Sunday, August 16, 2026

Music Listings: August 17-20, 2026

August 17-20, 2026

We try our best to make sure these listings are as accurate as possible. If you spot any errors or omissions, please email us at blueshamilton@gmail.com.

Aug 17-20/ Aug 21-23 / Aug 24-30

Monday, August 17

12-2pm: Conor Hart @ Jackson Square, Rooftop (Hamilton) (Aug 17-21) 

1-4pm: Mark Donoghue @ 13th Street Winery (St. Catharines)


5-8pm: Twelve Mile Duo @ 13th Street Winery (St. Catharines)


6-9pm: Beatles Tribute ft Re-Peatles @ Innsville (Stoney Creek)  (Weekly)

6-8pm: Youth Jam @ Moonshine Cafe (Oakville) $5 (Weekly)

6-10pm: Open Mic @ Kin Club of Ridgeway (Crystal Beach) (Weekly)


6:30-8:30pm: Thomas Nelson Band @ Spirit in Niagara (Niagara-on-the-Lake)(Bi-Weekly)

6:30-10pm: Open Mic @ Duke of Wellington (Waterloo) (Weekly)

7-11pm: Acoustic Open Mic with Sean Fuller @ Pub 36 (Hamilton) (Weekly)

7:30-10:30pm: Grass Mud Horse @ Irish Harp (Niagara-on-the-Lake)


Tuesday, August 18


12-2pm: Conor Hart @ Jackson Square, Rooftop (Hamilton) (Aug 17-21)


2pm: Disney's Frozen (Musical) @ Huron Country Playhouse (Grand Bend) $? (Aug 5-30) 


5pm: Kick N Strings @ Bardo (Hamilton) (Weekly)

6-8pm: Benny Douglas @ Forge BBQ (Ancaster) (Weekly)

7-10pm: Open Mic with Brennagh Burns @ Lukaya Cafe (Hamilton) (Weekly)
Wednesday, August 19


12-2pm: Conor Hart @ Jackson Square, Rooftop (Hamilton) (Aug 17-21) 


2pm: Disney's Frozen (Musical) @ Huron Country Playhouse (Grand Bend) $? (Aug 5-30)




6:30-8:30pm: Open Mic Jazz @ Corktown Pub, Downstairs (Hamilton) (Weekly)



7-10pm: Greg Brisco & Dan Thomas @ East End Social (Hamilton) (Weekly)



7pm: Perry and Mark @ Royal Electric (Guelph) (Weekly) 

7-10pm: Open Mic @ The Bullring (Guelph) (Weekly)


7:30pm: Open Mic with Corey @ The Staircase, Lounge (Hamilton) (3rd Wed)

7:30pm: Adam Ostroser @ Thirsty Cactus (Dundas) (Bi-Weekly) 


7:30-10:30pm: Ashley MacIsaac @ Irish Harp (Niagara-on-the-Lake) $?*

8-11pm: Open Mic @ The Block Co (Burlington) (Weekly)


8-12pm: Open Jam @ Frankie's (Brantford) (Weekly) 


8pm: Felicia McMinn @ 211Main (Port Dover) (Weekly)
Thursday, August 20

---- Before 7:00pm ----



12-2pm: Conor Hart @ Jackson Square, Rooftop (Hamilton) (Aug 17-21) 

1-3pm: Open Ukulele Session @ Moonshine Cafe (Oakville) $5 (Weekly)



2pm: Disney's Frozen (Musical) @ Huron Country Playhouse (Grand Bend) $? (Aug 5-30)

2pm: Nashville Music City @ Hamilton Family Theatre (Cambridge) $? (Aug 13-30)

5-8pm: Thomas Nelson Duo @ 13th Street Winery (St. Catharines)

5:30pm: Jamie Petrie @ Forge BBQ (Ancaster) (Weekly)



6pm: Mykul @ East End Social (Hamilton) 

6pm: Open Jam with Alex Antinori @ Clifford Brewing Co (Hamilton) (1st & 3rd Thu)

6pm: Alfie Smith @ Henry’s on James (Hamilton) (Weekly)

