Big Sugar looks to rock Kempenfest 2018 with old tunes, new tunes and a heavy heart.
One of Canada’s most unique-sounding bands is coming to Barrie Saturday for one of Ontario’s biggest festivals.
Big Sugar will be on the OLG Main Stage from 8 to 10 p.m. and will play a mixture of tunes from a career that spans nearly 30 years. At the peak of the band’s popularity in the mid- to late '90s, Big Sugar was known to be a loud and energy-filled live act.
Lead singer Gordie Johnson doesn’t feel that a little bit of age will get in the way of the energy, but rather that the energy is a little more focused.
“We are a little bit older, that’s for sure, but we’re still able to do our thing on stage and maybe even better than before,” said Johnson. “With age comes wisdom and I feel we focus all that energy a little more, that the music is more rhythmic. We still have that funk, soul and reggae vibe because that’s what we love and we know that’s what our fans love. No doubt, you’ll hear some favourites and we’ll treat the crowd to some newer stuff as well. We’re very excited to be back in Barrie for the show.”
One of the band’s most commercially successful albums was 1996's Hemi-Vision, which included the massively popular songs Diggin’ a Hole and If I Had My Way. The band followed that up with another fan-pleasing album that went platinum in Heated, which included two more songs that saw plenty of radio time in Better Get Used to It, and Turn the Lights On.
While those tunes are likely to be heard across Kempenfelt Bay, Johnson hints at a new album being worked on that could be ready for the fall.
“We had been working on some new material for an album and we are hoping to have it out in the fall, but we do have a lot of summer dates lined up throughout Canada and the United States, so getting to it is always hard,” he said.
Heartbreaking for the band and fans of Big Sugar was the tragic news that popular bassist Garry Lowe passed away from his battle with cancer on July 7. Lowe was instrumental in Big Sugar’s success in the '90s with his extensive musical knowledge and reggae sound adding to the powerful performances that the band was putting on.
Johnson was a long-time fan of Lowe’s even before he joined the band, and the two became fast friends.
“Garry was a very private person, so many didn’t even know he was sick, but he had been battling cancer for about two years,” said Johnson. “Music really is secondary, but to tell the truth, he only missed about one show in all the time he was sick."
Lowe had a profound impact on the band and the music scene.
"His sound shaped a lot of not just what we did but was instrumental in shaping the music scene in Toronto many years ago as well," said Johnson. "More than all that, we really miss our friend and we’ve only played a couple shows since he’s been gone, and I can tell you that first one was a tough one to get through. We love and miss him very much.”
Big Sugar recently played in Saskatchewan and has played many of the small towns and big cities of Canada.
They were formed in Toronto at the heyday of the city’s rock scene. Johnson and his wife, Alex, who is also in the band, reside in Texas and the band is based in the Lone Star State now.
Despite the American location of the group and the fact that the band doesn’t usually come up in conversations regarding the nation’s “most Canadian bands,” Johnson feels they may just be more Canadian than others.
“We never really strived for that title of Canada’s best band,” said Johnson. “I know that we have never really been considered that, either, and I don’t know if it's because we don’t all play hockey together or the stereotypical stuff, but I would say maybe we are more Canadian than most. We have always included the reggae sounds and had a very culturally diverse group, and that’s what Canada is supposed to be all about, isn’t it? Diversity, inclusion? Honestly, we don’t think about it much and I don’t think the fans do, either. We just hit the stage and do our thing and they seem to love it.”
Big Sugar will do its thing Saturday night at 8 p.m. near the Southshore Centre. Tickets cost $20 for general admission and are available at Ticketpro.
To keep up to date with the band, check out its website.
