Greg Nicholson of The Rolling Thunder Choir performed The Doobie Brothers’ Long Train Runnin’ at Something Different’s 2016 production, April 23.
Hub Staff
An array of musical genres and local talent will once again come together on Saturday, May 13 when Something Different takes over the Port Elgin United Church. Billed as “A Musical Extravaganza,” Something Different will feature performances from The Rolling Thunder Choir, The Danns, Dorian Gray, Tyler Pantlin and Kim Lake.
Now in its third year, Something Different was so-called because organizers wanted it to be different from year to year. "I never give away what the content is of the show because that's part of the surprise," said Producer, Concert Director and Musician, John Stewart.
The concert is a fundraiser for Summer Music Camp, the popular music program that runs for one week each July and is celebrating 30 years this year.
Something Different is the brainchild of Stewart, who brought the idea with him when he retired to Saugeen Shores from Hamilton. “I realized there was a great pool of talent up here and being a musician myself I always had sort of a pet idea of my own that I wanted to put together something that would bring together all the different genres of music,” he said, adding “not just have them play individually... actually bring them all together and share the musical experiences and play with each other.”
Stewart got involved with Summer Music, which was looking to develop a fundraiser for the camp, and Something Different was born. “I solicited different people in the community and the guys from the Noodle Factory and some different singer songwriters I'd met along the way in the community.” Stewart said that he thought a choir would be a nice addition “so we put together a choir which I dubbed the Rolling Thunder Choir.”
Stewart said the first year saw 62 people take the stage with the second year expanding considerably. “We had a 10 piece horn section, we had a six piece string section, a contemporary duo and a seven piece rock, R&B, mixed classic rock kind of band and then the choir had grown to 52 people so we had a huge stage,” he said.
Something Different concerts have done everything from Etta James to the Beatles to Joe Cocker and European folk music. “There's no niche that we try to fill, except the biggest component that I try to keep at the forefront all the time is engage the audience. It's not about showing virtuosity or anything like that. It's great if it comes out but the real thing is connect with the audience and get the audience going away saying that they're very happy that they've gone out for the evening and spent it with us.”
Keeping the show’s talent local has also been a focus and Stewart said that although at times performers have come from communities in the surrounding area such as Owen Sound, Hanover and Kincardine, those people have had a connection to Saugeen Shores. “As it grows maybe that will expand but I'm trying to maximize the talent we have within our community right now and give them an opportunity to showcase what they do and get people to see the diversity of entertainment there.” He said that Something Different is also a way for each genre to share their craft with a new audience; and for members of the audience to discover a new genre. “Because the jazz people will go to see the jazz people and the blues people go to see the blues people and then they see them together and they go, ‘Oh wow, I didn't think that was possible.’”
Funds raised from Something Different, which Stewart said totalled approximately $11,000 last year, goes to the operating costs of Summer Music, a charitable organization that has taught people from age 4 to 84; as well as music scholarships to students and people in the community.
The Musical Extravaganza will get underway at 7:30 p.m., doors open at 7 p.m., Saturday, May 13 at the Port Elgin United Church. Tickets are $25 and $15 for students and can be obtained from Blackboard Sound in Port Elgin, Bliss in Southampton, Back Eddie's in Paisley, Long & McQuade in Owen Sound or by calling 519-483-2222.
For more information on Summer Music, visit summermusic.com.