Bud's Backstage Celebrates 5 Years!
Have you ever wanted to experience the behind the scenes action at Budweiser Gardens? Bud’s Backstage Experience gives guests a sneak peek into the life of a touring artist. Dressing room tours will be staged to mirror what dressing rooms looked like when various artists performed at Budweiser Gardens. Additionally, guests can participate in a silent auction where exclusive concert memorabilia collected from various events at Budweiser Gardens will be up for bid. The event will also include full backstage catering prepared by Spectra Food Services & Hospitality that will feature artists’ past requests that the venue has fulfilled. The dinner will be followed by a night of live music, dancing and ‘Tales from the Road’ to end off the evening. Bud’s Backstage Experience was first held in June of 2015 and has since raised over $40,000 for local organizations such as; Musicounts, Children’s Health Foundation and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
June 6th, 2019 marked the 5th annual Buds Backstage presented by HN Roofing & Sheet Metal LTD and in support of the London Girls Rock Camp. London Girls Rock Camp is focused on empowerment, confidence building, friendship-making, and most importantly: music-loving. Lead by a team of female musicians and industry contributors, LGRC brings programming aimed at campers aged 8-15 who self-identify as female, trans, and gender non-conforming. No musical experience is necessary as we guide campers through a series of workshops and classes that are developed to build skills and confidence in their individual practice and as a band.
This year guests were able to tour Keith Urban and Sarah McLachlan’s dressing rooms as well as two dressing rooms that were recreated into the Women to the Front exhibit which was featured at Museum London during JUNO week. This exhibition pays respect to voices that are often missing from the story of the Canadian music industry. The influence of Canadian women in music is indisputable as they continue to dominate the charts, break records, and innovate. Who invited women to the front? The women.
Our kitchen staff works extremely hard when an event takes over the building from backstage catering, to concessions and dinner packages. To give guests a taste of what some of their artists have requested we put together a customer menu for this event. CLICK HERE to view the menu from the evening!
Tales from the road this year included guest speakers Savanah Sewell – Dundas Place Manager & Co-Founder of London Girls Rock camp, and Sarah Burke of Sirius XM. These two powerful woman talked about their experience in the music industry, various stories of encounters with artists, and how they got where they are today.
Silent auction items this year included:
- Acoustic guitar signed by Luke Combs
- Electric guitar signed by Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Electric guitar signed by Colin James
- Signed Jerry Seinfeld poster designed by Zoca Studio Inc. for his show on April 11, 2019
- Signed Keith Urban poster designed by Zoca Studio Inc. for his show on September 15, 2019
- Signed Kiss poster from their show at Centennial Hall on July 25, 1974
- "The Archer" - David Bowie print by Rock & Rowlands Photo Projection
To cap off the night guests were able to enjoy live music from Kevin’s Bacon Train. What started out as a one-off street-side bluegrass band, turned into a local phenomenon. Playing tunes from the 80s, 90s and 20s, this covergrass band has found their way into people’s hearts playing songs like No Diggity, Super Freak and Material Girl to the stomping sounds of bluegrass.
The traditional 5 year anniversary gift is wood and upon leaving for the evening guests were gifted a mini wooden baseball bat to commemorate the evening! Wood you believe that?!
Photos by Bill Woodcock