Last Friday, I had the pleasure of attending the Joel Plaskett concert at the beautifully restored Regent Theatre in downtown Oshawa.
With an Oshawa Generals game, along with several other live shows and events taking place on the same evening, the downtown Oshawa core was humming. The streets were lined with laughing people, restaurants packed with diners and even parking was tough to find. What a great vibe. The economic spin-off of live events is invaluable to Durham Region, especially in downtown areas.
Live music has a special place in my heart ever since my first business venture, the Moon Room Nightclub in Oshawa during the early ’90s. I was thrilled to hear Plaskett’s shout-out to the Moon Room during his concert on Friday, recalling when his then-band, Thrush Hermit, opened for Sloan in 1993 — also making stops at other venues such as The Dungeon.
The live music scene is not new to Durham Region, but it’s continuing to grow rapidly. In the past few years, we’ve hosted major acts such as KISS and Elton John. Cheers to all of you who are supporting our local live music scene; it brings culture and excitement to our community. Watch my friend Will McGuirk’s column at durhamregion.com for weekly updates on local concerts. Mark your calendar for these shows — I know I am getting excited for the coming months:
The General Motors Centre recently announced The Tragically Hip will be playing there on Feb. 9. This one’s sure to be a blast. Tickets go on sale Oct. 20 at www.generalmotorscentre.com. Other exciting acts coming to the GM Centre include Theory of a Deadman and Big Wreck on Nov. 30 and Eric Church on Feb. 15
Werock Entertainment is hosting two exciting shows in the coming months as well. On Nov. 9, crooners 54/40 will play the Class Act Dinner Theatre in Whitby, and on Nov. 23, April Wine is coming to the Regent Theatre in Oshawa. The legendary Ronnie Hawkins is also playing at the Regent Theatre on Dec. 1. For tickets, visitwww.werockentertainment.ca.