Tara Jeffrey
More than a dozen acts from across Canada will perform in Sarnia later this month for the city’s longest running independent music festival.
Empty Fest, now hosting its 12th edition, will be held April 28 and 29 at two local venues — Maud’s Variety in the Mitton Village and Refined Fool’s London Road location.
“I’m always inspired to see a band, and then be like, ‘You know what? It would be great to bring them down to Sarnia,’” said event co-founder and Sarnia native Danny Alexander, now based in Toronto. “That’s where the excitement comes from. And the music scene in Sarnia is definitely evolving with a lot more touring bands coming through.”
That’s in large part due to Empty Fest which launched in 2009, evolving out of a monthly indie concert series called Empty Spaces that used to take place at the old Trinity Lounge, and boasted more than 150 concerts during its run.
Empty Fest returned annually but took a five-year hiatus, Alexander explained, due in part to a lack of local concert venues.
“Then over the pandemic, two venues popped up — Maud’s Variety in the Mitton Village, and my brother runs the Refined Fool, and they added that second location on London Road, which was perfect for seating enough people.”
He decided to re-launch the event in 2022, and this year, has lined up 15 acts to perform at the two locations, including Montreal kraut-rockers Yoo Doo Right, as well as a selection of Toronto's most eclectic acts, including psychedelic quintet Possum, up-and-coming art-punks Bad Waitress, eight-piece new wave ensemble Martian Crisis Unit, synth-pop trio Secret Sign, and more.
“I always try to keep it really eclectic,” said Alexander. “It’s all about celebrating music that’s from across Canada; up-and-coming bands from the underground scene and showcasing them in Sarnia.”
For more information on Empty Fest, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/940325113807797