6-9pm: Open Mic @ Crystal Chandelier (Crystal Beach) (Weekly) 


6-9pm: Lucas Stagg @ Aging Oak (Cambridge) (Weekly)



6:30-9:30pm: James Ferris with Fried Balogna @ The Corktown Pub (Hamilton)(Weekly)

6:30-8:30pm: Open Mic with Mark @ Shawn & Ed Brewing Co (Dundas) FREE 

6:30-9:30pm: John Rogers @ BLK Swan, Brant St. (Burlington)


---- 7:00pm -7:59pm ----


7-10pm: Ron Hoover @ Teddy's (Grimsby)

7-10pm: Josh Coulter @ Judge & Jester (Grimsby) (Weekly)



7-9pm: Daryl Gray @  Doc Magilligan's (Niagara Falls) 



7pm: Open Mic @ The Falls Road on Victoria (Kitchener) (Weekly)




7:30-10:30pm: Open Mic with Victor Morgado @ Your Neighbourhood Pizza Co (Beamsville)  (Weekly) 

7:30-10:30pm: Ashley MacIsaac @ Irish Harp (Niagara-on-the-Lake) $?


7:30pm: Disney's Frozen (Musical) @ Huron Country Playhouse (Grand Bend) $? (Aug 5-30)

7:30pm: Nashville Music City @ Hamilton Family Theatre (Cambridge) $? (Aug 13-30)

---- After 8:00pm ----


8pm: Stonehocker @ Moonshine Cafe (Oakville) $10 

8-11pm: Open Mic Night + Jam @ Temple Bar (Oakville) (Weekly) 

8-10pm: Dragan on the Sax @ Spirit in Niagara (Niagara-on-the-Lake) (Weekly)





8:30pm: Open Mic @ Coach & Lantern (Ancaster) (Weekly) 


Aug 17-20/ Aug 21-23 / Aug 24-30


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Support Local Charities


From their website: Food for Life holds a unique niche among Canadian food relief charities in that we focus on redistributing fresh, nutritious food as opposed to traditional food bank fare such as canned goods. Our clients tell us that they are often not able to afford fresh food and that having access to this healthy food allows them to focus on obtaining other life essentials as they work towards no longer relying on our services.

The Hamilton Blues Lovers (HBL) want to showcase a deserving local charity every week.  HBL is not affiliated with these charities nor does it fund raise for them.

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Friday, August 14, 2026

Bill Durst Wins 2026 Mel Brown Award


Stratford Bluesman Bill Durst the 2026 winner of the Mel Brown Blues Award. It is named in honour of the late, legendary Kitchener musician.

From the Kitchener Blues Festival Facebook page:

MAY 12TH 2021 – MEL BROWN BLUES AWARD

Bill Durst, our 2026 winner of the Mel Brown Award, and always an audience favourite, is a Canadian Blues- Rock- Roots guitarist, singer, songwriter, entertainer who has written and recorded over 125 songs on 12 albums with 7 national radio chart hits. Bill has opened for or shared the stage with Rush, Aerosmith, BTO, Yardbirds, John Mayall, Savoy Brown, Bobby Rush, Little Feat, George Thorogood, Bad Company, Loverboy, Edgar Winter Group, Jeff Healey, Burton Cummings, Johnny Winter, Rick Derringer, Jack de Keyser, April Wine, L.A. Guns, David Wilcox, Bob Seger, Sly And The Family Stone and more. Mr. Durst has toured across North America and in Europe and tours extensively in Canada.

As a kid growing up in Wingham and then London, Ontario (which is halfway between Toronto and Detroit), Bill was heavily influenced by Motown, R&B, Toronto Psychedelic Soul music as well as the British Blues Invasion and Jimi Hendrix.

Bill’s entrance on the national/international stage was with his classic rock band Thundermug formed from London R&B groups in 1969. By the summer of 1972 the band had a number one hit and a fan following in Eastern Canada. The band went on to record a total of 5 albums, (3 albums in the early/mid 1970s and two CDs in the mid 1990s) releasing records in the US and Europe. Bill put out his first two solo releases in the mid eighties but it wasn’t until the early 2000s that Durst got some real career momentum. In 2004 he proclaimed his intention to start up a “little, fuzzy, psychedelic blues band” and since then Bill and his co-writer Joe DeAngelis have produced 5 full length CDs: The Wharncliffe Sessions (’05), The Great Willy Mammoth (’09), Bill Durst Live (‘12) and Hard And Heavy (’13) Good Good Lovin ('15).

