Like a steady diet of Poutine, Five Hundred Pounds is just within reach. Unlike the one that will block your arteries, this Five Hundred Pounds will get the blood racing through your veins.
It’s been more than thirty years since Big Sugar dropped Five Hundred Pounds, the album that cemented their status as one of Canada’s most fearless rock outfits. Now, after decades of detours, reinventions, and restless creativity, Gordie Johnson and company are taking that record back on the road, this time across Quebec, where the roots run deep and the riffs run hotter.
For Johnson, this tour isn’t nostalgia, it’s rediscovery.
“After, like, 20 years of not being able to play Quebec, it’s amazing to get back so many times in the tour cycle,” he says. “It’s been a whirlwind of activity since the Third Man Five Hundred Pounds release. Jack White has been like a saving angel for us, coming in and waving his wand over our band and the whole project.”
White’s Third Man Records reissued the 1993 classic, Jack calling it “the best blues album that came out of Canada.” The endorsement didn’t just introduce Big Sugar to a new generation; it recharged the band itself. “It sparked a renewed interest, both in Canada and in the United States,” Johnson says.
The Making of a Classic
Despite the record’s swaggering confidence, Five Hundred Pounds was born out of humble circumstances. “It’s probably one of the most misunderstood records in our catalog,” Johnson recalls. “People think of it as a blues-based or power-trio record. It’s one of the least live records we did, because I didn’t have a band at the time. It was just me and a drummer.”
Recorded in what Johnson describes as “an old rust-proofing garage,” the album’s now-signature tone came from equal parts limitation and vision. “We had a shoestring budget,” he laughs. “But they had great gear, it was a great sounding room and all the guys who worked in that studio had a love of rad sounds.”
Gordie described it as a “schizophrenic memory”.
“I have memories of being the bass player on that record in March, but then in May I was the guitar player and singer,” he says. “It was almost like hearing them for the first time… but with a band that somehow intuitively knew what I was going to do, well, because I was half of them.
And hidden inside those heavy riffs lies a surprise ingredient: Reggae. “Five Hundred Pounds has so much reggae in it,” Johnson says. “You can almost tear down all of the bass parts and connect them directly to Leroy Sibbles, early Studio One or Rocksteady classics,” he says. “People who are into guitar music don’t necessarily notice that.”
If you take that out that backbone, it would’ve just been 100 Pounds!
Friends, Legends, and Lifelines
When Five Hundred Pounds dropped, it not only got them fans, but connections. “Even from the year it came out in ’93, that resulted in us going over to Eurpope for the first time,” Johnson says.
“It was my first introduction to Texas music because Stevie Ray Vaughan’s band heard that record and took us on tour. That’s how we met the Allman Brothers, the guys from Gov’t Mule, and the Black Crowes. That one record just keeps on surprising us and making us friends all over the world.”
Now, Johnson plays alongside a younger, hungry lineup that brings a fresh spark to familiar songs.
To not replicate the album sound, brings them new life. “When you’re recreating, you’re not creating,” he says. “Those songs are a platform for creativity and expression.”
That mindset of respecting the past while refusing to be trapped by it is also shaping what comes next. A new Big Sugar record is almost done, and Johnson says the Five Hundred Pounds revival played a major role in how it sounds. “Rediscovering that music and why it’s relevant to us really informed the new record,” he says. “I don’t know what it would’ve sounded like if we hadn’t been on the 500 Pounds experience for the last almost two full years.”
From Parking Lot Shows to Passing the Torch
Johnson grins when recalling one particular fan confession, Jack White discovering Big Sugar at a young age. “He wasn’t old enough to see us at a bar. He had to see us at a parking lot show that we did in Pontiac, Michigan,” Johnson says. “Jack and Meg were still in high school.”
That full-circle moment underscores Big Sugar’s reach, not just across borders, but across generations as parents are bringing their kids to the shows. “There’s still a huge interest in guitars. Big Sugar is pretty guitar-heavy, and that can be inspiring for a young person.”
He’s optimistic about the new wave of discovery happening online. “The phone is a great inspiration machine,” he says. “My kids sent me stuff that I’m interested to hear, like East African blues, Sub-Saharan Blues, Frank Zappa bootlegs.”
Gordie also shares with his friends: “We are all still seeking inspiration. In the 70’s, I was already looking for old music. I still do. I want to hear and interpret the echoes of cultural expression from the past. That’s a great way to always keep paying it forward.”
The Road Ahead
These Quebec shows mark the end of Five Hundred Pounds full album shows. “We’ll be transitioning into the new record.”
In between, he’s teasing what’s next: “We’re going to be doing some Hemivision nights throughout the balance of the year. We recently did a show with Gov’t Mule and because they do a completely different set every night, the pressure is on. You can’t just walk out there and flex your hits. You’ve got to put on a real show, man.”
For fans, that means the upcoming run is a celebration of Big Sugar’s past, present, and the pulse of Canadian rock itself.
A Legacy Still Growing
Three decades later, Five Hundred Pounds still feels vital, not a relic, but a living thing that keeps finding new ears and new meaning. Big Sugar isn’t just replaying the past; they’re in conversation with it, reshaping it night after night. For Johnson, the goal isn’t to recreate 1993…it’s to prove that rock and roll still reaches the heart.
Dust off your denim jacket, and if you really want to go full throttle, find an old ’70s muscle car, drive to the venue while cranking the tunes, and get the full Big Sugar experience.
In the glow of Quebec’s small clubs and theaters this fall, you can bet that heartbeat will be loud.
Quebec Dates
Oct 09 – Otterburn Park – Centre Culturel de la Pointe-Valaine
Oct 10 – Lachute – Bar Top Shot
Oct 15 – Chelsea – Motel Chelsea
Oct 16 – Chelsea – Motel Chelsea (SOLD OUT)
Oct 17 – Lavaltrie – Café Culturel de la Chasse-Galerie
Oct 18 – Sutton – La SAG
Buy your tickets now at https://www.bigsugar.com
Writer: Randal Wark is a Professional Speaker and MasterMind Facilitator with a passion for live music. You can follow him on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. His Podcast RockStar Today helps musicians quit their day jobs with out-of-the-box advice from Ted Talk Speakers, Best Selling Authors and other interesting Entrepreneurs and Creatives. He created the Rock Star Today Music Business Jam Session for musicians. Randal is a collector of signed vinyl, cassettes and CDs.
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