Words have not been coming easy to me. How do you sum up the ending of an era? Now that I can put a few words to it, I must say that there is something so utterly unifying about The Tragically Hip’s final tour.

The mortality of Gord Downie and by proxy The Hip is on most Canadians’ minds as the band makes one last trek across most of the country. Watching them play live one more time at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre on Wednesday night, it dawned on me “fully, completely”.

Modern Canadiana has been aching for new entries, and has anything as distinctly Canadian as The Tragically Hip come along in recent history? Lyrics full of Canadian locations, history, and imagery. The reach of the band’s importance is highlighted by the upcoming nationwide broadcast of their last show on CBC television, radio, and online. Peterborough itself has several big viewings planned.

Among the sadness and the welled-up emotions that poured out at the ACC — and at all of the The Hip’s shows on this tour apparently — there was a genuine feeling of unity among 12,000+ concertgoers. Let’s just say I almost hugged everyone around me as the band played on. Seat neighbours became friends, if only for one night.

The Tragically Hip grabbed the hearts of Canadians one by one in clubs across the nation when they first started.

“Our first show here we had six people. Then we were excited to have 34 show up,” lead singer Gord Downie exclaimed between songs in Toronto. “We always came back. Thank you Toronto. Thank you forever.”

Album by album, year by year, The Hip gained more and more fans in the city and across the country. Downie’s lyrics may be studied in every classroom one day. Maybe they already have been. Not too bad for a rock and roll band from Kingston, Ontario.

Back to some moments from the Toronto show on Wednesday night …

This was a musical and emotional rollercoaster 32 years in the making, unfurled at their sixth last show ever. A tangible buzz from the audience before the show led to a swell of cheers and goosebumps when they took the stage and ripped into songs from their second album Road Apples. There were early tears when they played “Fiddler’s Green”, a song woven around mortality as its title refers to sailors’ heaven.

There was a hearty response to the songs from their latest album (and 11th studio album) Man Machine Poem. Raucous cheers erupted as the band returned to a few hits from each past album. Tunes from Music at Work, Trouble at the Henhouse —which featured one big choir singing along with “Ahead by a Century” — and tunes from Fully Completely were given bigger and bigger cheers as the night went on.

The pre-encore jubilation reached a fervor when the band finished with “Fifty Mission Cap” — a song about Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Bill Barilko. This with the banners of the cup he helped win in 1949 hanging in the rafters above the crowd. “The last goal he ever scored, won the Leafs the cup.”

Chants of “Hip, Hip, Hip” and “Gordie, Gordie” were common, and broke out all over the ACC. I may have even started the odd one.

There was a palpable sense of admiration and love that you rarely feel in small music venues, let alone at a huge arena show. The band and Gord sent the love right back to the audience.

Two brilliant encores featured Gord at his frontman best. In fact, the whole night did. He made faces, he danced. He moved with clown-like movements. And although he is having some memory issues related to his tumour and its treatment, he continued on “armed with will and determination, and grace too.”

And the entire country is getting a chance to say thank you for it.

“Bobcaygeon” – The Tragically Hip at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto (August 10, 2016)

Here’s the set list from Wednesday’s show.

1. The Luxury
2. Little Bones
3. Fiddler’s Green
4. Three Pistols
5. In a World Possessed by the Human Mind
6. Tired as Fuck
7. What Blue
8. Machine

(Short intermission – a thunderstorm on the video screens)

9. My Music at Work
10. Lake Fever
11. Toronto #4
12. Putting Down
13. Gift Shop
14. Springtime in Vienna
15. Flamenco
16. Ahead by a Century

(Short intermission – Gord Downie took a break while the rest of The Hip jammed out)

17. Fully Completely
18. At the Hundredth Meridian
19. Wheat Kings
20. Fifty-Mission Cap

First set of encores

21. Grace, Too
22. So Hard Done By
23. Nautical Disaster

Second set of encores

24. Bobcaygeon
25. Poets

This month, 4th Line Theatre welcomes you back to Winslow Farm in Millbrook to witness the maddest manhunt ever to take place in The Kawarthas with a restaging of The Bad Lack Bank Robbers.

Directed by Kim Blackwell and written by Alex Poch-Goldin, The Bad Luck Bank Robbers tells the true-life tale of the 1961 robbery of Havelock’s Toronto Dominion Bank, as chronicled in the book of the same name by Campbellford-based writer Grace Barker.

Making its debut last summer, The Bad Luck Bank Robbers was an instant hit with audiences and sold out every show. Now audiences that missed it last year can see it for the first time, but those who enjoyed it last year will return to an even more high-energy production.

