Update: This album is not available on streaming services and is now hard to find on CD.
Spectator reporter and musician, Mark McNeil recently released his third recording: Greetings from Hamilton.
The six songs on the EP showcase Mark's expressive voice, and his amazing talent with various instruments: guitar (acoustic, electric, Hawaiian, slide), bass, ukulele, banjo and mandolin.
The music is an incredible combination of folk, country, pop and many other styles. There is even a little reggae-esque feeling on the first track, Early Bird.
Lyrically, the album is a wonderful look at the many facets of Hamilton. Mark writes about his experiences in his adopted city (he's originally from Ottawa but has lived here for over 25 years).
"It's kind of a postcard to friends from long ago - to say I'm having a good time and I don't think I'll be moving back to Ottawa any time soon." Mark wrote in the the liner notes.
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.
Stage 1 (Hatt Street & Memorial Square): 3.00 pm The Six Nations Smoke Dancers, 4.00 pm Royal Scottish Country Dance Society, 5.30 pm Doctor Tongue, 7.00 pm LEASH A tribute to Pearl Jam, 9.00 pm Red Astro Chili Peppers
Stage 2 (King Street & Albert Street): 12.00 pm PICAH Dancers (Philippine Islanders Cultural Assoc. of Hamilton), 1.00 pm Suzuran Odori (Canadian Japanese Cultural Centre of Hamilton), 2.00 pm Ghana Association Hospitality Group, 2.30 pm Hayley Verrall Band, 4.30 pm Mike Woods, 6.30 pm Two Families Band, 8.00 pm Warden & The Inmates, 9.30 pm Stone the Radio
Stage 1 (Hatt Street & Memorial Square): 3.00 pm The Six Nations Smoke Dancers, 4.00 pm Royal Scottish Country Dance Society, 5.30 pm Doctor Tongue, 7.00 pm LEASH A tribute to Pearl Jam, 9.00 pm Red Astro Chili Peppers
Stage 2 (King Street & Albert Street): 2.00 pm Ghana Association Hospitality Group, 2.30 pm Hayley Verrall Band, 4.30 pm Mike Woods, 6.30 pm Two Families Band, 8.00 pm Warden & The Inmates, 9.30 pm Stone the Radio
Stage 1 (Hatt Street & Memorial Square): 4.00 pm Royal Scottish Country Dance Society, 5.30 pm Doctor Tongue, 7.00 pm LEASH A tribute to Pearl Jam, 9.00 pm Red Astro Chili Peppers
Stage 2 (King Street & Albert Street): 4.30 pm Mike Woods, 6.30 pm Two Families Band, 8.00 pm Warden & The Inmates, 9.30 pm Stone the Radio
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.