The unofficial end of summer comes with the turning of the calendar from August to September. Schedules begin to normalize for most people, but there are still lots of live performances to get out to. The weather remains beautiful and the music in Peterborough and area is as ever-present as the summer time.

Here are just a few of the great things happening in the city this month.

Rob Dickson, Merival, and Graven at The Garnet in Peterborough on September 4

Three great folk/roots acts hit the stage at The Garnet (231 Hunter St. W., Peterborough, 705-874-0107) on Tuesday, September 4th.

Rob Dickson is a Yukon-based artist who is about to release a brand new full-length record called Looking Through Your Window. His music has a rare sensitivity that brings the listener into his world almost instantly.

Also on the bill is Toronto artist Merival, a songwriter who brings the personal to the stage with a beautiful voice and well written tunes. Her latest recording is called Lovers and features five songs about her coming to grips with lost loves from before she was 20 years old.

Last but not least on the bill is Ottawa’s Graven, aka Matty McKechnie. His tunes can be whimsical or heartbreaking, and are always genuine.

Tickets are available at the door and music will begin around 9 p.m.

VIDEO: “Driven to Odds” – Rob Dickson

Fin De Fiesta Flamenco at the Gordon Best in Peterborough on September 6

It will be a red hot evening of flamenco dance and music on Thursday, September 6th at Gordon Best Theatre (216 Hunter St. W., Peterborough, 705-876-8884).

Acclaimed Spanish group Fin De Fiesta Flamenco presents “Salvaje”, a new production that “explores the wild, untamed and passionate nature of flamenco.”

Lovely vocals, scintillating guitar arpeggios, flute melodies, and cajón combine to bring the music to life for dancer Lia Grainger and guest dancer Deborah “La Caramelita.”

Tickets are $25 at the door and $22 in advance and can be purchased at the Only Cafe or on Eventbrite.

The show begins at 8 p.m.

VIDEO: Fin de Fiesta Flamenco

Creekside Music Festival debuts in Apsley on September 8

Festival season is not fully over as the first annual Creekside Music Festival takes place in Apsley on Saturday, September 8th.

This is a cozy festival with only 300 tickets being sold. Musical entertainment includes Montana Sky, The Ireland Brothers, Ace & The Kid, and Dauncey.

Tickets for the festival are only $25, and camping is available (but limited) with prices of $25 for trailers or $15 for tents. If you plan on camping, phone 705-559-3111 to make arrangements.

You get tickets in Apsley at Kemp’s Garage, Hunter’s General Store, or phone Mike and Sandy Del Mastro at 705-872-7589.

Check out the Facebook event page for more info.

VIDEO: “Midnight Special” performed by Ace and the Kid

Dewey Via in the Nexicom Studio at Showplace in Peterborough on September 11

Heartfelt tunes will be the order of the evening on Tuesday, September 11th as American singer Dewey Via takes the stage at the Nexicom Studio at Showplace Performance Centre (290 George St. N., Peterborough, 705-742-7469).

Via’s shows traverse a few genres, from rock to blues to folk to country, and his voice has a golden tone that’s immediately likable.

The show begins at 8 p.m. and is $30. Get your tickets at the Showplace Box Office, by phone at 705-742-7469, or online at www.showplace.org.

VIDEO: “Small Town” – Dewey Via

Kira Sheppard and Jake and Ilia Nicoll with Mike Duguay at The Garnet in Peterborough on September 12

On Wednesday, September 12th, Kira Sheppard, Jake Nicoll and Ilia Nicoll from Newfoundland will be at The Garnet (231 Hunter St. W., Peterborough, 705-874-0107) along with opener Mike Duguay.

I cannot recommend this show enough. The evening will feature the harp, fiddle, and much more. Ethereal tunes full of meaning and charm. You will be transported somewhere else for an evening and that can be the magic work of music. This is one of those nights.

Tickets will be available at the door and the show begins around 9 p.m.