Once an obscure story from the past, The Bad Luck Bank Robbers resurrects this important piece of Kawarthas lore. On August 30, 1961, a group of thugs from Montreal known as the Red Hood Gang conducted a daring daytime bank robbery in Havelock, escaping with more than $230,000.

As a massive manhunt made international news, the gang disappeared into the wild before being capture days later near Coe Hill.

However, upon their arrest one thing was missing: the money. To this day, the loot has never been found. Could it still be in the woods between Havelock and Coe Hill?

Although 4th Line is famous for mixing history with comedy and melodrama, The Bad Luck Bank Robbers is pure comedy from beginning to end. A combination of slapstick and intellectual humour, the play’s script includes local and national jokes that take stabs at politics, law enforcement, and small-town life, but also political and cultural jokes — such as the rivalry between French and English Canadians.

But the biggest joke of all is about hockey. The continuous hockey subtext running through the play is the show’s funniest cultural joke that will resonate with both hockey fans and people who don’t know anything about the sport.

Paul Braunstein returns in the role of Jean Claude Lalonde, the good-natured lead bank robber who often breaks the fourth wall to make commentary to the audience. Immediately likeable — despite being fairly ruthless — Braunstein becomes the de facto stand-out character in what is a large ensemble cast. Lalonde loves the Montreal Canadians, hates the Toronto Maple Leafs, and isn’t afraid to use a gun if needed. Braunstein gives a spirited performance as this unlikely anti-hero in a true-life crime farce.

Ryan Hollyman also returns as Lalonde’s over-emotional partner Roger Martel. But in this year’s production, Braunstein and Hollyman are joined by newcomers Ken Houston as Yvon Lalonde and John Tench as Hermyle Lalonde. Together, the four create a tight-knit comedic group, filled with fast word play and physical humour.

While they are obviously terrible guys, the four bank robbers charm the audience because of their witty banter and otherwise good-natured personas. There are no shades of grey in their actions. These guys are lowlifes, but they are lowlifes of the most likable kind, offering a lot of heart and laughter.

Possibly the most notable change compared to last year’s production is the deletion of the tragic romantic subplot between bank tellers George Milliken and Jean Kennedy.

Although the script remains the same, the actors currently playing the roles of George and Jean (Rob Fortin and Kait Dueck) have put an entirely different spin on it. Fortin plays his character as more of an obnoxious and awkward character, while Dueck’s character is potentially more dangerous than the bank robbers themselves. Trust me when I say I wouldn’t be on the wrong end of Kait Dueck’s Jean.

The deletion of the tragic romantic subplot doesn’t hinder the show in the least. Both Dueck and Fortin give memorable performances and play the characters much larger than they were presented before.

While the first half of the show focuses on the robbery, manhunt, and plight of the bank robbers, the second part of the show is a well-produced and funny courtroom drama. The robbers are now featured in the show’s vignettes instead of the townspeople.

Matt Gilbert returns as the robber’s lawyer Mirsky, and Justin Hiscox reprises his role as the magistrate. The two have a fantastic interplay together that keeps the show going, by presenting evidence, interrogating witnesses, and adding some more intelligent humour to the show.

The audience favourite again this year is Monica Dottor as the daffy diner waitress Abby. Getting the biggest laughs and applause of the night, Dottor plays Abby in three different vignettes that are easily the funniest of the show. Abby is so endearing that I believe an entire Canadian TV comedy series could be developed around this character. I see it sort of like Corner Gas, but in a remote diner. It would be comedy gold.

Dottor is an interesting actress who can do drama and comedy equally well. Audiences will remember her emotional role in The Hero of Hunter Street, but she does something completely different in The Bad Luck Bank Robbers. Abby the waitress became one of my favorite original theatrical characters after seeing last year’s production and I was most looking forward to seeing Dottor bring Abby back to the stage in this year’s show.

Also look for Monica and Kait doubling as a pair of French whores who visit the bank robbers in jail. It’s one of the most hilariously awkward moments in the production!

If I was asked to describe The Bad Luck Bank Robbers in a single word, I’d say “zany.” As enjoyable as it was last year, this year’s show is even bigger, funnier, and more larger than life.

But the mystery of the money still remains. Did anyone ever find the missing treasure? Could it still be in the wood or swamp? Is it gone forever? We’ll probably never know.

The Bad Luck Bank Robbers runs Tuesdays to Saturdays until August 27th at the Winslow Farm in Millbrook, with performances starting at 6 pm. For tickets, visit www.4thlinetheatre.on.ca.

All photos courtesy of Wayne Eardley, Brookside Studio

Globus Theatre is bringing a little bit of Ireland to Bobcaygeon this month with their production of Marie Jones’ drama Stones In His Pockets. Presented last fall at at Alumnae Theatre in Toronto by The Irish Stage Company, director James Barrett reunites actors Steven Farrell and Mark Whelan for an encore run of this brilliantly performed drama.

