Music News Digest: Hamilton's Supercrawl Celebrates 17 Years, George Canyon and Aaron Pritchett Announce Tour

Hamilton's annual Supercrawl music and arts festival is now recognised as one of Canada's most popular and important free street fests. Now in its 17th year, Supercrawl returns to stages on James St, North, in the heart of downtown, this weekend (Sept. 11-13). Visual art, fashion, dance, theatre, comedy and family programming are all on the schedule, but music remains the core focus.

The eclectic grouping of Juno winners Aysanabee, William Prince and Protest the Hero, plus Mariel Buckley, The Grapes of Wrath and Murda Beatz are singled out as headliners, and they are joined by a similarly musically diverse lineup of over 60 artists. That list includes local favourites Superstar Crush, Golden Feather, Chore, Capitol, Steve Strongman, Emma Whale and Ariana Fig, while other notable Canadian acts include Population 11, Julian Taylor, Samantha Martin and Delta Sugar, Reuben and The Bullhorn Singers, John Muirhead, Mauvey, Gizmo, Status/Non-Status and Bells Larsen. More info here.

Of note: This year's Supercrawl marks the passing of the reins at the top from co-founder and longtime festival head Tim Potocic to new festival director Lisa La Rocca (Potocic has taken an ex-officio role on the festival's board of directors).

Festivals News

The annual KerrFest at Westwood Park, in Oakville, ON, celebrates a milestone 10th anniversary this weekend (Sept. 11-13). The Friday lineup comprises Fiddlestix, Hotel California, The Redhill Valleys and Colin James, while the Saturday features the Jim Cuddy Band, The Box, Lennie Gallant, Freedom Train, Bill Durst and Tianna Woods. Admission on those two days is a bargain at $5, while the Kerrfest Kids family day on Sunday is free.

Awards News

The 2026 Mississauga Music Walk of Fame induction ceremony will take place during this year’s Southside Shuffle Blues & Jazz Festival on Sunday, September 13 (from 10.30 am to 1 pm), at the World Stage, Memorial Park, Port Credit. The two new recipients of the honour are internationally acclaimed Emmy Award-winning musician and composer Don Breithaupt (Monkey House) and Brian Murray, founder and president of Guitar Workshop Plus, and they will be inducted by Rik Emmett, lead vocalist and guitarist of Triumph and recipient of the Walk of Fame’s inaugural ICON Award.

– It may seem premature to think about Christmas concerts, but two veteran Canadian country stars, George Canyon and Aaron Pritchett, are bringing their joint A Coast-To-Coast Cowboy Christmas back for a second season, following a very successful debut in 2025. Again presented by Children Believe, the 30+ date tour kicks off in Summerside, P.E.I., on Nov. 12, closing out in Sidney, BC, on Dec. 22. Expect a mix of holiday favourites and hit songs from the lengthy discographies of the two vocalists. See the full itinerary here.

– On Sept. 24, from 1-4 pm, at It’s Ok* Studios (468 Queen St W, Toronto), CIMA and Sound Royalties present Rights to Revenue. The event features programming designed to help music creators, rights holders, and independent music businesses better understand, protect, and maximize the value of their music rights and catalogue. The sessions comprise OWN IT – Protecting Your Rights & Your Catalogue (Presented with Taylor Oballa Murray Leyland LLP), TRACK IT – Following the Money: Royalties & Rights (Presented with SOCAN and CMRRA), and GROW IT: Turning music rights and established revenue streams into long-term financial assets. Register here.

– Canadian artists can now apply to play at The Great Escape 2027 in Brighton, England, and be considered for the CIMA Canada House showcase by applying through the festival here and via CIMA. The influential fest runs May 12-15, with Feb. 15 as the general application deadline.

– Dynamic Toronto-based independent music label Vesuvius Music Inc. (headed by Lorenzo DiGianfelice and noted jazz impresario Jaymz Bee) presents an evening of music at the Paradise Theatre in Toronto on Sept. 14 that showcases the artists on their roster alongside a couple of non-label performers. The impressive list includes Denielle Bassels, Jocelyn Barth, Irene Torres, Taylor Abrahamse, Robert Priest and Serafin LaRiviere. They're supported by an A-list backing band of Eric St. Laurent, George Koller, Ewen Farncombe, Richard Underhill (Shuffle Demons), Ben Wittman and Great Bob Scott. Tickets here. Highly recommended.

Prior to the music, there's a 4 pm screening at the theatre of MagicLand, a feature film from Bee and co-director Jason J. Brown that features local musicians, comics and actors in cameo roles. The soundtrack for the film is now on Bandcamp and features such local stars as John Finley, Barbra Lica, Lori Cullen, Ori Dagan and most of the vocalists performing later that night.

– Massey Hall & Toronto Blues Society have announced this year’s performers for the 39th Women's Blues Revue, always one of the biggest nights in Canadian blues. This year's concert at Massey Hall takes place on Nov. 27, featuring solo headliners Angelique Francis, Dawn Tyler Watson, June Millington (of Fanny fame), Miss Emily, Ollee Owens and Samantha Martin.

The All-Star Women’s Blues Revue Band will back all vocalists and this year features: Elena Kapeleris, Carrie Chesnutt, Tara Kannangara, Alison Young, Angelique Francis, Emily Burgess, Jasmine Jones-Ball and Jenie Thai. Quisha Wint handles the curation and production. Tickets are available at masseyhall.com/tickets or via 416-872-4255.

Artists News

John Hollenbeck is an internationally acclaimed American drummer-composer who now lives in Montreal, teaching for the last decade at Schulich School of Music at McGill University (he recently became a Canadian citizen). An adventurous artist, he has worked in the jazz and new music worlds with major composers like Meredith Monk, small art-punk ensembles and big bands, and has received multiple Grammy nominations for his albums as a bandleader. His new album, Peace and Justice, was recorded with the Hot Club Jazz Orchestra of Portugal and began as a commission to arrange Ukrainian music for a Kyiv curator. Russia's full-scale invasion halted that project, but Hollenbeck and the orchestra built an album around the Ukrainian-based material, plus some reworked tunes and a version of a Geri Allen standard.

Hollenbeck is now out playing dates in Europe and the US with his group GEORGE, and they have a Vancouver concert at Tyrant Studios on Oct. 18.

– As a member of post-punk/goth legends Bauhaus and the commercially popular ‘80s outfit Love and Rockets, English musician and singer-songwriter David J has had a long and illustrious career. He now primarily performs solo and recently played successful shows in Montreal, Hamilton and Toronto. His gig at Hamilton’s Mule Spinner last Thursday drew a capacity crowd that was both attentive and appreciative. Rather than recycling past hits, J focused on newer original material that covered topics ranging from Californian goth girls and New Orleans to the current chaotic state of the U.S.. He has a limited vocal range, but it was expressive enough to convey his literate musings nicely, and a dark wit showed through in his stage banter.

A perfect choice as opening act was Hamilton duo The Raven’s Interlude, comprising dark troubadour Martin Verrall and longtime collaborator and powerful percussionist Rosemary Stehlik. Their short but compelling set impressed David J enough that he invited the pair to join in on his spirited encore of the 2010 cut ''Bloodsucker Blues.’’