Canadian hip hop artist Peter Jackson will be headlining Peterborough LIVE’s 12-hour Reunion Show and Dance Party at The Venue on the evening of Saturday, May 13th.

Often called the hardest-working rapper in Canada, Jackson is known in hip hop circles for his work ethic when it comes to recording and touring. The Ajax native has been awarded honours from the Canadian Urban Television Awards, including Mixtape of the Year for Good Company, Music Video of the Year for “Havana”, and Rap Album of the Year (2015) for Since I was 16 and Album of the Year (2016) for Two Sides to a Story.

Jackson has also received press in over 500 major hip hop and music publications and was nominated for Hip Hop Artist of the Year at the Independent Music Awards. In April 2017, he was awarded the iHeartRadio and Virgin Radio Future Star Award. His new single “On a Wave” was awarded a national radio campaign, being added into heavy rotation at all Virgin Radio stations across Canada. His appearance at Peterborough LIVE follows a month-long tour across Canada, as the supporting act for Riff Raff, in promotion of his newest project Married to Success.

VIDEO: “On A Wave” – Peter Jackson

The May 13th show at The Venue begins at noon, with a showcase of solo artists (including Cale Crowe, Mary-Kate Edwards, Jayde Taylor, Nathan Jackson, Whitney Paget, and Cameron von Criegern) and bands (including Outshined, Rose Cora Perry & The Truth Untold, Semolina Pilchard, Wolfox, Hunt the Hare, Coconut Navy, and The House Call).

The show continues with a licensed all-ages dance party at 9 p.m. with several opening acts, including Hooks, Kachinga, Koty Kolter, Forest Gumption and Omega Dance Crew, and Zumba with Shaoling and Amarilis Salsa Rhumba Dance Ensemble with DJ Thibault, followed by the headline performance by Peter Jackson at 11 p.m.

Advance tickets can be purchased for $5 at the Customer Service desk at Lansdowne Place (645 Lansdowne St, Peterborough) or at ticketscene.ca. Festival passholders and Festival performers and volunteers wearing lanyards will be admitted free of charge.

Other new shows announced

In addition to Peter Jackson, Peterborough LIVE has announced more performances at more venues. The Five Fours, a local jazz ensemble from St. Peter High School, and The ‘Fabulous’ Rave, a jazz band from Toronto, have teamed with Hot Belly Mama’s to offer Jazz in the Afternoon on Saturday, May 13th from 2 to 4 p.m.

La Hacienda will be opening its doors early on Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 14th) to provide an Acoustic Open Mic stage from 1 to 5 p.m. The show will be hosted by Craig Stevens and is sponsored by Circle Kung Fu and Tai Chi Studios. Acoustic musicians are welcome and a guitar will be available.

For a complete schedule of performers and show times, see the list below.

About the festival

The 2017 Peterborough LIVE Music Festival is bigger and better than ever, with more than 100 performers at 25 venues over five days.

The fourth annual music festival takes place from Wednesday, May 10th through Sunday, May 14th in downtown Peterborough. Virtually every musical genre is represented at the festival, including rock, blues, metal, punk, hip hop, rap, EDM, indie/alternative, pop, country, bluegrass, folk, jazz, R&B, big band, DJs, choirs, and classical. And, new this year, the festival also features dance, poetry, and comedy.

In its tagline “Showcasing Artists in Nogojiwanong”, Peterborough LIVE acknowledges that Peterborough and its performers are located on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe (Ojibway) that was originally named and known as Nogojiwanong. While the festival does not have a show featuring only First Nations artists, there are First Nations artists performing through the festival and outreach to First Nations artists continues, guided by the festival’s Artistic Director, Missy Knott.

LIVE is an acroynm for “Local Independent Venue Events” and the music festival is certainly that, with acts at 25 venues across downtown Peterborough.

