Roots rock with a dub heartbeat
Big Sugar are Canadian lifers who built a thick blues-rock sound colored by reggae timing and deep low end. The 30th run for
Hemi-Vision arrives after the loss of beloved bassist Garry Lowe, with his son Ben anchoring recent lineups and honoring that pulse. Expect the album in full or close to it, with
Diggin' a Hole and
If I Had My Way drawing the loudest chorus singalongs. You will see guitar heads clocking the baritone growl, longtime CanRock fans in vintage tees, and younger players taking notes on tone rather than moshing. A neat detail: early
Hemi-Vision sessions leaned on analog tape and roomy drum mics, which explains the record's huge feel live. Another quirk is their use of live dub flourishes, with echoes tossed between hits like little rhythmic ghosts. All notes about songs and staging here are educated guesses based on past tours, not a locked plan for this night.
A crowd that knows the deep cuts
The vibe tends to be unhurried and heavy, with smiles when the reggae backbeat sneaks under the blues riffs.
The Big Sugar Scene, Up Close
Denim, patches, and deep cuts
You will notice jean jackets with old Canadian rock patches, tour baseball caps, and a few folks in subtle Rasta tones nodding to the band's reggae side. People sing guitar riffs as often as lyrics, especially the low hook in
Diggin' a Hole, and clap the offbeat when the skank hits. Between songs, fans trade memories of MuchMusic premieres and small-club shows that made these tunes feel local. Merch leans into
Hemi-Vision art, plus simple black tees, enamel pins, and the occasional poster that salutes Garry Lowe. The room is friendly but focused, with head-nods replacing phones-in-the-air until the encore. Chant moments are short and musical, more like call-and-response lines than soccer shouts.
Rituals without fuss
After the last big riff, people tend to hang a minute to talk tone, pedals, and which deep cut they hope returns next time.
How Big Sugar Make The Heavy Swing
Baritone bite, reggae lift
Gordie Johnson's voice rides low and dry, leaving room for the guitars to grind without crowding the words. The band favors baritone and down-tuned parts, so chords bloom thick while the bass locks a simple, chesty pattern. Drums often push a half-time shuffle, then sneak a reggae upstroke feel on the guitar to make the chorus breathe. Live, they like to extend intros by a few bars, which lets the kick and bass settle the pocket before the vocal lands. Keys or a second guitar will double lines an octave up, adding bite without turning the mix brittle. A lesser-known move is the dub bridge they drop mid-song, where the engineer throws tape-style echo on snare hits and guitar stabs for a spaced-out minute.
Space, not speed
Lighting usually stays warm and saturated, shifting to cool hues when the reggae lean shows up, keeping focus on the sound more than spectacle.
If You Like Big Sugar, Here Are Roadmates
Neighboring sounds, shared souls
Fans of
The Tragically Hip often land here because both acts prize groove-forward rock with storytelling edges.
Gov't Mule brings the thick tube-amp punch and jam-ready turns that match Big Sugar's stretched endings. If you like blues phrasing with modern polish,
Wide Mouth Mason tours similar roads and draws a thoughtful, guitar-savvy crowd. Vintage-leaning rockers may also dig
The Sheepdogs, whose harmony guitars and road-dog energy sit well next to chunky riffs and organ swells. These overlaps come from shared tempos, open-ended solos, and an affection for roots music that still hits like a club band.