Originally produced in 1996 at the West Belfast Festival, Stones In His Pockets is a complex two-hander featuring two actors who bring 15 unique characters to life. After touring Ireland and bouncing from theatre to theatre in London, the show found a permanent residence at London’s The Duke of York’s Theatre where it ran for three years before moving to New York in 2001. The play won the Irish Times/ESB Irish Theatre Award for Best Production in 1999, two Olivier Awards in 2001 for Best New Comedy and Best Actor and was also nominated for three Tony Awards.

Stones in His Pockets is the story of the people who live in County Kerry, Ireland — a close-knit community where everybody grew up with everybody, and most of the people are related in one way or another. Excitement comes to the area when a Hollywood crew invades the town to film a historical drama called “Quiet Valley.”

The story focuses on the friendship formed between two men who meet when playing extras in the film: Charlie Conlin (Mark Whelan), a down-and-out stranger in town with aspirations to become a playwright, and Jake Quinn (Stephen Farrell), a local boy who has just returned from America after failing as an actor.

As the culture shock between rural Ireland and big city Hollywood creates havoc and hilarity in town, tragedy takes one of County Kerry’s own, affecting the whole community and in particular Jake — to the point where it threatens the completion of the film. Grief-stricken Jake looks for answers to what happened, only to discover that his involvement in the film could have been connected to the tragic occurrence.

Boldly funny and extremely thoughtful, Stones in His Pockets is an intelligent drama about culture shock and shattered dreams. Although it has a well-crafted script, the real magic of the show is watching Mark Whelan and Stephen Farrell create 15 unique characters before our eyes.

Playing both men and women, Irish and American, and young and old, Whelan and Farrell perform up to five characters in the same scene. The pair never change costumes and never leave the set, but depend completely on body language, facial expressions, and voice work to bring the characters to life. The character changes are so quick, yet so extreme, that the men can actually have conversations with themselves while simultaneously playing two different characters — yet it seems completely normal.

Even more amazing is the fact that the characters are so clearly defined and carefully crafted by Whelan and Farrell that you never get confused about who is who. The chemistry and trust between the actors is intense as they switch from character to character, never missing a beat or an emotion.

Farrell becomes the central character of the piece with his moody portrayal of Jake Quinn. A little bit lost, despite being surrounded by lifelong friends and family, Jake takes the town’s tragedy particularly hard to the point of blaming himself as he searches for reasons for what has happened.

Farrell also plays Mickey (an elderly villager whose claim to fame is being the last surviving extra in “The Quiet Man”), Aisling (a third assistant director trying to make her way to the top of the Hollywood ladder), and Jake’s cousin Sean (a troubled youth who has dreams of someday making it in the pictures).

Whelan is the ultimate supporting actor, playing a plethora of important roles to bring Jake’s story to life. Most notably is his role as Charlie, who is looking for meaning after his long-time video rental shop closes due to a larger competitor destroying his business. A character for Justin to talk with, Charlie is an outsider to the community, but is quickly accepted by the locals as one of their own.

Whelan also does double duty by bringing to life another pivotal character: the film’s lead actress Carolina Giovanni. Watching Whelan perform the role of Carolina — voluptuous, vain, and completely ignorant of her surroundings — seems a bit ridiculous at first, but at some point you begin to believe Whelan is a sexy movie star. Whelan also plays harried first director Simon, Carolina’s thuggish body guard Jock, and the dismissive film producer Clem.

Making Stones in His Pockets just that more authentic and enjoyable is the fact that Whelan and Farrell are both actually from Ireland. It is so refreshing to hear real Irish men play Irish characters, instead of Canadian actors trying to imitate Irish accents. It just makes this show that little bit richer.

As theatre goes in The Kawarthas this summer, Stones in His Pockets is one of the finest productions I have seen. A special type of show that surely should not be missed, it is filled with emotion, drama, laughs, colourful characters, and even a clever metaphysical ending.

Stones In His Pockets is a tremendous theatrical achievement by two talented actors and a thoughtful director. The team of Whelan, Farrell, and Barrett is a brilliant one. It is a rare treat to have such a highly successful Toronto production find its way to The Kawarthas. You will not be disappointed in making the trip to Bobcaygeon to see this one.

Stones in His Pockets runs until August 20th at the Lakeview Arts Barn. Show starts at 8 pm with dinner available before evening performances. For more information and tickets, call the Globus box office at 705-738-2037 or visit www.lakeviewartsbarn.com.

Serving up memory-inducing hit songs of our collective past, cover bands have always found, and will always find, a stage to call home.

