SPILL LIVE REVIEW: BIG SUGAR @ THE PALACE THEATRE, CALGARY (AB)

BIG SUGAR

@ THE PALACE THEATRE, CALGARY (AB)

FEBRUARY 1, 2026

In honour of their 1996 album Hemi-Vision, celebrating its 30th anniversary, Big Sugar has been on tour, playing the album in its entirety for the first time ever. Their stop in Calgary at The Palace Theatre was great as they delivered two full sets worth (three if you count the encore as a mini set) of music. Performing over 20+ songs, Big Sugar maintained an electrifying energy throughout the night.

Big Sugar’s first set was the entirety of Hemi-Vision. They kicked the night off by playing “Diggin’ A Hole.” As soon as they started playing the song, everyone in the crowd was locked in. Everything about this song was top notch; the thing that really stood out was Gordie Johnson’s vocals, as they were magnificent here and perhaps my favourite of the concert. Not to mention the iconic chorus sounded wonderful live. “Gone For Good” was a delightfully entertaining time, and “If I Had My Way” was electrifying from start to finish. Both have anthemic choruses, amazing guitar riffs, and an exciting energy. Hearing “Joe Louis (Judgement Day)” live was interesting due to how dynamic the track is. Lastly, “Tommy Johnson” is blues rock at its finest. I really liked how loud and heavy this song sounded live.

The second set and encore consisted of material throughout their career. The reggae inspired “Turn The Lights On” was an absolute jam. Pretty much everyone was swaying back and forth to its mesmerizingly laid-back groove. “Nicotina (She’s All That)” sounded incredible live, especially the undeniable catchy bluesy guitar riffs, the fantastic harmonica solo, and Johnson’s powerful vocals. Plus, the song just has such a cool swagger to it that makes it really stand out. Big Sugar also performed “Girl Watcher,” which was spectacular, particularly the hard-rocking guitar riff that had many fans headbanging along to. “So Not Over” was one of my favourite songs from the night, especially the outro and the thrilling, fast-paced feel throughout the whole song.  All the fans really enjoyed “All Hell For A Basement.” People were either singing along to the chorus (Johnson’s vocals in this part were outstanding) or taking videos of the performance. The crowd also loved the instrumental track “O Canada” as they proudly sang the national anthem.

Overall, if you want to witness Big Sugar play their classic album Hemi-Vision live, along with hits throughout their career, try to catch one of their shows.

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