Rock

Join us for the 2025 Empire Rockfest at Empire Theatre.

Friday, July 25 - DAVID WILCOX + TROOPER + LUSCIOUS

DAVID WILCOX
“a blue collar artist”
“a genius”
A superb entertainer. A master guitar player. A great, soulful singer. A unique songwriter. These are a few of the ways David Wilcox has been described. None of them do him justice. Until you have seen David in concert, you have yet to experience something truly remarkable. Multiple gold and platinum albums, countless fans of all ages – these are testimony. His music has been skated to by Olympic champions Salé and Pelletier, his songs have appeared in movies like Cocktail with Tom Cruise. Whether it’s a backyard barbeque, a TV theme (Street Legal), Carnegie Hall, the Montreux Jazz Festival with John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin – the music of David Wilcox is a blend of rock, blues, country, ragtime and other roots styles that keeps evolving and growing.
"Riverboat Fantasy", "Do The Bearcat", "Layin' Pipe", "Downtown Came Uptown", "Bad Apple", "That Hypnotizin' Boogie", "Breakfast At The Circus"

TROOPER
It goes like this: millions of records, a couple dozen hits, a Juno Award (Canada's Grammy) for Band of the Year and ongoing sold-out shows across Canada. Universal Music acknowledges them as "one of Canada's top five selling bands of all time" and the Vancouver Sun has called them "Canadian rock heroes of the first order ... the best performing band in Canada". In 2023 they were inducted into both the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and Canada's Walk of Fame.
"We're Here for a Good Time (Not a Long Time)", "Raise a Little Hell", "The Boys in the Bright White Sportscar", "Two For the Show", "Pretty Lady" "Good Ol' General Hand Grenade", "Round, Round We Go", "Santa Maria", "Janine" - just a few of the Trooper hits that, according to writer Ryan Sparks, "have woven their way into the fabric of this country like no other bands have been able to do.

LUSCIOUS
Over the years Luscious has established themselves as a staple in the Kingston music scene. Their music is best described as a modern interpretation of Classic Rock. Luscious has a simple mission statement; to keep Rock n' Roll alive in a constantly changing musical landscape.

Join us for the Friday night of 2025 Empire Rockfest at Empire Theatre.

July 26, 2025 - Arkells + Lights + Jake Clemons Band

ARKELLS
Whether they’re rocking stadiums, making a beeline for the discotheque, or gathering around the campfire, the implicit message of Arkells is always the same: everyone is welcome here. Since the beginning, Arkells have never wavered in their mission to be the house band that soundtracks the greatest nights of your life and provides emotional support in your darkest hours. And that communal spirit is reflected in an ever-evolving sound that hits all the perennial pleasure points—fusing the anthemic power of alt-rock, the pulpit-shaking passion of vintage soul, the off-the-cuff intimacy of singer-songwriter music, the urbane edge of 21st-century indie, and the futurist aesthetics of modern R&B. Thanks to that eclectic ethos, Arkells have continued to evolve, while making everyone feel right at home. As one of the most heavily rotated acts on radio, and all-time record holders of the JUNO Award for “Group of the Year, Arkells have extended their reach beyond borders by infiltrating all corners of pop culture; from global sports telecasts and top-tier video games to the stages of Coachella and Bonnaroo. But the band’s longevity is ultimately a function of their commitment to never coasting on past glories and to always live completely in the moment. Even though their impressive history together, Arkells still approach every gig as an opportunity to prove themselves to the unconverted; as they’re fond of saying, each time they take the stage, “we understand the assignment.” The first rule of rock ‘n’ roll is to play every show like it’s your last—but as Arkells prove night after night, it’s just as important to hold onto the unbridled energy and enthusiasm of your first.

LIGHTS
Lights is many things all at once: Singer. Songwriter. Producer. Multi-instrumentalist. Comic book author. DJ. Artist. She’s also unabashedly honest and unapologetically confident. Weaving in and out of alternative, indie, electronic, and dance, she makes manic pop irreverent of boundaries, yet reverent of truth. She speaks her heart musically and her mind lyrically. It’s why her shadow over alternative music and culture continues to grow with streams in the hundreds of millions and widespread critical acclaim. She has sold out tours on multiple continents, made headlines from Coachella to Comic-Con, and powered collaborations with Travis Barker,deadmau5, Kaskade, Illenium, Steve Aoki, Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park, and more.

JAKE CLEMONS BAND
No stranger to interna9onal audiences and the ways of the world at large, Clemons will once again be heading out on the road with The Jake Clemons Band, performing at Shorty Fest at Tipinas in New Orleans on April 28th , before beginning a stadium tour with Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band for 16 shows in Europe between May and July, 2025. Upon return from Europe Jake will perform at The Minnesota Yacht Club Festival in St. Paul MN (July 19th ) before announcing more shows.
Jake Clemons’ vast array of musical endeavors over the past decade has made him a globally familiar figure. He has toured the world performing his own music with The Jake Clemons Band and has spent the last 13 years as tenor and baritone sax player with Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band.
Jake Clemons has recorded and performed with The Killers, Eddie Vedder, Glen Hansard, Tom Morello, Prophets of Rage, Roger Waters, US Girls, Arkells, and Grouplove (among others). He can be seen on the Disney/ABC presenta9on of the 2023 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony, performing as part of the George Michael induc9on before playing the U.S. Na9onal Anthem in front of 65,000 for the international broadcast of the NHL Stadium Series Live from MetLife Stadium New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers game in February 2024