Venues for the festival are The Red Dog, The Venue, Market Hall, The Spill, The Black Horse Pub, Dobro, The Garnet, Dr. J’s Barbecue & Brews, Black Honey Cafe, Sapphire Room, Catalina’s, The Lounge By Lignum, The Only Cafe, Dreams of Beans, The Food Forest Cafe, guerrillaSTUDIOS, Crazy Piano Bar Persian Grill, Pappas Billiards, Sadleir House, McThirsty’s Pint, The White House, The Theatre on King, Sadleir House, Hot Belly Mama’s, La Hacienda, and Murray St. Baptist Church.

The festival begins on Wednesday, May 10th at The Red Dog (189 Hunter St. W., Peterborough) with a media launch from 4 to 6 p.m.

The launch will be followed by a live jam at guerrillaSTUDIOS (140 Simcoe St., Peterborough) from 6 to 9 p.m., a poetry and comedy fest at 7 p.m. at The Theatre On King (159 King St., Peterborough), and The Little Big Band with special guests Peterborough Jazz and Blues Workshop from 6 to 10 p.m. at Sadleir House (751 George St. N., Peterborough).

The festival then continues with acts every day until late Sunday afternoon. There’s a mix of both local talent and performers from out of town.

Some familiar local musicians performing at the festival include Cale Crow, Tom Eastland, Mary-Kate Edwards, Evangeline Gentle, Nathan Jackson, Kerry Jayne, Marsala Lukianchuk, Missy Knott, Rob Phillips, Tom Eastland, Whitney Paget, Bobby Watson, and more.

There are also performers coming in from out of town, including Rose Cora Perry and The Truth Untold (Tyler Randall), a high-energy rock duo duo from London, Ontario. In 2010, when she released her critically acclaimed debut solo album Off Of the Pages, she also launched a not-for-profit foundation called MusicSaves, which aims to impart onto troubled youth the healing capacity of music.

Perry released her sophomore solo album Onto the Floor in 2016, and hopes to raise enough funds from the sale of this album to launch a nationwide high school seminar series where she can share her story about overcoming depression through the power of music and the songs that were inspired from it.

VIDEO: Six Feet Under – Rose Cora Perry

Other performers at the festival include:

• 3 Alarm Choir
• 67
• Adam Grills
• Jesse Morrissey
• Aenigma
• Allena Iris
• Amanda Robb Band
• Amarilis and the Rhumba Salsa Dance Ensemble
• Andy Curtis
• Angela Semple
• August MacDonald
• Backyard Riot
• befreeyourself
• Ben Ayotte
• Cameron Boyd
• Ben Hunter
• Beyond the Wall
• Break The Trend
• Bree Taylor
• Bring Back Summer
• Britt Hall
• Cameron Boyd
• Ben Ayotte
• Cameron Von Criegern
• Coconut Navy
• Crossdockers
• Curve Lake Singers
• Dalton Whitehead
• David Eadie
• Demolition Rage
• DJ Thibault
• Edwards Family
• Elizabeth Basciano
• Emily Erhart
• Emma Leeson
• The Five Fours
• For One Night Only
• Forest Gumption & Omega Dance Crew
• The Garretts
• Grace Hatherly
• Heart Attack Kids
• Helldevilles
• Hillary Dumoulin
• The House Call
• Hunt the Hare
• Ian-K
• Jason O’Brien
• Jayde Taylor
• Jessica Wilson
• Joslynn Burford
• Kachinga
• Koty Kolter
• Kane Miller
• Kawartha Youth Orchestra
• Keelie
• Kerry Jayne
• Lance Isaacs
• Liam Parker
• Michael Roger
• Michaela Hetherington
• My Affected Reality
• Nathan Bottomley
• Nicholas Campbell
• Outshined
• Owen Wright
• Patrick Rees
• Peter Thibault
• Peterborough City Church Band
• Present Tense
• Purple Smoke
• Raphael Nawaz
• Rebecca McDonald and Tamara Bird
• Semolina Pilchard
• Shelby Henderson
• Stephen Stamp
• Still in Motion
• Taylor Kirkwood
• Taylor Merrick
• Susanne Kozo
• Tom Middleton
• Travis Sivart
• UNI Peterborough
• Violet James-Stamp
• Water’s Edge
• Wolfox
• Zippity Doo Dah Community Soul Chorus
• Zumba with Shaoling

For a complete schedule of performers and show times, see the list below.