VIDEO: “That Time” – Kira Sheppard & Jake Nicoll

Petunia with Minimalist Jug Band at The Garnet in Peterborough on September 13

Speaking of being transported somewhere, on Thursday, September 13th at The Garnet (231 Hunter St. W., Peterborough, 705-874-0107), throwback country/folk savant Petunia will be bringing his one-of-a-kind show to Peterborough.

His music could be described as the love child of Tom Waits and Jimmie Rogers. Artfully crafted tunes that are highlighted by his excellent and wide-ranging voice.

Opening the show will be the Minimalist Jug Band, a one-man project by Al Mader that is poetic and theatrical on top of being innately musical.

This is another can’t miss show. Tickets will be available at the door. Show begins around 9 p.m.

VIDEO: “Inside of You” – Petunia

Lindsay Barr at The Black Horse in Peterborough on September 21

After her amazing performance at The Hootenanny on Hunter Street in August, you get another chance to see Lindsay Barr perform with her band on Friday, September 21st at The Black Horse Pub (452 George St. N., Peterborough, 705-742-0633).

Lindsay is a powerhouse vocalist with a great band behind her. Her music is based in rock and roll but other influences and genres come to the surface during her show.

There is no cover and the show begins at 9:30 p.m.

VIDEO: Lindsay Barr at Hootenanny on Hunter Street

Amanda Rheaume at the Academy Theatre in Lindsay on September 22

Juno Award nominee and multiple award winner Amanda Rheaume will perform at the lovely Academy Theatre (2 Lindsay St. S., Lindsay, 705-324-9111) on Saturday, September 22nd.

Her music is immediately likable. It’s centered around a pop/folk sound that is driven forward by her powerful voice. Rheaume has opened for such acts as Emmylou Harris, Ani Difranco, Lucinda Williams and many more. Once you catch her shows you’ll be able to tell why she is such a lauded artist.

Tickets are $30 and are available at the Academy Theatre Box Office, by phone at 705-324-9111, or online at www.academytheatre.ca.

VIDEO: “Wolf of Time” – Amanda Rheaume

Union City at The Red Dog in Peterborough on September 29

On Saturday, September 29th, Peterborough rockers Union City return to The Historic Red Dog Tavern (189 Hunter St. W, Peterborough, 705-750-1710) for their first show in the city in what seems like a long time.

Their sound is atmospheric and seems to be influenced by certain elements of British rock/pop circa the 1990s.

Tickets will be available at the door and the show begins around 9 p.m.

VIDEO: “A Drop in the Ocean” – Union City

After taking a break for August, the First Friday Art Crawl returns on September 7th, representing a number of artists this month, with a show on at Acme Art & Sailboat Co. featuring seven prominent artists from the area. Michael Green will be showing at Evans Contemporary, Wayne Eardley at Star X Gallery, and Russell Banx at Coeur Nouveau. There will be local shops with doors open on the same evening, so if you are in the neighbourhood, check it out!

Also this month, the Kawartha Artists’ Gallery and Studio presents the five-person show ‘Serving up Colour’. Farther afield, we have Jay Dart’s ‘Wecome to Yawnder’ at the Agnes Jamieson Gallery in Minden, Gerald Banting’s ‘If You Go Down To The Woods Today’ at the Visual arts Centre of Clarington, and the paintings of lifelong Warkworth resident Mary Hutchinson at the Arts and Heritage Centre of Warkworth.

Agnes Jamieson Gallery presents ‘Welcome to Yawnder’ by Jay Dart

Drawist Jay Dart brings the colourful magical world of “Yawnder” to us through his detailed drawings. The world of Yawnder, as seen through the eyes of his alter ego Jiggs, is full of colourful characters and dreamy surreal situations. The images are part of a larger narrative involving a series of interesting characters, and a plot which is forever unfolding as Jiggs explores more and more of Yawnder.

As you can see from the title, there is often a play on words which gives new meaning. For instance, ‘Would Be’ is based on the colloquial term ‘wood bee’ which is used to signify a gang of loggers. Jay has recently begun to create three-dimensional installations bringing Yawnder into the third dimension!

