JOEL PLASKETT TO HEADLINE CANADA DAY PARTY

 EXCERPTS OF ARTICLE WRITTEN BY ADAM BOWIE

BOWIE.ADAM@DAILYGLEANER.COM

19 JUNE 2012

    The organizers of Fredericton’s annual Canada Day party have booked one of the most 
     popular rock groups in the Maritimes to headline an outdoor concert in Officers Square.

Joel Plaskett is a Halifax-based singer-songwriter who has earned multiple East Coast Music Awards, has been shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize and has been recognized with awards and nominations from Canada’s Juno Awards.

He will cap a full day of free musical entertainment in Fredericton’s downtown green space when he takes the stage at about 9 p.m. on July 1 with his rock and roll trio, The Emergency.

With help from the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival and presenting sponsor Worrall’s Furniture and La Z Boy Comfort Studio, the Fredericton Canada Day Committee was able to line up a special performance from the red-hot rock group, which will unleash its potent mixture of catchy hooks and grooves leading up to the city’s fireworks spectacle.

“We started working on bringing in Joel for Canada Day three years ago when he played the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival,” said Charles Barry, co-chairman of the Fredericton Canada Day Committee.

“He said, ‘I’d love to play. When you’re in a position to do it, get in touch with my people and we’ll make it happen.’ So, I saved my pennies for the last few years and this year we felt like we had the right sponsors willing to help us out. We got in touch with Joel’s people and they helped us work out the details.”

Because Plaskett and his bandmates were already scheduled to appear at this year’s Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival, the Canada Day committee had to approach Harvest for permission to feature one of its headlining acts so close to the fall festival.

Harvest chairman Ken Critchley said the organizers of Fredericton’s top musical event agreed to modify their performance contract with Plaskett so he could add the Canada Day showcase.

“Harvest understands the importance of being a good community partner and doing what we can to help the development of our sister festivals”, said Critchley in a news release.

“Canada Day is important to the community and we share the committee’s aspiration of making the event bigger and better, so we altered the terms of our contract with Joel to allow him to play Canada Day in Fredericton.

“We’re happy to help facilitate the growth of the Canada Day celebrations in our community. It’s going to be a great Canada Day and a perfect snapshot of the show he’ll do at Harvest in September.”

While the Joel Plaskett Emergency may be the biggest draw on the bill for Fredericton’s Canada Day concert, it certainly won’t be the only talented act to appear.

Barry said the organizing committee makes an effort each year to provide acts that will appear to a wide variety of music fans.

“We definitely try our best to make sure that we have a diverse musical spectrum on stage,” he said.

Here’s this year’s lineup:

•12-12:45 - Scotty and the Stars (Children’s)

•1-1:45 - Filipino CommUNITY (World)

•2-2:15 - Opening Ceremonies, ft. Alexander Good singing O Canada

•2:30-3:15 - Calithumpians (All-ages)

•3:30-4:15 - Jaclyn Reinhart (Pop/Folk)

•4:30-5:15 - The Belle Comedians (Indie-Rock)

•5:30-6:15 - Southern Drive (Country)

•6:30-7:15 - She Roars! (Pop/Rock)

•7:30-8:15 - The Westerbergs (Rock/Folk)

•9:00-10:30 - Joel Plaskett Emergency (Rock)

•10:40-11:00 - Fireworks

Barry said there should be something for everyone. And though he’s excited about all of the acts slated to take the stage, he thinks performances by local rock groups The Westerbergs and She Roars!, who played an energetic, fun-filled set at last year’s Canada Day party, will warm up the crowd for Plaskett’s headlining set.

The event is made possible thanks to assistance from a number of community sponsors, from Heritage Canada, a partnership with the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival and through funding and support from the City of Fredericton