Free music, comedy shows in Sudbury pay tribute to frontline workers
A weekend of free music and comedy in Greater Sudbury pays tribute to frontline workers.
Organized by Sudbury Performance Group (SPG), the events are being held at a number of venues around the city until Sunday evening.
Jamie Dupuis playing his harp guitar at a Sudbury Performance Group show in Sudbury in March 2023. (Amanda Hicks/CTV News Northern Ontario)New Liskeard’s Jamie Dupuis, one of the performers, plays the harp guitar. At one point, there were only two makers of the instrument in the world.
Dupuis says he was studying music in California 10 years ago and ended up at a collector’s house.
“He collected many, many instruments and he handed me a harp guitar,” said Dupuis.
“I was studying guitar and I loved guitar and I wanted to try something different.”
Dupuis told CTV News he was able to learn how to play based on his previous experience with the guitar.
In 2016, he said his career took off when he covered a Pink Floyd song. The video got millions of views, and was even shared by Nick Mason, a member of the band.
Dupuis said it was at that point he realized he’d found his niche.
“I think after a period of time I start to think to myself ‘I need something personal to me,’” he said.
“I didn’t want to sound like my influences. I wanted to sound like myself and I think that instrument allowed me to do that.”
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Dupuis performed with Emma McDaniels on Saturday at the Hilton Garden Inn. McDaniels is a singer-songwriter from Sudbury. They’ve been performing for three-and-a-half years through a mutual love of music.
McDaniels said music became a form of therapy for her at age 11.
“I was going through intense medical things at the time. I was a SickKids kid,” she said.
McDaniels told CTV News that she loves music’s ability to express herself.
“I think it’s a moment to express the vulnerability of the things you can’t say,” she said.
“You know, just being able to feel the song.”
SPG said these free performances are a way to support artists and venues while paying tribute to frontline workers.
Events wrap up on Sunday, with events at Fionn MacCool's on Regent Street, the Hilton Garden Inn on Barrydowne Road, Trevi Bar & Grill on Lasalle Boulevard and the Ukrainian Hall on Frood Road. A full schedule can be found here.
For more information on this and other events, visit SPG’s Facebook Page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.