Music in the County

Several venues to offer live concerts

Aconstantly changing landscape of lockdowns and restrictions put a halt to many live concerts over the past two years. However, the music concert scene is coming back to Prince Edward County this spring and summer with an emphasis on the “big name, small venue” concept. July is music month at Parsons Brewing Company, starting off with multiple Juno-nominee Kathleen Edwards on July 8 and ending with County blues musician Jeremie Albino on July 29. Over at the Hayloft, the Barn Parties begin on May 14, with bands such as Great Lake Swimmers, Stars and Whitehorse appearing over the summer. There’s also burlesque and drag parties to add a little (or maybe much) sizzle to the evening. Just outside of Wellington, The Eddie is adding a series of music events to complement the Festival Players offerings. The music will take place in the landmark big barn, the only three-storey barn in the County. The large interior space is ideally suited for an intimate evening of music, providing ample room for 165 patrons in this age of Covid-related precautions. Huge sliding doors and an updated ventilation system will help to mitigate the risk of airborne spread of the virus. Chris Loane is the event coordinator at The Eddie. “Prince Edward County is on a really good touring route. A lot of artists will play Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Kingston and have a day in between, so I do a little research and figure out which of those larger acts might have a day and want to do a small show,” he says. Working with owners Michael Von Teichman and Alex Portman, they find the dates in the wedding venue’s schedule that are open and invite the musicians.

It’s not all about big-name touring acts. They make room for local musicians too. The Sophiasburgh All Stars will be performing on the Victoria Day weekend, and there will also be a live band karaoke event, plus the launch of a new pub called Ruby’s. “We want to come up with programming that brings things to the community that may not otherwise come here, and also give locals a stage to perform, particularly in the off-season. We’re really trying to animate this all year,” says Von Teichman.

“In the fall we’re going to have music and art during the apple harvest, and we’ll be doing Christmas stuff again.” The music season starts on May 14 with Martha Wainwright, followed on May 15 by Juno award winner Joel Plaskett. One-time County resident Justin Rutledge takes the stage on June 10. There will be a special event on September 30 for National Truth and Reconciliation Day.

Von Teichman and Portman both say they want to make The Eddie a welcoming place, where people can come and listen to a concert and have some food and a glass of wine and be able to explore the grounds. “I think this barn and this property is such a historic part of the County and it is so recognizable, and it speaks well to include local acts,” says Portman. “This venue is not exclusively for tourists of for big acts, it’s really a kind of community hub.” For more information about the Eddie, please visit theeddie.ca.