Upcoming Events

Rock on the Lock: Jazz and Blues

Saturday, August 22, 2026 • 7:00 PM

Niagara jazz vocalist Juliet Dunn brings an international background shaped by years performing in Canada and abroad, including 13 years living in Paris. A longtime fixture of Niagara's jazz community, Dunn is also co-founder of the Twilight Jazz Series and the TD Niagara Jazz Festival, and has performed with the Niagara Symphony Orchestra and hosted Sunrise on JAZZ.FM91. On the blues side, guitarist, singer and songwriter Brant Parker brings the soulful vocals and guitar work that have made him a familiar presence on the Niagara blues scene. Parker has shared stages and toured with artists including Johnny Winter, Jeff Healey and Jack de Keyzer. Joining the band is St. Catharines multi-instrumentalist Danny Boy Phelan, whose musical world reaches back to the golden era of blues, ragtime jazz and roots music, with everything from banjo and harmonica to mandolin, piano and guitar in his arsenal. Part of the 2026 Rock on the Lock Concert Series, the free outdoor concert takes place Saturday, August 22 at 7 p.m. at 45 Lakeport Rd. in Port Dalhousie. Donations are welcome.

Bywater Call

Warehouse Concert Hall, St. Catharines↗ (opens venue website in a new tab)

Thursday, September 3, 2026 • 8:30 PM

Toronto's Bywater Call brings its blend of Southern soul, roots rock and blues to The Warehouse Concert Hall in St. Catharines on September 3. Fronted by vocalist Meghan Parnell alongside guitarist Dave Barnes, the seven-piece band fills out its sound with bass, drums, keyboards, trumpet and tenor sax. The result is music that can move from intimate, soulful ballads to full-throttle performances drawing on influences including The Band, Little Feat, Otis Redding, The Wood Brothers and Tedeschi Trucks Band. Bywater Call has also been building an audience well beyond Canada, touring extensively in Europe and earning a 2025 UK Blues Awards nomination for International Blues Artist of the Year. Their reputation, though, is very much built around the live show — powerful vocals and the musical interplay of a seven-piece band given room to stretch out. Bywater Call — Thursday, September 3, 2026 at 8:30 p.m. Warehouse Concert Hall, St. Catharines General admission: $24.99 + $8.69 fees/taxes = $33.68 CAD Presented by Warehouse Concert Hall / Sonic Unyon.

Chest Fever's Tribute to the Last Waltz

FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, St. Catharines↗ (opens venue website in a new tab)

Thursday, October 8, 2026 • 7:30 PM

Few farewell concerts have achieved the legendary status of The Last Waltz, The Band's star-studded final performance in 1976. More than four decades later, its music continues to resonate with audiences, celebrating an era when rock, folk, blues and country came together to create a distinctly North American sound. International touring group Chest Fever has built a reputation for keeping that music alive with performances that honour The Band's artistry while bringing renewed energy to the material. Endorsed by both the late Robbie Robertson and The Band's official estate, the ensemble has become one of the leading interpreters of this remarkable catalogue. For this special evening at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, Chest Fever presents The Last Waltz in its entirety, recreating the spirit of the historic concert while welcoming an impressive lineup of guest performers. Familiar PAC favourites and Niagara musicians will join the band throughout the evening, echoing the collaborative celebration that made the original concert one of the most memorable live performances in popular music history. Whether you experienced The Band the first time around or are discovering these songs for the first time, this promises to be a memorable celebration of enduring music and exceptional musicianship.

Pat Metheny

Massey Hall, Toronto↗ (opens venue website in a new tab)

Friday, October 9, 2026 • 8:00 PM

Few contemporary musicians have shaped modern jazz as profoundly as Pat Metheny. Throughout a career spanning five decades, the acclaimed guitarist and composer has continually expanded the boundaries of the genre, blending jazz with elements of folk, rock, world music and contemporary classical traditions. His distinctive sound, adventurous compositions and remarkable improvisational style have made him one of the most influential and widely respected artists in modern music. Beyond his celebrated solo career, Metheny has collaborated with an extraordinary range of performers while pursuing innovative projects that have challenged conventional ideas of composition and performance. Equally committed to education, he has inspired generations of musicians through both teaching and mentorship. For his 2026 world tour, Metheny introduces Side-Eye III+, a new ensemble that reflects his continuing passion for musical exploration and creative collaboration. Supporting the release of the group's self-titled debut album, the tour offers audiences an opportunity to experience one of jazz's enduring innovators in a fresh and evolving musical setting.

