On Sunday, March 22nd, musicians and performers will come together on the main stage at Showplace Peterborough to show their “Love for Lydia” in a seven-hour concert that the organizers are predicting will be “epic”.
Lydia is Lydia Black, the granddaughter of well-known Peterborough musician Alan Black (of Jackson Delta, the Steady Band, Stonebridge, Rick and Gailie, and many more).
Lydia is a funny, active, and caring 11-year-old girl — and she’s ill. Lydia has been diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS), a blood disease that is rarely found in children. She will need a bone marrow transplant and possibly chemotherapy. Lydia may need to remain at SickKids in Toronto for an extended time (possibly up to six months), or travel back and forth between Peterborough and Toronto with long stays in isolation while her immune system is compromised.
Either way, unpaid time off work and high costs for travel and accommodation are all in the future for Lydia’s family.
As we’ve seen them do many times in the past for other good causes, Peterborough’s music, entertainment, media, and hospitality communities have rallied to help. This event in particular has come together very quickly and in an extraordinary way that I want to share with you.
On Thursday, February 12th, Lydia was airlifted from PRHC in Peterborough to SickKids in Toronto, as a result of blood tests two days earlier that PRHC staff recommended required the immediate attention of specialists at SickKids.
I just happened to hear about this from my family (you don’t have to go far in Peterborough to find someone who knows Al Black or a member of his extended family).
I immediately messaged Al on Facebook to ask what we could do to help. On the following Monday morning, he responded on Facebook that he was off to SickKids for the day to see Lydia and to hopefully hear about her diagnosis. He asked me what I thought about the idea of having a benefit concert in The Nexicom Studio at Showplace Performance Centre on March 22nd and if I knew of any musicians who might want to perform.
Of course I thought it was a great idea, and I knew there’d be people who would want to help Al and Lydia and their family. When I sent out a message that same morning to some local musicians, I knew there’d be positive feedback if people were available, not on tour, not out of town, or not already booked.
What I didn’t expect was the tremendous outpouring of replies and support. It was like an avalanche that couldn’t be stopped.
Momentum took over and, by the time that Al returned to Peterborough at the end of that same day, we had close to 30 bands and many dozens of musicians who had offered to be involved. It was so overwhelming that we had to move the original message thread to a larger Facebook group with 120 people.
Within a few days, the event was moved to the “big stage” and, thanks to Showplace, we also had use of the Nexicom Studio and the entire building.
When Nexicom and Kawartha Downs agreed to sponsor the event with cash donations to cover some fixed costs, we were off and running. Over the past few weeks, the silent auction donations, food donations, and cash donations have continued to pour in — and show no signs of slowing down.
Over 25 acts and musicians who love and respect Al Black will grace the Showplace stage from 1 to 8 p.m. (see the performance schedule below).
Paul Rellinger will marathon-emcee the seven-hour event and will be joined by Michelle Ferreri from 5 to 8 p.m.
There’ll be a Gourmet Food Court serving chef-prepared food in the Nexicom Studio Lounge, where a large-screen TV will allow viewing of the concert. Thousands of dollars worth of donated items will be available at the silent auction tables, for bidding between 1 and 6:30 p.m.
Assigned-seating tickets for the concert are $15 for adults and $5 for children, available at the Showplace Performance Centre box office, by phone at 705-742-7469, or online www.showplace.org. Adult tickets are also available (cash only) at Moondance Music (425 George St. N., Peterborough, 705-742-9425).
If you can’t attend the concert, you can donate online at www.gofundme.com/loveforlydia in a fund set up by Lydia’s aunt, Chloë Black. All donations and proceeds from the concert will be paid directly to a trust fund (“In Trust for Lydia Black”, Peterborough Community Credit Union, account #15672) to be used to offset expenses incurred by Lydia’s family as a result of her treatment.
This may indeed be an epic moment in the history of Peterborough musicians “supporting their own,” a phrase that’s become common among our musicians as they rally for others in times of need. This time, it’s “Al’s turn”, in support of his family’s — and now Peterborough’s — love for Lydia.
Love for Lydia Performance Schedule
| Performer | Time |
|---|---|
| Tiny Davis | 1:00 |
| Wes Ryan | 1:15 |
| Dave Mowat | 1:30 |
| 4 Front | 1:45 |
| Gospel Girls | 2:00 |
| Bobby Watson | 2:15 |
| Three Martinis | 2:30 |
| Tom Eastland | 2:45 |
| Latchford & Greig | 3:15 |
| The Citiots | 3:30 |
| Rick & Gailie Band | 3:45 |
| Kevin Siena | 4:00 |
| Terry Blankley | 4:15 |
| Grainne Ryan | 4:30 |
| Scarlett Grace | 4:45 |
| Fabulous Tonemasters | 5:00 |
| Kim Doolittle | 5:15 |
| The Lohrwoods | 5:30 |
| Pat Temple | 5:45 |
| Wylie Harold & Out on Bail | 6:00 |
| Mayhemingways | 6:15 |
| Balls & Jane | 6:45 |
| The Crux | 7:00 |
| Finale with Stonebridge (Alan Black, Rickie Young, JP Hovercraft, and Rico Fama) | 7:45 |
