We look back at the wonderful events and talented artists that performed at The Centre last year.
BANDALOOP – FREE OPENING WEEKEND EVENT
BANDALOOP was a performance not to be forgotten, as the crowd of almost 6,000 people can attest to. We also hosted performances from Danny Michele, Jeremy Fischer, Cuff the Duke and more. Chalk Master Dave amazed everyone with his sidewalk art, Zina Lavut livened up the day for the little ones with her beautiful face painting, the food trucks kept us fed and people lined up to take their turn climbing the rock wall. Overall, an absolutely fantastic weekend! Join us for this year’s opening weekend on September 12 & 13.
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DOORS OPEN
Doors Open Waterloo Region is a free heritage and architecture tour of special, occasionally “secret” places in the region, held on the third Saturday in September every year. Last year, we opened our doors and invited the public to join us for backstage tours, guided by some of our most dedicated and seasoned staff. We also opened the lobby space to artists from the Region to showcase their talent.
This year, Doors Open will be on Saturday, September 20. We will once again invite the public to join us for a day of activities and backstage tours.
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WHOOPI GOLDBERG
Not surprisingly, Whoopi was hilarious as always. She joked about her age and all the funny things happening to her body and mind as she gets older. After the show, she gave us almost an hour of her time for questions from the audience, hosted by Dave FM’s Gayle O’Brien. Before she took the stage, Whoopi carved out some time to say hello to some adoring fans.
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JOAN OSBORNE
Osborne had the pleasure of performing the first OnStage show of last year, a more intimate and cozy setting where the audience shares the stage with the artist. She captivated the audiences with some new songs as well as old hits like “What if God Was One Of Us?”.
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B.B. KING
An incredible and unforgettable evening with The King of Blues. Steve Strongman Band did a fantastic job opening the night; you could feel the energy in the room from a proud Kitchener! And then, like a true gentleman of the stage, B.B. let his band members open with some genuinely amazing solos on each of their respective instruments before coming out. The crowd did an excellent job of welcoming Mr. King with a long, warm standing ovation. It was an absolute honour to have The King of the Blues here with us. He was charming, funny and somehow made us feel like we were sitting in his living room with family, watching the magic happen. He was kind enough to stay, sign autographs, and chat after the show!
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RICK EMMETT – GUITAR HEROES
Former lead singer/songwriter/guitarist of Triumph, Emmett reminded us why he is a legend among guitar fans as he took us through some of the greatest guitar solos in rock history. Before he did that, he was kind enough to say hello to a long-time fan backstage. Well known for his down to earth demeanour, Emmett signed his fan’s guitar and even played a few songs. Such a gentleman!
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KENNY ROGERS
Kenny enchanted the audience with stories from the past as well as some of his classic tunes. For the second half of the show, he and musical guest Linda Davis shared the stage with the Grand Philharmonic Youth Choir to sing Christmas favourites. Before taking the stage, he took the time to meet with some of his biggest fans backstage.
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CHARLES BRADLEY
Charles Bradley, one of the oldest up-and-coming soul artists to date, was one of the most vibrant and electric artists to ever grace The Centre’s stage. He took us all back to another time and place; as if we were sitting in a tiny bar in Georgia, watching James Brown creating magic. As if the night couldn’t have been more amazing, he took a trip down to The Jane Bond in Waterloo and did an impromptu performance. What a guy!
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CITS HOLIDAY VIDEO
Just one of the many fun projects we got to work on this past year, our holiday video. The staff of Centre In The Square worked together to create a digital holiday card that was shared with all patrons and community partners. In case you missed it, here it is again.
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ROCK OF AGES
The energy in the full house was incredible! So Chiq Studios were kind enough to donate their time and resources so we could offer patrons an “80’s makeover” before the show. Judging by the line-up of people waiting to get their hair crimped, it was a hit.
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THE TEN TENORS
Like the true gentlemen they were, The Ten Tenors agreed to a private dinner with fans the night before the show, hosted and sponsored by the wonderful Entertaining Elements. The Aussie troupe was joined by 5 lucky contest winners and their guests. Entertaining Elements’ Chef Mike prepared an all-Canadian cuisine, from the wine to the dessert. A great time was had by all!
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JIM BELUSHI AND THE BOARD OF COMEDY
Before hitting the stage to show off their improv skills, Jim Belushi and the Board of Comedy stopped by to spend some time with fans.
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BIG BAD VOODOO DADDY
Before the 9 piece band got the house a jumpin’, we invited the Hep Cat Hoppers to teach us to swing dance! Doors were opened early and everyone was welcome to take free lessons so we could jump and jive with the best of them!
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JOHN LEGEND
Undoubtedly one of the most exciting shows of the year, John Legend did not disappoint a sold out house of enthusiastic fans. For a small group of lucky patrons, there was even a last minute opportunity to sit on stage with John!
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GEORGE THOROGOOD
Thorogood put on a killer rock concert! He did not disappoint an audience full of rock and roll fans. Before the show, he took some time to meet some fans and even gave away a signed guitar to one lucky promotional winner.
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MICHAEL BOLTON
Bolton took us through an interesting journey that covered some of his greatest hits, as well an eclectic mix of Mowtown tunes and the occasional trip to operatic masterpieces like “Nessun Dorma” and “The Prayer”. After the show, he stopped by our Members’ Lounge to say hello to some long-time fans.
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