Who says a single human being can’t change the world for the better? Well, not me… at least not anymore. Shooting photos inside Vankleek Hill’s main concert venue, the Windsor Tavern [Instagram here], has always been a major exercise in futility… the main lights were always behind the band, and shining directly at the crowd / photographer, then there was a huge green and yellow brightly lit sign on the wall right beside the stage. If you absolutely do not want photos taken in your venue, or if you want to take photos that feature lots of green lighting and screwed up light-meters, you could have learned a lot at the Windsor.

A couple of weeks ago, I was asked to take photos of a concert in the Windsor, and I had to explain that I just couldn’t do it because of the lighting issue. And, you know what? Patrick Miller, the promoter, blocked off the green Windsor sign, and shut down the back-lighting, and even put in lights that illuminated the band and not the crowd — finally a score for the little guy against the huge Lighting-Industrial Complex. So… you’re welcome future concert photo-takers.

There have been a LOT of great concerts in this region over the past few years, with Hawkesbury’s summer-long music mini-festivals at Pioneer Park — especially during their ‘Multicultural Festival’ [2026 lineup here], along with Vankleek Hill’s ‘PorchFest Festival’ [2026 lineup here], and the Windsor Tavern concerts, bringing bands and performers such as Roch Voisine, The Box, the Penske Files, Bloodshot Bill, the Slackers, Slo’ Tom and The Handsome Devils to our little community.

…these are bands that fill up venues around Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, and even across Canada and the US. This past Friday at the Windsor, Patrick and his Gryffin Productions [FB here], brought in three more fantastic, really high energy bands — Montreal-based, but originally from Hawkesbury, ‘Véloce André et Les Terreurs’ [bio here]; ‘Kroko’ [home here], Montreal’s ambassadors of Disco-Punk, from the asteroid known as Krooshnool, and; Ottawa’s up and coming Indie-Rock, ‘The New Hires’ [home here].

And it was just fantastic. From the lighting, to the performances, and even with some random dude playing the spoons while the New Hires were up on stage, it was all a really great show. The only thing, and it’s relatively small, that I could, you know, if I wanted to suggest something, was the Event advertising. For example, I help run a VKH / Hawkesbury / L’Orignal Community Events & Services Page [here], with over 25,000 members… a good start for Events like the Windsor Tavern Concert Series, and even Vankleek Hill’s PorchFest, would be to create a Facebook Event Page, then let us do the advertising for them. Just saying.

…anyway, the concert was very cool, and I managed to get some photos actually in focus. To see them, just click on the first photo to get the carousel going — remember, comments are always welcome, and virtually free to make and, because I like you so much, I’ve also left some YouTube’s from the bands below as well. Because, you know, I can do that because the Internet is basically infinite.