Find out more about Jay’s work at his website www.thedart.ca and, if you can make it, stop into the opening of his exhibit at the Agnes Jamieson Gallery on Saturday, September 8th from 2 to 4 p.m. The show will be on display there until Saturday, October 6th.

The Agnes Jamieson Gallery is located at 176 Bobcaygeon Road in Minden. For more information, call 705-286-3763 or visit mindenhills.ca/art-gallery/.

Arts and Heritage Centre of Warkworth presents ‘Mary Hutchinson: Life on Main Street’

Opening on Saturday, September 15th from 2 until 5 p.m., this series of paintings is a piece of Warkworth history. Born and raised on the main street, Mary Hutchinson eventually became a nurse in Campbellford, while helping to run the drugstore in Warkworth with her husband.

She never forgot her love of painting, though her busy life led her to put her brush down for a few years. In 1994, she got back to painting. Her work represents the community and surrounding area, reflections of a place and time from the brush of a lifelong Warkworth resident.

Ah! Arts and Heritage Centre of Warkworth is located at 35 Church Street in downtown Warkworth. Hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. For more information, visit ahcentre.ca.

Visual Arts Centre of Clarington presents Gerald Banting ‘If You Go Down To The Woods Today’

On now until Sunday, September 23rd, this show by Bowmanville-born and Brighton-based artist Gerald Banting is comprised of painting and installation. Combining elements of abstraction with observational painting, these pieces reflect Banting’s regard for nature and the environment.

The paintings are supplemented by an installation in the Loft Gallery made from found materials — namely garbage — that he picked up in the Bowmanville Valley Conservation Area. Using this method, he is helping the environment through his art-making process.

There will be an artist walking tour and closing reception from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, September 23rd.

The Visual Arts Centre of Clarington is located at 143 Simpson Avenue in Bowmanville. Hours of operation are 9 a.m to 5 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Admission to exhibits and artist talks is free. For more information, visit www.vac.ca.

Kawartha Artists’ Gallery and Studio presents ‘Serving up Colour’

On Sunday, September 16th, drop by the Kawartha Artists’ Gallery and Studio between 1 and 4 p.m. to meet the artists and enjoy the opening reception for ‘Serving up Colour’.

The show features the work of five artists from the area: Theresa Morris, Ann Talbot, Marilyn Simpson, Randy Woods, and Margaret Tough.

Otherwise, drop in during gallery hours to see the show.

Kawartha Artists’ Gallery and Studio is a not-for-profit artist’s co-operative, located at 420 O’Connell Road in Peterborough. Hours of operation are Wednesday to Sunday from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. and Thursdays from 1 p.m. until 7 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.kawarthaartists.org.

Acme Art & Sailboat Co. presents ‘Not So Up and Coming’

This September, Acme features not one, not two, but seven stellar artists! The show includes work by Dorothy Caldwell, John B. Boyle, Michael Poulton, Peter Barron, Ann Jaeger, John Moffat, and Joe Stable.

Together, they amass over 350 years of art making!

The show opens as part of the First Friday Art Crawl from 6 to 11 p.m. on Friday, September 7th.

Acme Art and Sailboat Company is located at 129-1/2 Hunter Street West, 3rd floor, in downtown Peterborough. Hours of operation are variable, please check Acme’s Facebook page.

Evans Contemporary presents Michael Green: ‘(Echo)incidence and the Observer’

Opening night for this new exhibition of work by Michael Green falls on Friday, September 7th as part of the First Friday Art Crawl. Beginning at 6 p.m., festivities will continue until 11.

If you are in the Peterborough area, drop in and enjoy the art crawl for a taste of arts and culture.

Evans Contemporary is located at #2 Banker’s Common in downtown Peterborough. For more information, visit www.evanscontemporary.com or contact Paolo Fortin at evanscontemporary@gmail.com.

