July 2013 is bringing a bunch of great shows, and some big names, to Peterborough – award-winners, best-sellers, well-knowns, and all-around fantastic musicians. And so, to give you a bit more time to buy your tickets, call your friends, book time off work, and do whatever it is you do to get excited for great music, we here at Electric City Live are giving you a month-long overview. Have a look to see the biggest and best coming to town in July 2013.

Thursday, July 4

Jesse Parent, Lynn Jackson, and Robert Hedges

A pair of artists from Busted Flat Records, one of the most respected indie roots labels in Canada, are starting off an Ontario tour in Peterborough tonight: Jesse Parent (official site, Facebook), who just released his second album, and Lynn Jackson (official site, Facebook), who just released her sixth. Robert Hedges is also on the bill.

-Venue: The Spill

–More info

Saturday, July 6

Meat Wig album release with Watershed Hour, Chachi on Acid, and Killgood

This is gonna be a nasty, sweaty, awesome night of punk down at the Garnet. Local band Meat Wig (Myspace, Facebook) are releasing a brand-new album, and they’ve brought friends along to help them out: local garage/punk duo Watershed Hour (Bandcamp, Facebook), Listowel, Ontario’s Chachi on Acid (Bandcamp, Facebook), and a new band, Killgood.

-Venue: Red Garnet

–More info

Wednesday, July 10

Five Alarm Funk

Get ready to dance tonight, as Five Alarm Funk (official site, Facebook) return to town for the first time a year. This Vancouver band is a 10-piece party funk orchestra who describe themselves as “a horn-powered, percussion-filled sonic and visual assault.” Their shows are supposed to be totally nuts, and their songs are great. Check out their new track, “We All Scream,” which is probably the hardest, funnest, strangest song about ice cream in a good long while. (If you’re wondering what the competition is in that particular race, it’s Tom Waits’ “Ice Cream Man,” Battles’ “Ice Cream,” Kelis’ “Milkshake,” The Dubliners’ “Rocky Road To Dublin.”)

-Venue: Red Dog

–More info

Thursday, July 11

Kman & The 45’s with Adam’s Mind, Scally Cap Brats, Rad Skank, and MOMS

Montreal ska/rock band Kman & The 45’s (official site, Facebook) are on tour to promote their new album, a ska tribute The Ramones (titled The Skamones, because obviously), and they’ve put together a great lineup of ska and punk bands to help them out. Also on the bill: Adam’s Mind (Bandcamp, Facebook), Scally Cap Brats (official site, Facebook), Lindsay/Cobourg’s Rad Skank (Myspace, Facebook), and local band MOMS (Facebook).

-Venue: The Spill

-Tickets: $5 at the door

–More info

Friday, July 12 to Sunday, July 14

Peterborough Ribfest

Ribfest is back for its 11th year, featuring three days of pork slathered in barbecue sauce, beer, sun, and music in Millennium Park. Get sticky, drunk, full, sunburnt, and listen to fifteen different bands, many of them local. This year’s festival has two headliners. On Friday night, it’s Hamilton roots rockers Harlan Pepper (official site, Facebook). And then on Saturday night, catch local rock and roll band The Weber Brothers (official site, Facebook). The Webers were trained by Ronnie Hawkins himself, and are back in town after over a month on the road across the States and Ontario. Check out their video for “Some People,” and read more about the band in ECL’s recent review of their Seventh Fire Series 7″ single.

-Venue: Millennium Park

-Tickets: free

–More info

Friday, July 12

The Box Tiger with KAYO

Toronto pop-rock band The Box Tiger (official site, Facebook) only came together in 2009, and still haven’t released a full-length album (one is apparently set to be released some time this year), but they’re already getting rave reviews, and comparisons to bands as diverse as Broken Social Scene and Florence & The Machine. Have a listen to their upcoming album’s fantastic first single, “Knives.” Local garage rock band KAYO (Facebook) are opening.

-Venue: Red Garnet

–More info

Saturday, July 13

Spanky’s Backyard Shindig

Returning for a second year, Spanky’s is hosting a charity BBQ, concert, and dance party in their back lot. A great line-up of local rock bands starts up at 1PM and goes all the way to 11PM, followed by a dance party with local DJs until 2AM. On the bill: The Lumbermen, Bradley Boy, The Charing Ruins, Busterlid, Mud Filter, The Standstills, Super Quest, Chris Miller, and The Losing Hand. And all the money goes to breast cancer research!

-Venue: Spanky’s

-Tickets: pay-what-you-can (but it’s for charity, so don’t be a chump)

–More info

Wednesday, July 17

Walk Off The Earth

One of the biggest names coming to the Little Lake Musicfest this year is Walk Off The Earth (official site, Facebook), a band that blew up last year thanks to (of all things) their five-people-one-guitar YouTube cover of Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know.” Thankfully, the band has been more than a one-viral-wonder, and have continued to gain fame thanks to their unique instrumentation and innovative covers and originals.

-Venue: Del Crary Park

-Tickets: free

–More info

Thursday, July 18

Matthew Hornell with Mayhemingways

Based out of St. John’s, Newfoundland, singer-songwriter Matthew Hornell (official site, Facebook) released his first album of East Coast-inspired indie folk rock back in 2010 (with The Diamond Mines) to great acclaim and a bunch of award nominations. Now he’s back with a second album, Have It All, full of moving, beautiful folk and roots music. He’s touring Ontario, and opening for him in Peterborough will be local alt-country band Mayhemingways (official site, Facebook), who just got back from a tour of the East Coast – it’s a sort of intra-Canada cultural exchange, basically.

