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
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.