Coeur Nouveau presents ‘Russell Banx: New Paintings’

The latest series of striking paintings by multidisciplinary experimental artist Russell Banx will be on display at Coeur Nouveau this September.

Opening as part of the First Friday Art Crawl, a reception will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, September 7th.

Coeur Nouveau is located on the 2nd floor of the Commerce Building at 129-1/2 Hunter St. West in downtown Peterborough.

Star X presents ‘Wayne Eardley: Portraits’

Peterborough photographer Wayne Eardley has been shooting black and white portraits as part of his ongoing “The Relative Project” over a number of years.

“This project started out years ago with the idea that we are all genetically related, if not in recent millennium then certainly before and beyond,” Eardley writes on www.wayneeardley.com.

“We all share a humanity that is easier seen when context is taken away. Thus, I travel with a white sheet and set up where I can, in parks, on streets, in backyards, on soccer-pitches. Having the pleasure and honour of photographing all these people gives me a sense of our shared global community.

“When I need to feel alive I need only to visit my Relatives and have them show me hope, bravery, strength, vulnerability, joy and beauty. They are like brothers and sisters to me.”

These striking images of everyday people will be on display at Star X for the month of September. Drop in and meet the artist at the opening reception during the First Friday Art Crawl from 6 t0 9 p.m. on Friday, September 7th.

Star X is located at 129-1/2 Hunter St. West, 3rd floor, in downtown Peterborough. Regular hours of operation are Saturday from 12 to 6 p.m.

Long-time Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre is returning to Peterborough for a concert at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre (140 Charlotte St., Peterborough) on Tuesday, September 25th.

Barre has been touring with his own band for some time, and last performed at the Market Hall in April 2017 to rave reviews. He delivers blues-infused hard rock originals along with selections from the Jethro Tull catalogue — classic tunes like “A Song for Jeffrey”, “Aqualung”, “Locomotive Breath” and “Thick as a Brick”, but re-imagined with guitar front and centre.

The 72-year-old Barre was the guitarist in Jethro Tull from 1969 until 2012, making him the the longest-standing member of the band aside from founder Ian Anderson. He appeared on every Jethro Tull album except the band’s debut This Was (1968) and is particularly known for his guitar work on Aqualung (1971).

VIDEO: “Aqualung” – Jethro Tull

His instrumental for the title track of Aqualung was voted the 25th best solo ever in the USA and 20th best solo ever in the UK. Many virtuoso guitarists — including Joe Bonamassa, Steve Vai, and Jo Satriani — have credited Barre as an important influence on their playing.

Born in Birmingham, England in 1946, Barre began his musical career in the early 1960s playing saxophone with Birmingham band The Moonrakers, and then joined The Noblemen (later renamed The Motivation).

In 1968, Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull — which had formed in 1967 as a blues-rock band before later morphing into a progressive rock outfit — was having conflicts with the band’s guitarist Mick Abrahams and was holding auditions for a new guitarist.

Barre showed up for an audition but was so nervous he barely played. He returned for a second audition and, despite arriving without his own amplifier or guitar cord, he got the green light from Anderson.

For the next four decades, Barre performed as Jethro Tull’s guitarist (he sometimes played flute and mandolin). In addition to his role in Jethro Tull, he has worked with other musicians including Paul McCartney, Phil Collins, Gary Moore, Jo Bonamassa, and Chris Thompson and has shared a stage with Jimi Hendrix, Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd, and Led Zeppelin.

In 1988, his playing on Jethro Tull’s 16th studio album Crest of a Knave earned him a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance Vocal or Instrumental. The Grammy win was a controversial upset, as many did not consider the album — which beat out records by both Metallica and Jane’s Addiction — to be either hard rock or heavy metal. In fact, no one from the band was at the awards ceremony to accept the award, as they has been told they had zero chance of winning.

VIDEO: “Locomotive Breath” – The Martin Barre Band

In all, Jethro Tull has sold an estimated 60 million albums worldwide, with 11 gold and five platinum albums among them, and has been described by Rolling Stone as “one of the most commercially successful progressive rock bands”. The band continues to tour under Ian Anderson’s name, while Barre also performs songs from the band’s catalogue with his own band.

