A tribute concert to Jimi Hendrix entertained the crowd at the BWG Library on Sunday afternoon.
Despite the frigid temperatures, there was a large turnout of both the young and young at heart, as they gathered together in the library's atrium for a two hour treat of classic Hendrix songs.
Musician Toney Springer delightfully put his own spin on the acoustic versions of Hendrix’s music.
His acoustic guitars combined with strong vocals evoked the spirit of Hendrix through classic songs like Fire, Manic Depression, Purple Haze and Wild Thing.
“The title of these songs just make me smile sometimes, because it was a [time of expressing] peace and everyone was finding themselves,” Toney told the audience.
Springer spoke about the history of Hendrix, the era of the sixties, and even his own experience in the music industry.
He encouraged audience participation, getting them to sing along.
Hendrix famously played the Star Spangled Banner back in 1969 at Woodstock on his guitar. Toney wowed the crowd to his own rendition of Oh Canada.
“You have the right to not remain silent sometimes. You do have the right to express yourself,” he said.
He noted that we shouldn’t be afraid to dance, and to have fun and be free with our enjoyment of music.
The event was put on in collaboration with The February Blues Festival and BWG Library, supported by the BWG Friends of the Library.
Wendy Zwaal, Adult Services Librarian and Robin H.S Munro of the Barrie Jazz Blues Fest worked together to make the concert possible and continue to work towards future events at the library.
“The first show we did with Toney was from Trinidad to Toronto because his life story is marvelous,” explained Munro.
“He’s played with David Bowie and was a Jimi Hendrix performer in the movie Daydream Believer. I closely identify [Toney] with Jimi Hendrix,” which was one of the reasons why Minro chose him to be part of the festival.
The BWG Library puts on many concerts and events throughout the year. Visit the library website here to check out their upcoming events.
The next concert will be a part of the Barrie Jazz and Blues fest at the library on June 14, 2020. For more info on the festival you can visit www.barriejazzbluesfest.com.