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When Covid hit, Ty Price, like many other musicians lost their ability to play in public. So his father Al, and mother, Tina, kept live music in Burlington going during lockdown by creating Live at The Appollo Summer Concert Series. Basically, it is live concert driveway show, at the juncture of Appollo Rd. and Wentworth St. in Burlington (Headon Forest). They have been doing It for five years now and it’s going strong. It gets going at around 7pm on selected Friday nights and lasts and hour and half.
What was thought to be a one-year project just kept growing and last year we completed our 5th season. Each year the crowds have grown as we draw folks from all Burlington, Hamilton, Oakville and even further out. And Al and his family hire almost exclusively Hamilton/Burlington musicians. I've attended a few of these shows with a red cup in hand, tipped the musicians, and mingled with hundreds of neighbours and music lovers. Last year the Price family was honoured with a Civic Recognition Award from the city of Burlington for the work they’ve done keeping music alive in a time when silence was regularly heard outside. There are usually 300-500 people in the streets and despite the noise that comes with a rock show, complaints from neighbours haven’t been an issue. The Price’s have the support of their neighbours, their city councillor, musicians and an ever growing number of fans. It’s not just music, but community building.
Lastly, Live at the Appollo is a family event, with families attending, chalk and bubbles for kids, safe for them to be in the road (closed around house), and of course there’s plenty of room to dance. Performers this year include Ramblin Band (Ty Price on guitar), Freedom Train, Brisco’s Blues Revue, Sonny Boy Mick, Tom Barlow band and they wrap up with The Killin’ Time Band (Ty on bass as on the cover).
