Music

With the start of the pandemic in early 2020, all live wind-instrument playing stopped. By the end of the year, musicians were restless to find a place to play, so Karl Hermann and John Thompson started a group that used the Internet to allow people to play together, but from home. The musicians could hear and see each other online. What to call the Group?  Big Bandemic — what else?

The online sessions were chaotic, especially because of the inherent delays in Internet technology.  But the musicians persisted, and Big Bandemic held eighteen sessions in the first half of 2021.

With the re-opening of the country in 2021, the band quickly moved to regular Monday evening sessions at the Lambeth Legion. The arrangement included physical distancing and masks when not playing. Big Bandemic rehearses weekly at the Lambeth Legion and helps them out with some fundraising concerts each year.  In June 2022, the band participated in the inaugural Aeolian Jazz Festival and continues to perform to sold out crowds in Southwestern Ontario.

The 17-piece big band grew out of necessity because of the pandemic, but we plan to play together for as long as the musicians enjoy the experience.

mattlayn (Matthew Layne) has had an adventurous career on both the artist & business sides of the music industry. Summer of 2023, he made the announcement that he was hanging up the live performance belt for good. But, never felt like he did a final send off.

Cut to January 13, 2024, mattlayn will be performing one final show at the legendary Aeolian in the Southen Lounge featuring Addison Johnson of Lost In Japan opening up the night.

Get your tickets now, before it sells out!

“It’s Too Late to Stop Now” is performed by a group of 7 highly experienced musicians lead by Matt Weidinger (soulful singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist). Joined on stage by his Hammond B3, they create an extraordinary evening which features music from many of Van the Man’s extensive song catalogue including some of Van’s early work to those of his later years. Come out and watch this show as Matt and his band touch the souls of each of those in the audience allowing them the opportunity to share his passion and that of the band members.

“Young Matt Weidinger is an old soul. Steeped in real-deal rhythm & blues, blues, and soul music from his earliest years, he is renowned for his blue eyed soul vocals, guitar playing, and prowess on the Hammond organ. Matt’s 2018 Registry Theatre amazing concert of the music of Van Morrison was a season highlight, with its rich, authentic take on a genuine music icon. The concert such a hit that Matt will be back next season for Van The Man Volume 2. “

"Matt has carefully hand-picked and researched every Van Morrison song and then lets his well-rehearsed band take you on a musical journey through the pages of Van Morrison’s piece of music history. See this show! Your ears WILL believe it!

Canadians Charlie A’Court and Suzie Vinnick, and Australian Lloyd Spiegel have commanded festival and theatre stages across the globe as solo artists.  Together, they have accumulated over 60 international awards in roots and blues and have released over 30 albums.

In 2023, they recorded a self-titled collaborative work that brought them across Canada for 7 weeks, touring communities from Whitehorse, Yukon to St. John’s, Newfoundland and are now returning Ontario.  A’Court, Spiegel & Vinnick bring their combined experience and personal friendships to this show, showcasing not just their individual talents, but a collaborative spirit and mutual respect that promises to deliver a truly unique performance.

 "The musicianship was off the chain, the songwriting was glorious and the stage banter hilarious. In terms of stage presence, these three delivered in spades." 

– North Sask Zine

From the Internationally Acclaimed “Buddy Holly Story”, Zachary Stevenson performs an exciting Tribute to Buddy Holly LIVE in concert.

One of the first Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame inductees, Buddy Holly, wrote and performed countless hit songs during the mid-1950s such as: That’ll Be The Day, Peggy Sue, Maybe Baby, Oh Boy, and many more. Despite a career that spanned only 9 years, Buddy Holly's music has been a major influence on later popular music artists, including Bob Dylan, the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, and Elton John.

As an accomplished actor and musician, Zachary has played the starring role as Buddy Holly in over twelve different theatrical productions of the "Buddy Holly Story" across North America. With his own unique performing style, humour and an impressive repertoire of knowledge about Buddy, Zachary will leave you captivated and entertained throughout the entire performance. This show will be backed by the Rockin' Royals Band.

Jordan Hart is a Gold-certified producer/singer-songwriter living in Toronto, Canada. His sound is often categorized as Contemporary/Roots with influences of Soul. Featured on YouTube performance platforms Mahogany and Alex Rainbird’s ‘Best of Folk’ series, as well as on Canadian mainstream television channels CTV, ETalk, Breakfast TV and Entertainment Tonight, Hart’s critically acclaimed debut EP ‘Only Pieces of the Truth’ struck a chord amongst tastemakers, and now has over 15 million streams across platforms. The emotive cinematic soundscapes of his EP made their way from studio to screen as his single “Whole” was featured on Grey’s Anatomy and single “Freedom” featured on award-winning animated short, ‘Free Bird,’ which doubles as the song’s music video.

