Dan Boshart Sheepdogs at Rock The Park 2024 in London, ON
The 20th edition of Rock the Park (RTP) in London, Ontario faced several challenges, including a late headliner cancellation, near record rainfall, and a rapper being denied entry into Canada. Despite these obstacles, organizers from Jones Entertainment Group (JEG) expressed pride in their team for successfully hosting the four-day festival at Harris Park, which drew a record 44,000 attendees. The event concluded with a memorable tribute to the originally scheduled headliner, Neil Young, performed by Bryan Adams and other artists.
The festival kicked off with a bang on Wednesday, July 10th, 2024, despite near-record rainfall from the remnants of Hurricane Beryl. Fans braved the elements to witness an unforgettable night of rock music headlined by Nickelback, along with performances by The Glorious Sons, The Tea Party, and Crown Lands. The gates opened at 4:00 pm, with the show starting at 5:00 pm, as fans and rain poured into Harris Park.
Nickelback, known for their high-energy performances and pyrotechnic displays, refused to let the rain dampen their spirits or their show. The band delivered an electrifying set, complete with their signature pyro effects, thrilling the rain-soaked crowd. The Glorious Sons, The Tea Party, and Crown Lands also brought their A-game, providing an incredible night of rock music that left fans buzzing with excitement. Despite the challenging conditions, the first night of Rock the Park 2024 proved that the festival’s spirit and the dedication of its fans remain unbreakable, setting the stage for an unforgettable 20th-anniversary celebration.
Day two of Rock the park was a much drier affair than our first day at Harris Park in London, Ontario. Fresh hay was on the ground to cut down on the mud from the previous days rain, after all, you’re supposed to knock dust off our cowboy boots, not mud.
The afternoon started with Missouri native and American Idol golden ticket winner Sam Barber. Barber’s performances and songs have an emotional weight to them that I can appreciate. I have grown used to hearing the homogenized contemporary country singer voice that sounds much like every other country singer’s voice. Sam Barber’s voice and intensity remind me of the blues and country singers of old. He has his own voice and is trying to sound like Sam Barber, and he does a fantastic job with it. Sam Barber is poised to make a mark on the country music landscape.
The next band hitting the stage were the Strumbellas, whose musicianship thankfully eclipses their band naming skills. in 2022, the original lead vocalist and songwriter Simon Ward, stepped back from touring and took a more behind the scenes and was replaced at the mic by Jimmy Chauveau. Chaveau is a great match for the band, who all sound amazing as a unit. Stepping into a band with years and albums together is a daunting task, but he is ready to meet it. The band was rock solid, and their new frontman really delivered stage presence, great voice, and energy that ramped up the crowd and kept their attention for the set.
Charles Wesley Godwin followed the Strumbellas impressive performance and came out of the chute hard with “Cue Country Roads” a foot stomper which had a bit of a country boy can survive vibe. It’s got a good outlaw country sound, running through the red channel of a Marshall amp. Godwin has a great presence in front of a crowd, and has great taste in backing musicians, particularly his guitarist. Godwin’s talent as an entertainer, combined with his gift of musical storytelling stole the night. Seeing Charles Wesley Godwin right now is catching him on his way up.
Tyler Childers closed out the show, and was certainly forthright with the crowd, when he shared that the last 2 days, he has been shitting himself, and if he disappears off stage, he is probably still shitting himself. An intro like that is a tough act to follow, but Childers was able to keep it together, putting forth an outstanding performance. Thank God for that. The weather was enough of a shit show on Wednesday without taking it literally. The crowd soaked up the bluegrass/neo traditional country sound that bleeds from his roots in Kentucky. Although I freely admit that country music is infrequently on my playlist, Childers is one of those people who show you that good music is good music, and a talented musician like him is going to be entertaining and sound fantastic no matter what genre of music you identify with. Tyler Childers has a sound of authenticity. It sounds like how time in the smoky mountain feels, and like how moonshine tastes. That sense of tradition and simplicity, but with an undercurrent of strength, beauty, and a little bit of unfamiliar tension.
Day 3 of Rock the park started off with style with the exceptionally talented Keri Hilson, from Decatur, Georgia. Hilson put on an amazing show and sounded amazing, with great songs and a fantastic voice to back them up.
Shawn Desman put on a great show as well. Sean Kingston was unable to make the show due to a flight delay related to being charged with him and his mother being under investigation for a 7-figure fraud. It is nice to do things together as a family. Hopefully, Kingston will be able to make up his show in 3-5 years.