In the 1990s, while still with Jethro Tull, Barre began performing as a solo artist. He has since released six studio albums — A Summer Band (1992), A Trick of Memory (1994), The Meeting (1996), Stage Left (2003), Away With Words (2013), and Back To Steel (2015) — with his newest record Roads Less Travelled dropping at the end of August.

On Roads Less Travelled, Barre performs on electric guitar, acoustic guitar, and mandolin.

VIDEO: “Rock Me Baby” – The Martin Barre Band

“I’ve concentrated on improving my songwriting over the last few years and as a result, I am really pleased with this new CD,” Barre says about Roads Less Travelled. “Although my playing has a lot of space in the music, I’ve worked a lot harder on the arrangements and lyrics. My goal is to have a CD that keeps the listener from beginning to end.”

At his Market Hall concert, he’ll be performing tracks from the new record — along with his other original tunes and, of course, some Jethro Tull songs — backed by members of his touring band: vocalist Dan Crisp, bassist Alan Thompson, and drummer Darby Todd.

Tickets for Jethro Tull’s Martin Barre Band are $38 for assigned regular seating and $48 for assigned table seating, or $78 for VIP table seats which include a pre-show meet and greet with Barre, a signed poster, and complimentary refreshments.

Tickets are available now in person at the Market Hall box office, by phone at 705-749-1146, or online at the Market Hall Box Office or online at markethall.org.

With the summer theatre season rapidly coming to a close, Globus Theatre at the Lakeview Arts Barn in Bobcaygeon presents the final show of its summer season with Kristen Da Silva’s new romantic comedy Sugar Road.

Directed by Globus’ artistic director Sarah Quick, Sugar Road is a lovely little show filled with laughs, heart, and romance that defied all my expectations. In many ways, Sugar Road is the type of show made for summer theatre and is a perfect way to cap off the season.

Written by Oakville based playwright Kristen Da Silva, Sugar Road made its debut in October 2017 at Theatre Orangeville to positive reviews.

Globus’ Sugar Road is somewhat of a revival of that production, with Sarah Quick reprising her supporting role of brash country music fan Caroline Dawn, and actor Jake Simons returning to take on the romantic lead as country music heart throb Jesse Emberley.

Globus Theatre also obtained the elaborate set, special lighting, and spectacular artwork from the original production, all beautifully designed by Theatre Orangeville’s production designer Beckie Morris.

The result is a very different-looking show, making Globus’ presentation of Sugar Road something special.

Sugar Road follows Hannah Taylor (Tara Koehier) who, along with her lovable handyman Ray (James Barrett), struggles to keep her decaying amusement park Sugar Road open for business.

Handed down through three generations, Sugar Road is Hannah’s family’s legacy but, as beloved as the park is to her, it comes with its own share of bleak memories and personal heartbreak.

In an attempt to gain financial security to keep the park running, Hannah reluctantly decides to bring back the once-popular Spurs and Hearts Country Music Festival which at one time put Sugar Road on the map, but which Hannah ended when she took over the park upon the death of her mother.

To the great delight of Hannah’s best friend Caroline (Sarah Quick), the headliner of the festival is country music superstar Jesse Emberley (Jake Simons), who appeared at the final Spurs and Hearts festival 12 years before, when he was just starting out in the industry.

Caroline doesn’t understand Hannah’s disinterest in Jesse Emberley, but what Hannah isn’t telling anyone is that she and Jesse met the last time he rode through town in a magical night that conjured up emotions that hit to close to home. Now, with the crowds clamoring for Jesse Emberley, and a handsome singer sneaking around the amusement park on his own emotional mission, all roads are leading to a place and time that was left behind long ago.

