Apparently love isn’t the only thing that’s better the second time around — it can apply to making music too.

That’s the case with Big Wreck, originally formed in Boston in 1994 by then Berklee College of Music students Ian Thornley and Brian Doherty. Along with Dave Henning and Forrest Williams, the band played shows around Boston under the name “Still Waters”. That name really didn’t fit the band’s style of alt rock, so they renamed the band “Big Wreck” — reportedly a phrase Doherty frequently used to refer to things going wrong.

Despite the name or maybe because of it, everything started going right for Big Wreck. The band signed with Atlantic Records, released its debut album In Loving Memory Of… in 1997, and found instant success on the strength of high-charting singles “The Oaf”, “That Song”, and “Blown Wide Open”.

When follow-up album The Pleasure And The Greed failed to match that success, band members went their separate ways in 2002. It was there things sat for eight years, until Doherty guested one night with his former bandmate’s new outfit Thornley. One thing led to another and Big Wreck was soon back in business in a very big way.

On Wednesday, July 18th at Del Crary Park, the fruits of the second coming of Big Wreck will be on full display as Peterborough Musicfest presents the Juno Award-nominated rock quartet (who last performed in Peterborough at The Venue this past January). Admission to the 8 p.m. concert is free.

VIDEO: “The Oaf” – Big Wreck

“With the initial break-up, everyone was just disillusioned with the entire industry, where we were going, what we were doing, and why,” recalls Thornley in a July 2017 interview with Jason Setnyk of The Cornwall Seeker.

“Looking back, we were burned out, doing too much of the wrong things for the wrong reasons, and it had to change,” he says. “The band started the friendship I had with Brian when we were roommates in college and afterwards. I think getting back together stemmed from that — just missing a friend and reaching out.

“We started hanging out a little bit, both at similar points in our lives, and we rekindled a friendship. Things just sort of fell into place, with the Thornley thing winding down and steering towards a Big Wreck sound.”

VIDEO: “That Song” – Big Wreck

Things fell into place indeed.

With Thornley members Dave McMillan and Paulo Neta in the fold, the rejuvenated band released its first single in 10 years in 2011: “Albatross” featured on the 2012 album of the same name. It peaked at #2 on the Canadian alt-rock singles chart.

Two years later, Ghosts was released, with the title track charting in the Top Ten on both the Canadian alt-rock and rock singles chart and earning Big Wreck a 2015 Juno Award nomination in the Rock Album of the Year category.

VIDEO: “Blown Wide Open” – Big Wreck

Big Wreck’s latest album is 2017’s Grace Street, featuring the hit single “One Good Piece Of Me”.

“When it (Grace Street) was initially done, I listened to it a lot,” Thornley says.

“I love how everything comes together sonically and song-wise. I think we’re touching on new territory. Lyrically, I think it cuts closer to the bone and I think it’s the most revealing. There is a lot of stuff on the album that is bare bones. Here’s what is going on and here’s where I’m at. Having said that, I don’t think it’s dark and heavy. There is a lot of optimism and hope as well. It feels like there is something a little more upfront as far as content goes.”

VIDEO: “Albatross” – Big Wreck

VIDEO: “Ghosts” – Big Wreck

With Big Wreck now comprised of guitarists Thornley and Doherty alongside Dave McMillan (bass) and Chuck Keeping (drums), the frontman concedes that while much has changed since the first go-round, there remains a built-in familiarity.

“The whole thing feels different in many ways but it’s still just four guys doing what they do best together — looking for that spark in every song, sometimes once a night and sometimes not at all,” Thornley says.

“That spark, that’s something that has always been there and, knock on wood, I hope it’s something that will always be there. That search for that feeling — like you’re almost outside yourself and you’re completely in the moment and everyone is there at the same time, on the same page — it’s quite the rush. That’s always been the singular focus of our band: trying to find that within a song and within a performance.”

VIDEO: “One Good Piece Of Me” – Big Wreck

Peterborough Musicfest is presenting 18 free-admission concerts featuring a total of 20 acts during its 32nd season — each staged on Wednesday and Saturday nights at Del Crary Park.

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 or the entire 2018 season, visit www.ptbomusicfest.ca or phone the Peterborough Musicfest office at 705-755-1111.

Globus Theatre invites you to spend a summer weekend in beautiful Nova Scotia in director Sarah Quick’s production of Norm Foster’s Lunenburg. Running until July 21st at the Lakeview Arts Barn in Bobcaygeon, Lunenburg is a story about grief, secrets, acceptance, and a ton of flirtation played out by a trio of Globus Theatre favourites.

