54-40 rocks free concert in Delta, another in Surrey mid-July<\/p>\n
Published 12:51 pm Tuesday, June 23, 2026<\/p>\n
It\u2019s another busy summer of touring for 54-40, one of the longest-running bands in Canadian music history still led by its founders, singer\/guitarist Neil Osborne and bassist Brad Merritt.<\/p>\n
They performed a free concert Saturday, June 20, during the inaugural Barns to Beaches Festival in Tsawwassen, an appropriate \u201chomecoming\u201d concert site for the band, formed there by the two high school pals.<\/p>\n
In Surrey, 54-40 will plug in for another free-admission concert at the city\u2019s Fusion Festival on Saturday, July 18, the first of two days of music, food and culture at Holland Park.<\/p>\n
Since the beginning, the band\u2019s songs have been powered by simple riffs, 4\/4 beats and memorable melodies that prompt audiences to sing along to \u201cI Go Blind,\u201d \u201cOcean Pearl,\u201d \u201cShe-La,\u201d \u201cNice to Luv You\u201d and other hits.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we play live, it\u2019s not nostalgia, it\u2019s about connection \u2014 with the crowd, with the songs, and with each other,\u201d says Osborne of the band, which also features guitarist Dave Genn and drummer Matt Johnson.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter all these years, we still feel lucky \u2014 we still love doing this. And that\u2019s what it takes a lot of.\u201d<\/p>\n
Video: @5440<\/a> in Tsawwassen last night at Barns to Beaches festival. <\/p>\n Wait until the end for a look at the crowd on the plaza opposite Four Winds brewery\/restaurant. Fun night with friends. pic.twitter.com\/NP2QxGyfP3<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Tom Zillich (@TomZillich) June 21, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Last year 54-40 went to Portugal to record Porto, a new album producer Warne Livesey. For 11 days they worked quickly at Arda Recorders in the midst of a day-long power failure on the Iberian Peninsula.<\/p>\n Bed tracks of drums, bass, guitars and keyboards were recorded live, reports Dave Genn, the band\u2019s South Surrey-raised lead guitarist.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s how 54-40 records most of the time, if possible,\u201d he said, \u201cbut this time we really made sure we were prepared to get great performances with great sounds so that we didn\u2019t need to replace anything later. As a result we feel we\u2019ve captured an energized and immediate-feeling record.\u201d<\/p>\n Back in September 2023, 54-40 played at the inaugural Barnside Harvest Festival, where a 10,000-strong crowd filled Ladner\u2019s Paterson Park for a 90-minute set of familiar hits.<\/p>\n Delta\u2019s new Barns to Beaches fest combined a community bike ride along a new cycling route followed by live music by 54-40 plus Emmett Jerome, Spendo, Honeybear the Band and others on a stage set up outside Southlands Red Barn, opposite Four Winds Beach House & Brewery.<\/p>\n On July 18-19, the 2026 edition of Surrey Fusion Festival features a long list of diverse performers including 54-40, Kulwinder Billa, Fionn, Dumpsta Dragons, cover band Dr. Strangelove, bluegrass combo Jackson Hollow, Soca Sensations and many more. Visit surreyfusionfestival.ca\/performers<\/a> for set times and more festival details.<\/p>\n