If the past 12 years has taught us anything about Dwayne Gretzky, it’s that there isn’t a stage the Toronto-based pop-rock time machine doesn’t love to be on.
For Peterborough Musicfest, that feeling is mutual as ‘Canada’s reigning champs of nostalgia’ prepare to make a fourth festival appearance — their third since 2018 — at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, July 5th.
Playing anywhere and everywhere, and at all points in between, Dwayne Gretzky has garnered a huge following by breathing exhilarating new life into classic hits, its repertoire comprised of 700-plus songs and counting.
Drawing upon a shared love of the music that has defined decades past, each member brings to the table not only extraordinary talent but also a selfless willingness to allow any one of their number to grab the spotlight.
Formed on a whim by friends, Dwayne Gretzky 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. Word quickly spread and more gigs followed, both in and beyond Toronto.
In an October 2019 interview with Jamie Lawlis of Spill Magazine, Lindsay-raised original member Nick 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 … we all come together in the sense of it being more our day job.”
“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.”
VIDEO: “Listen To The Music” by The Doobie Brothers – Dwayne Gretzky
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.
In 2019, Dwayne Gretkzy released its debut self-titled album, the tracks ranging from The Beatles’ “Please Please Me” to ELO’s “Livin’ Thing” to The Cars’ “Just What I Needed.”
While the pandemic put a halt to live performances, it provided an opportunity to take things to a new level. On New Year’s Eve in 2020, and again in 2021, the band livestreamed a marathon performance via YouTube from its rehearsal space in Toronto.
What was a best-kept secret was no longer so and the phone has rang incessantly since.
“We started out doing Van Morrison, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen,” notes Rose. “We started with the roots rock artists that we love. We just try to push the envelope and try different things — Don’t Stop (by Fleetwood Mac) and Bohemian Rhapsody from Queen, to Whitney Houston, to Toto, and wild ’80s stuff that is difficult to pull off. That forced us to challenge ourselves.”
While Dwayne Gretzky is often labelled a cover or tribute band, that description does a grave injustice to the band’s unique interpretations of classic songs — a process that often sees slower chord arrangements at its core.
VIDEO: “Once In A Lifetime” by Talking Heads performed by Dwayne Gretzy
“That’s 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 ’cause it’s all your best friends,” says Hatch, with Hughes adding, “It’s the best hang ever … We all get along really well.”
“And it’s so informative, as a music writer, learning new songs,” Hughes explains. “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. It’s a lot tougher than people think. These are pop songs but a lot goes into them.”
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.”
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 signing of premier artists for future concerts. That initiative aside, as has been the case since 1987, admission to all Musicfest concerts is free, and will remain so, thanks in no small way to the generous support of all levels of government and some 100 sponsors including kawarthaNOW.
VIDEO: “Bobcaygeon” by The Tragically Hip – Dwayne Gretzky
Peterborough Musicfest is presenting 15 free-admission concerts during its 36th season, each staged on Wednesday and Saturday nights until August 19th, and supported by more than 100 sponsors, kawarthaNOW among them.
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 2023 season, visit www.ptbomusicfest.ca or phone the Peterborough Musicfest office at 705-755-1111.
VIDEO: “Sledgehammer” by Peter Gabriel – Dwayne Gretzky
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a headline sponsor of Peterborough Musicfest’s 2023 season.
