Saturday, July 28th. 9pm @ This Ain’t Hollywood – $12
It has been a full year since the gals at I Heart Hamilton have been touring our city. Their idea of acting as a tourist at home has gotten a lot of support and their enthusiasm and energy has been matched by their supporters.
To celebrate their one year anniversary, the girls are putting together a great show at This Ain’t Hollywood featuring some of their favourite local musicians. All of the proceeds will go to The Boys and Girls clubs of Hamilton. The show features performances from Canadian Winter, New Hands, The Ascot Royals, The Dinner Belles, and guest DJ sets of John Smith of Young Rival.
I caught up with Kristin to talk about the one year anniversary and the show on Saturday.
Can you tell me a little bit about the show. What was it like to organize a show like this?
We wanted to mark the first anniversary of our Tour, and also use whatever platform we have to give back to the community. We also wanted to start featuring the great work being done by not-for-profit organizations in this city as tour stops, along with everything else we feature. When Avishka and I visited one of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Hamilton locations, we knew right away that they would be a great match for us to team up with and were inspired by the work they do.
I also really wanted the event to embody the first year of the Tour. From the venue, to the bands, to the people who are helping with promotion, to the people I hope attend, it reflects the sense of community we’ve experienced this past year.
Putting the event together has been an amazing learning experience. I’ve been going to shows and have been around bands for years but have never booked one, and it’s something I wondered if I could do, and had an interest in. It has been challenging because there are so many small details to keep track of, things you don’t even think about at first. I really enjoyed the whole process.
How did you meet?
The four of us formed our friendship at McMaster. Avishka and Jenny grew up together, but the rest of us didn’t know each other. Being English majors, I had several classes with Avishka, and she and Carly had History classes together. I didn’t even know Carly and Jenny in the context of school, though; we met through socializing outside of it. It was after we graduated that the Tour came together.
For me, specifically, that’s hard to say, because the tourist metaphor has totally taken over my life! So much of my time is spent related to this project, and I love doing it. Music is a big one though – I love going to shows, whether or not I’m covering it for the blog. The talent in this city is incredible! Carly has been in Kingston working away on her Masters at Queen’s for the past year. Avishka and Jenny both do a lot of volunteer work on their own time, and Avishka is headed to Sheridan in the fall.
What was your best experience with the I <3 Hamilton tour during your first year?
The whole thing has been amazing. Overall, just becoming so much more invested in my hometown and feeling more a part of it. The sense of community in Hamilton that we’ve found is what we keep going back to when we’re asked. Getting to meet some of the most creative, innovative, and passionate people making things happen in Hamilton (yourself, included!) has been so inspiring. I’ve learned so much.
What’s next?
The check list of places to hit and the activities to try keeps growing – so just keep Touring! I’m also really enjoying our new section where we interview bands and other creative people. And I called the event The Playlist 1.0, so here’s hoping there will be more!