Running until July 21st at the Lakeview Arts Barn in Bobcaygeon, Lunenburg is a story about grief, secrets, acceptance, and a ton of flirtation played out by a trio of Globus Theatre favourites.

What is summer without a play by Norm Foster? There’s a reason he is Canada’s most produced playwright: his plays are well written, intelligent, funny, and filled with heart.

Lunenburg is one of his newest plays, and made its debut in 2017 at the Norm Foster Festival in St. Catherines. Like many of his shows, Lunenburg continues the Foster tradition of taking stories that are recognizable as our own, but turning them on their head to expose a different angle of the familiar.

When Iris Oulette’s (Anna Silvija Broks) husband Robert is killed in a plane crash, her lawyer reveals to her that among the assets she has inherited is a house in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia that she never knew existed.

Four weeks after his death, Iris and her best friend Natalie (Sarah Quick) travel from Maine to Nova Scotia to investigate, where Iris quickly discovers the truth about a man she possibly never knew at all.

Upon arriving, they meet the next-door neighbor Charlie (James Barrett) who has more answers about Robert that he seems to want to let on, although his true motive for coming over seems to be to meet Natalie. As Natalie and Charlie flirt and paint the town red, Iris discovers a diary of a woman named Jennifer Cleveland, which will prove to answer all the secrets that lie in the little house in Lunenburg — but they may not be the answers Iris wants to learn.

In most ways, Lunenburg is classic Norm Foster. It has a sense of depth, a lot of humour, and it takes a somewhat familiar plot that Foster masterfully plays with to create something completely different. However, at times I became confused as to just what Foster wants the focus of the show to be. At times I wanted more of one plot, and perhaps a little less of the other. Sometimes it seemed the drama and the mystery gets lost in the comedy and romance.

However, this never stopped me from enjoying the show and watching the fantastic performances, and the Globus audience was completely taken in — making it obvious that Lunenburg is effective summer theatre.

At the centre of the show is Anna Silvija Broks as the newly widowed Iris. One of my favourite perennial performers at Globus, Anna tackles the role of Iris as a woman with a lot of emotional maturity. She is able to convey grief and shock without hysterics.

Also, without giving away too much plot, Iris’ role in the bigger story is an interesting one, and Foster puts an intriguing spin on what is often used as a stock character. It’s a strong and different sort of role for a lovely and talented actress.

I really wanted much more of Iris’s story, and I often felt the mystery of Robert’s secret life was overshadowed by the romantic escapades of the supporting cast. Although Iris seems to find her own answers through the diary of Jennifer Cleveland, and despite the show’s most potent encounter in the second act, I never felt satisfied that all the questions were answered. There is just so much more story to tell.

But while the audience may not get enough of Iris, we do get plenty of the lively comical banter between Globus’ James Barrett and Sarah Quick as Charlie and Natalie. James plays a charming and bold East Coaster with an eye for the ladies. Sarah plays a turned-on divorcee who hasn’t gotten any in a long while. Together they create a lot of good-hearted sexual tension as they flirt through the show, and an unlikely whirlwind romance flourishes.

But it’s not just all about sex. Some deeper storylines penetrate the plot, such as the problems in their relationships with their children, Natalie’s personal insecurities, and Charlie’s true feelings over what life was like in the house next door. James and Sarah have an obvious strong chemistry with one another, and it is a true delight to see them together making magic together.

Lunenburg has a lot of different emotions running through it, and while a less-experienced company may be in danger of taking this show to far over the top, James, Sarah, and Anna manage to keep the characters at a reasonable emotional tone. Although it is primarily a show about secrets, it becomes one of friendship, acceptance, and love.

As always, the company at Globus Theatre continues to deliver quality theatre at a beautiful unique location. A visit to Globus is a near guarantee that you will see something worth watching and memorable. In that, Lunenburg delivers. It’s another reason to spend a beautiful evening at the Lakeview Arts Barn in Bobcaygeon.

Lunenburg runs from Tuesday, July 17th until Saturday, July 21st at the Lakeview Arts Barn. Shows start at 8 p.m., with a 2 p.m. matinee on Thursday, July 19th. 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.

If you’re a fan of Celtic music, whether moving ballads or foot-stomping jigs and reels, you won’t want to miss a rare local performance of Cantrip when the trio of multi-instrumentalists comes to the Market Hall in Peterborough on Thursday, August 9th to perform a mix of traditional and original music.

