Supercrawl is much more than music … but, hey, the music ain’t bad either
WITH HEADLINERS like the Sheepdogs, the Sam Roberts Band and Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, it’s easy to categorize Supercrawl as just another music festival. But the ninth annual Supercrawl, which takes over James Street North Friday night and runs through Sunday, is much more.
It’s also about art, theatre, fashion, film, and food trucks — 35 of them — as well as both the spoken and written word. And don’t forget flames and acrobats — as in the always popular Circus Orange, which takes over the area just east of York and James North at 9 p.m. Saturday (with a rehearsal 6 p.m. Friday).
If you’re going just for the music, you’re missing a lot. So here’s a guide to both the music and the many other things that Supercrawl is offering this year.
Let’s start with the more than 50 musical acts performing over the next three days. Some you may know, but many you probably don’t.
Music Friday
FRIDAY NIGHT is all about the Sheepdogs — a Canadian guitar-rock band that has a ’70s sound which appeals to young and old. There are some interesting acts worth checking out during an evening of outdoor music that stretches from 6 p.m. to midnight.
Opening on the main stage (at King) for the Sheepdogs is Kelly Prescott (9 p.m.), a rootsy country singer from the Ottawa Valley with a new EP called “Hillbilly Jewels.” If you want to secure a good space on the pavement for the Sheepdogs, it may be a good idea to take in Prescott.
For young punks, there’s PUP, a Toronto band that has forged a firm fan base over the past three years touring heavily across North America, Europe and Australia. If you like Hamilton’s Dirty Nil, there’s a good chance you’ll like PUP. The opening song on PUP’s latest album is entitled “If This Tour Doesn’t Kill You, I Will.” PUP closes the City of Music/Exclaim Stage (north of Murray Street) starting at 11 p.m.
For those who like their music more arty, there is Belle Game, a four-piece indie group from Vancouver that specializes in the kind of ethereal dreamscapes appreciated by the band’s uber-hip Arts and Crafts Label. Belle Game plays the Mohawk College Stage (on Wilson Street) at 11 p.m.
The City of Hamilton will close the following streets from Sept. 7 to 11:
James Street North between King Street and Strachan Street, from 1 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 7, to 5 a.m. Monday, Sept. 11. (Barton and Cannon streets will remain open)
York Boulevard between Bay Street and Hughson Street, from 1 a.m. Friday, Sept. 8 to 1 a.m. Monday, Sept. 11.
HSR routes 2,3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 20 will be on detour throughout the closure. Detailed detours will be posted online at hamilton.ca/hsrdetours.