The Capitol Centre’s new SHAREDBENEFIT summer concert series kicks off this Thursday, July 9th, and will feature North Bay musicians Shawn Sasyniuk and Sam Depatie as The Angry Pants.
This concert is free to enjoy on the Capitol Centre’s Facebook but donations are welcomed with all proceeds being split between the centre and the musicians.
The concerts will be pre-recorded and uploaded to YouTube and will be available for all to watch and enjoy Thursday evening at 7 pm.
“Sam and I are really looking forward to this event! We haven’t had the chance to play together since March so this’ll be an absolute treat for us. Also, we’re super proud to be able to lend a hand to help support the Capitol Centre. Difficult times for all of us but together we’ll get through this. We hope you’ll enjoy our show as well as those that are yet to come! Cheers and stay safe everyone!” says Shawn Sasyniuk.
Sasyniuk initially gained his reputation as a solid and energetic drummer and percussionist and has shared the stage with several artists including Roch Voisine, Gold City Ashes, France D’amour, Jason Lang, among others.
Sam Depatie, owner of Samantha’s Fiddle and Stepdance School in North Bay is a seasoned award-winning musician adding her playing and arranging talents to several albums.
The duo will be the first of the summer’s SHAREDBENEFIT concert series hosted by the Capitol Centre, which aims at providing artists with a professional venue and set up.
According to Dan Misturada, the Capitol Centre’s director of programming, it’s a big step above what many musicians have been doing during the pandemic, and the series has received good feedback from local performers.
Donations will be split 50/50 between the artists and the facility, and Misturada says their excitement isn’t just about the prospect of making money.
“It’s about being able to perform and hone their craft and bring joy to people through music,” he said.
Misturada said there are already several other bands waiting for their turn, including NorthFacing Folk, The Cabiners, and Foxglove.
“It’s a great way to support our local community so that when we do come out of this on the other side we’re all stronger for it. And that’s really the hope so that we can build a community back up and keep it strong, so that when we are able to gather again we can do so,” he finished.
Caroline Parnell-Barry, Marketing Director for the CAPITOL CENTRE is excited, to say the least.
“It’s going be great,” she shared. “From an industry perspective, locally, nationally, and even internationally musicians and artists have been giving us free entertainment online. That’s amazing – but it’s not helping them pay the bills. I believe this will be a really good thing for both the theatres and the artists.” she said.
She also shared that the Centre has been hard at work preparing for the day they can open once again to the public.
“Our janitorial staff has been cleaning and disinfecting he building since shut down. We’ve been planning for crowd control as well as seating options for when it happens. It’s not what is required of us, because we don’t know, but it’s what may be required of us. So we are working to ensure that plans A, B, C, and D are covered and how to best move forward.” She said.
Despite the concert premiere Thursday, folks can still donate up to a few days after the event by visiting capitolcentre.org/donate.