The band’s name is an archaic Scottish word meaning a mischievous or playful act, reflecting both the unexpected twists and turns in the trio’s musical arrangements as well as their exceptional musicianship.

Cantrip was originally formed in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1999 as a quartet with current members Dan Houghton (bagpipes, flute, whistles, guitar, bouzouki, vocals) and Jon Bews (fiddle, vocals), along with Cammy Robson (guitars, bouzouki, banjo) and Ian Willis (percussion).

After playing the local pub and festival circuit, the band was signed to Scotland’s Foot Stompin’ Celtic Music label, and released their debut album Silver in 2001 (now out of print).

VIDEO: “Old, Waily, Windy Nights” – Cantrip

Following years of touring, including across the United States, the band went independent and released two more albums on their own: 2005’s Boneshaker and 2008’s Piping the Fish.

Soon after, the band redefined itself as a trio, with Robson and Willis leaving the group and American native Eric McDonald joining to perform on guitar, mandolin, bouzouki, and vocals. This led both to tighter arrangements and new creative inspiration for Cantrip’s sound, resulting in the release of The Crossing in 2016.

“Their presentation is all energy as they channel modern swoops and slides of sound into the traditional repertoire,” writes The Orcadian, a newspaper from the Orkney Islands in Scotland. “Their music comes from wild landscapes and wild places of the spirit.”

VIDEO: Four Tunes by Cantrip

“Cantrip pulls together Breton, Scandic, a touch of the Balkans, and several strands of Scottish music to produce a rich and savoury feast from what is basically three lads having fun,” writes Alex Monaghan in Irish Music Magazine.

Now, almost 20 years later, Cantrip is revisiting its roots and will be releasing a live version of their first album, Silver, in the fall of 2018.

Cantrip performs at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre (140 Charlotte St., Peterborough, 705-749-1146) at 8 p.m. on Thursday, August 9th. Tickets are $23 and are available from the Market Hall Box Office or online at markethall.org.

Celtic music fans will want to take advantage of a special bundle offer from the Market Hall: if you order tickets for both Cantrip and the April Verch Band featuring Canadian fiddler and step dancer April Verch on Sunday, October 21st, you will save $5 on the order. Bundles are available online at markethall.org.

VIDEO: Cantrip in Arlington

Dan Hougton (bagpipes, flute, whistles, guitar, bouzouki, vocals)

Dan was born in the West Afrian nation of Ghana, but was transported to Scotland shortly thereafter, where he was surrounded by the indigenous music. He began his career with the whistle at age seven and started playing bagpipes in the early 1990s, proceeding to win the Scottish Lowland and Border Pipers’ Society Open Borderpipes and New Composition events multiple times, as well as the Maitre de Cornemuse at St. Chartier.

Over the years, he increased his versatility as a multi-instrumentalist, becoming an accomplished player on the flute, bouzouki, and guitar (in the popular DADGAD Celtic tuning). In 2010, with the help of many friends (including Jon Bews), Dan released his first solo recording The Long March Home. An instructor at the Vermont Institute of Celtic Arts, Dan can be heard as a member of Parcel of Rogues, Prydien, and Salsa Celtica as well as Cantrip.

Jon Bews (fiddle, vocals)

Having started playing fiddle at the age of four, Jon came to Scots music from a classical education by way of Goth rock. But it didn’t take long for him to entrench himself in the world of Celtic music and carve a name for himself as a fiddler. A prize-winning graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 1994, he has performed and recorded with such diverse artists as Malinky, James Yorkston, Mikel Urdangarin, Ranarim, Deaf Mutes, and Samling. In addition to Cantrip, he currently plays with Edinburgh-based bands Urvanovic, OBT, and League of Regrettable Superheroes.

Jon is also widely recognised as a composer and arranger. His string arrangements have been sought out by Ewan MacPherson and Fribo and his tunes have won high acclaim. Jon moved to the Scottish Borders in 2003 where he spent two years as Traditional and World Music Development Worker for Scottish Borders Council.

Eric McDonald (guitar, mandolin, bouzouki, vocals)

The only American member of Cantrip, Eric found his way to traditional music through the rich local music scene in his hometown Boston.

Nearly a decade after studying at Berklee College of Music under world-renowned musicians including guitarist/mandolinist John McGann and cellist Eugene Friesene, he is now established as one of the USA’s premier accompanists in many styles.

Eric cut his teeth playing for contra dances in New England, and can still often be seen from the dance floor. He is an active session player, regularly recording and traveling with musicians of many stripes. Touring credits include The Outside Track, Chris Norman Ensemble, Andrea Beaton, Wendy MacIsaac,and Katie McNally.