Festival tickets

Peterborough LIVE also has to be one of the most affordable music festivals ever, with an all-access pass — offering unlimited entry to all venues (depending on capacity) for all five days of the festival — costing only $15. Almost all the shows are all ages, and children 13 and under are admitted free.

Festival passes are available at any of the participating venues, at the Customer Service desk at Lansdowne Place (645 Lansdowne St, Peterborough), and directly from the performers. Single-show tickets are also available for $5 online, directly from the performers, or at the door for the show.

Peterborough LIVE runs live a cooperative, so the best way you can support the performers is to purchase passes or single-show tickets directly from them. If you purchase a pass directly from one of the performers, $10 of the $15 goes directly to the performer. If you buy a single-show ticket directly from a performer, that artist will earn $3. If you want to support more than one performer, then you can purchase three single-show tickets for $5 each and automatically receive an all-access pass.

You can also support the performers by buying your pass online at peterboroughlive.ca/ticket-details/. All-access passes are available for purchase under each show. If you want to support a specific performer, make sure to order the pass listed under that performer’s show. The artist will receive $10 of each pass sold online.

Festival schedule

For your convenience, here’s the schedule of performers and venues for Peterborough LIVE. We’ll update the schedule as often as possible, but to ensure you have the most up-to-date information, check the schedule at peterboroughlive.ca.

Show times are constantly being updated and performers are being added. And remember that show times for multiple acts may be slightly earlier than listed, so allow yourself a few extra minutes when heading to a venue.

Wednesday, May 10th

The Red Dog
4:00 – 6:00pm LIVE Media Launch

Open mic night – drop ins welcome.

**Free Event

guerrillaSTUDIOS
6:00 – 9:00pm LIVE Jam

Welcoming both electric and acoustics sets – drop ins welcome.

**Free Event

 The Theatre on King 
LIVE’s Poetry & Improv Fest

Doors open 7:00pm

Sadleir House
6:00 – 10:00pm 

Doors Open at 6:00pm

Thursday, May 11th

Crazy Piano Bar Persian Grill
5:00 – 8:00pm  AfterWork Live Music with Kerry Jayne

The Lounge By Lignum
7:30 – 9:30pm  Formal Piano Recital

Doors Open at 7:00pm

Original compositions of the neo-classical genre. Curated by Verger, with Special Guests

The Black Horse Pub  
8:00pm – 12:00am

Jazz and Blues Open Stage with Rob Phillips

Featuring Marsala Lukianchuk with special guest Whitney Paget

Sapphire Room
9:00pm – 2:00am

Doors Open at 5:00pm

David Eadie and Friends

Featuring DJ Thibault

Junction Nightclub Downstairs Pool Hall
10:00pm – 2:00am Weekend Warm Up with Live DJs

