Blog Archives

In a city that’s known as the home to some of Canada’s greatest entertainers, namely Gord Downie and the Tragically Hip, you have to put on a special show to impress the fans that fill the walls at the Rogers K-Rock Centre. It was a brisk evening last night on the shores of Lake Ontario and it was Brad Paisley who would take to the stage along with, Calgary native, Lindsay Ell and Chase Bryant.

This was my first year really getting serious about doing photography.  Admittedly the learning curve was huge, but the development and rewards were 100% worth the struggle.  From sneaking my camera into shows at the beginning of the year, to working the stage at the CTC by the end, it’s been a wild ride.

Over the past four years, The Headstones have graced our city with a night of debaucherous rock ‘n’ roll as a warm up to the Christmas season. “Our fans like to get drunk and rowdy” quips Hugh Dillon about their die-hard Ottawa following.

For those that don’t know, WE Day is “a celebration of youth making a difference in their local and global communities”. Youth who have participated in ‘WE’ events or activities can earn their way in as a reward for their accomplishments over the course of the past year. Both in their own communities, and as part of global initiatives.

It was an unusually stormy late summer Saturday night in Kingston and mere moments before the annual CFB Kingston Garrison Family Fun Fest, featuring Abby Stewart and Tim Hicks, was about to kick off the entire venue was evacuated due to a severe thunderstorm. Lucky for us the CFB Kingston Base Gym was a short hundred meter dash in the driving rain away.  A little under an hour later the rain stopped and the stage lights came on….it was showtime!

It was a sweltering weekend in Oro-Medonte and the weather wasn’t the only thing that was hot. With an attendance upwards of 40,000 people (a 5,000 person increase from last years inaugural event) WayHome was the place to be.

To call me a fan of July Talk would be an understatement.

Here is a band that came into my life late last year, and has since enveloped a huge part of my personal music tastes, and I find myself often mimicking their sound and feeling when I put on my stage character with my group Project Mantra. 

I had a chance to chat with, in my personal opinion, one of the very best frontmen of any rock act in the 90’s and likely even to date in Canada.   Hugh Dillon was leader of the fist pumpin’, beer chuggin’ & hard rockin’ crowds in the 90’s right across Canada for the band, Headstones.  The band took a brief hiatus to regain some steam and hit the ground running for their second lap 5 or 6 years back.   If you don’t know who the Headstones are keep reading; you’re about to get educated.  And if you do, keep reading. Hugh gives one hell of a interview. As a general disclaimer, this is a conversation more than an interview, because Hugh is someone you talk with, not to. 

Last night The Tragically Hip made a pit stop at the Kitchener Aud on their way back from 2 sold out nights in Kirkland Lake over the weekend.  They are set to play a big Canada Day Extravaganza at Molson Amphitheatre on July 1st with a more carnival type setting before the concert.  Might be kinda cool to check out.   BUT.. On this night there were no rides, no cotton candy it was all about the music.