What started as a lark in 2012 remains so in 2022, and therein lies the success of the pop-rock time machine that is Dwayne Gretzky.
Sharing a love of the hit music that defined decades past, each member of the energetic Toronto-based music collective brings to the table not only extraordinary talent but also an unselfish willingness to allow any one of their number to grab the spotlight.
But then that’s what friends do, right?
On Saturday, July 16th, Dwayne Gretzky returns to Del Crary Park for the third time since 2018 as part of Peterborough Musicfest’s ongoing 35th season.
As always, admission to the 8 p.m. concert is free.
Hailed as “Canada’s reigning champs of nostalgia,” Dwayne Gretzky injects exhilarating new life into each of the 700-plus songs in its repertoire, all the while as much fun to watch as it is to listen to. As the band itself puts it, a typical performance is akin to turning a radio tuning dial and being surprised by the familiar.
According to Lindsay-raised original member Nick Rose, Dwayne Gretzky’s evolution began with a residency at Toronto’s famed Dakota Tavern, followed by a regular gig at The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern, another of the big city’s live music landmarks.
In an October 2019 interview with Jamie Lawlis of The Spill Magazine, Rose noted that while each band member has had his or her own creative projects on the go since, Dwayne Gretzky “is this fun thing, and we all come together in the sense of it being more our day job.”
VIDEO: ABBA’s “Waterloo” performed by Dwayne Gretzky
“It sort of pays the bills and it’s the thing we spent a lot of time and energy on, but it’s important that everyone in the band have their own creative outlets, whether it’s writing and arranging music and so on,” Rose says.
A typical set list, explains Rose, features “music that was in our parents’ record collection, everything from Fleetwood Mac to Paul Simon to The Bee Gees.” As the years passed, the band set its sights on performing music from more recent decades.
While Dwayne Gretzky’s live performance schedule was severely affected by the pandemic-related restrictions, two shows it did perform did much to bring the band to the appreciative attention of a much wider audience.
On New Year’s Eve in 2020, and again in 2021, the band livestreamed via YouTube a marathon performance from its rehearsal space in Toronto. For a huge audience of live music-starved viewers, it was a ‘night out’ in the pandemic-safe comfort of their homes.
Dwayne Gretzky released its debut self-titled album pre-pandemic, in 2019, with tracks ranging from The Beatles’ “Please Please Me” to ELO’s “Livin’ Thing’ to The Cars’ “Just What I Needed.”
“The Cars are one of my all-time favourite bands,” reveals Rose. “Their debut record is the perfect pop album. We recorded Just What I Needed because it may be one of the best pop songs of all time. We love doing pop from the ’80s.”
VIDEO: Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” performed by Dwayne Gretzky
“We started out doing Van Morrison, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen. We started with the roots rock artists that we love. We still perform songs by them. We just try to push the envelope and try things different — Don’t Stop, and Bohemian Rhapsody from Queen, to Whitney Houston, to Toto, and wild ’80s stuff that is difficult to pull off. It forced us to challenge ourselves.”
While Dwayne Gretzky is commonly referred to as a cover or tribute band, that description does a grave injustice to the band’s interpretations of classic songs — a process that sees slower chord arrangements at its core.
“That was all very deliberate,” explains Rose. “We feel very fortunate that we stumbled into this something that there’s a demand for, and we do it well within the confines of being a cover band.”
In an April 2013 interview with Sara Harowitz for She Does The City, band members Allie Hughes and Robyn Hatch note that the band’s sound aside, the dynamic is the game changer.
“It’s fun because it’s all your best friends,” says Hatch, with Hughes adding, “It’s such a good hang. I’m such a hermit that it’s like my social time. We all get along really well. And it’s so informative, as a music writer, learning new songs; you learn so much about writing good music.”
“I know there are some musicians who are like ‘A cover band?’ but all of us have no shame,” Hughes says. “It’s a lot tougher than people think. These are pop songs but a lot goes into them.”
VIDEO: Bruce Springsteen’s “Born To Run” performed by Dwayne Gretzky
In a July 2018 interview with The Pop Break, Rose explains what he loves about being in Dwayne Gretzky.
“We’re very fortunate that we get to do this as a full time gig — play our favourite songs with our best buds,” he says. “We’ve got a really great group of people in this band and I’m very grateful for that. They’re all a bunch of sweethearts and there is never a shortage of dumb jokes to go around.”
Of note, Dwayne Gretzky is being presented on Invest In Musicfest Night that will provide attendees the opportunity to make a donation, of any amount, with all proceeds going toward the securing of premier artists for future concerts.
But rest assured that, as has been the case since 1987, admission to all concerts is free, and will remain so, thanks in no small way to the generous support of all levels of government and numerous loyal sponsors including kawarthaNOW.
Peterborough Musicfest is presenting 16 free-admission concerts during its milestone 35th anniversary season, each staged Wednesday and Saturday nights at Del Crary Park in downtown Peterborough.
Overseen by general manager Tracey Randall and staff, a board of directors, and numerous volunteers, Peterborough Musicfest’s stated mission remains “to provide diverse, affordable live music to enrich cultural and economic prosperity in our community.”
For more information on this concert or the entire 2022 season, visit www.ptbomusicfest.ca or phone the Peterborough Musicfest office at 705-755-1111.
