To The Haldimand Press
HAGERSVILLE—The Hagersville Rocks Music Festival, presented by Empire Communities, will take place on Friday, July 14 and Saturday, July 15, 2023.
The Committee and Empire Communities are extremely happy to announce the Friday performers for this year’s festival, once again showcasing an all-Canadian lineup.
Juno award winner Jess Moskaluke is headlining the Friday “Country night”. This multi-talented, internationally celebrated artist just completed her Mapdot national headlining tour with sold out audiences. Jess was the first female country artist since Shania Twain to achieve CRIA Platinum single status with the hit “Cheap Wine and Cigarettes”. She was also notably the first Canadian female artist since 2008 to have a song in the Top 3 with “Drive me away”.
Jess won the 2017 CCMA award for Country Album of the Year and was CCMA Female Country Artist of the Year for three consecutive years.
CCMA Rising Star nominee Shawn Austin will be joining Jess on main support. With over 23 million collective streams to date, this Vancouver singer-songwriter continues to work tirelessly to cement his place in the Canadian country music landscape. His singles include “Paradise Found,” “Get me there”, “What do I know” and “Tailgate to Heaven”, which was nominated for CCMA Single of the Year in 2022.
One Ugly Cowboy is an original Toronto-based country rock band that soulfully blends gritty country with in-your-face rock with their upbeat, sometimes funny, and often heartfelt tunes. One Ugly Cowboy is fronted by powerhouse female vocalist Hurricane Jane (Sowerby).
Sarnia-based The Cory James Mitchell Band is blue collar country. They bring a unique, genuine, and full-of-emotion sound to the Canadian music scene. 2022 proved to be their most successful year to date, headlining festivals and opening for Blackberry Smoke on their cross-Canada Tour.
New Moon Junction introduced themselves to the Canadian music scene in 2021. They’ve been called “Ontario’s best kept secret”, “Country’s hottest Trio”, and “Canada’s Lady A”.
Ontario’s premier fiddle rock band Fiddlestix are returning to the Hagersville Rocks stage. They’ll have fans on their feet again as they did at last year’s event. They have performed everything from heralding the arrival of the Olympic Torch to performing for the Canadian & American Ambassadors in southeast Asia.
Established in 1997, the Practically Hip are returning to our festival. They are Canada’s number one tribute to The Hip. The band is passionate about their material, especially capturing the nuances and spirit of the original Hip performances, down to the rants and stories Gord Downie was known for.
Performers for the Saturday portion of Hagersville Rocks Music Fesitval will be announced in the coming days. Stay tuned for more details.
“Empire is proud to be a supporter of Hagersville Rocks, marking our third year supporting and second year as Title Sponsor of this highly anticipated event,” says Sue MacKay, Senior Vice President, Corporate Marketing at Empire Communities.
“We couldn’t be more excited to help bring concert-goers a uniquely local festival that’s become such a celebrated part of the Community’s fabric,” continued MacKay.
The Hagersville Rocks Music Festival is produced by the Hagersville & District Chamber of Commerce with proceeds in support of the West Haldimand Hospital and Healthcare Foundation.
A limited number of Early Bird Tickets are on sale now at ticketscene.ca: General Admission $34.50; VIP $59.50; Empire Party Tent $169.50. Pre-Sale Tickets go on sale February 1: General Admission $44.50; VIP $69.50; Empire Party Tent $179.50. Regular priced tickets go on sale March 1: General admission $54.50; VIP $79.50; Empire Party Tent $199.50.