While Hart's success during the pandemic was centered around his recorded music, his live performance is what he has come to be known for. In 2018 Hart completed a 100 – Day Busking Challenge in which he played on streetcorners across Canada, often garnering audiences in the hundreds of unexpecting passers-by. While Hart is now a veteran headliner and is selling out shows across the country, you can still find him playing outside on the odd summer day where he first fell in love with performing music.

Beyond his work as a solo artist, Hart is gaining an impressive track record as a producer and composer for other artists, working with the likes of Bulow, Kiesza, Lucky Rose, and Lonely in the Rain to name a few. While he continues to compose and produce for other artists, he has just begun working on his first full length album which is scheduled to be released in early 2023.

Join El Sistema Aeolian for our Holiday Concert at Aeolian Hall on Thursday December 14th.

We are presenting works performed by all our ensembles, from Beginner Strings and Cellos, Junior and Senior Choirs, Brass and Woodwinds to Full Orchestra. Featured works include holiday favourites such as Mr. Santa, Silent Night, and Cradle Song, Auld Lang Syne, theatrical excerpts from Shakespeare, and many more.

Admission is free, donations are welcome.

Marc Jordan & Amy Sky … Together in Concert is, in short, magical! Two much-loved and respected, multiple award-winning Canadian singer-songwriters fuse their individual talents to create a spellbinding evening of entertainment. As Canadian broadcaster Ross Porter wrote, “If music is doing its job, one of its functions is to act as a salve to the troubled times in our lives. Marc performs … with so much affection and imagination, the mission is accomplished.” The very same can be said of Amy.

Throughout the evening, aside from their wry humour and anecdotes spanning 36 years of marriage, each will perform a generous sampling of their own hits … for example, Amy’s I Will Take Care of You, Til You Love Somebody and Love, Pain and the Whole Damn Thing, and Marc’s Marina Del Rey, Tears of Hercules and, of course, his worldwide #1 hit Rhythm of My Heart. Nonetheless, the real magic comes when Marc and Amy sing together – the melody intertwined with innovative and unexpected harmonies –  his smoky, jazz-tinged voice comes in above her gutsy, gravelly alto, next phrase they weave around each other, and Amy is soaring over Marc, so deliciously evident in songs like Long Shot and Free Fallin’ from their critically acclaimed Juno nominated album He Sang, She Sang. For this series of concerts, they will be joined by a group of outstanding musical friends under the direction of renowned producer/composer and keyboardist Lou Pomanti.

Marc Jordan & Amy Sky … Together in Concert! ... the whole is, indeed, greater than the sum of its parts.

Newfoundland has a storied history of stunning songwriters, poets, and players. Over the course of the last decade The Once have writ and knit themselves into that story.

Within the nine songs on their new album Time Enough, The Once offer some of the most vulnerable and honest material of their career. The up-tempo album opener, “I Can’t Live Without You,” reflects on women battling with self-image issues and offers wisened words to be the positive change in their own lives. The gritty guitar driven “Before The Fall” succumbs to the notion that we must accept our past and use those memories to grow. Riff rocker “Any Other Way” reflects the fact that true love accepts us at our worst but insists we do the work to be our best selves to keep it together.
On this, their fourth studio album, the band stays true to the root strength of their harmony driven sound, while extending the borders into fresh yet familiar territory. They craft a sonically understated, but emotionally fulsome sound that accomplishes what they've always done so well: stun listeners with what Amelia Curran calls "perfect vocal harmonies, thick enough to stand on."

MJ The Illusion is a one-of-a-kind music concert that will take you on a journey through the music, performances, and visuals of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Through this live performance experience, you’ll be immersed in the magic of Michael Jackson’s music, from his breakthrough album “Off the Wall” to his timeless hits like “Thriller” and “Smooth Criminal” and of course “Billie Jean.”

You’ll be transported back in time to the golden era of Michael Jackson, with a fully immersive experience that will leave you with unforgettable memories. From the choreography to the lights, costumes, and of course, the music. Now get ready for the magic of Michael Jackson. This is MJ The Illusion a must-see for all fans of music.

MICHAEL KNIGHT as Michael Jackson

While most tribute artists learn to imitate their idols by watching videos over and over again, Michael Knight took a different approach.

In 2013, Knight sought out Michael Jackson’s backup dancer and choreographer for Cirque du Soleil’s Michael Jackson IMMORTAL, Travis Payne and contracted him to help understand and recreate MJ’s dance moves.

Additionally, in 2014, Knight received vocal training from Jackson’s long-time vocal coach, Seth Riggs. This training led Knight into becoming one of the top three Michael Jackson Tribute Artists’ in the world today.

In addition to performing with Legends in Concert since 2013, Knight has performed hundreds of shows in performing arts centers, casinos, fairs, festivals and private events worldwide!

Knight performed to an audience of 60,000 people in 2018 at the Legendary Rose Bowl.

Michael Knights looks forward to meeting and performing for Michael Jackson fans all over the world.

This is MJ The Illusion.