19+ Club Event, No Cover Charge

Friday, May 12th

The Lounge by Lignum
5:00 – 9:00pm Peterborough Performs @ The Lounge by Lignum

Doors Open at 4:00pm

9:30pm – 11:30pm An Evening of Jazz with Whitney Paget

The Red Dog
5:00pm – 1:00am  Singer/Songwriter Showcase with Hillary Dumoulin

Dobro
5:00 – 9:00pm Blues and Rock Showcase

Doors Open at 4:30pm

The Spill
8:00pm – 1:00am Oh, How Punk

Doors Open at 7:00pm

Saturday, May 13th

Murray St Baptist Church
1:30 – 2:30 Worship Gospel with The Garretts

Doors Open at 1:00pm

The Venue
12:00pm – 1:00am LIVE Reunion & Dance Party

Dobro
1:00pm – 5:00pm Acoustic Crew with Nathan Jackson

Doors Open at 12:30pm

Hot Belly Mama’s
2:00-4:00pm An Afternoon of Jazz

Market Hall
2:00 – 9:00pm Artists of Nogojiwanong

Doors Open at 12:00pm

9:00pm – 12:00am Country Night Live

Cameron von Creigern

Featuring Jade Eagleson

Pappas Billiards
1:30pm – 3:00pm  The L.O.F.T. Open Mic with Joslynn Burford

Doors Open at 1:00pm

**Free Event

Dr J’s Barbecue & Brews
1:00pm Rock Show with Break the Trend

The Spill
3:00 – 6:00pm The Live Room

Doors Open at 2:00pm

U.N.I. Peterborough, Bring Back Summer & Special Guests

The Food Forest Café
4:00 – 6:00pm Mary-Kate Edwards & Friends

Doors Open at 3:30pm

Featuring Kevin Lemieux & more

Catalina’s
8:00 – 11:00pm An Evening with Jayde Taylor

Doors Open at 7:00pm

The Red Dog 
6:30pm – 2:00am Deb Draper’s Hard Rock & Metal Showcase

Doors Open at 6:30pm

Sunday, May 14th

Market Hall
10:00am – 11:00am Peterborough City Church

Doors Open at 9:30am

**Free Event

La Hacienda
1-5 pm     A Little Corner of Mexico on Hunter St.

Open Mic hosted by Craig Stevens and Circle King Fu and Tai Chi Studio. Acoustic musicians & drop ins welcome. Guitar and hand drums available.

Black Honey
1:00 – 4:00pm Courtyard Coffee House with Emily Erhart

Emily Erhart, Shelby Henderson, TAS drum group, Grace Hatherly, Britt Hall, Bree Taylor, Stephen Stamp, Violet James-Stamp, Sam Edwards, Bryce Porter

**Free Event

*In the event of inclement weather, this show will move to The Red Dog.

The Red Dog
2:00 – 5:00pm Stars of Tomorrow Showcase with Missy Knott

Purple Smoke, Taylor Merrick, Allena Iris, Emma Leeson, Jason O’Brien, Joan Lamore, Lizeh Basciano, Bree Taylor, Nicholas Campbell & Big Dave

Dreams of Beans
2:00pm – 9:00pm Coffee House Hosted by Zach & Steve

Doors Open at 9:00am

May is full of warm weather and great music! Here are just a few listings of live music that are sure to please just about everyone’s taste in music.

Civil Wray and Joel Parkes at The Spill in Peterborough on May 2

Head to The Spill (414 George St. N., Peterborough, 705-748-6167) on Tuesday, May 2nd for a great show, with proceeds from the door benefitting the New Canadians Centre.

The show features the clever lyrics and dancey-pop sound of Civil Wray. It’s a cool project headed up by Andrea De Boer, a Toronto-based artist who likes to mix genres. Her music twists and turns — a little bit jazzy, a little bit of a new wave vibe — are always sung with passion.

Opening the show is Joel Parkes, a local songwriter who has penned some big pop hits but performs in an honest and understated manner.

Tickets are available at the door with the show beginning around 9 p.m.

VIDEO: “Numb” – Civil Wray

Joel and Bill Plaskett with Mayhemingways on May 3 at Academy Theatre in Lindsay and on May 7 at Market Hall in Peterborough

Great Canadian songwriter Joel Plaskett and his father Bill Plaskett play two shows in the Kawarthas in early May. The first is on Wednesday, May 3rd at Academy Theatre (2 Lindsay St. S., Lindsay, 705-324-9111) and the second is Sunday, May 7th at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre (140 Charlotte St., Peterborough, 705-749-1146).

Joel has been a staple of the rock scene in Canada since the early 1990s from his work with Thrush Hermit. Fast forward to today, and he’s made a ton of solo records, records with his rock trip The Emergency, and now he’s made a folk/rock record with his father Bill. These shows are not to be missed.

Peterborough’s Mayhemingways (Benj Rowland and yours truly) will be opening and playing as the Plasketts’ band at both shows.

Tickets for the Market Hall are almost sold out, but there may be a few seats left (check at markethall.org).

Good seats are still available for the Lindsay show. Tickets are $34.50 and are available at the Box Office, by phone at 705-324-9111, or online at www.academytheatre.ca.

