Big Sugar Live in Edmonton February 12th 2026

  Last Thursday my buddy A-Bomb, Buzzard and I went to see Big Sugar at what used to be Union Hall but has now been re-branded as the Pawn Shop Live. The band is on the road doing an evening with Big Sugar where they play the Hemi-Vision album in it's entirety for the first set and then a bunch of other songs for the second set. I guess you would call it a 30th anniversary tour for the Hemi album. Hard to believe it's been thirty years since that album came out.

 No opening act, just an evening with. So nice to see Big Sugar back as a three piece rock n' roll band. Gordie Johnson on guitar, Anders Derup on bass and holding down the beat is Root Valach. The band opened with "Diggin' a Hole" the opener of the Hemi-Vision album, and of course a rockin' fucking tune. the into "Opem Up Baby", cool, they aren't doing the album from start to finish in order of the album. I liked that. After playing all of that album. There was a short intermission, then another set in which they mixed it up good.

 I was very happy to hear four or five songs from their 2001 album Brothers & Sisters, Are You Ready?. I've always loved that album, it came out at a time where I was going through some shit in my life and it really resonated with me. Would love to see them tour for that album and play it in it's entirety. Anyways, it was awesome to hear "All Hell For A Basement", "Red Rover", "So Not Over" and "Nicotina (She's All That)". I was surprised though that they only played one song from their album Five Hundred Pounds, that song being "Ride Like Hell".

 A great evening of loud rock n' roll. It had been a while since I have paid to see Big Sugar, they've done lots of free shows in the city over the years, but with them back to a three piece and rocking like they are. I'd certainly pay to see them again.

 And the show being at the newly branded Pawn Shop Live bar formerly Union Hall, nothing has changed there, same old set up. A decent crowd for this show, not sold out by any means, the upper deck of the bar was closed off. But the main floor was quite full. All and all a great show. Good times!!!

Big Sugar.

 Having seen Big Sugar 17 times, it got me to thinking of all the different venues I have seen them play at. And these are just the Big Sugar shows, not including Gordie's solo shows and with his band Grady. all shows in Edmonton unless otherwise noted.

Edit: I've decided to add the Gordie and Grady shows too.

March 15th 1994 at People's Pub

July 15th 1994 at People's Pub

July 16th 1994 at People's Pub

October 12th 1996 at The Rev

February 14th 1997 at Edmonton Convention Centre

June 26th 1998 at Northgate Industries Hangar

July 29th 1998 at Shaw Conference Centre

November 14th 1998 at Shaw Conference Centre

December 31st 1999 at Shaw Conference Centre

July 13th 2001 at the Camrose Regional Exhibition Grounds (part of the Stage 13 Music Fest)

October 6th 2001 at Shaw Conference Centre

April 11th 2002 at The Joint

December 31st 2003 at Shaw Conference Centre

November 27th 2010 at Sir Winston Churchill Park ( part of the Grey Cup Festivities)

July 24th 2011 at the Telus Stage at K-Days

September 2nd 2012 at the Legislature Grounds

July 17th 2025 at Sir Winston Churchill Park (part of the Taste Of Edmonton fest)

February 12th at Pawn Shop Live

Gordie Johnson.

December 14th 2000 Gordie Johnson and Kelly Hoppe acoustic show at the Myer Horowitz Theatre

November 24th 2010 at the Varscona Hotel Conference Room a guitar clinic put on by Avenue Guitar

Grady.

March 9th 2005 at Cook County Saloon

July 15th 2005 at Cowboys

October 28th 2005 at Red's

December 5th 2007 at Jet Nightclub

October 21st 2009 at the Pawn Shop

April 17th 2010 at Starlite Room

December 31st

  It was on December 31st, 1999 that I saw Big Sugar play the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton. Opening the show was Scratching Post. 

November 24th

  The gig poster from the November 24th, 2010 guitar clinic I saw Gordie Johnson of Big Sugar and Grady fame do in Edmonton. This clinic was originally supposed to be at Avenue Guitars but was moved to a conference room at the Varscona Hotel just a few doors down. This was super cool to see Gordie Johnson in such an intimate setting as a small ballroom with maybe a dozen people in attendance. Was neat see him play sitting on a chair within a few feet and getting to ask him questions and get his autograph. Good times!!!

October 6th

  It was on October 6th, 2001 that I saw Big Sugar with opening act Staggered Crossing play the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton.

Big Sugar Live in Edmonton July 17th, 2025

  My buddies Buzzard, A-Bomb and I went to see Big Sugar play a free show as part of the Taste Of Edmonton food festival held at Sir Winston Churchill Park in downtown Edmonton. This would be my 16th time seeing Big Sugar in concert. What really peaked my interest in seeing Big Sugar again was that the band is back to being a three piece band. I hadn't seen Big Sugar perform as a three piece band since the 90's, for a while there the band became more a roots reggae band then the blues based rock band that I loved. Don't get me wrong, they were still great live but I was really missing the rock n' roll show that Gordie Johnson and the guys used to play. I stopped buying tickets to there shows because of this. I still saw them lots of times, but they were always free shows. The last time I had paid to see Big Sugar was in 2003 and what I really surprised me was that the last time I saw the band in concert was in 2012, so it had been a long time since I had seen them. So I was pretty pumped about seeing them again, especially as a three piece.

