Mariposa in Concert

More Music Beyond the Summer

The Mariposa Folk Festival produces concerts throughout the year usually held in Orillia. These intimate affairs often feature artists that have played the Festival.

The Free Label and Evan Rotella – March 28, 2026 – details are below the Blues & Gospel show, and tickets are available here

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Mariposa’s Annual ‘Evening of Blues & Gospel’ Show Feb. 21, 2026

GET TICKETS HERE

Orillia’s own Lance Anderson is back with his 14th annual Blues and Gospel Show in the Orillia Opera House on Feb. 21, 2026, featuring a roster of stellar musicians and vocalists.

“We don’t know what surprises Mother Nature will have for us this winter, but this annual sold-out show will provide a fun, musical break,” Mariposa Folk Festival President Pam Carter said.

Tickets are $40 (all fees and taxes included) and are available at the Orillia Opera House Box Office or online at orilliaoperahouse.ca. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. and the show starts at 7:30 p.m.

The stellar lineup this year includes Garnetta Cromwell, Gavin Hope, Jesse O’Brien, Mackenzie Jordan, Steve Pelletier and Everton White, arranged and directed by JUNO award-winning producer, Lance Anderson.

Lineup change: Wade O. Brown is unable to attend the concert but Jesse O’Brien has stepped in and you’re going to love him. Jesse is a Juno Award winning producer and song-writer and has toured and recorded with the Colin James Band, Tom Wilson, and Lee Harvey Osmond.

Garnetta Cromwell

Garnetta is a powerhouse lead vocalist and entertainer that sends “goosebumps” up and down your spine. She instantly connects and engages with her audience.

To date, with her band, Dagroovmasters, she has performed at several local and national festivals, including TD Jazz, Calgary Bluesfest, Orangeville BluesFest, South Side Shuffle, Lighthouse Blues Fest, Wasaga Beach Blues Fest and more. The band has also performed the infamous Hard Rock Cafe and at Alfred’s, both in Memphis, Tennessee. 

They won the Maple Blues Award, for New Artist/Group, as well as the 2024 Blues Blast Magazine Music Award for New Artist Debut Album, “Time to Shine,” and have just finished a western Canadian tour, which introduced that same critically acclaimed debut album.

Cromwell has performed at the prestigious Massey Hall, Toronto, ON for two consecutive years at the 35th & 36th Women’s Blues Revue.

She is a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Award Recipient, Special Advisory Council League of Human Rights Canadian, Harry Jerome Award – Entertainment & Community Bob Marley Award for Community and Education

“It is indeed Garnetta Cromwell’s time to shine!! Top notch vocals and songwriting with impeccable musicianship ….” John Kleinman – Living Blues Magazine.

Gavin Hope

Canadian Vocalist Gavin Hope is a three-time Juno Award Nominee, both as a solo headlining vocalist and also as the longest running Baritone member of the iconic Canadian A Cappella group, The Nylons.

In addition to touring globally, he has recorded six studio albums with The Nylons, as well as two more successful recordings – solo pop album “Anything Like Mine” which nationally charted on radio top 100 and top 40, and most recently the beautifully minimalist Jazz album, “For All We Know,” featuring Bill King, which received rave reviews on Jazz charts and considered one of the top Canadian Jazz albums of the year by the Toronto Star. 

Gavin’s love of the stage also includes musical theatre. Highlights from the many shows he’s been involved in include being an original Canadian cast member of the hit Broadway musicals, The Lion King (Simba) and RENT (Collins) in Toronto. More recently Gavin was in the Dora Award-winning (Best New Musical) Dixon Road, and the Dora Award-nominated original all-Black Canadian opera – Of the Sea, and then bared it all this year as “Horse” in the hit musical, The Full Monty.

Besides countless commercials and TV appearances, Theatre, and Nylons tour dates, Gavin has shared stages with the likes of Natalie Cole, Deborah Cox, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Corey Hart, Bryan Adams, David Foster, and many other notable names.

Gavin has been a headlining featured vocalist with Jeans ‘n Classics (JnC) for almost two decades. With JnC, Gavin has been performing Symphony Pops concerts in the U.S. and Canada, bringing the music of Earth Wind and Fire, Michael Jackson, Prince, Stevie Wonder, Rocky Horror, Motown, Woodstock, Soulful, Music of Apollo, Rock and Pop, Woodstock, James Bond and more, all to the symphonic stage. 