VIDEO: “The Next Blue Sky” – Bill and Joel Plaskett with Mayhemingways

Spring Revival at Church-Key Brewing in Campbellford on May 6

Music, food, and beer. Those three great things will combine on Saturday, May 6th at the annual Church-Key Brewing Spring Revival 2017.

The brewery, located just outside of Campbellford at 1678 County Road 38, hosts bands from the area playing a wide variety of genres. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and the performers include Jonny & Jane with David Frey, Broken Harmony, Crowes Feat, Melissa Payne, Tubourg Cindy & Scott, Ken Tizzard, Janet Jeffery Band, Tastes Like Chicken, Jana Ried, Muddy Hack, Madmans Window, Antixx, Sean Conway, and E.L.E.

The event is a chance to try some great craft-brewed beer and to check out the brewery as well. It’s free to attend, with beer and food available for purchase.

VIDEO: Church Key Brewing (Spring Revival at 1:21 mark)

East Coast Music Celebration at The Red Dog in Peterborough on May 6

There will be a celebration of East Coast music for a good cause at The Historic Red Dog Tavern (189 Hunter St. W, Peterborough, 705-750-1710) on Saurday, May 6th.

The event, which features North Atlantic Drift, Clan Hannigan, and McCallum’s Reach, is a benefit for the Camp Kerry Ontario, which offers a family bereavement retreat.

Authentic Maritime music and a kitchen party like atmosphere should make for a great time. There will also be door prizes, raffles, and a silent auction, and a raffle.

Tickets are $20 at the door, or available in advance (cash only) at Black Honey (217 Hunter St. W., Peterborough, 705-750-0024).

The show begins at 7:30 p.m.

VIDEO: Clan Hannigan

The Northern Pikes at The Venue in Peterborough on May 10 and at The Lions Centre in Cobourg on May 12

Canadian rock band The Northern Pikes celebrate their 33rd anniversary with a tour stop at The Venue (286 George St. N., Peterborough, 705-876-0008) on Wednesday, May 10th.

Best known for their 1990s radio hit “She Ain’t Pretty”, the band continues to make records and rock hard.

Tickets are $45 are available at The Venue. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show begins at 8 p.m..

The band is also performing n Cobourg at The Lions Community Centre in Cobourg on Friday, May 12th. Tickets are $45 for that show too.

VIDEO: “She Ain’t Pretty” – The Northern Pikes

Peterborough LIVE Music Festival in downtown Peterborough from May 10 to 14

Peterborough LIVE Music Festival is back! The festival takes place from Wednesday, May 10th to Sunday, May 14th and features more than 100 acts at 23 venues across downtown Peterborough.

There are far too many performers to list here but, with rock, folk, metal, punk, hip hop, rap, jazz funk, R&B, country, bluegrass, DJs, and (new this year) dance, poetry, and comedy, there’s literally something for everyone.

All-access passes for the festival are $15 and single-show tickets are $5 and are available online at www.ticketscene.ca/series/469/. You can also get passes directly from the performers and venues, and passes and single-show tickets at the door for each show.

For more information on who’s playing when and where, check out peterboroughlive.ca.

“Songs in the Key of Cree” featuring Tomson Highway at the Market Hall in Peterborough on May 11

Living legend and Cree-Canadian playwright, songwriter, composer and pianist Tomson Highway performs “Songs in the Key of Cree” on Thursday, May 11th at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre (140 Charlotte St., Peterborough, 705-749-1146).

The evening will feature songs and compositions from five of Highway’s musicals written over the past 30 years. Joining him on stage will be Marcus Ali on saxophone and Peruvian-Canadian singer Patricia Cano.

This will be a special night featuring lively cabaret music and songs with Cree, English, and French lyrics by the trilingual Highway.

The concert is a fundraiser for Public Energy and the final show of the performing arts organization’s current season.

Tickets are $40 plus fees and there are special VIP cabaret seats for $100 plus fees that include a food and drink and a pre-show talk with Highway. Tickets are available at the Market Hall Box Office or online at markethall.org.