 Big Sugar led by Gordie Johnson who in my opinion is one of the greatest guitarists in the world and so underrated, rounding out the band was Anders Drerup on bass and on drums Root Valach. The band came out rocking and very loud as Big Sugar is known to play. It was so awesome to hear the band play their style of rocking blues for an hour and a half. Playing almost the whole 1993 album Five Hundred Pounds. They also played some very rocking tunes like "All Hell For A Basement" a homage to Alberta, "Red Rover" and "Nicotina (She's All That)" from their 2001 album Brothers And Sisters, Are You Ready? again in my opinion the last really good album they have released. Their setlist was so good on this night with them also playing a few songs from the 1996 album Hemi-Vision "Diggin' A Hole" and "If I had My Way". As well as a few from the Heated album released in 1998 playing "The Scene" and "Better Get Used To It". oh ya, they also did a cover of the Traffic song "Dear Mr. Fantasy". I'm sure there were some other songs that I have forgotten, but what a fucking show. This is the Big Sugar I love, playing kick ass rock n' roll to a big audience that was eating up this version of Big Sugar. If Big Sugar continue like this I will gladly start paying to see them in concert again. This show was awesome. Good times!!!

Big Sugar.

June 26th

 The ticket for the time I won a contest put on by Labatt Blue for the Superjet Hangar Party that featured Big Sugar performing. this was a win to get in concert. The show was held in the old airplane hangar at the Edmonton Municipal Airport. The day of this show it rained hard for hours before the show, which made for a very muddy lot outside the hangar which then made it very muddy inside the hangar. At the show all beer was only a dollar a can. With the shitty weather and a hangar full of very drunk people, it made for an absolute shit show, and then the generators in the venue kept crapping out. They ended up stopping and cancelling the show,maybe 20 minutes into it. though the show didn't last long, the memories sure did. Good times!!!

February 14th

 On February 14th, 1997 I was at the Edmonton Convention Centre for the Big Sugar and Big Rude Jake double bill. A great night of Canadian talent.

December 14th

  

 On December 14th, 2000 I saw Gordie Johnson and Kelly Hoppe of Big Sugar play an acoustic show at the Myer Horowitz Theatre in Edmonton. Really cool to see these guys play an all acoustic show.

November 27th

  

 The concert ad for the time I saw Big Sugar headline an outdoor show on November 27th, 2010 at Sir Winston Churchill Square in downtown Edmonton. This show was part of the grey Cup festivities that year. And holy fuck was it cold!

 This show was on of 16 different venues/places that I have seen Big Sugar/Grady/Gordie Johnson perform. Now if only I could get a ticket for the Big Sugar show this Friday November 29th at Festival Place in Sherwood Park. A venue I have not seen them play yet.

November 14th

  

 It was on November 14th, 1998 that I saw this awesome double bill of Big Sugar headlining the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton with Gov't Mule opening. A loud show indeed.

October 12th

 On October 12th, 1996 I saw Big Sugar headline The Rev in Edmonton with opening act Wide Mouth Mason.

July 29th

  

 On July 29th, 1998 I saw Big Sugar play the Shaw Conference Centre here in Edmonton. This was a free show as it was a make up show for a previous show a few weeks before that got cancelled part way through. This was a win to get in show that was a promotional contest put on by Labatt Blue (Out Of The Blue). The show that got cancelled was held at a airplane hangar at the downtown airport. The day of the show it rained like a motherfucker making the outside of the hangar a mud pit which eventually made the inside of the venue a mud pit. And at the venue as part of the promo, Labatt Blue beer was only a dollar a can. The amount of beer consumed at the original event was insane. The hangar venue had all kinds of technical issues with their generator and sound system, to the point where about 5-6 songs into Big Sugar's set they called off the show. Disappointing yes, good time had nonetheless though. Much to my surprise (Out of the Blue) a week after the hangar show I got this letter in the mail for this Big Sugar make up show. Way more organized and civil. And beers were three dollars at this show. Good times!!!

July 24th

  

 It was on July 24th, 2011 that I saw Big Sugar with opening band Wide Mouth Mason play the Telus Stage at the Klondike Days Exhibition here in Edmonton. A pretty good bill to see for free.

July 15th

  

 On July 15th, 1994 I Canadian blues band Big Sugar led by Gordie Johnson play the first of a two night stand at Peoples Pub in Edmonton. Big Sugar were on the road in support of their awesome album Five Hundred Pounds.

April 11th

  

 I saw Big Sugar play the short lived venue at West Edmonton Mall on April 11th, 2002. Big Sugar were on the road promoting their album Brothers & Sisters. I loved that album.

March 15th

 

 On March 15th, 1994 I saw Big Sugar in concert for the first time. This show was at People's Pub in Edmonton. I don't think I missed a show of theirs in the next ten years. Such a great live band.

Throwback Thursday...Big Sugar/Grady

Posters from Big Sugar and Grady shows I have seen over the years, both bands that are lead by Gordie Johnson.

In concert news...Big Sugar will be playing an acoustic show in Sherwood Park at Festival Place on Thursday February 26th.

27 Years Ago Today...December 31st

It was twenty-seven years ago today that I saw Triumph with opening band Kick Axe play Northlands Coliseum here in Edmonton.

And it was fourteen years ago today that I saw Big Sugar perform at the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton.

Again on New Years Eve ten years ago, I saw Big Sugar play the Shaw Conference Centre with opening band The Trews.

Stats for the month of December...
I have been to shows 17 out of the 31 days in the month of December.
And I have seen 28 different shows out of them 17 days.