In addition to Cantrip, he can currently be seen touring with traditional Irish music trio Daymark, Scottish fiddle champion Ryan McKasson, and award-winning singer-songwriter Connor Garvey. In addition to guitar accompaniment, Eric’s debut solo album Rove features his unique style and approach to tunes on the mandolin, as well as carefully crafted deliveries of traditional ballads on voice and guitar.

VIDEO: The Crossing fundraising pitch – Cantrip

It took a dream, a vision, and lots of volunteers and community support, but for the past 41 years the Buckhorn Fine Art Festival has successfully turned a wealth of local art into a thriving community centre in the heart of cottage country.

Starting as a wildlife art festival, the weekend-long fine art display — which opens on the evening of Friday, August 17th and runs all weekend — has grown into a world-class festival that showcases more than 80 Canadian visual artists, sculptors, jewelers, and photographers in pavilions that fill a park in the small town.

At the heart of the park is the not-for-profit Buckhorn Community Centre; the recipient of all the festival funds. According to festival director Allyson Allin, it’s a great way to fundraise.

“The artists have built this,” she explains. “Some of the original artists paid for the building materials for the first 11 buildings in Festival Park and, since the early days, it has grown.”

These days, the festival goes beyond wildlife but Allin notes that it is still a juried show with a criteria for fine art. This is not, as Allin explains, a craft fair.

The Buckhorn Fine Art Festival is well designed to help visitors develop relationships with artists and their work.

As guests of the festival wander through the park and the pavilions, there are opportunities to chat with artists, watch demonstrations, and to absorb the energy of the pieces that fill the space.

Starting with opening night on Friday, August 17th and closing at 5 p.m. on Sunday, August 19th, there is lots of time to fall in love with your next piece of original art. Art will be available for purchase using Mastercard, VISA, Interac (debit), and cash.

“There is enough time to return to see a favourite piece over the weekend,” Allin says. “For people who buy and collect art, it’s a great experience. This is where you can connect with a piece and you can learn its story and how it was created and why.”

The festival focuses on fine art but it is still family friendly and, with the “ARTivity Zone” operating all weekend, children can participate, create, and experiment in different art mediums.

“We try not to direct in the Artivity Zone,” Allin says. “We let the children decide which activities they are drawn to.”

And if the kids or their parents are stumped, facilitators are available to assist the children if needed or they can help families take on group activities — all with a focus on creative exploration of art and the joy it can bring.

Besides the gorgeous views offered all weekend, Allin is also proud of the sounds and tastes that will create a rich experience for festival patrons.

There are musicians playing all weekend long — including Bridget Foley & the Pocket Kings on opening night and Jasmine Murray, Brooke Averill, and The History Buffs over the weekend — and catering is being provided by Swanky Events and Executive Chef Doris Hillier with a focus on specialty sandwiches and salads.

Other highlights of the Buckhorn Fine Art Festival include a special exhibition called “The Lives of Birds” that features festival alumni. One of the founding members of the festival, famed Canadian wildlife artist Michael Dumas, has donated an original work that will be awarded in a draw on opening night (your opening night admission fee includes one free draw ticket, and additional tickets are $75 each).

The weekend-long event is open to all who want to enjoy acres of art under the pines in Buckhorn.

The Buckhorn Fine Art Festival begins with opening night on Friday, August 17th at 7 p.m., an elegant evening of fine art, food and refreshments, and live music by Bridget Foley and the Gospel Girls. You will also have the opportunity ton personally meet with exhibitors. In addition to the draw for an original work from Michael Dumas, valued at $1,000, there will also by a “Mystery Masterpiece” draw of a work from one of this year’s exhibitors.

Admission for opening night is $20 in advance or $25 at the gate, and includes parking and re-entry to the festival all weekend.

The festival continues from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, August 18th and 19th. Day passes are available for $8 (or $25 for four adults), with no charge for children under 12 who are accompanied by an adult. Advance tickets for opening night as well as day passes can be ordered online.

Admission to the festival is free for members of the Buckhorn Community Centre, the Peterborough Field Naturalists, Ducks Unlimited, and the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (show your membership card or admission letter).

Proceeds of the festival continue to support the Buckhorn Community Centre, the home of Festival Park at 1782 Lakehurst Road in Buckhorn. Shuttle busses will be running from the parking locations.

For more information about the Buckhorn Fine Art Festival, visit www.buckhornfineart.com. You can also follow the festival on Facebook and Twitter.