Links: Bill Durst, More Bill Durst Stories, Video above courtesy of Bill Durst - Topic

Previous Years' Winners

Previous (New Dunlop Brothers Album)
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Thursday, August 13, 2026

Expressive Vocals & Great Songwriting on Dunlop Brothers Album

Mini-Review: Expressive vocals and great songwriting permeate the latest relase from Hamilton's Dunlop Brothers. Vol. 2 picks up where they left off on their splendid debut. It's roots meets alternative wrapped in striking production.

Available on Bandcamp, Spotify, Apple Music

Personnel


Previous (Throwback Thursday - Festival of Friends 2009)
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Please Support Our Wonderful Sponsors


Please Support Our Wonderful Sponsors


To enable you to make good housing decisions call us or email us: www.judymarsales.com
PROUD SUPPORTER OF HAMILTON BLUES LOVERS

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Wednesday, August 12, 2026

Throwback Thursday - Festival of Friends 2009

From August 7, 2009 Hamilton Spectator

Original Posts: August 9, 10, 14, 2009

Merged Post: August 13, 2026

Here's a look at the 2009 Festival of Friends.

Click here to read the August 6 Hamilton Spectator story

August 8, 2009

Lovers & Other Strangers Workshop

Good Lovin' Gone Bad Workshop
Guinness Book of World Records Attempt

Click pictures to make them larger



Guitars were raised high after a performance of Deep Purple's Smoke on the Water at the Festival of Friends on August 8, 2009. Hamilton musician Christopher Charles and his band were joined by a legion of guitarists scattered across Gage Park.

This was an attempt to enter the Guinness Book of World Records for most guitars in a jam performance.

According to the Spectator, the record wasn't broken (we were 77 short) but we did beat Toronto's recent attempt)

Below is a video of the event. We apologize for the extreme close-ups (the camera was stuck on zoom)

Links: Deep Purple, More Deep Purple Covers/Stories, Video above courtesy of Hamilton Blues Lovers

August 9, 2009 

Memories of Jackie Washington Workshop

Previous (Winners of the London Music Awards) - - - Next (New Dunlop Brothers Album)
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Sunday, August 9, 2026

Please Support Local Charities


Please Support Local Charities


From their website: Our objective is to accumulate capital, earn investment income and use this income to make charitable donations in Norfolk County.

The Hamilton Blues Lovers (HBL) want to showcase a deserving local charity every week.  HBL is not affiliated with these charities nor does it fund raise for them.

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Saturday, August 8, 2026

Winners of the 2026 Forest City London Music Awards


The 2026 Forest City London Music Awards were handed out as part of London Music Week - June 6 to 14.

CONGRATS EVERYONE!

Below is a complete list of winners. Click the name to see the award announcement.

Previous (Cat Day Videos) - - - Next (Throwback Thursday - Festival of Friends 2009)
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Friday, August 7, 2026

International Cat Day Videos by Trevor Strong & the Arrogant Worms




Previous  (New Rob Lamothe Live Album) - - - Next (Winners of the London Music Awards)
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Thursday, August 6, 2026

Rob Lamothe's Unforgettable Voice & Inspired Songwriting Take Centre Stage on New Live Album


Mini-Review: I've you've had the pleasure of listening to the incredible local singer/songwriter Rob Lamothe, you know about his unforgettable voice and inspired songwriting. His recent album, Live at St. Pancras Old Church lays everything bare. With mainly his voice and an acoustic guitar, Rob's vocals and lyrics take centre stage and have room to breathe. His daughter Rose Lamothe also lends her equally unique voice to two tracks. 

Available on Bandcamp, Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music


Links: Album above courtesy of Bandcamp

Previous (Throwback Thursday - Acoustics Album Get Noticed) - - - Next (Cat Day Videos)
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