Match made in heaven: Dwayne Gretzky and the HPO
Popular cover band and Hamilton’s orchestra are teaming up on a Valentine’s Day show. But don’t ask what love songs they will playing … it’s a secret.
Canada’s greatest party band and Hamilton’s classical orchestra are partnering on a unique Valentine’s Day concert.
The Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra approached Dwayne Gretzky to explore working together after getting wind that the band was interested in a cross-genre collaboration, says HPO executive director Kim Varian.
“And they were very excited to talk about it with us. We know that Dwayne Gretzky are tremendous musicians onto themselves and they've got a great reputation, artistically. And they've got a wonderful following here in Hamilton,” she says.
“It's an extra special treat for us to work with contemporary musicians doing popular music. It's an opportunity for us to be very lighthearted and have some fun in a different kind of concert format for our regular audiences.”
Two members of Dwayne Gretzky live in Hamilton, including co-founder and co-lead vocalist Tyler Kyte.
The stars aligned for a Valentine’s Day show, which offered a clear direction for choosing what to play, he says.
“What better way for us to celebrate our love of music than on Feb. 14? It'll be wonderful.”
When he was a teenager, Kyte listened to Metallica’s S&M over and over. The live album was recorded with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra and features an iconic version of “Nothing Else Matters.”
“You know, we all have fantasized about what it would be like to sing with an orchestra. I think it's a once in a lifetime opportunity,” he says of playing alongside the HPO.
“The chance to play with a 60-piece orchestra is pretty exciting, exhilarating I'd say. We love making music, and so much of the music that Dwayne Gretzky covers and plays, a lot of it has orchestration in it that we have to figure out how to do with keyboards and saxophone. And, you know, some parts just we can't bring to life. So the chance to actually do some songs that have an orchestra, with an orchestra, I mean, it's just, it sounds like fun for everybody involved.”
The show is the hands of conductor and arranger Lucas Waldin. He’s come up with a number of the arrangements that will be used for the performance.
“His arrangements are excellent and we've worked with him before,” says Varian. “And so I'm delighted to have him back. He has a fantastic reputation with orchestras across Canada.”
As per Dwayne Gretzky’s regular practice of eschewing setlists for impromptu lineups, what will be played with the HPO will be a closely guarded secret. Until the conductor raises his baton, the song will be a surprise. That seems appropriate for a Valentine’s Day show because isn’t mystery a big part of romance, after all?
There are plenty of songs to choose from since Dwayne Gretzky has performed roughly 865 songs live since forming in 2010, says Kyte.
“We don't have access to all those songs in our memory bank, but we do everything off book. There are no charts or iPads on stage with us and I think on any given night, we probably have close to 150 to 200 that we could play if we wanted to, which makes every night a little bit different,” he says.
“This show though, we can't wing it with a 60-piece orchestra.”
The Valentine’s show will feature about half a dozen songs Dwayne Gretzky has never played before.
Dwayne Gretzky, which has released three albums, including two live recordings, draws from a large community of musicians, says Kyte. Shows typically feature about 10 musicians, but for this HPO show there will be 13, including two lead guitarists and extra vocalists.
“When we do our big shows, whether it's this one or New Year's Eve or last year when we played at the (Budweiser) Stage, or Massey Hall and things like that, we invite everybody because it's a special honour to do these shows, and we want to celebrate everyone in our community.”
Kyte and his wife Lisa have lived in Hamilton since 2014, along with Dwayne Gretzky guitarist “Champagne” James Robertson. Most of the rest of the band lives in Toronto.
“I still feel like I'm new to the city, but it's going on 12 years. And we love it, and I don't think I would ever leave. You know, we kind of found community right away.”
Dwayne Gretzky has sold out multiple shows at Toronto’s Horseshoe Tavern, taken the stage at Burl’s Creek after the Rolling Stones in 2019, played the Calgary Stampede and played a raucous show ahead of the Grey Cup in Hamilton in 2023.
Dwayne Gretzky, which has seemingly singlehandedly made being a cover band cool, has played big and memorable shows, but this will be one to remember, says Kyte.
“For us, it's brand new, right? So, in some ways, we don't know what to expect,” he says. “When we come together, the vibrations are going to be massive. I can't wait. I can't wait for the rehearsal to feel it and to see the look on everyone's face in the band.”
Waldin, who has worked several times with the HPO in the past, specializes in combining the contemporary and classical worlds.
He says the collaboration with Dwayne Gretzky has been several years in the making and he hopes this show with the HPO leads to more.
“Dwayne Gretzky is such a well-known band in the GTA and they have some hits that their fans are going to be expecting. And this is also giving them a chance to bring out a few ballads and love songs that they don't usually perform.”
The show will feature a full-scale HPO – strings, brass, woodwind and percussion sections.
“The biggest challenge is finding something for the orchestra to do. (Dwayne Gretzky) has a lot of instruments and a lot of a lot of musical content is covered just by the band. So many pop and rock songs, there are just four people in the band usually. So there's a bass line and a guitar line and a vocal line. So, you need to try to keep true to the song, but also make sure that there's enough kind of window dressing on the musical content that there's enough to pass around to the orchestra.”
The show will also feature some instrumental songs where the orchestra will be front and centre.
The show is expected to introduce some Dwayne Gretzky fans to the HPO and some regulars of the HPO to Dwayne Gretzky. That’s the beauty of cross-genre collaborations, says Waldin.
“I think it’s going to be fun for both sides. People will see the energy and excitement that’s made Dwayne Gretzky so well known. And hopefully some people will see the orchestra and what they do for the first time.”
Two full rehearsals the day before the show will be the first time the band and orchestra come together.
“I think it's one of the things that people can be surprised to learn about us, just how quickly things can come together,” says Varian.
“But, you know, we're working with professional players that are rehearsing all the time. They rehearse for hours and hours a day to be at the top of their game before they get together to rehearse with guest artists, whether it's classical works or contemporary or popular music like this, it's the same amount of work that goes into making that beautiful sound together.”
NEED TO KNOW
Valentine’s Day with Dwayne Gretzky and the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra
Feb. 14, 7:30 p.m.
FirstOntario Concert Hall
1 Summers Lane, Hamilton
Tickets are here
