James Barker Band To Headline Free Concert Ahead Of Labour Day Classic Game, All Part Of Second Annual Weathertech Football Day In Hamilton Festivities
– Free admission Hurricanes junior football game, free concert presented by Supercrawl and CFL on TSN national broadcast hosted live from Tim Hortons Field, highlight day-long celebrations leading up to prime time Labour Day Classic game –
After setting national television and Tim Hortons Field attendance records in 2016, WeatherTech Football Day in Hamilton returns for a second season in 2017, with a double header football game and a free admission concert in Tim Hortons Field’s South Plaza, headlined by Canadian country music sensation James Barker Band.
Formed in 2013, the James Barker Band consists of James Barker, Taylor Abram, Bobby Martin, and Connor Stephen. The band has had a busy year, their singles, “Lawn Chair Lazy,” “Just Saying,” and “Chills” all debuted in the top 10 at Canadian Country radio, with “Chills” securing them a #1 spot at radio giving the guys the title of the first ever Canadian country act to achieve a #1 off their debut album. The videos for their three singles also went to #1 on the CMT Canada “Chevy Top 20 Countdown”. Their EP, Game On (via Universal Music Canada), was released in April, and debuted at #2 at iTunes during release week.
Joining James Barker Band is Universal Music Canada recording artists, The Reklaws. Made up of brother-sister duo Jenna and Stuart Walker, The Reklaws are taking this summer by a storm with the release of their self-written single “Hometown Kids”, and a major label debut at Universal Music Canada. The pair kicked off their careers and brought the name “The Reklaws” into country music in 2012, where they won the CCMA Discovery Program along with the Boots & Hearts Emerging Artist Showcase in 2013. With more music coming very soon, The Reklaws are sure to take the country music world by a storm.
Local acts The Red Hill Valeys, The Pistolettes and Melissa Marchese will also take the stage in the South Plaza in between the Hurricanes and Ticats games, beginning at approximately 2:30 p.m. With the overwhelming success of last year’s concert, the Tiger-Cats and Supercrawl have added more bands to the lineup and extended the concert window by an extra hour compared to 2016. The free admission concert doubles as the official kickoff of Supercrawl weekend, taking over downtown Hamilton from September 8th to 11th.
The Hamilton Hurricanes kickoff WeatherTech Football Day in Hamilton festivities at 12 noon, hosting the GTA Grizzlies in Canadian Junior Football League action at Tim Hortons Field. The game, which has playoff implications for both teams, is free to watch for football fans in the region.
Adding to the entertainment, True Hamiltonian and the Ticats will be unveiling their fall collection with a live fashion show in the South Plaza, featuring Ticats cheerleaders and alumni as models. The show, which will also tease True Hamiltonian’s new athletic clothing line, will take place in between musical acts.
The day will culminate in prime time when the Tiger-Cats and Toronto Argonauts renew the oldest rivalry in professional sports, kicking off the Labour Day Classic game at 6:30 p.m. Last year, over 1 million viewers tuned into watch the Tiger-Cats thrilling victory over the Argonauts, the most-watched CFL game of the 2016 regular season. The Ticats Labour Day Classic crowd also set the record for the highest attendance in Tim Hortons Field history, with 24,512 fans in attendance.
Throughout the day, the CFL on TSN panel will broadcast live from Tim Hortons Field. The CFL on TSN Mark’s Labour Day Weekend broadcast from the South Plaza will include pregame, halftime and between game coverage for both Labour Day CFL games from Calgary and Hamilton.
Bring your non-perishable food items or a cash donation to the game to support the Purolator Tackle Hunger program and get your picture taken with the Grey Cup! Last season, CFL teams raised a collective 1.4 million pounds of food, largely thanks to the participation of the TigerTown fan base. Look for the Purolator Tackle Hunger tent in the South Plaza to drop off your donations. There will also be donation bins located at each gate. Donations will benefit Hamilton Food Share.
Tickets for the Tiger-Cats Labour Day Classic game are available at Ticats.ca/tickets or by calling or emailing a Tiger-Cats ticket representative at 905-547-2287 or tickets@ticats.ca. With 28 straight sell outs and counting since Tim Hortons Field opened its doors in 2014, fans are encouraged to secure their seats now before they’re gone!