Jesse O’Brien

Yamaha keyboard artist and Juno award winning producer/songwriter!  Hamilton-based Jesse O’Brien has toured and recorded with the Colin James Band and Tom Wilson & Lee Harvey Osmond. As a studio and touring musician he’s played with many of the best local, Canadian and International musicians!

Mackenzie Jordan

Mackenzie Jordan is a 25-year-old guitarist and artist from New Hamburg Ontario. He is an artist in many respects as he is also a songwriter and musician for rock and roll bands, and paints furniture in a wide variety of styles bringing new life to old pieces.

Mackenzie finds inspiration in the romantic paintings by John Waterhouse, and he also likes to show his love for music in his artwork. Mackenzie continues to find inspiration in a number of different art forms. Art is art after all.

Mackenzie player guitar in Midnight Rider – The Music of the Allman Brothers, the hit of the festival at last year’s Kitchener Blues Fest. By the way, Mackenzie is a founding member of the Matchedash Parish.

Steve Pelletier

Born and raised in Hamilton, bassist Steve Pelletier has played with a “who’s who” list of Canadian artists including a nine-year tenure with the Colin James Band. The Julian Taylor Band, and Matt Andersen round out a long list of who he has played with including Jeff Healey, David Wilcox, Sass Jordan, Long John Baldry, Steve Lukather, Sue Foley, Crystal Shawanda and the Shuffle Demons.

A valuable member of the Greater Toronto Area music scene, Steve has also made himself known on an international level, having performed on Joe Bonamassa’s “Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea” cruise and a variety of legendary venues and events, including Massey Hall, The Orpheum in Vancouver, the Calgary Stampede, Montreal Jazz Fest, Havana International Jazz Fest and The Funky Biscuit.

Everton White

Everton was brought up playing gospel music in his church. He has played with Quisha Wint and with Lance in ‘Everyday People – The Music of SLY and the FAMILY STONE’ show. He appeared at the popular 2025 GOSPEL BREAKFAST show at the Kitchener Blues Festival.

Lance Anderson

Internationally recognized producer, composer Lance Anderson has brought together the best in Canada’s Blues, Gospel and R&B world for the 14th time, for Mariposa. This series showcases the best artists in the genre but also emerging talent that Orillia artists may not be familiar with, but will not forget.

Anderson has a long career recording artists like Blackburn, The Cameo Blues Band, Garth Hudson (The Band), 2B3 The Toronto Sessions, Matchedash Parish and is about to release a N’Orleans themed CD as Lance Anderson and the NOLA Parish and a world Jazz CD called Lance Anderson and the Word Jazz Asylum. He produces The Last Waltz – A Musical Celebration of The Band and tours Ontario theatres with other shows he has created.

He has recorded and performed with the Maple Blues Band, Shakura S’Aida, Shawn Kellerman, Roly Platt, Al Lerman, Ken Whiteley and US artists like with Johnny Rawls, Lee Oskar, Deanna Bogart, Anne Harris, Tommy Castro, 

He was co-producer of the ‘Oscar with Love’ 3CD set that commemorated the 90th Anniversary of Oscar’s birth and featured Michel Legrand, Chick Corea, Oliver Jones, Ramsey Lewis and many more.

The Mariposa Folk Festival’s 2025-26 Concert Series is sponsored by Alleycats Music & Art, Apple Annie’s Café, Back to Function, CanPro Plumbing, Cathy Cleary, Dapper Depot, Dentistry on West, Tim and Rhonda Lauer, Lavender Hills Farm, Paul Raymond and Natalie Little, Amy & Al Wallace, Woodland Tree Service.   

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Lance Anderson

Garnetta Cromwell

Gavin Hope

Mackenzie Jordan

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Mariposa-In-Concert Presents The Free Label, and Special Guest Evan Rotella On March 28th

The final concert in Mariposa Folk Festival’s 2025-26 season is on Saturday, March 28 at St. Paul’s Centre in downtown Orillia. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $35 (including HST and fees) and are available at the Mariposa office at 10 Peter Street South or online at this link.

“Two crowd-favourites from the 2025 Mariposa Folk Festival are featured at our last concert of the 2025-26 Mariposa in Concert Season,” Mariposa Folk Festival President Pam Carter said.

“The Free Label has local connections,” Carter said. “Not only has the group played the Mariposa Folk Festival in 2019 and 2025, two of its members, Cole Mendez and Jacob Thompson, are from Orillia.