For some people, country music is an acquired taste and I’ll admit that, with some notable exceptions, it’s a taste I haven’t acquired. Although Sugar Road features a country singer as the romantic lead, a lot of rural humour, and a country music festival as the backdrop of the show, it’s not about country music. It’s a wonderful show about magical summer nights, young love, generational loyalty, family secrets, and the cult of celebrity.

Anyone who has ever been a fan of someone or something, or who has had a brush with fame, will find something they can relate to in Sugar Road. But most of all, it’s a show that pulls on the heartstrings, much like a Hallmark TV movie — but with a lot more depth and much better acting.

If you don’t like country music, don’t let that dissuade you from seeing Sugar Road.. Of course, if you are a fan of country and everything that goes along with it, then why haven’t you bought your ticket yet? This show was written just for you!

Toronto-based actress Tara Koehler makes her Globus Theatre debut in the leading role of Hannah Taylor and gives a beautiful performance as a woman with a tender heart who has hardened it to protect her from the past. Tara creates a character who drifts between conflicting emotions while struggling to keep the wall around her heart standing. Due to the excitement of her friend Caroline, cracks in the wall begin to appear as Caroline continues to prattle on about Jesse Emberley.

What is interesting is how the show features different levels of generational drama, and how each generation’s story has created the wall around Caroline’s heart. This gives the character a certain emotional complexity that Tara is able to play with, and as a result gives the audience a character they come to care about deeply.

Meanwhile, there is something very special about Jake Simons and his portrayal of Jesse Emberley. Jake has this impressive presence as an actor that carries over to the character. Throughout the opening act, the character of Jesse is built up almost as an enigma, creating a mythical figure of the celebrity as being more than human. The great thing about Jesse is that he really is just a good guy with a big heart.

Jake has a natural star power that gives the character the larger-than-life presence it needs, but his easygoing charm also gives the character the heart that makes Jesse so real to the audience. It’s a great performance by an incredibly charismatic actor.

James Barrett transforms handyman Ray Bishop into the kind of character he plays so well. Big hearted, not too bright, protective, and harboring secrets of his own, often Ray is played as comic relief, but he also finds himself entangled in the drama of the past.

It’s a funny but tender role for James, who gives a solid supporting performance.

But it’s Sarah Quick who often gives the biggest performances as the brash and overzealous Caroline, who paints a fantasy picture of Jesse Emberley that collides with Hannah’s reality. With humour that’s often over the top, Sarah gives one of the funniest performances I’ve ever seen from her.

The highlight of the show is Sarah’s monologue at the end of the first act as she battles with a sleeping bag that has turned her into a human burrito. It may be the funniest thing I’ve seen on the stage so far in 2018.

Her scenes with Jake Simons are also hysterical, as she becomes the human embodiment of the crazed fan that lives in all of us.

I cannot express enough how much I fell in love with Sugar Road. I didn’t expect the show to capture my sometimes cynical heart as much as it did.

I also found it interesting how the show played with fandom and celebrity worship, and explored how celebrities are just people with their own stories to tell.

It made me reflect on the interactions I’ve had with famous people in the past — how real I found many of them, but also how I have romanticized some of those encounters over the years as well.

But mainly I couldn’t help but get caught up in the sweet love story, and find that special magic that exists at Sugar Road.

The summer theatre in the Kawarthas has been extraordinarily good this year, and I’ve seen winner after winner over the past few months. If you’ve been waiting for a show with a perfect combination of laughter, romance, and heart, then Sugar Road is the one for you. Make the Lakeview Arts Barn your destination for a memorable night of theatre that you don’t want to miss.

Sugar Road runs until Saturday, September 1st at the Lakeview Arts Barn in Bobcaygeon. Shows start at 8 p.m., with 2 p.m. matinees on Saturday, August 25th and Thursday, August 30th. A three-course table d’hôte menu is available at 6 p.m. prior to every evening performance. Tickets are $34.50 for the show only, or $71 if you want the dinner and the show. For tickets, visit the box office at Lakeview Arts Barn or call 1-800-304-7897 or 705-738-2037.

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 23 to Wednesday, August 29.

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