Since launching in April of this year, the Perth Dinner & Concert Series (PDCS) has been bringing live original music to the heart of Perth — and the momentum continues with four more performances coming up in June and July.
Hosted at The Perth Restaurant and Pizzeria at 23 Gore Street, the series runs from 4–6pm on two Saturdays each month through the end of November. Tickets are just $10 cash at the door, plus the cost of your meal. To reserve, call 267–3170 Wednesday through Sunday — and come hungry, because The Perth Restaurant is beloved for its fabulous pizza and extensive family-friendly menu.
The series has been a natural partnership between outstanding local artists performing original music and the enduring community spirit of the Blue Skies Music Festival. The Perth Dinner & Concert Series is proudly sponsored by Blue Skies in the Community (BSIC), an outreach program launched in 1988 to support music year-round in the communities surrounding the festival site, as well as a summer arts camp for children. For more than 30 years, BSIC has helped keep that spirit alive by fostering musicians, music, and the arts across the region from Cloyne and Ompah to Perth and Kingston.
Upcoming Shows
Saturday, June 13 brings Pat Johnson and Billy Mac-Innis to the stage. Billy MacInnis, also known as Stompin’ Tom’s fiddle player, has performed across Canada with Stompin’ Tom Connors, Tim Huss, and Whiskey Jack, to name a few. Billy shares the stage with veteran musician Pat Johnson. Their partnership began in 2019 when they recorded Billy’s album Strings Attached at Pat’s studio by Charleston Lake, Ontario. Live performances and several recorded releases ensued. Expect original music, Canadian fiddle tunes, folk, country and likely some blues, and lots of strings working overtime!
Doug Barr is up next on Saturday, June 27. Doug’s high school Prom Queen broke his heart, so he took up songwriting to soothe the pain. After 55 years, Doug’s inspirations have grown through 70’s folk/rock and four world-class children’s albums to his 2015 Too Far from the Water CD where he grinds his pen, fingers and strings on the necks of war-mongers, oil maggots in suits, and bankers. Now in the process of licensing the first 3 of his 110 recorded songs for feature film, documentaries and TV series, Doug is flying high… and still writing.
Saturday, July 11 features Ric Denis on guitar with Tony Stuart on clarinet and saxophone. Ric and Tony have been playing their unabashedly retro jazz together since an impromptu performance jam on stage one fine Canada Day fifteen years ago. Since then they have become known as the Somerset Combo, and their unique sound is like a café in Paris or a sunset in Brazil. For this show the Combo will re-explore some of Ric’s singer/songwriter days as well as new material from the Somerset Combo. For a taste, check out somersetcombo.com.
Driftin’ Doug finishes this series up on Saturday, July 25. Country to his soul, Driftin’ Doug has appeared live on CBC and on stage in Perth’s music festival and other events around Lanark County. He has released three CDs of original music celebrating Canadian history and culture. Love country music? Come ready to tap your toes and let Driftin’ Doug’s music touch your heart.
