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By KRYSTINA GRANDMOND
Staff Writer

In my line of work, I must admit, I've been to my share of live music shows. Everything from stadiums to wedding receptions, no matter what the size, is a showcase of a band or artist's talent. Whether there are 20,000 or 20 in the crowd, it is in the appreciation of live music that one can truly enjoy a concert.

With summer poking it's head out from the spring's rainclouds, I felt the need to take some time to go over some of the best outdoor venues that I have been to.

With limited resources, I can't say that I have travelled very far. But I've been to the "big city" (when it comes to live shows anyway) several times, and while Toronto has some pretty amazing venues, I still have to say that my favourite outdoor stages are right here at home.

I live in a town in Niagara called St. Catharines. You may or may not have heard of it. It's a fair-size city, about 20 minutes from the border. St. Catharines is most well known for its Grape & Wine Festival in the fall, as well as several other events and celebrations in none other than Montebello Park.

Which is where I take you for the first leg of my musical tour of Niagara.

Whether it's the Wine Festival, or Ribfest, anytime something happens at the park, you can be guaranteed some great music on the built-in stage right behind the gazeebo.

I've seen my share of talent perform here. Everything from your local garage band, to the more well-known artist, has graced this stage. It overlooks the green grass of Montebello Park, right in the downtown of St. Catharines, where residents carry in lawn chairs, towels, blankets, or just themselves, to lounge in the afternoon sun and appreciate the sights and sounds of the season.

In conjuntion with the Niagara Wine Festival (as the name has more recently been changed to) comes the Event in the Tent, held in the Lower Level Parking Lot on McGuire St. Presented by local rock radio station, 97.7 HTZ FM, the bands always kick some serious ass.

If you're attending, be prepared for a little bit of insanity, as Niagara residents and tourists drunk on Niagara wine, rocking it out to some heavy music can get a little violent. If you think you can take it, do NOT pass up an opportunity to check this out! It provides some killer stories to tell your friends!

Fastforward to the dead of winter, where the thundering falls roar, and you have one of the greatest New Year's parties around. Queen Victoria Park in Niagara Falls hosts some of the biggest names in Canadian music on December 31st to help us count down and ring in the coming year.

While absolutely frigid on some years, the crowd can easily climb to around 2500 people or more, all packed tightly, trying to catch a glimpse of their favourite band up on stage. Mist fills the air, as the falls roar in the background, and the breath of thousands shows in the cool night.

It's an experience not to be missed, but dress warm! It's still quite chilly!

Take a 30 minute trip down the highway to Fort Erie when the summertime hits, and you have a celebration that covers BOTH sides of the border. With entertainment lined up that most scramble to see, the Friendship Festival boasts great food, great friends, great fun, and great music.

I've been lucky enough to catch performances on both sides of the border, and while the US have access to a more vast amount of bands and talent, Canadians do just fine in their choices on their side of the stage (errr, border), with the bands getting better and better every year.

I could go on to hit every one of the small patio stages at the local bars where the independent talent fights for some form of recognition, but there's plenty of time for that. For now, These few larger events and shows should be enough to peak your interest in the Niagara Region's live music scene!