Tuesday, April 7, 2026

Banjo Day Videos by Dan Medakovic, Harrison Kennedy, The Vaudevillian

Update of 2022 Post

Links: Danny MedakovicMore Danny Medakovic StoriesVideo above courtesy of Dan Medakovic

Links: Harrison KennedyMore Harrison Kennedy StoriesVideo above courtesy of Paul Mill

Links: The VaudevillianMore Vaudevillian StoriesVideo above courtesy of The Vaudevillian


Previous (Easter Videos)

Music Listings: April 8-9, 2026

April 8-9, 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.


Apr 8-9 / Apr 10-12


Wednesday, April 8 (Banjo Day)



2pm: Dear Evan Hansen (Musical) St. Jacobs Country Playhouse (Waterloo) $? (Mar 18-Apr 12) 



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

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


7-10pm: Djino Lefrancois @ Donnelly's Pub (Thorold) FREE

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

7pm: Song Circle @ ANAF Club (Guelph) (2nd & 4th Wed) PWYC 

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

7:30pm: Diana Krall @ FirstOntario Concert Hall (Hamilton) $? 

7:30pm: Chris Chambers @ Thirsty Cactus (Dundas) (Bi-Weekly


8pm: MIINA with Dana Sipos @ Mills Hardware (Hamilton) $25.16 


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, April 9

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








2pm: Dear Evan Hansen (Musical) St. Jacobs Country Playhouse (Waterloo) $? (Mar 18-Apr 12)


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

6pm: Brad James @ East End Social (Hamilton) 

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

6-8pm: Ed Pizzo on the Baby Grand Piano @ Spirit in Niagara (Niagara-on-the-Lake) (Weekly)

6-8pm: Music @ 2 Rivers (Paris) 

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

6pm: Music @ Strykerz Kitchen & Bar (Kitchener) 


6:30pm: Music @ Henry's on James (Hamilton) 

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

6:30-8:30pm: Loonie Tunes @ Shawn & Ed Brewing Co (Dundas) 


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


7-10pm: Paige Armstrong @ Teddy's (Grimsby) 

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

7-9pm: Taylor Laslo @ Doc Magilligan's (Niagara Falls) 


7-10pm: Stan Chang @ Manhattans (Guelph) 

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


7:30-10:30pm: Paddyman @ Irish Harp (Niagara-on-the-Lake)


7:30pm: Dear Evan Hansen (Musical) St. Jacobs Country Playhouse (Waterloo) $? (Mar 18-Apr 12)

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




8pm: The Ramble ft the Beat Heathens with Matt Weidinger @ Moonshine Cafe (Oakville) $20

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

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


8-10:30pm: LMT Connection @ The Jazz Room (Waterloo) $?

8:30pm: Music@ Ooey Gooey's (Hamilton)

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



COMING SOON!

April



April 10, 5pm: Artcrawl @ James Street North (Hamilton)

April 11, 7-11pm: HellBent Rockers @ Waterdown Legion $? #


April 11, 9pm: Tone Deaf @ Shooterville (Burlington)



April 13, 7-9pm: Brant Harmonica Guild @ Knights (Brantford) (2nd & Fourth Mondays)


April 14, May 5, May 20, May 28, June 18, July 9, September 17, October 8, November 3, December 3, 7:30pm: Canadiana: The Musical @ Greg Frewin Theatre (Niagara Falls) $? (dinner available: 6pm) #

April 15-May 3: Finding Neverland (Musical) @ Hamilton Family Theatre (Cambridge) $62 #

April 15, 7-11pm: Dundas Music Club @ Oddfellows Hall (Dundas) (3rd Wed)

April 15, 7:30-10pm: Open Mic with Corey @ The Staircase, Lounge (Hamilton) (3rd Wed




April 18, 3-6pm: Bob Maclean @ Counterpoint Brewing (Kitchener) $7.50 #

April 18, 7-10pm: Robbie McMaster @ Counterpoint Brewing (Kitchener) $7.50 #




April 19, 2-5pm: Brantford Open Stage @ Best Western (Bi-Weekly) $5

April 20-26: Curtains (Musical Whodunit) @ Lighthouse Theatre (Port Dover) $?#

April 20, 8pm: Grapes of Wrath Acoustic Duo @ Sonic Hall (Guelph) $36.67+

April 21-22, 12pm: The Music of Rod Stewart & Neil Diamond @ Gathering Place by the Grand (Ohsweken) $? incl lunch buffet #


