By The BKONTHESCENE Crew
It’s the CNE ! Although that often signals the near end of summer… it means a lot more than that..the fun of the CNE and the concerts at the Bandshell! The 2023 year’s line-up of concerts is an amazing one! Plus merch booths sell t-shirts, LPs, posters and other memorabilia at each concert.
Here are the concerts so far covered by BK on the Scene…
Opening night August 18 was Toronto band Dwayne Gretzky with James Baley. The 12 band members celebrated the greatest songs of all time and shared the lead singing, getting everyone dancing and loving their upbeat performance. With the added bonus of James Baley’s charismatic presence, singing and dancing. A perfect way of starting the CNE Bandshell concerts. Jesse Gold was fantastic as he opened for Dwayne Gretzky.
Saturday, August 19 Cheyenne Elliot opened for her grandmother! … none other than the iconic Dionne Warwick. Cheyenne was a brilliant singer. Dionne Warwick entered the stage immediately after and was embraced by the crowd with love and respect. Her hit songs Walk on By, I Say a Little Prayer, I’ll Never Fall in Love Again were adored. Dionne ranks among the 40 biggest US hitmakers between 1955 and 1999. The 2nd most charted female vocalist during the rock era. Cheyenne joined Dionne for the last few songs. A brilliant, iconic concert.
Monday, August 21 William Prince, with his band, graced the stage with his melodic voice and guitar playing. His story-telling and warmth kept the crowd raptured by his presence. William shared that his awesome backup singer is his fiancée. Opening was the Julian Taylor Band – adding more brilliance to the wonderful evening of music.
The Max Webster fans were happy on Aug 22 when Kim Mitchell and his band hit the stage. Yes, Toronto’s own Kim Mitchell – guitarist icon and Canada’s songwriter Hall of Famer. The rockers were there! Patio Lanterns, Go for Soda, All We Are – and more hit songs plus Lager and Ale as the encore. An unbelievably fantastic concert! Opening for Kim Mitchell was singer, pianist Stephen Ridley with his story-telling and acrobatic moves.
So far… so great! And still CNE Bandshell concerts left! Enjoy the music! Check it out. theex.com/performances
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