Lil Jon could have been my favorite act of the two days I attended Rock the Park. Maybe it’s the energy, or the music that just feels fun, or that I attend enough concerts that I identify with his need to repeatedly say “what?”. Whatever the reason, I’d catch a Lil Jon show again if I had the opportunity. He is one of those artists that I could not name a lot of songs from, but his whole setlist was familiar once I heard it. His show had the best energy of the night. Lil Jon hopped around stage in constant motion, and you could see the crowd and Lil Jon amping each other up.
Ne-Yo had a more complex and choreographed show than Lil Jon, Desman or Hilson, and was the most polished show of the night. Watching him with his 4 beautiful and talented dancers, all matched up in red outfits to match Ne-Yo’s suit, was a spectacle to watch. He put on a great R&B performance that was worthy of the lead up spot to Friday’s headlining act, Nas.
Nas is one of the greatest legends of east coast hip hop. His style and lyrical genius have been a major contribution to 90’s hip hop. The crowd was excited to see the hip hop legend, and his voice and style have aged well. Nas has a great stage presence, and he sounded great performing. He was an excellent choice for Friday’s closing act.
All said and done, short of the loss of Kingston from the bill. The night went well with great performances from all the artists. The crowd was into it, the weather was good, and the sound and stage setup were fantastic. Rock the park has always been one of the better one stage festivals in Ontario, and both day 2 and 3 were great additions to the rock the park legacy.
Saturday, July 13 marked the last night of the 20th edition of Rock the Park, and what an epic night of Canadian music it was! Original headliner Neil Young unfortunately had to cancel the rest of his tour due to illness in the band, but what a replacement London got! An epic performance by Canadian music royalty Bryan Adams was quite the consolation prize and I don’t think anyone who attended was disappointed. We all wish Neil Young the best and hope to see him in London down the road.
Opening the evening was Vancouver alternative rock band Odds headed by a sharp-dressed Craig Northey in a bright red sport jacket with black collar and black Addidas with multi-colour stripes. The band played a lively 45-minute set featuring popular songs like “It Falls Apart” and “Eat My Brain”.
Saskatoon’s Sheepdogs always put on a great show with their unique prairie rock sound that always gives me a feeling of Lynyrd Skynyrd meets The Guess Who. Opening with “How Late, How Long”, the boys brought some good old southern rock vibe to the crowd and got everyone dancing and swaying in the sweltering heat of the day. Other hits like “Find The Truth”, “Feeling Good” and “Scarborough Street Fight” filled the roughly hour-long set and thrilled those in attendance.
Newfoundland son Alan Doyle performed next playing a mix of solo work and songs from Great Big Sea, the band that made him famous. His self-proclaimed East Coast kitchen party felt just like that, an intimate party with roughly 10,000 people. Opening with “Dancing Like We Did Last Night”, the London crowd roared their approval and sang along to the set of East Coast treasures. Doyle’s rich vocals and upbeat energy along with The Beautiful Beautiful Band featuring Kendel Carson on fiddle, was a real treat and got the energy flowing.
The main event this evening was Bryan Adams. Coming off a European tour, London was his only Ontario stop, filling in last minute for the ailing Neil Young and Crazy Horse. Opening with “Kick Ass” from his latest LP “So Happy It Hurts”, Adams commanded the stage and showed why he’s a beloved Canadian music icon. The 21-song hit-filled set was everything you would want at a Bryan Adams show. Somebody, Heaven, (Everything I do) I Do it for You, Back to You, were some of the hits early in the show. A tribute to Tina Turner in the middle of the show with a medley of “It’s Only Love”, “The Best” and “What’s Love Got to Do With it” was a highlight of the show. The biggest hits were saved for the end of the main set with “Run to You”, “Summer of ‘69” which got a huge crowd reaction and “Cuts Like a Knife”.
The big surprise was the final song before the encores which was a huge jam with all four bands performing “Rockin’ in the Free World” in tribute to Neil Young. Adams finished up the night with a solo cover of “Heart of Gold” and the big hit “Straight From The Heart”.
It was a fantastic night of Canadian music that represented both coasts, the prairies and Ontario. London couldn’t have asked for a better way to end year 20 of Rock The Park. Here’s to many more years of music at Harris Park.
The festival, recently voted Canadian Music Festival of the Year by industry peers, has evolved over its 20-year history from a classic rock event to include country, rap, and hip-hop genres. The economic impact of the festival is significant for the City of London, with an estimated $20-25 million in spinoff benefits and fully booked hotels during the event. As the organizers look ahead to future editions, they plan to continue adapting the lineup to showcase a diverse range of artists while maintaining the festival’s success and popularity.
Written by Dan Boshart, David Booth and Dan Savoie
Day Two Photos by David Booth
Day Three Photos by David Booth
Day Four Photos by Dan Boshart
