Amazing 80s Pop
NYE Pops
Thursday, December 31, 2026 // 7:30 PM
Featuring Jeans 'n Classics
Ring in the new year with The Amazing 80s: New Year’s Eve Concert, a high-energy celebration of one of music’s most unforgettable decades. This electrifying show brings the iconic sounds of the ’80s back to life with a setlist packed full of timeless hits and crowd favorites. From the B52’s to Journey, every song is designed to keep you singing, dancing, and reminiscing all night long. Relive the era when radio ruled and bold new sounds defined a generation. Don’t miss this nostalgic journey as we count down to midnight in true ’80s style!
Jeans 'n Classics
Peter Brennan's Jeans 'n Classics has been a transformative force in orchestral music for over 30 years. By blending world-class rock musicians with symphonies, the ensemble has revolutionized the orchestral experience, helping orchestras reach a wider and more diverse audience. Jeans 'n Classics' innovative approach has engaged listeners across generations, from 25 to 85 years old, breathing new life into symphonic performances.
At its core, Jeans 'n Classics is a collective of accomplished musicians who are deeply connected to both the rock and orchestral worlds. Their goal is to nurture and expand symphonic audiences, bringing in new fans while maintaining rich traditions. The band's dynamic arrangements bring a fresh perspective to classic rock and pop albums, offering reinterpretations that remain familiar yet distinctive, setting each performance apart.
With 1,000 original orchestrations, Jeans 'n Classics has curated an impressive portfolio of 45 captivating productions, collaborating with over 100 orchestras across North America. Their orchestrations have received global acclaim for their lush, rock-infused arrangements that emphasize the orchestra’s rich tones while celebrating the energy of iconic rock songs.
Jeans 'n Classics musicians are known for their exceptional professionalism and artistic finesse. Whether in rehearsal or on stage, their skillful performances consistently deliver unforgettable live experiences. As the group continues to shape the landscape of symphonic rock, its legacy of innovation and passion remains integral to the success and evolution of orchestral performances today.
Adam Martin, Guitar
Martin hails from Burlington, Ontario, and has been performing live across North America for the last 25 years. Apart from being a guitarist, Martin also has his audio engineer diploma from the Recording Arts Program of Canada and is an active singer-songwriter and studio engineer. Martin performs regularly with Jeans 'n Classics vocalist Michael Shotton and is an original member of the Eagles tribute band, Hell Freezes Over. Martin has been playing guitar with Jeans 'n Classics for many years now and has loved working with the many great symphony orchestras they have met along the way.
Andrea Koziol, Vocalist
Andrea Koziol is a performing songwriter, improviser, and actor based in Toronto, Canada. She has 6 original albums to her name and numerous recording projects that span from jazz, to pop, to beat-based electronica. Her most recent album with Newfoundland pianist/composer Bill Brennan is a celebration of the American Songbook. Her upcoming funktronica project, The Bartholomaus Collective with Toronto bassist Ian de Souza, launched in spring 2025. She is also a collaborative co-writer with numerous artists, including Michael Kaeshammer and Ekaterina Shelehova. Her voice and compositions appear on countless albums and film/tv/online soundtracks.
Recent theatre credits include: ICE (Workshop for JMarElectric 2024) and The Cave (Soulpepper/Luminato 2019 and 2022, and the BC touring company 2022). Previous theatre credits include: The Ballad of Tam Lin (Puppetmongers Powell) and The Fantasticks (Victoria Playhouse Petrolia). Awards include: the KM Hunter Award for Music, music residencies at Canada's Banff Centre for the Arts and Memorial University, and recognition from Canadian arts councils at every level.
Koziol is thrilled and honoured every time she takes the stage with Jeans 'n Classics.
Dan Leali, Drums
A Native of the Chicago area, Leali has performed with, toured, or played on recordings by the following artists: Liz Phair, Robbie Fulks, Poi Dog Pondering, Fareed Haque, Liquid Soul, and Tributosaurus.
David Blamires, Drums
David Blamires was born in Yorkshire, England, but grew up in London, Ontario, Canada.
Blamires got his start in music as a very busy session vocalist in Toronto, singing on thousands of jingles, album recordings, and soundtracks. As a member of the (U.S.-based) Pat Metheny Group from 1986 to 1997, he appeared on three Grammy Award-winning albums and performed for multitudes of fans all over the world. During this time, he also recorded and released his own self-titled contemporary jazz album, The David Blamires Group, throughout the U.S. and Canada.
In 1997, Blamires and his family moved from Toronto to Chicago, where he began working as a staff composer for a very successful music and audio production company. Blamires writes and records music for TV and radio commercials for clients such as American Airlines, Coors, Proctor & Gamble, McDonald's, Kraft, and many more.
Blamires performs regularly around the Chicago area, both as a solo artist and as a guest vocalist with Tributosaurus, a phenomenally successful tribute/cover band. Blamires is the father of an AAA hockey-playing daughter and is consequently never home and always broke.
