The SLAB - Home Concert Series

PETERBOROUGH’SBEST KEPT SECRETTHE SLAB

by Karen Irvine

House concerts are nothing new, they have been around for many years. It’s a concert, with professional musicians, in an intimate setting of song and conversation. Phil Connor does exactly this in his garage, or as it’s known – The SLAB.

The experience is a relaxed and intimate atmosphere, with patrons of Americana music coming together to listen, enjoy each other’s company, and have a wonderful evening. Phil says ‘I like to call it Canadiana music (laughs). It’s mixture of folk, rock and rhythm and blues.’ The musicians tell stories and the listeners get to know the people behind the music.

Al Black and Phil Connor

Phil is a humble, intelligent, well-spoken man. In his appreciation for musicians and their talent, he has been hosting concerts featuring local musicians since November 2016. Some of the musicians who have performed at The SLAB are Rick Fines, Cris Cuddy, Pat Temple, Al Lerman, Emily Burgess, Kayla Howran, and The Weber Brothers.

‘The whole objective of this is to support local artists’ says Phil. ‘It’s the 40th anniversary of the $100 gig (Phil jokes, tongue in cheek). But when a musician performs at The SLAB, it’s $30 a person times 34-35 people. The musicians can make 5-8 times more (at The SLAB) than they make at a bar.’ And for this service Phil takes no honorarium. All the money raised goes directly to the musicians. So what does Phil get out of

it? Phil says, ‘I sit in the corner and get to listen to great music’ (he laughs). ‘I’ve consumed music from the UK and the States, and now I’m consuming it directly from the town that I live in. And I think that’s a better way to consume music.’

‘I’ve always been a big music fan. Always. The first musician I met in town was Al Black. And gradually I got to know a lot of musicians. I just want to pay back and one of the ways I can pay back is by doing this.’

Phil says ‘I try to keep a low profile. I always refer to myself as SLAB Productions. I never use my name. I do this purposely such that others around me get the spotlight. I work better below the surface. I use my knowledge and experience to impact those around me ... all with the best intentions. No hidden agenda, no politics. I simply work with and associate myself with people I admire. Possibly with folks that exhibit traits and behaviour that I aspire to.’

The SLAB also does a set of concerts called the Visiting Artist Series. They have had Morgan Davis, Tim Williams and Joey Landreth, to mention a few. ‘I’m a huge Landreth fan. That was purely selfish’ (laughs), says Phil.

Al Black, a local musician, was also present when I met Phil. He is one of five people on the Board of Directors with the Peterborough Music Benevolent Association (PMBA). Al explains, ‘Phil Marshall was a local musician who would do benefits. His widow asked if we would create a Board to raise money (by donation and raffles)’. The money raised from

PMBA helps local musicians who are having a problem (health wise, or a flood or a fire etc). ‘Rather than a benefit, we can get (the musician) money immediately. Sometimes within hours’, says Al. They also host monthly shows (PMBA Deluxe Jam) at Dr. Jay’s Brews and BBQ in Peterborough on the third Saturday of the month. If you would like to donate, please go to their Facebook page, or attend a show.

With the support from Chef Brian Henry and with Terry and Phred’s Jus-Jellin’s beer jelly, a portion of the proceeds from The SLAB concerts goes to the PMBA as well. Terry says ‘we are in our second year of supporting Slab Productions and the PMBA. Our contribution to The Slab is through donation of product that is sold at these events and proceeds are forwarded to the PMBA. We sometimes are fortunate to have Chef Brian Henry on site and he prepares some unique dishes using our beer jelly. We serve these dishes at intermission to our guests and, in turn, they throw a donation into the tip jar. All proceeds from the tip jar are also forwarded on to the PMBA. I give thanks to Phil for providing us this opportunity and Jus-Jellin is happy to assist and support local artist and live music.’ To date, The SLAB has donated approximately $2,000 to PMBA.

Another way Phil and Al want to ‘pay back’ is with a music initiative called Music Peterborough. The goal is to make Peterborough a musical tourist destination. Al says, ‘we know what we want to do, but it’s in the really early stages. There aren’t many cities the size of Peterborough that have live music every night of the week. We have a lot of musicians living here for that reason. We want to get more people coming to Peterborough to hear the music.’

The SLAB is by invitation only. If you want on his email list for future shows, contact Phil at SLABprod@ gmail.com or call 705-768-4084. This is one guest list you don’t want to miss out on. You can also find SLAB Productions on Twitter (@SLABPROD), on Facebook (SLABProductions) and on Phil’s website www.pconnorphotography.com. Concerts are the last Wednesday of each month.

The SLAB isn’t the only place to experience house concerts in Peterborough. There is also the Gilmour Street Music Hall. Rob and Annie have been doing this for over 10 years. You can contact them at 705- 745-6538 or on Facebook to get on the mailing list for upcoming events.

Weber Brothers Photo: SLAB Productions

Joey Landreth & Rick Fines

Photo SLAB Productions