MAY 2026
THE RIVER VIEW
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27
Summer Nights Music Festival Starts and Ends with Family BY KRISTEN LAWSON
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hat began as a one-time fundraiser concert has ballooned into a fully-fledged production company bringing live music to Riverview. In June 2024, Matt’s nephew, Levi, suffered a severe diving accident and became paralyzed. As a paramedic, Matt certainly understands how difficult a medical emergency can be. Within weeks, with the help of Scott Burgess, he had organized a charity concert to support Levi and his family. IronFest took place July 26 at the Holy Whale, headlined by PEI country artist Ben Chase. “Levi identified as Iron Man during his recovery,” Matt shared. “My brother, Levi’s dad, was able to sing to him via FaceTime from the stage. It definitely helped with the healing process.” The concert was so well received that Matt decided to do it again. In 2025 he officially established Seventy3 Productions, named for the year Riverview was founded. Labrador City already hosts an annual summer IronFest, plus the name felt too tied to a single genre. The festival received a new name: Summer Nights. “What I remembered from the year before was how great the atmosphere was on a summer night, with the sun setting behind the stage. Summer Nights felt like something everyone could relate to.” Scott handled the site logistics for that second show while Matt managed the artists and production
side. Fellow paramedic Rachel Nevers volunteered to help and quickly became a pivotal partner in the growing company. Seventy3 Productions now regularly presents local and regional artists at the Holy Whale and other venues across NB, including the popular John Prine Tribute in April. Their mission is to build community and help grow a strong, local music scene. As more people are reaching out to them to produce events, they are still figuring out what exactly the company is. “What I really want to create is an experience. The challenge is figuring out how to create something the community feels part of, something they take pride in.” Part of Seventy3’s approach is to make the artists’ experience just as important as the audiences’. “Backstage is really fun. My friend cooks a brisket that is becoming a bit of a thing. We have had people from Nashville say it was better than barbecue down there!” The 2026 Summer Night Music Festival is taking place at the Holy Whale on July 24 & 25, with an iconic Canadian rock theme. After recent updates to the concert site, Matt estimates the space can hold 3-4x the previous year’s capacity. Friday night features headliner Big Sugar, along with The Motorleague, Chris Colepaugh and the Cosmic Crew, and Pat Gillespie and his band. Saturday is headlined by Sloan, with The Monoxides, The Orchids, and The Magnetic Hills, the band Matt and his brother play in.
What I remembered from the year before was how great the atmosphere was on a summer night, with the sun setting behind the stage. Summer Nights felt like something everyone could relate to. “Because this is tied to Levi, it means a lot to him and to my brother to have that outlet and keep that connection.” While charity remains the focus, the festival took some losses last year. This year they plan to divide the revenue into thirds: one to invest back into the company, one to compensate for their work, and one to go to charity. “Because we are grow-
ing, we want to be careful not to over-promise and under-deliver. Ultimately, we want to get to a place where the festival can reliably give back,” Matt explained. He went on to share his gratitude for all of the support they have received from the community, from local businesses to the local government. “The mayor came last year. He said we were
bringing music back to Riverview. He told me he got goosebumps when he walked in and saw the community gathered there.” Seventy3 Productions’ work truly seems like a calling. Matt and Rachel balance running the company alongside their careers and family life. Recently Carolann Jardine joined the team. =“Carolann keeps Rachel and me on task. She has taken on a lot of the artist’s side of things; she is extremely talented at that. I would not be able to do this without their help.” As the company grows, Matt has big ideas for the future: “I am a huge fan of Stephen Wilson Jr., so my goal is to bring him to the Maritimes! I would love to
see Summer Nights grow into something bigger—it would be awesome to have classic rock at the Holy Whale, and a hiphop show downtown. A festival that encompasses the tri-community would be amazing. It would also be awesome to put a concert back on Magnetic Hill someday.” Beyond the big dreams, Summer Nights’ roots remain personal to the Sutherlands. “The community has been really great to our family–we want to build this into something that can give back. Our goal is to figure out how Levi can be involved, whether that is helping choose a charity or supporting scholarship opportunities. He is really the catalyst for the whole festival.”