We got by with a little help from our friends

Anyone who’s been to Up Here before knows the Pop-Up Shows are a really special part of the festival experience.

Throughout the years, we’ve been keeping a list of great locations for Pop-Up Shows across the city. The problem was a lot of these locations can’t accommodate 100+ people showing up for a surprise performance. Last year, when the world came to a halt, we had to reimagine the festival in a matter of weeks.

We had an idea.

What if we got access to these sweet locations to shoot intimate Pop-Up style sessions with local emerging musicians? We called our friends at RBC to see if they’d like to support this project. They hopped on board without hesitation, and the RBC Pop-Up Sessions were born.

We ended up shooting a series of six incredibly beautiful and diverse sessions in cool places all around Sudbury.

“When live events were on pause, together we found a solution to support the creative communities in Greater Sudbury and Northern Ontario. This was a unique opportunity and example of people working together to fill that void and continuing to expose the amazing local talent in the region. This was a prime example of how we came together at a time we were apart.” —Scott Simon, Regional Vice President, RBC

Fast-forward a year, and though we’re not out of the woods yet, we will be doing some safe outdoor performances for Up Here 7. Up Here has once again partnered up with RBC to put the spotlight on a collection of local emerging artists that will be taking the stage for the first time in over 19 months.

RBC will present six concerts by local emerging artists as part of Up Here 7 from August 20-22, 2021.

To get ready for Up Here 7, let’s revisit some of the RBC Pop-Up Sessions we produced last summer.

Julie Katrinette at the Northern Ontario Railroad Museum & Heritage Centre in Capreol, Ontario

This was the very first session we shot. It was just so special, and the location was just a perfect fit for Julie’s nostalgic vibes.

Julie Katrinette is the folk-country infused solo project of local songstress, Julie Houle. Having stockpiled a collection of heartbreak songs, she is ready to offer them up as a musical letting go of sorts. Her new album is an “adios” to grief gone by and a big “well hello there” to growth and to new beginnings.

Don’t miss Julie Katrinette at Up Here 7 on Sunday, August 22, 2021 at 7 p.m.

Melanie St-Pierre (Casper Skulls) at Kalmo Beach in Val Caron

This was the first time a lot of our crew had heard a live electric guitar wailing through an amp in a long time. We all had chills and remember letting out a collective “Woah!” after yelling “Cut!”. This was awesome.

As Melanie St-Pierre gears up to release her sophomore record with the force that is Casper Skulls, she has been hard at work on a self-reflective journey. With her new solo project, she shows she knows when to swirl into the echoing beauty of the ambient world and create a powerful yet delicate performance.

Catch Melanie St-Pierre with Casper Skulls on Sunday, August 22, 2021 at 8 p.m.

Bryden Gwiss underground at Dynamic Earth

This was such a special performance. Bryden showed up with his son Gwiss, who performed alongside his father in full regalia. What a touching performance by an artist whose message we all need to listen to in 2021.

Bryden Gwiss has grown up on the pow wow trail: learning songs, drum teachings, and dancing Men’s Traditional Style for over 30 years. His music fuses traditional pow wow songs with modern hip-hop production. Bryden is originally from Neyaashiinigaming (Cape Croker, Ontario) and Sipekne'katik (Indian Brook, Nova Scotia) but currently resides in Sudbury. Bryden was nominated for Indigenous Music Album of the Year at the Junos in 2017.

Patricia Cano at the Cressey Substation in the heart of Gatchell

Patricia Cano is a many-award-winning Peruvian-Canadian vocalist, songwriter, actor, and total powerhouse. So, it was just logical to have a powerhouse perform in a powerhouse. This location came to us from our friends at Greater Sudbury Utilities. The substation happened to be decommissioned for a few weeks while they did upgrades, so the fact that we were able to shoot there was really special. The old brick power station had such a beautiful natural chamber quality to it. We love these industrial cathedrals.

With a body of work that is rich and diverse, Patricia has stunned audiences around the world with everything from an 18-member orchestra to a one-woman show. If her smile alone doesn’t knock you off your feet, you can bet her voice will.

Jor'Del Downz at Science North

We met Jor’Del for the first time when he got dropped off by a taxi at the main entrance of Science North. We knew he was good, and loved his recordings, but didn’t quite know what to expect from his performance. He handed our technician a USB key with his backing track for a quick soundcheck, grabbed a mic, asked where the camera was and started singing his heart out. We were totally floored. We captured this performance in two quick takes.

Jor’Del Downz seamlessly blends singing, rapping, percussion, and beat making. Born and raised in Sudbury, JorDel was totally blind until the age of four, when he gained back 50% of his sight. He always played his toys like instruments, showing an intuitive musical sense that’s only gotten stronger. He raises awareness about different kinds of blindness, something that never held Downz back.

Catch Jor’Del Downz opening Up Here 7’s Hip-Hop Night on Saturday, August 21, 2021 at 8 p.m.

Salted Wounds on the rooftop parking lot of Elm Place in downtown Sudbury

What a cathartic performance. Man-oh-man, did we need this. Everyone in Salted Wounds has been involved in the festival in some capacity before. We did a few takes then waited for the sun to settle in that sweet sweet spot you see captured in the final cut.

A crusty quartet cobbled together by friendship and laughter, Salted Wounds convenes Rob Seaton (Statues), Andrée St-Onge (The Ape-ettes), and Adam Dempsey and Brady Middaugh (Skin Condition) for a brand new project plumbing the depths of love, loss, and forgiveness. Taken with a grain of salt, these tunes burn a bit, but help the healing.

RBC Pop-Up Shows at Up Here 7

Aside from presenting performances by Julie Katrinette, Melanie St-Pierre (Casper Skulls), and Jor’Del Downz at this year’s festival, RBC will also be presenting another three unscheduled RBC Pop-Up Shows during the festival. Folks can expect to be surprised by interdimensional space-rock outfit Teleporters, psychedelic duo Rare-Ether Magnet, and soul-rockers Harvey King and the Grindstone.

The exact times of the RBC Pop-Up Sessions will be announced through the official Up Here app—so get the app and don’t miss a beat.