continues her odyssey into Cherdom.
All that proves there is a lot of choice in the two months. My own choices take in Home County, which has such attractions as broadcaster Jowi Taylor and his Six String Nation guitar plus Mae Moore and Andrea Koziol and the Dixie Flyers, to name just three of the fine London-tied performers on hand.
Then, there is Sunfest, which brings a world of worldbeat to Victoria Park.
There is a new Canadian jazz focus -- or I should say even more Canadian jazz -- this time. Italy's Fiamma Fumana was amazing in its blend of traditional accordion and bagpipes with techno and electronica in 2004. Can't wait to see what they have done this time. I do know Belize's Andy Palacio & The Garifuna Collective sound terrific on CD and the other new-to-Sunfest acts have great reps.
What about other outdoor shows? The 2007 edition of Bluesfest promises the great Los Lobos and Robert Cray as two headliners at its King-and-Clarence location.
Aerosmith and Nickelback are among the headliners at Rogers Sarnia Bayfest 2007, back-to-back behemoths in July.
This list is hardly the whole summer. Here are some names I'd recommend: Besnard Lakes, Pam Brooks, DK Ibomeka, Cheap Trick, Tom Lockwood, Catherine McInnes, Sirens, '63 Monroe. All have impressed in person or on recordings. Or both -- even if my Cheap Trick vinyl is in the basement somewhere.
Sure, there is more to summer. This is a start.
As for August, Aeolian Hall has just announced its third Summer Arts Soiree, a multi-disciplinary festival from Aug. 13 to 31. The musical performers include Irish traditional singer Sean Keane, Canada's Destino Tenors, and the hall's chief executive and president, pianist Clark Bryan and his piano duet partner Marion Miller.
Canadian singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright plays Centennial Hall on Aug. 29.
We'll get to August's list later in the season. Right now, we have June and July just over the "two-four" horizon.
| Permalink | E-mail this post 