VIDEO: Tomson, Patty and Marcus rehearsing “Songs in the Key of Cree”

VIDEO: Playing with Tomson Highway

Ian Foster at Catalina’s in Peterborough on May 15 and at The Loft in Cobourg on May 25

Newfoundland songwriter Ian Foster brings his clever tunes to Catalina’s (131 Hunter St. W., Peterborough, 705-874-5972) on Monday, May 15th at 8 p.m.

Fosters’ writing contrasts living in a modern world with some elements of songcraft handed down by Ron Hynes and company. Tickets are available at the door.

Foster is also performing at The Loft (201 Division St., Cobourg, 905-372-2210) at 8 p.m. on Thursday, May 25th.

VIDEO: “An Open Letter From the Island” – Ian Foster

DUNES at The Garnet in Peterborough on May 19

DUNES from Sudbury brings their hip garage rock sound to The Garnet (231 Hunter St. W., Peterborough, 705-874-0107) on Friday, May 19th.

The band’s sound has elements of ’90s alternative rock that weave through their tunes, while sounding current and fresh. Cool stuff. DUNES will be joined by Peterborough (and beyond) favourites The Lonely Parade and Peterborough garage pop band Prime Junk.

The show begins around 10 p.m. with tickets available at the door for $5 to $8 or pay what you can.

VIDEO: “Alright” – Dunes

Hillsburn at The Loft in Cobourg on May 21

Halifax band Hillsburn have been getting a buzz across Canada with their infectious pop/folk sound. Layered vocals, lush arrangements. and powerful performances are their trademarks. They have garnered a number of award nominations and their star is quickly on the rise.

Catch them at The Loft (201 Division St., Cobourg, 905-372-2210) on Sunday, May 21st for a matinee show at 2 p.m.. For more information, call 905-372-2210 or email kenprue@gmail.com.

VIDEO: “Bury My Heart” – Hillsburn

Mairi Rankin and Allie Robertson at the Market Hall in Peterborough on May 26

Mairi Rankin, of Nova Scotia’s famous Rankin Family, will bring her wealth of traditional Cape Breton music to the stage at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre (140 Charlotte St., Peterborough, 705-749-1146) on Friday, May 26th at 8 p.m.

Also performing is Scottish-born Allie Robertson on the harp. This is a double bill that will be full of Celtic magic.

Tickets are $20 plus fees for general admission ($17 plus fees for students) or $25 plus fees for an assigned cabaret table seat. Get your tickets at the Market Hall Box Office or online at markethall.org. Tickets are also available (cash only) at Moondance (425 George St. N., Peterborough, 705-742-9425).

VIDEO: Mairi Rankin (with Quinn Bachand)

VIDEO: “Swerving for Bunnies” – Allie Robertson

Bobby Dove with Bobby Watson at The Garnet in Peterborough on May 29

Montreal cowgirl crooner Bobby Dove returns to Peterborough to play The Garnet (231 Hunter St. W., Peterborough, 705-874-0107) on Monday, May 29th and will be joined by the great Bobby Watson on guitar.

Dove’s music is from the heart and combines her influences of great songwriters with personal anecdotes and moments in time that resonate with her audience. The show begins around 9 p.m. and tickets are available at the door.

VIDEO: “Another Doggone Day” – Bobby Dove

Save the date: Country Wild Music Festival at Victoria Park in Cobourg on June 3

On Saturday, June 3rd, head down to Cobourg’s Victoria Park for the town’s first-ever country music festival.

Cobourg locals Matt Williams and J Andrew Hall of Cobourg Music Festivals Inc. have lined up nine Canadian bands to perform at the one-day festival, including headliners Cold Creek Country.

Runaway Angel, Gentlemen Husbands, Kansas Stone, Colin Amey, Sacha, Sawmill Road, SweetGrass Band, and Marc Ekins will also be performing at the festival, which takes place from 3 to 10 p.m. (gates open at 2 p.m.).

It’s an all-ages event, but alcohol will be available.

General admission tickets are $35 (plus tax) and are available online at ticketfly.com. Visit countrywild.ca for more information.

VIDEO: “Run Angel Run” – Runaway Angel