Many more local artists will share the same stage as the likes of Bryan Adams, Our Lady Peace, The Beach Boys and many more this summer.

Officials for “Stars and Thunder 2018 – Presented by Goldcorp-Porcupine Gold Mines” announced which local and regional bands will join those names from June 24th-July 1st:

  • June 24: Carole Champagne (French, country, country rock, blues)
  • June 25: Last Minute (rock, soft rock), Jacelyn (adult contemporary, soul, jazz, folk, blues)
  • June 26: Sonic Democracy, Rough Outlook (pop rock, pop punk)
  • June 27: One Inch Speaker (rock, hard rock, modern), Eugenio Jedi Martinez (guitar great, rock, contemporary world music, multi-instrumentalist, artist, composer and entertainer)
  • June 28: Wyatt Young (pop rock)
  • June 29: Swamp Rockers (rock, blues, country rock), Kickback Tracii (rock, country rock, blues)
  • June 30: Big Deal (rock, classic rock, new country)
  • July 1: Timmins Symphony Orchestra (TSO) (Tragically Hip/Gord Downie tribute), Young Eagles Drum Group, Singers, and White Wolf Dance Troop

In a release, the city says it’s no secret the area is “booming with talent.”

“This festival is giving local artists an opportunity of a lifetime,” said Rough Outlook vocalist, co-owner of the Working Class and local music promoter Krys Saudino. “While the music scene is consistently growing in Timmins, playing on the same stage as some of these big names to a crowd of this magnitude in our own hometown is absolutely amazing.”

Saudino told the crowd gathered at the Timmins Museum about going to shows since high school, all at local venues such as Kaleidoscope, LaRonde, JJ’s Ranch, Club 147 and Corner Pockets (now The Working Class) just to name a few.

He also talked about his experience in bringing acts to Timmins for shows from all parts of the world, from music to comedy shows and fundraisers.

“Something that nobody knows is that it’s so much work,” he said, “It’s so much work and it’s a lot of work to try and coordinate everything for the day that you want it to. And that’s next to impossible, nobody has the same schedule.”

“So for the Stars and Thunder to put their foot down and create such an atmosphere for us to participate in is phenomenal…we have other groups as well, like TFEC (Timmins Festivals and Events Committee) for one with their “Rock on the River” and that was a very successful event and we’re very happy that they put that on because I’m pretty sure that everybody in Timmins, you see all this stuff on social media and you want to participate and everybody’s always ‘Oh, well this town has this, and this town has that.'”

“Well, now it’s our town that has it. So it’s our time to come out and participate and keep the dream alive.”

“The Timmins Symphony Orchestra is very grateful to the City of Timmins for the opportunity to perform on the Stars and Thunder main stage on Canada Day,” added TSO Music Director Joshua Wood, D.M.A. “Our organization is also very excited about the prospect of a Tragically Hip/Gord Downie tribute concert. To present the music of an iconic Canadian artist like Downie will be a unique and wonderful experience for us. We can’t wait!”

Wood says it’s a unique opportunity for them to be exposed to a wider audience and showcase to the city what they’re all about.

He says the TSO is a “neat collection” of himself, three other professional musicians and countless volunteer members from the community—from doctors and nurses to engineers, miners, geologists, and teachers—and given the chance to share the stage with everyone is “a really cool thing.”

He also gave a teaser into their planned Tragically Hip and Gord Downie Tribute show.

“I’ve been talking with several artists, who are either local or are originally from Timmins and we’re looking at collaborating with them and getting them up to each playing a few Tragically Hip tunes, backed by the orchestra,” he said, “We’re really excited about that and I really think it’ll be a really cool opportunity for us, a really cool opportunity for them.”

Applications for local and regional artists to play the main stage closed on December 1st.

The city says they received 43 applications, 12 of which were selected “based on genres, local/regional connection and special talent and availability.”

Filed under: Local News