When you run a local music and culture publication, you tend to have a good understanding of what’s happening in the area. This is especially true when an Events Calendar is part of the publication. We pay close attention to all the local happenings in this area so we can inform our audience of all that Grey Bruce Simcoe offers month to month.
One venue that has particularly stood out to us over the last few years is the Marsh Street Centre. We’ve watched as they’ve consistently offered programming that not only rocks, but really caters to the needs of the community. Their connection to music an integral part of their three pillars of Community, Creativity and Culture. Music serves a purpose within all three of the pillars, which aligns perfectly with what we’re doing here at Rrampt this spring with our focus on music.
There are many reasons their programming stands out. Take, for example, the recent sold-out Donovan Woods show with Ontarians. I’ve been a big fan of both bands for a long time and even got to interview Woods a few years ago for a Rrampt article. He’s a big name to bring to this area, and one that people were clearly excited to see. Another example is the UK Calling concert because who doesn’t love the 80s? And My Son the Hurricane, one of my favourites, rocked the Centre this past spring, too.
So, when I think about successful music venues in this area, I always think of Marsh Street Centre. But what do I mean when I say ‘successful’? How does one gauge success? Is it ticket sales? Longevity? Community partnerships? Filling a local niche? Well, it’s all these things, but it’s also the people behind the venue, the ones who give it its vibe, its energy, its life.
Let’s make no mistake, Marsh Street Centre is certainly selling a lot of tickets. After a number of recently sold-out shows, they have some big events coming up that are sure to keep drawing big crowds. We are fans of both Rosie’s Smokehouse Deluxe and the Shane Cloutier Band, scheduled together for April 26th. They’re also planning a fundraising show for G&M Hospital Foundation with the talented Gabor Szepesi. Keep an eye out for shows from The Sattelites, Boomerangs, Practically Hip and Midnight Special in 2025.
If you like to unwind on a Thursday after work with a bite, a bevvie and live tunes, they are a favourite local gathering spot for weekly Pub Nights on their impressive back patio, which is about to become even more impressive with an upgrade to provide a better atmosphere and add seating capacity for outdoor events. Keep an eye out for these improvements this summer.
Marsh Street Centre understands the value of strong partnerships, which is why they’re working with The Happiness Mafia, collectively Craig Smith and Ariana Dalie, to bring bigger-named bands, like Donovan Woods, and will plan for one per quarter. And with a recent grant, they’ve upgraded both their sound and lighting, so you’ll get an even better listening experience next time you’re in the Centre for a show.
But one of my favourite success stories at the Centre is their Marsh Street Rocks program, which continues with its music education. They have semester classes for both kids and adults, with programs for Under 10, Under 13, Under 18, and for Adults over 18. They added a bursary component to their program, generously provided by the Lewitt Foundation, so affordability shouldn’t be a limiting factor for students interested in developing their musical chops. The Lewitt Foundation has also created the opportunity for students from Events for Life to join, a philanthropic organization offering programming for kids with special needs. The winter/spring program runs until June, when they’ll have a showcase for students performing live at the Marsh Centre on June 20th.
They’re even adding a ‘summer camp’ edition of Marsh Street Rocks where they’ll bring in students for an intensive 5-day course in music development – just thing these youngsters need to take the next step. At the end, they’ll hold a showcase on the slick new outdoor patio (weather permitting).
Another thing that sets Marsh Street Centre apart from other venues is there recording studio, which is equipped to be utilized by the community for creating a professional demo. Now if that isn’t filling a community niche, I don’t know what is.
But as I said earlier, it is as much about the people involved as it is about the service it delivers. A lot of people don’t know this, but they’re a volunteer driven, self-funded, not-for-profit. They use the fund-raising music events to allow them to keep the lights on (the 98-year-old building is beautiful but takes a lot of money to keep going), and to run their other community driven programs.
Even though there is a strong connection between the Marsh Street Centre and music, it’s not all they do. In addition to music, they focus on Community programs (Seniors Wellbeing, Marsh Street Artists, as well as working with local community theatre), and are a rental hall for events (Lions Club, Clarksburg Village Association, Private functions, Celebrations of Life).
Part of their mission is to provide affordable community programs for all of the Town of the Blue Mountains and surrounding area. They’re currently working on a program to support local artist development in the Georgian Bay area. They hope to offer an affordable venue for new musicians to get exposure and experience playing in front of an audience because they feel there is nothing better to grow as an artist than to perform and learn from that. The program is slated to launch this summer/fall and is tentatively called ‘Friday Night Live.’
So, when you start to do add up all the ways Marsh Street Centre is bringing both culture and music to the community through concerts, pub nights, mentorship, studio time, and partnerships, it’s a no brainer that they belong as our Venue Spotlight in 2025.
They are the epitome of a hard-working community member adding value to the local music scene. The volunteers work tirelessly to make this centre a true one-of-a-kind place that is doing things right. Keep an eye out on their website marshstreetcentre.com for upcoming concerts, events, programs, and opportunities. You can also find all their concerts on our Events Calendar at rrampt.com and on their social channels @marshstreetcentre
Article by Jesse Wilkinson
Photos by John Fearnall of Good Noise (except photos of Donovan Woods and Ontarians)
