Local Rock Band Shares Their Journey to Global Success and the Show That’s Bringing
Story by Alysia Therrien
Photography by Nick Fancher and Javi Perez
Local musicians Tarek Jafar and Justin Tessier have been on a mission for over fifteen years now to create and perform the music they want to hear in the world. The pair, who met in high school, began collaborating during casual garage and basement jam sessions creating songs just for fun. A couple-of-times-a-week type of commitment ended up becoming a global sensation, as the duo has toured extensively over the last five years.
Before their global evolution, the duo’s roots were firmly planted in their hometown of Windsor, where they began performing in local downtown bars. With Tarek on guitar and vocals and Justin on drums and backups, their chemistry was so seamless that they quickly realized a full band wasn’t necessary and they could carry the sound as a powerful two-piece. Their first official downtown show was played for friends and family only, but it ended up leaving them to wonder what might come next.
Cut to their first studio sessions and the recording of their first EP back in 2011. Now, the duo has four albums, two EPs and multiple singles. They’ve been nominated three times for a Juno award, once for Breakthrough Artist of The Year, and twice for Rock Album of The Year. This Windsor born rock band is continuously touring across North America and Europe. On March 27th, you’ll find them opening for Collective Soul right here in Windsor on our very own Colosseum Stage. Because of their international success, it was a no-brainer that the pair should open for this famous American rock band.
Interestingly enough, this is not their first time gigging with Collective Soul. “We played with them during a festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina,” says Justin. Tarek explains the re-pairing was thanks to their agents, as they were the ones who informed them that Collective Soul just happens to be playing in their hometown. “The show will be our first proper show in Windsor since 2022,” says Tarek, “it will be a really nice homecoming and a nice way to cap off the Metro Tour.”
Justin and Tarek’s newest album, Metro, dropped in early 2025. They quickly set out for their first round of touring the album in April, which brought them to cities throughout North America. Some top favourite venues were located in cities such as Chicago, Seattle and Vancouver. The second half of their tour kicked off in February this year, which is taking them across the UK and Europe as they go global.
The duo is thrilled about their 4th studio album because it is the first record they created for themselves. “It’s our first record since being an independent duo releasing on a label that we created,” says Tarek. The artist’s freedom allowed The Blue Stones to make this album personal and unique, in a way they’ve always wanted.
Their new independent label, New Weapon Records, launched in 2024. Fans may recognize the name from one of their original song lyrics, and the entire METRO album was released under this label. “Since we own it, we were able to tailor the release plan, marketing, visuals, and single choices exactly to our liking,” says Tarek. The Blue Stones finally have the freedom to release their music directly to their fans, without the need for a “middleman”.
The entire album was recorded in Los Angeles. It is a semi-concept album, as Justin explains, and he continues by sharing how, “it’s written from the perspective of an individual who is taking a very long subway ride in a near future dystopian universe.” The story is told live on stage through the performance, so as a result, “It’s more than just a band playing a show,” Justin confirms. “The dark and gritty concept has been fun to bring to life,” says The Blue Stones, and Windsor patrons will soon get a sneak peak of that story!
The Blue Stones receive a lot of love locally, but it is nothing compared to the large city centres across the globe. “When we do shows in Detroit a lot Windsor people will come to see us, plus our Detroit audience, but it doesn’t always happen the other way around,” explains Tarek. The two of them admit they’d love to do more local shows, but the venue options are a bit limited. “There are a lot of smaller-cap venues in Windsor,” says Justin, “but there isn’t really a space that caters to bands ready to step into that 1,200 to 2,000 or more capacity room.” With the Colosseum being the only venue in the city able to match The Blue Stones’ production scale and their first show back home in years is set to be nothing short of epic.
Ahead of hitting the road, the rock duo has been putting in serious studio time in Kingston. The tour may be the main focus right now, but they’re also deep in the recording process, gearing up for new music in 2026 and more touring beyond.
Between making a conscious effort to maintain their work-life balance and life on the road, The Blue Stones treat touring like running a small business day-to-day even when they’re home. Their six-week stints on the road require constant planning and content creation, with the tour crew fully coming along on the bus. The crew includes Justin overseeing sound reproduction, a lighting designer/technician, stage and backline technicians, a merch manager handling sales, and an increasingly essential videographer who captures every moment. Each role plays a key part in keeping the operation running smoothly, while the band continues to grow their reach and impact. “It’s a full-time effort,” says Tarek, “when we are off tour it’s nice to dive into our own endeavours, but we are always thinking: what is happening next for The Blue Stones?”
For the latest tours, new music and everything happening with these Windsorite rockers, follow them on their Instagram page @thebluestones. Be sure to check out their webpage at thebluestonesmusic.com to shop their one-of-a-kind merch or join their mailing list to receive exclusive updates.
Published in the February/March 2026 Edition.
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