The multi-Juno nominated rock band The Trews are beginning a six show swing through Northwestern Ontario with a Tuesday night show at the Country Club in Geraldton.
The Canadian rockers will also play Atikokan, Fort Frances, Red Lake, Sioux Lookout, and Dryden in the coming days.
The band described the tour as a chance to see a new side of Canada.
“After 20-plus years on the road in Canada, it’s very rare that we get to add another ‘first’ to the list,” founding member and guitarist John-Angus MacDonald told NWOnewswatch in an email. “So when the offer came in to play these six northwestern Ontario towns that we had never visited before, we jumped at the opportunity.”
“We are pretty lucky to have them come on a Northwestern Ontario tour,” said Wendy Wiedenhoeft, the chair of the Dryden Entertainment Series, one of the community groups organizing the event.
She said different communities in the region often work together to bring in acts each year.
“We do that so that artists are able to tour the North and it’s economically feasible for them… because it’s difficult for them to come for a one-off concert,” Wiedenhoeft said. “Each year, we attempt to get a well-known artist or group to come to the North and this year was The Trews. We’re not always able to do that, but it did work this year, and so we’re thrilled The Trews are coming.”
The band has played big stadiums and arenas, headlining the Grey Cup festival in 2021 and opening for the Black Crowes this summer on the Budweiser stage in Toronto, as well as opening for the Rolling Stones, Robert Plant, and Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band.
Those who attend the upcoming tour dates may catch a more intimate glimpse of the group, however, as they play a stripped-down acoustic set.
MacDonald said playing acoustically as a trio “allows us to be more flexible with the types of rooms we’re able to play in. The rooms on this tour are a little smaller than the venues we normally play and lend themselves more to the intimacy of the acoustic show.”
“I think it will be fun,” MacDonald added. “Not every town has a stadium or arena, or outdoor festival to play at, especially in these more remote areas. So if it comes down to playing a smaller venue or skipping over the town, we’d rather play and just bring a different kind of show.“
MacDonald said what he’s looking forward to during his visit to the Northwest is “taking in the fall colours of this time of year as we make our way from town to town and just enjoying the great outdoors more generally.”
The tour will take The Trews to Geraldton, Atikokan, Fort Frances, Red Lake, Sioux Lookout, before finishing in Dryden on Tuesday Oct. 18.
Geraldton: Wed. Oct. 12, Country Club @ 7:00pm
Atikokan: Thurs. Oct. 13 Royal Canadian Legion Branch 145 @ 7:00pm
Fort Frances: Fri. Oct. 14 Townshend Theatre @ 7:30pm
Red Lake: Sun. Oct. 16 Royal Canadian Legion Branch 102 @ 7:00pm
Sioux Lookout: Mon. Oct. 17 Sioux North High School @ 7:00pm
Dryden: Tues. Oct. 18 Dryden Regional Training and Cultural Centre @ 7:30pm