-Venue: Red Garnet

–More info

Saturday, July 20

Sloan

Hey, it’s Sloan (official site, Facebook) at the Little Lake Musicfest! These Canadian rockers have been around since 1991. They just celebrated the 21st anniversary of Murderecords, their own label they’ve used to release all ten of their albums. Surprisingly for these dorky, nice Canadian boys who mostly play upbeat, poppy rock, the band has recently released a hardcore punk 7″ single, “Jenny/It’s In You, It’s In Me.” The band is also releasing an album of punk covers, so you can hear what Sloan playing Black Flag and Bad Religion sounds like. Here’s what “Jenny” sounds like. And here’s “If It Feels Good Do It,” because it feels good, so I’m doing it.

-Venue: Del Crary Park

-Tickets: free

–More info

Culture Reject with Michael C. Duguay

Culture Reject (official site, Facebook) is the latest project from songrwriter and multi-instrumentalist Michael O’Connell, formerly of Black Cabbage. Culture Reject plays complex, layered indie rock with world music influences and a loop pedal. He’s playing with Michael C. Duguay (Bandcamp, Facebook), a local singer-songwriter who’s been in such bands as The Burning Hell, The Unionist Ministers, and his own group Bear Trees, as well as releasing a solo album, Heavy On The Glory. Duguay’s been away from Peterborough for the year, but he’s back in town for the summer.

-Venue: The Spill

–More info

Tuesday, July 23

Nick Ferrio with Olenka and The Autumn Lovers

A must-see for fans of old-school country music, as local country singer Nick Ferrio plays his first show in town since his months-long tour of Europe with The Burning Hell, along with his band, Nick Ferrio And His Feelings (official site, Facebook), . Check out our review of Ferrio’s most recent album to find out more. Joining him will be London, ON indie country band Olenka And The Autumn Lovers (official site, Facebook).

-Venue: Red Garnet

–More info

Wednesday, July 24

Rik Emmett

At the Little Lake Musicfest tonight, catch Rik Emmett (official site, Facebook). Emmett, who first came onto the scene as a member of Canadian rock band Triumph, is considered by many to be one of the most proficient and versatile guitarists out there. His playing style incorporates rock, blues, jazz, classical, bluegrass and flamenco techniques. He’s also a member of the Canadian Music Hall Of Fame, and has won a number of other awards.

-Venue: Del Crary Park

-Tickets: free

–More info

Thursday, July 25 to Sunday, July 28

Dusk Dances

Something a little different here. Dusk Dances (presented by Public Energy) is a touring dance performance now in its 19th year, featuring four works by different choreographers, presented in the open air, at dusk, with musical accompaniment by a group of local Peterborough musicians, including Erik Fines, Adrian Williams, Aaron Hoffman and Brandon Munro. Of particular note is the first work, Incandescent, which is based on Leonard Cohen’s “Anthem” and features a cast of dancers from right here in Peterborough.

-Venue: Rotary Park

-Tickets: pay-what-you-can

–More info

Thursday, July 25

Lindi Ortega

Lindi Ortega (official site, Facebook) was born in Canada, but learned her trade in Nashville. The country singer-songwriter has since won 2 Junos, and since the release of her most recent album Cigarettes & Truckstops last year, she’s toured with k.d. lang and Social Distortion, had a cross-Canada solo tour of her own, and is currently longlisted for this year’s Polaris Music Prize. Phew! Check out Ortega’s newest video, “Murder Of Crows.”

-Venue: Red Dog

-Tickets: $8 in advance from the Red Dog, $10 at the door

–More info

Friday, July 26

The StavelEy Project with The Losing Hand

Holy crap, The StavelEy Project (official site, Facebook) are playing a show! This local band haven’t played together in ages. The group, fronted by Jill Staveley, “combine melodic acoustic folk with hard-driving indie-rock that is delivered with a passion that is unequalled in today’s Canadian music scene.” Sounds good to me! Local band The Losing Hand are opening.

-Venue: Red Garnet

–More info

Saturday, July 27

Body Rock tour featuring The Usual, 40 Sons, Puttin’ On The Foil, Soundstem, and The Crux

The Body Rock Tour is a new touring rock festival, which combines “hot new music, hot people and some of the coolest brands in rock music today.” Featured bands on the Peterborough stop include: The Usual (official site, Facebook), 40 Sons (official site, Facebook), Puttin’ On The Foil (official site, Facebook), Soundstem (ReverbNation, Facebook), and local group The Crux (Bandcamp, Facebook).

-Venue: Red Dog

-Tickets: $15 in advance

–More info

Tuesday, July 30

Ptarmigan with Elise Epp

Ptarmigan (official site, Facebook) is a five-piece artfolk band based out of Guelph and Toronto. You may recognize them by their previous name, Eliak & The Dream, which they used in several shows around town in the last year or so. They’re performing with Elise Epp (official site, Facebook), a talented Toronto singer-songwriter who plays beautiful chamber pop music.

-Venue: The Spill

And check back with Electric City Live every week for more detailed music listings and many more great shows!

All photos courtesy the artists. Some material in this article previously published in The Wire Megazine July 2013 issue.