Over the course of its 30-year history, Peterborough Musicfest has made a habit of bringing cover acts to the Fred Anderson Stage. The result has typically been a sea of smiling faces in Del Crary Park, with countless sets of lips mouthing the lyrics to songs that are recognizable upon hearing the first few notes.

Craig Martin certainly knows the value of giving an audience what it wants to hear, recreating the soundtrack of our lives on a level that transcends the typical cover band experience.

In 2003, he founded Classic Albums Live, a Toronto-based concert series which has since seen several classic albums of the 1960s and 1970s performed track-for-track, note for note, with the highest level of musicianship that recreates every sound heard on the original album being featured.

On August 13, Classic Albums Live will headline Musicfest, paying tribute to Fleetwood Mac’s monster 1977 album Rumours as well as perform other signature hits of the British-American rock band. With Rumours having spawned four hit singles in “Go Your Own Way”, “Dreams”, “Don’t Stop”, and “You Make Loving Fun”, rest assured lips will be in full motion.

“It’s a case of if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” noted Martin in a February 2016 interview with Kerry Doole of www.fyimusicnews.ca.

“We stay with the tried and true, and after 13 years we know what works and what doesn’t. People love classic rock. It has clearly endured and will continue to do so, as shown by the fact that people are bringing their kids. It’s a bonding experience.”

At the heart of Classic Albums Live is a core ensemble of A-listed musicians with guest performers brought in depending on the album being featured. Since forming, the series has paid tribute to a number of top-selling albums, such as Pink Floyd’s The Wall, Queen’s A Night At The Opera and Supertramp’s Crime of the Century. In 2013, at Toronto’s Phoenix Theatre, a 13-hour concert saw the entire 213-song Beatles catalogue performed.

In the www.fyimusicnews.ca interview, Martin recounted being backstage at a Bruce Springsteen concert during which the rocker performed his album The River in its entirety.

“Before he (Springsteen) goes onstage, he’s having a conversation with Elvis Costello and Jon Stewart, and Jann Wenner of Rolling Stone, and he says ‘the trend right now seems to be that people want to hear the entire album played from top to bottom. That’s how you make the hay,'” noted Martin.

“Go Your Own Way” by Fleetwood Mac performed by Classic Albums Live

“I’m standing there, the guy that started the trend. I so wanted to insert myself into that conversation but I didn’t. I’m the low-key guy from Scarborough. That was quite a moment.”

“I love that they’re all doing that (performing entire albums). They all know about Classic Albums Live. People like Brian May (Queen), John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) and The Stones know about us. What they like is the fact that we’re not imprinting our personalities on their music.”

In performing Rumours in its entirety, Classic Albums Live pays tribute to one of the best-selling albums of all time.

Released February 4, 1977, Fleetwood Mac’s 11th studio album attained #1 status on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and occupied that spot for 31 non-consecutive weeks. It also charted #1 in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. At the 1978 Grammy Awards, Rumours won Album of the Year.

To date, the 11-track album has sold more 45 million copies worldwide.

Adding to the album’s mystique is the fact it was recorded during a period which saw band members Christine McVie and John McVie end their six-year marriage, and a stormy relationship continue between Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham.

“The music was wonderful but the music was also authentic because it was two couples breaking up and writing dialogue to each other,” noted Buckingham in a 2013 interview with Rolling Stone, which has ranked Rumours at #25 on its top 500 albums of all time list.

“It was also appealing because we were rising to the occasion to follow our destiny. So you had to live in denial, you had to learn to compartmentalize your emotions and do what needs to be done. It brought out the voyeur a little bit in everybody.”

“Most people, when they break up, you don’t see each other for a while,” added Nicks in the same interview.

“You hope that you don’t run into that person ever at that point. In our situation, the break ups were going on and we had to go to work the next day. It was very hard. You had to walk in with your head high and an open heart. We had to be very focused, and we knew that because no matter how hard it was on us — and it was awful — we still wanted to make a great record.”

“Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac performed by Classic Albums Live

Peterborough Musicfest is presenting 19 free-admission concerts during its milestone 30th anniversary season, each staged Wednesday and Saturday nights.

Overseen by general manager Tracey Randall and staff, a board of directors, and numerous volunteers, Peterborough Musicfest’s stated mission is to “provide diverse, affordable live music to enrich cultural and economic prosperity in our community.”

For more information on this concert and/or the 2016 season, visit www.ptbomusicfest.ca or phone the Peterborough Musicfest office at 705-755-1111.

Every Thursday, we publish live music and performance events at pubs and clubs in Peterborough and The Kawarthas based on information that venues provide to us directly or post on their website or social media channels. Here are the listings for the week of Thursday, August 11 to Wednesday, August 17.

If you’re a pub or club owner and want toF be included in our weekly listings, please email our Nightlife Editor at nightlife@kawarthanow.com.