April 22, 8pm: Valdy @ River Run Centre, Studio Theatre (Guelph) $30

April 23, 7pm: Sounds Gay! Open Mic @ Mosaic (Hamilton) (4th Thu

April 24, 6:30-8:30pm: Student Showcase @ Tabone Academy of Music (Hamilton) $10#

April 24, 8pm: Golden Feather with Conor Gains @ Sonic Hall (Guelph) $26.33



April 25, 7:30pm: Steve Marriner & Local Electric ft Jesse O'Brien, Jimmy Bowskill, Glenn Milchem @ Coach & Lantern (Ancaster) reservervation only through andrealeecassis@gmail.com



April 30, 9pm-1am: Open Jam & Live Band Karaoke ft Detour @ Tracie's Place (Hamilton) (Last Thu)

May


May 2, 7:30pm: Lighthouse @ The Westdale (Hamilton) $? 

May 5, May 20, May 28, June 18, July 9, September 17, October 8, November 3, December 3, 7:30pm: Canadiana: The Musical @ Greg Frewin Theatre (Niagara Falls) $? (dinner available: 6pm)





May 12, 7:30pm: Ian Thomas... Not Gone Yet @ Sanderson Centre (Brantford) $83


May 13, 7:30pm: Ian Thomas... Not Gone Yet! @ River Run Centre (Guelph) $86


May 24, 10:30am-4pm: Hamilton Record Show @ Bridgeworks - $5/$15 Early Bird @ 9am #


May 28, June 18, July 9, September 17, October 8, November 3, December 3, 7:30pm: Canadiana: The Musical @ Greg Frewin Theatre (Niagara Falls) $? (dinner available: 6pm)

May 29, 8pm: The Hogtown Allstars @ Clifford Brewing (Hamilton) $25 adv/$30 door

June



June 18, July 9, September 17, October 8, November 3, December 3, 7:30pm: Canadiana: The Musical @ Greg Frewin Theatre (Niagara Falls) $? (dinner available: 6pm)



July


July 9, September 17, October 8, November 3, December 3, 7:30pm: Canadiana: The Musical @ Greg Frewin Theatre (Niagara Falls) $? (dinner available: 6pm)

September


September 17, October 8, November 3, December 3, 7:30pm: Canadiana: The Musical @ Greg Frewin Theatre (Niagara Falls) $? (dinner available: 6pm)

October


October 8, November 3, December 3, 7:30pm: Canadiana: The Musical @ Greg Frewin Theatre (Niagara Falls) $? (dinner available: 6pm)

November



November 3, December 3, 7:30pm: Canadiana: The Musical @ Greg Frewin Theatre (Niagara Falls) $? (dinner available: 6pm)

November 29: Hamilton Blues Lovers Turns 18

December


December 2, 7:30pm: Mudmen @ Fergus Grand Theatre $?

December 3, 7:30pm: Canadiana: The Musical @ Greg Frewin Theatre (Niagara Falls) $? (dinner available: 6pm)

Apr 6-9 / Apr 10-12



Wednesday, April 1, 2026

Throwback Thursday: April Foolery - Justin Timberlake Recruits Local Musicians For Blues CD

Update of 2009 Post

Pop Superstar Justin Timberlake certainly knows where to find great blues musicians. He'll be working with some Hamilton talent for his new blues CD.

In a move that stunned the music world, Timberlake has turned his back on pop/dance music. "I'm sick of all the repetitive, cookie cutter, shallow, repetitive s#!+," he said.

"I've been feeling down for a while now, " he added, "I didn't want the fame, the prestige, the riches, the groupies - so becoming a Blues musician seemed to be the best choice."

A Google search landed him at this very blog where he discovered the great talent that Hamilton and Burlington had to offer.

To record his new CD, he recruited guitarist James Anthony. "This is a dream come true!" James said enthusiastically, "I have all his CDs, including his stuff with N Sync - not to mention all the posters on my wall!"

James is joined by Dale Park on drums (returning to drumming just for this project), Michael Hickey on bass, and Lou Campanella (TNT Bluesmen, Hammertones) on harp. Also in the band are Justin's rumoured love interest, Lily Sazz on keyboards and Loretta Hale on trumpet (who some say is also seeing the pop star).

This amazing band has already recorded two songs: "Britney Done Left Me"and "Wardrobe Malfunction Blues".

As a transition from his old style to his new one, Justin has decided to re-record his mega-hit SexyBack as a folky blues song with the help of Alfie Smith.

