Entertainment

Fire in the Valley is a rock cover band based out of Elmira Ontario made up of members from Elmira, Guelph and Kitchener.

Leading the band on vocals and keys is frontman Ryan Hayes. Behind Ryan sits Steve Connolly on the drums. Stage left and stage right are occupied by lead guitarist Ivan Li and rhythm guitarist Jason Murdock. Last but certainly not least, floating somewhere between the guitars and drums, you’ll find Alex Judge on Bass.

While the band primarily focuses on rock covers, they’re known to mix it up a bit by blending in some pop and country songs as well as a few surprises to keep everyone on their toes.

Fire in the Valley was the Gold Winner for the 2023 Waterloo Region Record Reader’s Choice Awards in the category of Best Local Musician or Band.

If ever entering a venue and the marquee says, “Moonshine Band”, get ready to kick up your boots because you’re in for one energetic, entertaining, and exciting show, guaranteed.

Formed in August of 2000, these boys have been belting out top 40 hits in honky tonks, festivals, back yard party’s and private weddings across Ontario. Starting out as a four-piece band, playing various clubs in Southwestern Ontario. The band felt like they were still missing something. That’s when they decided to add a Fiddle player so they could be more dynamic and add variety of music including Keltic, Rock, 50 and 60’s, New country and keep their old country roots.

In 2004 they participated in the New Country 95.3 Rising Star and was credited as being Ontario’s Rising Star. Moonshine was later asked to open for C.C.M.A’s 2004 Group of the year, Doc Walker at the Lil Big Horn in Cambridge. And later that year, Moonshine was named O.C.P.F.A’s 2004 club Artist of the Year. This lead to many opportunities for them to open up for various artists inc. Road Hammers, Aaron Pritchett, Jamie Warren, Good Brothers, Emerson Drive and Trooper.

With a few of the band members going their separate ways because of life responsibilities the band was reformed in 2020 and they have not looked back. With the newly added characteristics and musicianship that each member brings,  Moonshine is a high energy band that needs to be seen to truly be experienced. An experience that will be sure to have you “ Keepin’  it Country…..Moonshine Style”!!

Onion Honey may hail from Ontario’s tech capital, but musicians Dave Pike, Esther Wheaton, Leanne Swantko, and Kayleigh LeBlanc play folk music like an old-fashioned string band. The lineup are all multiple threats – singing lead and harmony, songwriting, passing around banjo, guitar, mandolin, and double bass in performance – and three years of weekly ‘Banjo Church’ livecasts through lockdown has polished their onstage rapport and banter to a high shine.  

The band released Foul Weather Friends in May 2023, their first professional studio album after over a decade of self-produced music. Recorded live off the floor and engineered by Andy Magoffin at his House of Miracles, Roots Music Canada praised the album’s “out-of-this-world harmonies and sweet, tart, string-band sound” and the band’s “catchy-as-hell little ditties that could easily pass for traditional, with a sense of humour that sets them apart from their contemporaries.”

Onion Honey has been heard on radio stations across Canada, showcased at Folk Music Ontario in 2023, and have performed at  a number of festivals including Banjofest in Guelph, Springtide Festival in Uxbridge, Cambridge’s Mill Race Folk Festival, Winterfolk in Toronto, River Valley Bluegrass Festival, and more.

Offsuit is a Tri-cities rock and roll quartet formed in 2007. They play an eclectic mix of music from the 60s to current day from artists ranging from The Beatles and Billy Joel to Guns ‘N Roses and Motley Crue.