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Tottenham trio prepares to tour 11 villages across Ontario through September

August 13, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

A Tottenham-based band is going to go on tour – with a twist.

Dorene, an energetic pop-rock band featuring childhood friends Vincent Eagan on guitar and vocals, Keagan Ross on bass, and Gray Laine on Drums, will be performing at 11 small venues across Ontario in September.

Playing together since they were teenagers, the group got serious about their music last year and has been performing at venues in larger centres like Toronto, Barrie and Oshawa. They also played the infamous Loretto Tavern.

While doing some research, Gray discovered that only 11 villages in Ontario haven’t been incorporated into other areas. It started as a bit of a joke when he suggested they perform in all 11 villages.

“The more we thought about it, the more we thought it would be cool to play every village in Ontario,” Vincent explained. “We like the small towns. Besides the music, we hope to focus on small town history and culture, and the unique experiences that can be found off the beaten path in all corners of our province. We hope to find locals that share the same sentiments as us and can show off their villages in the same way we do when we have people from out of town come visit us in Tottenham.”

The band started reaching out to these villages in hopes of securing a place to perform. However, finding taverns, legions, and halls to accommodate them proved challenging.

Some of the villages have fewer than 100 residents.

“In one village, we met the village clerk and we will be playing on her property,” Vincent explained. “The one legion didn’t want to have us at all. They said it was the dumbest idea they had ever heard and we shouldn’t play there because no one is going to come. But then they came around, then thought it was a pretty neat idea.”

The band performs a lot of alternative ’90s-type rock as well as original tunes. They have also been doing some recording.

They aren’t expecting a big turnout from the tour; it’s more of a quest, but they are eager and ready to put on a good show.

They are hoping that as the tour progresses, more people will hear about it and show up at the next venue.

The tour will take them across the province from the east end, up to near Parry Sound, and over to Sault Ste. Marie.

They will be performing in Burk’s Falls, Casselman, Hilton Beach, Merrickville-Wolford, Newbury, Oil Springs, Point Edward, South River, Sundridge, Thornloe and Westport.

You may have to consult a map to find these towns, as they are all pretty small and off the beaten path.

Dorene promises a good show and a fun time.

The concert tour will kick off in Sundridge on Sept. 3 and wind up in Oil Springs on Sept. 27.

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