"I sing that song in the shower all the time!" Alfie exclaimed, "It'll be a privilege to finally record it."

The album will be rushed into production soon to prevent illegal downloading. It should be out in late April. "Fools will think this is impossible," Justin explains, "But they'll see I can sing the blues with the best of them."

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Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Treble to Star in New Sitcom

The Hamilton Blues Lovers are thrilled to announce our most ambitious media enterprise yet: a brand-new sitcom starring our very own mascot, Trebleclef, the Music Loving Monkey.

The series, titled Everybody Loves Treble, follows our favorite primate as he trades the city for the jungle after his Uncle Jed strikes it rich by discovering a "banana geyser". Trebleclef moves on up to the east side of the jungle to a deluxe treehouse in the sky.

Once settled, Treble buys radio station WMKY and recruits the eccentric Dr. Johnny Zaius to broadcast nothing but Southern Ontario’s finest tunes. He also has to contend with his wild neighbor Lamer, a gibbon with a habit of barging into the treehouse unannounced.

"Creating something this unique and original took a lot of work," says head writer and HBL blogger, Lu. "We’ve already polished the scripts and are ready to begin principal photography on April 31st."

Season One Highlights:
  • Episode 1: "Banana Bursting" – Treble navigates the move and learns that more bananas mean more problems.

  • Episode 2: "Whoa, Contest" – Treble and the gang compete to see who can go the longest without eating a banana.

  • Episode 3: "The Trouble with Trebles" – A radioactive banana causes Treble to multiply himself all over their new boat! Guest starring William Shatner as Captain Peel.

  • Episode 4: "Bottom of the Line" – Treble opens a banana-filled chocolate factory and puts Lamer on the assembly line. Spoiler: Hilarity (and chocolate) ensues.

  • Episode 5: "The Shark Ages" – Treble attempts to water-ski over shark-infested waters.
"It’s going to be incredible," explains Director/Executive Producer, April Fulcilli. "We are proud to announce that Everybody Loves Treble will be the first-ever sitcom to air on the National Geographic Channel!"

Look for the premiere this fall—you’d be a fool to miss it!

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Monday, March 30, 2026

Winners of the First Canadian Blues Music Awards (2025)

The very first Canadian Blues Music Awards took place on March 30, 2026 at the Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto. 

Here's a complete list of winners

* Signed to Waterdown's Stony Plain Records

Sunday, March 29, 2026

Winners of the 2026 Juno Ceremony Including Hamilton's Raquel McIntosh


The 2026 televised Junos ceremony was broadcast on March 29, 2026 from TD Coliseum in Hamilton. Raquel McIntosh, a teacher from Adelaide Hoodless Elementary School caught the country's attention as the Teacher of the Year winner. CONGRATS!

Not only did Hamilton's Arkells hand the award to Ms. McIntosh, they also performed at the event.


Below is a video of the full ceremony

Links: Juno AwardsMore Juno Stories, Video above courtesy of CBC Music

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!

Below is a complete list of winners. Local acts are bolded. Click here for the winners of the Saturday Gala

Other performances


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Saturday, March 28, 2026

Winners of the 2026 Juno Gala Including Album ft Jesse O'Brien


The 2026 Juno Gala took place in Hamilton on Saturday, March 28. Hear My Heart - Steve Marriner (ft Hamilton's Jesse O'Brien on keys) was the area winner.

You can see the whole event below


Links: Juno AwardsMore Juno Stories, Video above courtesy of CBC Music

CONGRATS EVERYONE!

Below is a complete list of winners. Click here for the winners of the televised event.

Performances


    Previous (Piano Day Videos ft Jesse O'Brien) - - - Next (Winners of the Televised Juno Ceremony)

    Piano Day Videos by Jesse O'Brien

    Update of 2026 Post


    Hamilton keyboard master Jesse O'Brien plays on each of these songs.



    Links: Ian Gillan, More Deep Purple Stories/Covers, Tony Iommi, More Black Sabbath Stories/Covers, Video above courtesy of libkdfwrgs



    Links: Colin JamesMore Colin James StoriesVideo above courtesy of mediahound



    Links: Laura ColeMore Laura Cole StoriesVideo above courtesy of Andrea Cassis



    Links: Lee Harvey OsmondMore Lee Harvey Osmond StoriesVideo above courtesy Vee Tee

    Links: Jesse O'BrienMore Jesse O'Brien StoriesMore Piano Day Vidoes

    Previous (International Women in Music Day Videos) - - - Next (Winners of the 2026 Juno Gala)