Let's Dance: My Son the Hurricane

FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, St. Catharines↗ (opens venue website in a new tab)

Saturday, October 17, 2026 • 8:00 PM

Few live acts deliver the sheer energy of My Son the Hurricane. The Niagara-based, internationally touring ensemble has built a reputation for turning concert halls and festival stages into dance floors with its explosive blend of funk, soul, jazz, rock and hip-hop. Featuring a powerhouse lineup of brass, rhythm section and percussion, the twelve-piece band is fronted by a charismatic vocalist whose high-energy performances have become a hallmark of the group's live shows. Their original music has earned a growing international following, including viral success for the single "Mr. Holland's Locust," while appearances alongside artists such as the Foo Fighters, Jason Isbell, I Mother Earth and Colin James have introduced them to audiences across North America. Presented as part of the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre's Let's Dance Series, this concert is designed with one goal in mind: getting audiences on their feet. As a standing-room-only event, the evening promises an immersive concert experience where dancing is not only encouraged—it's literally inevitable.

Trooper

FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, St. Catharines↗ (opens venue website in a new tab)

Tuesday, November 17, 2026 • 7:30 PM

An Evening with Trooper returns one of Canada's most enduring rock bands to the stage, bringing decades of classic hits that have become part of the soundtrack of Canadian music. A childhood favorite of Niagara Arts Review editor David Horhota, Trooper continues to delight audiences with timeless favorites including We're Here for a Good Time, Raise a Little Hell, The Boys in the Bright White Sports Car, and many more. Their long-awaited debut at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre promises an evening of nostalgia, sing-alongs, and classic Canadian rock.

Holly Cole Swinging Christmas 2026

FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, St. Catharines↗ (opens venue website in a new tab)

Thursday, December 10, 2026 • 7:30 PM

Holly Cole Swinging Christmas 2026 brings one of Canada's most distinctive jazz voices back to the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre for an evening of holiday favourites reimagined with warmth, elegance and unmistakable style. A personal favourite of Niagara Arts Review editor David Horhota—and one of the artists he has seen perform more often than almost anyone else—Holly Cole has a remarkable ability to make familiar Christmas classics feel both intimate and fresh. Her signature blend of jazz, pop and country influences creates a concert that is as sophisticated as it is heartfelt, making this a holiday tradition well worth experiencing.

100 Years of Stan Getz

FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, St. Catharines↗ (opens venue website in a new tab)

Friday, February 5, 2027 • 7:00 PM

100 Years of Stan Getz: Bossa Nova & Beyond celebrates one of jazz's most lyrical and influential saxophonists through the music that defined his remarkable career. Curated by celebrated saxophonist Pat LaBarbera and presented in partnership with the Niagara Jazz Festival, this special concert brings together an outstanding Canadian ensemble to revisit the timeless beauty of Getz's music—from the cool elegance of bossa nova to the expressive improvisation that inspired generations of jazz musicians. For longtime jazz fans and newcomers alike, this promises to be an evening of exceptional musicianship and unforgettable melodies.

I Mother Earth

FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, St. Catharines↗ (opens venue website in a new tab)

Friday, February 12, 2027 • 7:30 PM

I Mother Earth return to the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre with the powerful blend of alternative rock, psychedelic influences and extended live improvisation that made them one of Canada's most distinctive bands of the 1990s. Before seeing them live, Niagara Arts Review editor David Horhota knew little more than one of their radio hits. A trusted recommendation changed that—and the performance exceeded every expectation. Their musicianship, energy and adventurous live sound left such an impression that he resolved to see them again whenever the opportunity arose. This return to Partridge Hall is one of those opportunities.