Gavin Hope, Vocals
With his lightning-speed comedic timing, skills on the dance floor, and a truly exceptional, velvety, emotional voice, Gavin Hope is a natural-born performer and always a fan favourite!
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 6 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 the beautifully minimalist Jazz album For All We Know featuring Bill King, which received rave reviews on Jazz charts and was named one of the top Canadian Jazz albums of the year by the Toronto Star. Hope has performed in music festivals around the world, including the Borneo Jazz Festival twice, as well as being a featured artist locally in the Toronto and Kensington Jazz Festivals.
Hope was an original Canadian cast member of hit Broadway musicals The Lion King (Simba) and RENT (Collins) in Toronto. More recently, Hope was in the Dora Award-winning (Best New Musical) Dixon Road, the Dora Award-nominated original all Black Canadian opera Of The Sea, and bared it all as Horse in the hit musical The Full Monty. Besides countless commercials and TV appearances, theatre, and Nylons tour dates, Hope 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 artists.
Hope has been a headlining featured vocalist with Jeans 'n Classics for almost two decades. With JnC, Hope has been performing Symphony Pops concerts in the United States 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, to the symphonic stage. Hope is thrilled to call Jeans 'n Classics his music family and to be a core artist in many of the incredible and dynamic shows they offer.
Hope wrapped up touring with The Nylons during a sold-out Farewell Tour in Canada, the U.S., Belgium, and Holland in 2017 and has continued being a successful performer as a headlining vocalist, actor, session vocalist, and recording artist all over North America. Hope’s passion for travel and gift for photography (follow him @rox_daddy on Instagram) are further proof that he is living the life he was born to live! From the studio to touring to the theatre stage, Off-Broadway, and the symphonic stage, Hope simply loves to perform, and audiences love him right back.
Stephanie Martin, Vocals
Stephanie Martin is a bilingual Canadian songwriter, singer, and actor who has performed all over the world in award-winning theatrical productions and concert tours.
In the theatre, she has played leading roles in Les Misérables, Napoleon, and Schwartz's, The Musical, among others. In studio, she sang the voice of Pocahontas in the French version of the Disney movie as well as performing on many cast albums. On the concert scene, she has performed with symphony orchestras across North America, Europe, and Asia.
Her creative songwriting is inspired by a lifelong spiritual inquiry and a passionate conviction that music has an unparalleled unitive power. Her first recording of original songs, Shape, Line & Harmony, was produced by Chad Irschick (Susan Aglukark, Ron Hynes, The Rankins) and received widespread airplay and was critically acclaimed ("Among the year's best new releases” - CBC Radio One).
Her second album, April Snow, also produced by Irschick, was released in 2016 and reached #2 in the Top 100 iTunes Adult Contemporary Chart in Canada and received rave reviews ("Luminous vocalist/composer Stephanie Martin not only possesses a delicious vocal instrument, but on her new, completely appealing recording, she also demonstrates her considerable chops as a composer of accessible, highly musical material 'The Whole Note').
Stephen Holowitz, Keyboard
Stephen Holowitz is Director of Music at St. James Westminster Anglican Church in London, Ontario. He received his formal musical training at Lakehead University and at the University of Western Ontario. He has recently retired after teaching music at A.B. Lucas S.S. for over thirty years.
Holowitz is a native of Thunder Bay, where he led a number of jazz groups in the area, the most notable of which was “Occasional Jazz.” He moved to London in 1983, where he completed a Bachelor of Music in Performance (Organ and Church Music) and a Bachelor of Education (Music, Dramatic Arts). He has been featured with the London Encore Concert Band, Orchestra London, Brassroots, London Pro Musica, the Karen Schussler Singers, and Herencia Latina. Along with Oliver Whitehead, he was keyboardist and co-composer for The Antler River Project, a London ensemble that blended jazz, world music, and contemporary composition into a unique musical experience.
Holowitz can also be seen and heard performing with Denise Pelley, Paul Stevenson, and the contemporary folk group “Celtic Shift.”
Holowitz has recorded two CDs of original arrangements of traditional hymns and gospel music and has composed music for the Amabile Youth Choir, Project Sing, and the Grand Theatre.
Steve Lucas, Bass
Steve Lucas is a Canadian jazz and pop session bassist and composer, with a wide-ranging list of recording and touring credits. He has a Master's Degree in Music Composition. His latest album, Transparent Dimension, combines jazz with electronic music. Lucas’ original compositions have been featured on numerous international television programs, including RuPaul's Drag Race, Real Housewives of Atlanta, Chopped, Dateline, and Salvage Kings.
Lucas has recorded or performed with award-winning artists Bruce Cockburn, Ron Korb (2016 Grammy Award nomination for album Asia Beauty), Loreena McKennitt, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson (The Band), Big Sugar, Moe Koffman, and Seals & Crofts, as well as on the soundtrack for 2009 Academy Award-nominated film Precious.
He has appeared on The David Letterman Show and The Juno Awards, has been featured in the New York Times, Bass Frontiers, and Toronto's NOW Magazine, and has also written published articles for Canadian Musician Magazine on music theory and jazz improvisation. www.bigstevemusic.com