Diamond Rings performs in Toronto to promote Quebec City’s Festival d’Ete de Quebec, a massive music fest in July. He takes the stage at the festival on July 8. (Adrian Brijbassi/Vacay.ca)
Report by Adrian Brijbassi
Vacay.ca Managing Editor
TORONTO, ONTARIO — John O’Regan strummed his guitar on Tuesday night and sang six gorgeous songs during an acoustic set to promote the biggest concert festival in Canada this summer. No, it’s not the Montreal Jazz Fest or the Ottawa Bluesfest or the back-to-back KISS concerts at the 2013 Calgary Stampede.
O’Regan, better known by his stage name Diamond Rings, will be among the more than 200 artists performing at Festival d’Ete de Quebec, the annual summer festival of Quebec City. Taking place on the Plains of Abraham and other stages throughout the city, the festival runs for 11 consecutive days from July 4-14 and wristbands that allow entry into the entirety of the festival cost only $76.
Headliners include Stevie Wonder (July 14), the Black Keys (July 6) and Bruno Mars (July 8). Canada’s tremendous array of emerging talent will be well represented with Diamond Rings (July 8), A Tribe Called Red (July 9), the Sheepdogs (July 14) and Monster Truck (July 14) appearing. Rush (July 10) and Lee Harvey Osmond (July 13) are among the veteran Canadian talents on stage for a festival that is the closest thing this nation has to Coachella, the showcase that draws big-name acts and legions of fans to the California desert each year.
“I’m excited to be at this festival. It might be the only time I get to see Bruno Mars without having to pay a lot of money to buy a ticket,” says O’Regan, a superb talent who had a breakthrough year that included a Juno nomination, a headline appearance at the Sirius XM Indie Awards, and performances on the Late Show with David Letterman and the Tonight Show within days of each other.
Festival d’Ete de Quebec a Trip for Music Fans
He provided the musical entertainment at the Spoke Club in Toronto as Quebec City’s tourism agencies arrived to pitch media about the attractions happening in the provincial capital this summer. Along with Festival d’Ete de Quebec, the city has numerous activities and cultural events for tourists to enjoy, including a plethora of cycling trails and outstanding arts showcases. As always, romance is a draw to Quebec, particularly to its iconic hotel, the Fairmont Chateau Frontenac, and its superb intimate restaurants, including some that ranked among Vacay.ca’s best restaurants in Canada guide for 2013. Among them are Laurie Raphael (ranked No. 63), Le Canard Goulu (No. 66) and L’Initiale (No. 88).
The primary draw, however, is the music fest, a marquee event that no music fan will want to miss out on.
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More About Festival d’Ete de Quebec
Dates: July 4-14, 2013
Tickets: Full festival passes cost $76 and there is a limit of 75,000 full-event wristbands. Day and weekend passes are also available. To purchase, telephone 1-855-800-3347 (toll free), or visit the Passes page on the website.
Website: www.infofestival.com
Vacay.ca Coverage: Multiple Vacay.ca team members will be in attendance for the festival, providing coverage on the website, Twitter (@VacayCanada) and on Facebook (Vacay.ca). Be sure to follow along.
See a video interview with Diamond Rings as part of Vacay.ca’s Rock ‘n Roll Road Trips series
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