Peterborough Musicfest Presents: 54.40

When it comes to staying power, few Canadian bands can match the 40-years plus run of West Coast born alt-rock outfit 54-40.

Formed in 1980 by high school pals Neil Osborne and Brad Merritt – the band’s first gig was played in Coquitlam on the night John Lennon was murdered – 54-40 was subsequently featured heavily on the Canadian rock charts from the mid 1980s to the late 1990s on the strength of hit songs such as I Go Blind, She-La, Ocean Pearl, Luv You All and Since When.

Three albums – Dear Dear (1992), Smilin’ Buddha Cabaret (1994) and Trusted By Millions (1996) were certified platinum while 1998’s Since When earned gold status.

Nominated for eight Juno Awards, 54-40 was among the top 50 selling Canadian artists from 1996 to 2016.

Since releasing its debut album Set The Fire in 1984, 54-40 has released 13 studio albums, the latest being 2018’s Keep On Walking. In 2021, the band added Embassy Supreme to a very long list of single releases over close to four decades.

With Osborne (vocals/rhythm guitar) and Merritt (bass) still leading the charge, they’ll return to Peterborough Musicfest with band mates Dave Genn (lead guitar), David Osborne (organ/saxophone), and Matt Johnson (drums) who has been in the fold since 1986.

www.5440.com