Organizers hoping concert relieves gridlock

Come for the glorious sun, stay for The Glorious Sons.

With potentially hundreds of thousands of people gathering near the falls for Monday’s eclipse, organizers with the city, Niagara Parks and Niagara Falls Tourism are hoping some Canadian rock and roll keeps people hanging around and not all leaving at once.

The Kingston band will take the stage at Queen Victoria Park at 8:30 p.m., capping a full day of music that also features JJ Wilde, New Friends, The Boneheads and Niagara Symphony Orchestra.

The symphony will get things started at 2:40 p.m., accompanying the phenomenon going on in the sky.

The eclipse will begin at about 2:04 p.m. and darkness will increase leading to full totality at 3:18 p.m. The event will end at about 4:31 p.m.

Which is when Mayor Jim Diodati fears major gridlock on city streets as a massive crowd departs viewing areas.

“The whole idea of bringing in entertainment is to encourage the staggering of people leaving,” he said, “so that it will be gradual and more of a peel-off effect.

“The last thing we want is what happens New Year’s Eve right after the fireworks at midnight, when everybody beelines to their cars and we have instant gridlock.”

The show takes place in the same park the free New Year’s Eve concerts took place in for decades. At their peak, the concerts attracted about 30,000 people to the area. Up to 10 times that could converge along Niagara Parkway Monday.

Diodati hopes a band the calibre of The Glorious Sons has people “sticking around for a while, hopefully, even overnight.”

But if you aren’t in the mood to brave the crowds along the parkway, there will be plenty of live music across the city and region.

Taps Brewhouse and Heart Niagara will be teaming up for the Total Eclipse of the Heart … Niagara fundraiser with live entertainment from 12:45 p.m. to 3 p.m. It’s at 4680 Queen St., Niagara Falls.

The Wilbur James Blues Band will play the Solar Eclipse Patio Party at Spirit in Niagara Distillery in Niagara-on-the-Lake starting at 1:30 p.m.

Taylor Laslo of Niagara band The Mandevilles will play a solo set at Bench Brewing Co. in Beamsville starting at 1 p.m.

Jay Stone plays The CheerStore in Port Colborne at 5 p.m.

Patsy and The Muscle will be at Calumus Estate Winery in Jordan from noon to 3 p.m.

Appropriately enough, Pink Floyd Niagara plays a sold-out eclipse show at Southbrook Organic Vineyards in Niagara-on-the-Lake starting at 2 p.m. The band will perform “Dark Side of the Moon” in its entirety.

If you aren’t in the mood to brave the crowds along the parkway, there will be plenty of live music across the city and region