The Blue Stones Bring a Riff-Heavy Warmth to Muskoka

Tuesday, 20 January 2026 00:05

From high school hallways to international stages, Windsor’s power duo prepares to ignite Huntsville with their signature blend of gritty blues and modern alt-rock

As the mid-winter chill settles over the granite and pines of Muskoka, a sonic heatwave is approaching Huntsville. The Blue Stones—the formidable duo that has become one of Canada’s most electrifying rock exports—are set to bring their massive, room-filling sound to the heart of cottage country. Far from a standard blues act, Tarek Jafar and Justin Tessier have spent the last decade proving that you don’t need a stage full of musicians to create a wall of sound that can shake a stadium.

The story of The Blue Stones began long before they were topping the Billboard charts. Jafar (vocals/guitar) and Tessier (drums/vocals) first crossed paths in their hometown of Windsor, Ontario, bonding over a shared musical language in high school around 2008. By 2011, they had officially formed the duo, refining their chemistry in dive bars and local clubs. Their debut EP and subsequent independent releases earned them a grassroots following, but it was the 2018 re-release of their debut album, Black Holes, that sent them into the stratosphere. The record’s title track, "Black Holes (Solid Ground)," became a runaway hit, landing on major Spotify playlists and even providing the soundtrack for ESPN’s Monday Night Football.

Their career highlights read like a checklist of rock-and-roll milestones. In 2020, they earned a JUNO Award nomination for Breakthrough Group of the Year, followed by a 2024 nod for Rock Album of the Year for their acclaimed project Pretty Monster. Throughout their journey, they have shared stages with the likes of Collective Soul, Big Sugar, and Welshly Arms, while their music has permeated pop culture with features in hit shows like Suits and Parks and Recreation. Central to their success is the hit "Shakin' Off the Rust," a track that perfectly encapsulates their "blues-meets-R&B" aesthetic and served as a global anthem of resilience.

This March, the duo returns to their Ontario roots, bringing the "controlled chaos" of their live show to Deerhurst in Huntsville. Fans can expect a setlist spanning from the raw vitality of their early work to the polished, hip-hop-leaning beats of "Good Ideas" and the anthemic energy of their 2025 release, Metro.

In a month known for its deep freeze, The Blue Stones are offering exactly what Huntsville needs: a high-octane, riff-heavy reminder that the spirit of rock and roll is alive, well, and capable of melting the thickest ice.

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