“Evan Rotella from Niagara Falls was one of the winners in the Mariposa Folk Festival’s  2025 Showcase and was a crowd favourite at the 2025 Mariposa Folk Festival.”

The Free Label

The Free Label is a six-member band from Toronto, known for their unique fusion of 70s disco, 90s R&B, and high-energy funk. Their infectious sound creates a captivating, dance-driven experience that has made them a favorite on stages across the globe.

Since their breakout 2019 single, “All Night,” the band has toured Europe, North America, and Australia, steadily growing their international fanbase. Notable Canadian festival appearances include Mariposa Folk Festival, Laketown Shakedown, and the Calgary Stampede, where they shared the stage with T-Pain, Aqua, and Lupe Fiasco. They’ve sold out shows nationwide, from Toronto to Vancouver, and have become a sought-after act at major Canadian and U.S. festivals.

Their 2023 European tour saw them perform in the Netherlands, England, and Luxembourg, where they opened for legendary soul group Incognito and R&B/Jazz virtuoso Mono Neon. The Free Label’s music has found a home on radio stations worldwide, with tracks featured in Canada, the U.S., Indonesia, Turkey, and the Czech Republic.

In 2024, the band celebrated the release of their highly anticipated sophomore album, Songs for Sienna, which earned them a prominent spot on the Amazon Music Billboard in Dundas Square, Toronto. This milestone helped solidify their rising status in the music industry, with tracks like “Blue Suede” and “Change Your Mind” receiving widespread acclaim. The album has garnered attention from both fans and critics, amplifying their presence on all platforms.

The band has also experienced significant growth over the last 12 months, with their live performances gaining millions of views across social media platforms. Their live videos, including festival performances and concert highlights, have collectively surpassed 15 million views, showing a remarkable increase in global engagement and solidifying their reputation as one of the most exciting live acts on the circuit.

In the studio, The Free Label has collaborated with Grammy-nominated artists like saxophonist Braxton Cook, featured on their 2022 release, Shine, and Grammy-nominated producer Aaron Paris (Drake, Kanye West, Kali Uchis), who contributed strings to their latest single, “Real Love.”

Their live performances continue to showcase their natural chemistry and dynamic stage presence. With their blend of technical prowess, crowd engagement, and infectious energy, The Free Label is a band that will get you dancing—and leave you wanting more.

Evan Rotella

Evan Rotella has been playing live music for nearly a decade and has been writing songs for almost that long. In 2020 he released a vinyl 45 of his song, “(If I Was A) Rockstar,” which featured well-known Pittsburgh musicians, guitarist Danny Gochnour and keyboardist Joe Munroe. In 2021 Rotella released a CD of acoustic songs written when he was 12 to 14 years-old, entitled, The Demo Tapes.

For the last four years he’s honed his musical chops playing festivals, theatres, patios, bars, and parties across the Niagara Region. He’s also had the privilege of playing at the iconic Stone Pony in Asbury Park, New Jersey, where Bruce Springsteen started his career. 

Evan has opened shows for Stephen Page, The Wilderness, Miss Emily, Honeymoon Suite, Wheatus, Road Waves, Stephen Stanley, Willie Nile, Joe Grushecky, Bobby Mahoney & The Seventh Son, Joe D’Urso, Southside Johnny, and the great Steve Earle. He has played with Teenage Head’s Dave Rave, Rick Rose, Bobby Mahoney, Astrid Young (Neil’s sister), the Lowest of the Low’s Stephen Stanley, and more.

On September 28, 2023 Evan released his debut album with an all-star line-up entitled, Happy To Be Here, which is a collection of 10 original songs. 

In 2024 he was mentioned twice in Billboard Canada online as “one to watch” and “rapidly attracting attention”.

On December 1, 2024 Evan released Last Train Home, an acoustic album recorded live-off-the-floor to give it a raw sound that mirrored the starkness of the lyrics and songs.

In 2025 Evan won the Niagara Music Awards Folk Album of the Year for “Last Train Home”, and received the Ontario Arts Council’s Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award for his song, “Maryanne,” from the album, Last Train Home.

Evan had a busy 2025 playing various festivals including the Mariposa Folk Festival, Light of Day Asbury Park, Supercrawl, and NXNE in Toronto. As well, he has travelled to Ottawa, Kingston, Oshawa and Belleville to play various events. 

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Mariposa In Concert Sponsors

Thank you to our Mariposa In Concert sponsors, whose support means we can present high quality artists at affordable ticket prices: