9th annual
Ultimate Summer
Festival Guide
magazine May/June 2017 issue 122
2017
BOOKER T: SOUL STAX REVUE
RICKY SKAGGS AND KENTUCKY THUNDER
FRAZEY FORD BAND
CLAIRE LYNCH BAND
ALEX CUBA
THE LIL’ SMOKIES
FIVE ALARM FUNK
STEPHEN FEARING
TALKING DREADS
THE MAD DOG EXPERIENCE
JOHN PRIMER TOUBAB KREWE JEFFEREY FOUCAULT LIVINGSTON TAYLOR DJ SHUB AND MORE...
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contents of the 9th Annual Ultimate Summer Festival Guide Issue 122 May/June 2017 c/o: PO Box 1150 Peachland, BC V0H 1X0 604 999 4141 bcmusicianmag.com hello@bcmusicianmag.com Publisher & Editor & Production Design Leanne V Nash lvnash@bcmusicianmag.com Editor-at-large & Alberta Sales Craig Gilbert craig@bcmusicianmag.com Contributing Editor Dan Walton dan@bcmusicianmag.com Advertising Sales Manager: Paul Graydon ads@bcmusicianmag.com Brian Highley brian@bcmusicianmag.com Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017 Cover Artist Jan Little Relentless Fan Paul Crawford paul@bcmusicianmag.com Canada Post Agreement 41440066 Please ask before considering a reprint or reproduction of the content of this magazine. The written permission of the publisher must be granted before you do either. The opinions expressed within these pages are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect BC Musician Magazine nor its affiliates.
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Contributors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Producing Fierce Leaders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 - 9 JENNIFER REBBETOY The Drum Beat Heat Goes On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 CRAIG GILBERT Kinnie Starr: Playing Her Gender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 - 13 DAVE O RAMA Oh Susanna Q & A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 JULIE FOWLER May Festival Listings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 - 18 Celebrate solstice at North Country Fair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 contributed June Festival Listings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 - 27 Sound Factory: Q & A with Aidyl Jago . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 CRAIG GILBERT July Festival Listings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 - 36 & 42 - 44 Metal Women. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 - 39 BRITT MEIERHOFER MAP by RIKA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 - 41 Forest Festivals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 DAN WALTON August Festival Listings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 - 56 Invermere Music Fest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 DAN WALTON Gabriola’s First Music Fest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 ALINA CERMINARA Motion Notion Still Transforming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 contributed September thru October Festival Listings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 - 61 Oliver in October . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 contributed Melodic Energy Commission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 - 64 ALLAN MACINNIS Nimble Fingers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 PETER REED Arts Rising in Penticton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 DAN WALTON Music Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 - 75 DAVE O RAMA, LV NASH, R DOULL Alphabetical Index of Festival Listings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 - 78 Sorokathon Fundraiser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
www.bcmusicianmag.com | Twitter: @bcmusician | Facebook: /BCMusicianMagazine Instagram (where we invite you to post pictures of dogs with musicians and/or magazines) bc.and.ab.musician.mag
contributors RIKA is one fifth of the band Warless
Dave O Rama is a writer, photographer,
broadcaster, DJ and music addict. He has been hosting radio programs in Toronto and BC for over twenty years. Currently Dave is the host and producer of The Lovecast, a 3-hour music program heard Saturday evenings on CHLY 101.7 FM which broadcasts to Canada’s west coast. The Lovecast has been on the air for 10 years.
Peter G.J. Reed is a songwriter and
musician, whose life changed as a thirteen year old. His Dad snuck him into see his musical hero Paul Kelly at a suburban club in his native Australia. From then he was transfixed by the power and poetry of one man and a guitar. Dirt music. From the earth, for the people.
Craig Gilbert, doing double duty as
Publisher of the Jasper Fitzhugh newspaper in beautiful Jasper, Alberta, and as the Editor at Large for BC Musician Magazine.
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Jennifer Rebbetoy is a freelance writer
and entrepreneur based in Pass Creek, B.C. Currently, she is blogging for Kamp Festival and aiding other creative entrepreneurs with structure and organization through her business Shared Shift Communications. When she’s not being a busy Virgo, she’s riding her motorcycle.
Julie Fowler is the Executive & Artistic
Director of the Island Mountain Arts Society in Wells, BC. She has helped to create two award-winning festivals: the Art Matters Festival at Concordia University in Montreal and the ArtsWells Festival Of All Things Art, which began in 2004 and is now the largest arts event in the Cariboo with over 2500 people converging in Wells on the August Long Weekend each year. Julie has an Interdisciplinary MFA Julie is proud to sit on the board of directors for ArtsBC and Folk Music Canada.
Britt Meierhofer is a touring mu-
sician based in Prince George, BC. A nomad by nature, Britt keeps roots in the Prince George scene by working as Music Director at UNBC’s CFUR 88.7FM and performing with her band Crones and solo act, Britt A.M.
Allan MacInnis is a freelance music
and film journalist who has been published in Germany (Ox Fanzine), Japan (Doll Magazine), China (Painkiller), the UK (The Wire) and the USA (Big Takeover and elsewhere). In Vancouver he contributes to the West Ender and the Georgia Straight, and keeps a blog, Alienated in Vancouver, focusing on nonmainstream culture.
Dan Walton once thought his party days
were long behind him, but then he started working in community newspapers. Life behind the printing press unlocked his imagination. Now, his disposable income goes to much better temptations like bubble machines and didgeridoos. When the time comes to act professional, Dan can be found working as the editor of the Peachland View.
This year’s cover is from an original work by Jan Little painted especially for this purpose. Jan is the recipient of the 2017 Visual Arts Award from the Penticton Arts Council. janlittle.ca That Hare was a Dancing Fool mixed media on paper 8.5” x 11’’ 2017
in BC Musician Magazine. BC Musician Magazine is free to pick up in many places around BC and Alberta. Please help us keep gathering the stories and packaging them together in this handy container you hold in your hands. We rely in large part on advertising to support this endeavour. We love to promote the people who support us, and offer not only exceptional ad rates but outstanding return on investment. www.bcmusicianmag.com Just give us a call or a text or an email. Any time. And we’re happy to discuss all kinds of great ideas for getting your message into the hands of the best readers in BC and Alberta. BC Musician Magazine is the idea advertising platform for festivals, venues, concerts, tours, products, services, accommodations and, well why not, food and drink! The cellphone (actually it’s the only phone) is 604-999-4141 and it accepts your texts, too. Email craig@bcmusicianmag.com (Alberta) or ads@bcmusicianmag.com (BC). please and thank you.
4 BC Musician Magazine’s
Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017
Kaslo Jazz Etc Festival | Photo: Louis Bockner Photography
findingawesome.ca
Producing Fierce By Jennifer Rebbetoy
Leaders
Beautiful British Columbia, that’s the provincial slogan on many of the license plates on cars, idled in the driveway waiting to get into the legendary Shambhala Music Festival. It’s what you’ll see on the plates attached to hippie vans of all types at the boutique festival Bass Coast. It’s on the plates of dusty vehicles with “wash me” written into the grime at the end of Kamp Festival. You will even find it in pockets of cars camped together at Symbiosis Gathering. All down the West Coast, these festivals have an affinity with each other. Not just because of similarities in music and spectacular natural environments: majestic mountains, flowing bodies of water, thick forests and a chance to escape urban pollution. No, for me, the affinity comes from the radical women working in production at each of these festivals. Based in B.C., there is a lineage of women toiling in the production of these festivals who demonstrate a cooperative and collaborative work ethic that shines brightly in the EDM industry. My interactions with them have been extremely inspiring because it’s clear their methods are only helping these festivals gain in popularity. These women are bold, fearless and ambitious.
The Bold
Corrine Bundschuh is the eldest of the three Bundschuh siblings and the daughter of Rick and Sue Bundschuh. The family organizes Shambhala Music Festival and owns the land in Salmo, B.C. where it takes place. This August will mark the family’s 20th year running Shambhala. In my three years as Corrine’s personal assistant I learned a lot about how to hustle. This spring, I sat down in Corrine’s living room to reminisce about her 18-year career as an executive producer. Together we remembered, hustling means standing up for your values, like not accepting support from corporations or advertisers and keeping the festival run 100% independently. Hustling means commanding a staff of 12 year round employees and strategizing how to scale marketing efforts, ticket sales, security, staff meals, volunteer positions, parking, waste management, stage teams and so much more. Hustling means talking with police chiefs, fire chiefs, ambulance directors and city officials to answer any questions they might have about the festival and brainstorm ways to mitigate the negative effects of the influx of people brought to the
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above left: Corrine Bundschuh; above right: Sara Spicer. photos supplied
community during the festival. Hustling means having a sympathetic ear to all the issues that arise unexpectedly at show time, being a voice of reason and never missing a beat on the dance floor. I was a hustler in training as I took minutes, scheduled her appointments and advised on better training materials and ways to disseminate information to the right people. In this time I was most impressed with Corrine’s negotiation skills. Caught in a difficult position between the limitations of the grounds being completely off the grid, pleasing patrons, supporting team leaders, growing the festival and keeping city officials happy, Corrine held it together with playfulness and grace. One of the best traits about Corrine’s leadership style is that she’s completely self-taught. By the time Corrine shifted to take on Shambhala full-time, she was a trained dancer with film, theatre and stage-managing experience. In 1997, when the festival was still in its infancy and rave culture was very underground in Canada, Corrine was able to transfer the leadership skills she learned in other industries and grow them alongside the festival. In the beginning she did what felt right and enjoyed using the artistic and business sides of her brain in tandem. Eventually she learned how to motivate different personalities and effectively deliver bad news (i.e. compliment, bad news, positivity). Corrine’s ability to include input from many keys players during her decision-making helped the team take Shambhala from “hated locally to beloved nationally,” as she puts it. Corrine was truly a loved leader. Sara Spicer has worked parallel to Corrine at Shambhala since 2001 under many different titles: music curator (for all stages), talent manager, creator of talent services, and the VIP camping zone and lounge. Currently she is the Living Room Stage director and DJs as Lioness. Over email, Sara and I chatted about her contribution to Shambhala. My appreciation for Sara stems from her dedication and passion for the rave. Her taste-making abilities have been so integral to creating the flavour of Shambhala that many ideas she set in motion are still practiced. The hospitality at Shambhala is partially based on the principles she started with the VIP camping zone and lounge and is well known to this day. In 2001 Sara booked her favourite West Coast DJs to help represent cont’d page 8
Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017
Leaders cont'd the vibe of the festival and also recoup some of the costs by keeping the budget down. This practice still continues today and has earned Shambhala the reputation as a place that showcases new EDM music. Through all of the growing pains of the festival, Sara and her husband Hoola, have maintained their own music promotion business, The Pride, and continue to host parties in B.C. year-round. I’ve found Sara has an incredible drive while staying humble. She says, “The best thing I could have done for the festival was step down in year 11 [as music curator] so that all [six] stage directors could have full creative freedom … it was a natural next step for the growth of the festival”. These milestones have not come without obstacles. But like Corrine, Sara also leads by doing what feels right in the moment. “I do my best to show up in the world with authenticity,” she says, “I consider it best practice to operate from integrity”. In my experience this realness emanates from Sara whether she just got off stage or is mingling with the smokers outside the club. With a smile on her face for everyone she greets, Sara perfectly balances her ferocity and femininity.
The Fearless
Something about Bass Coast sets it apart from other summertime festivals in B.C. Maybe it’s the intimacy shared in smaller crowds or the technical talent bursting forth on stage when you put mainly producers on the bill. I think it’s because it was created and continues to be organized by two powerhouse women, Liz Thomson and Andrea Graham. Since working closely with Corrine at Shambhala, I have been compelled to contribute to the magic at festivals behind the scenes. In 2013, I volunteered at Bass Coast on their talent services team. While exploring the grounds, I was enamored with the art installations; it made an otherwise regular campground look ethereal. More than ethereal, it was interactive, the kind of art you could walk under, sit on or climb up. This was the work of Liz. I’ve never met Liz in person but over email she shared how she got to where she is with the Bass Coast project. I learned Andrea calls Liz the eyes of the festival because she curates the overall look through graphic design, art, stage design, lighting, etc. Taking on this responsibility did not come without obstacles. When the festival started, Liz was in her late twenties, her son was one, she was separated from his father and supporting herself. Regarding how she rose above difficult situations she says, “ ... there could have been emotional barriers that prevented me from taking initiative but I chose to ignore them and I had a support network that enabled me to do so”. I also learned who Liz looked up to. “My role models are not involved in festival culture, they are involved in mountain culture”, she says “[they] are people who love life and can take care of their families, businesses and health”. I was convinced of Liz’s confidence behind her leadership style when she told me “ … letting go of control means you need to accept there are numerous
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above Andrea Graham and Liz Thomson. photo supplied ways of doing something”. Simply put, she has a vision and evolves the way she motivates her team members to help her realize it. Not only does Andrea run Bass Coast with Liz, she also DJs as The Librarian. I’m a massive fan of her music. So you can imagine my surprise when she asked for my help at the festival. I had arrived early to help set up the cabins and tents set aside for the headlining DJs. On a shelf in one of the cabins I found a Technics 1200 turntable. In the spirit of tidying up, I put the turntable in our gear checkroom. Suddenly, a flustered Librarian came to our check-in gate. “I put something in one of those cabins and…” she began to explain. I felt like a hero retrieving the turntable knowing exactly what she was looking for. “I need to practice,” she said as she help up her freshly bandaged thumb complete with stitches from the hospital. The wound was from an accident with a skill saw; proof she isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty with some last minute preparations. We shared a giggle over her briefly misplaced rare piece of equipment before she went across the lane to another building to practice. Later, I was tasked with picking up the members from A Tribe Called Red at the front gate and touring them around the grounds. They asked specifically to meet Andrea or Liz; I knew where to go. Andrea didn’t mind being interrupted and I was happy to help make another connection. In both situations Andrea was warm and full of gratitude, even though I was just a random volunteer. Empathizing with everyone from headlining DJs to volunteers makes Andrea the ears of the festival. She handles the overall sound of the festival through the music and performance curation, audio/stage production and promotional touring. Over email, Andrea shared her inspiration for staying so organized. Her rise to festival founder came as a natural progression in her life. The first Bass Coast occurred two weeks after selling a coffee shop she opened with her mother and successfully managed for three years. Andrea also takes inspiration from outside the festival world, specifically from her late father who managed resort hotels in the Canadian wilderness. “He called his leadership strategy ‘management by walking around,’” she says. I found Andrea has her own leadership beliefs. For example, “In
Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017
above: Zan Comerford. photo supplied
above: Ruhamah Buchanan. photo supplied
groups I try to avoid using the words ‘I’ or ‘my’ and replace them with ‘we’ and ‘our’ when possible. This dissuades ego fosters teamwork,” she says. “There’s always a solution”, is another motto she shared. Andrea’s glowing positivity will leave a lasting impression. She’s the kind of leader you would do anything for.
The Ambitious
Zan Comerford and I have been festival colleagues for nearly five years. She’s one of those familiar faces that pop up on festival grounds as you both run in opposite directions getting stuff done. One of the first things you notice upon meeting Zan is her energy, which she happily throws behind any task asked of her. Getting coffee with her this spring I realized how deeply involved she is now: volunteer coordination and asset management at Bass Coast, marketing and enterprise management at Symbiosis Gathering and talent services management at Shambhala. Over email and walks in the park, I learned about Zan’s experience of gradually moving up the rungs in the festival world. Moving from a vendor with a separate business, to a festival volunteer to a festival manager, this girl is eager for more. How does she do it? “The main thing I’ve noticed about moving forward in this industry is seeing opportunities and jumping on them as quickly as possible”, she notes. I asked her what her responsibilities included as a manager. She responded with these nuggets of wisdom, “ … keeping the vibes high and moving in the right direction,” “ … not passing on stress to other team members” and “ … holding a high level of integrity and focus without being afraid to be silly at the same time.” Zan exudes positivity when describing her role models, “[the parking and garbage crews] are the real rock stars. We often joke, without parking and garbage crews, a festival is just a giant dirty riot in a field.” Spoken like a true production manager. I met Ruhamah Buchanan roughly three years ago when the Grove Stage started at Shambhala; I was a production assistant and she was the performance art director. She still curates and manages the circus, aerial and dance performances at the stage. She also shares the volunteer coordination position with Zan at Bass Coast as well as assists in directing a new event Kamp
Festival (a summer camp for adults going into it’s third year in the West Kootenays). I’m blown away by Ruhamah’s dedication to summer events in B.C. Even while juggling multiple responsibilities, at show time she’s never frazzled on the outside and remains approachable. Talking from experience, it’s a relief to know you have managers who won’t have a meltdown. Through email I learned what it took for Ruhamah to get to this point. It makes sense Ruhamah is able to stay calm in the eye of the storm, she’s had practice. At her performing arts based high school she was encouraged to volunteer at the Edmonton Fringe Festival and Blues Festival as early as 15 years old. Since then she has volunteered and worked at all styles of events across Alberta and B.C. “ … enjoying a combination of music and art at each.” Now she’s a self-proclaimed festival junkie. Along the way, Ruhamah says she’s “ … discovered production is an art all of its own.” One of the best techniques I think she uses to maintain good relations with her co-workers is the wrap-up meeting. She explains, “I often speak with many of the performance groups and other production members after each event to discuss all aspects of the event and have learned about how I can further improve my communication approach.” These are the women that inspire me in my EDMC. In my time working at these events and others, I see how it has taken the bold to stay true to their values even when they are not popular in the mainstream. It takes the fearless to carve out original niches and the ambitious to set the pace as positive role models. This alignment builds a community of female leaders that empower each other. In an industry that depends on music based on sampling and remixing various songs and sounds, it seems appropriate the production teams are guided by cooperation and collaboration. For me, these women demonstrate it’s possible to listen to feedback, get your hands dirty and make confident business decisions all with a feminine edge. It’s a reminder that these festivals are not only transformative on the dance floor but also behind the scenes.
BC Musician Magazine’s
Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017 9
the heat goes on by Craig Gilbert
Amazing things come from other parts of the world, like international test cricket. This is the highest standard for a sport that to the initiated is a most elegant expression of human endurance, and can take so long it has the end of daylight written into the rules. One person resolved to try and throw a ball past another over and over again if it takes all morning, and tens or hundreds of millions on the edges of their seats for days on end, all around a circular field surely so designed to mask the passage of time, or prevent escape from the stadium. Bewildering though it may be at first, if there’s one thing a weekend in Fernie with a totally basic cable feed that somehow has better coverage of the Indian Premier League than the NHL will teach you, it’s that there is a rhythm to it. Vancouver’s Drum Heat, a percussion festival born in the furiously analog epicentre of the 1980s, would have celebrated its 30th birthday last year if Dr. Salvador Ferreras and the scores of mostly local percussive virtuosos gathered to raise funds for Arts Umbrella had stopped the sound machine to cut some cake. At the end of April, the 31st installment took place at the Vogue Theatre on Granville. “We just keep doing it,” Ferreras said in early April, like a bowler with his eyes trained on the wickets. The test match that is Drum Heat was born as an idea in 1985. Ferreras planned a three night drum show with jazz and latin artists, and even a “guy that played a typewriter.” “The shows sold out, they blew out,” he recalled. “So over the years we changed venues, I did it in Toronto, Ottawa, Saskatoon, Victoria, and a smaller version in Edmonton and a couple of places in B.C.” An innings of cricket ends when a team runs out of batters. Ferreras may still be in the same one with the West Coast talent pool at his disposal. “Over the years we’ve gathered a roster of local performers,” he said. “The largest one I ever did was 150 drummers and I don’t think I’ve ever had to fly someone in. What Drum Heat has allowed is the creation of a close-knit community of artists that appears on each others’ projects. It’s a working relationship based on a love of rhythm.” The mix just keeps appreciating, like a batch of heirloom soy sauce. Some of the artists have been around a few years, others for decades. “We have a mix of Afro-Caribbean, North Indian, Brazilian and Jazz-inspired compositions from all of those countries, but also Finland and South Africa.”
10 BC Musician Magazine’s
Top Left: Celso Machado; Right Sal Ferreras conducting; Left: Cassius Khan photos supplied.
This year they’re adding a choir, which itself has a generation of experience. “They’ve been singing together for 15 years, and they’re in their mid-20s and 30s now,” he said. “Drum Heat gives them the opportunity to do something they’ve never done, and it gives the drummers a new palette to work with, a lot of rhythmic and some atmospheric.” Adding to the spectrum are an Indian tabla player and vocalist Cassius Khan, and guitarist Celso Machado. Also a Japanese salsa piano expert, Niho Takase, because Vancouver. “Everyone has worked together in various combinations,” Ferreras said. “What I bring to the stage is essentially the A team. Every time I play with Celso it’s a surprise. He’s always got some new toy, a new sound maker in his bag.” Drum Heat supports Arts Umbrella, which helps thousands of kids experience high-end arts instruction they otherwise wouldn’t have access to. “They inspire creativity and instill a love of art and culture as a formative experience for their lives, whether they go into professional arts or literary or graphic arts, to be immersed in that exchange of ideas is an enormous lesson and opportunity in terms of how one develops oneself as a global citizen. I’ve been very close to the organization for seven years and I totally believe in what they do.” Ferreras spends his days as the vice-president and provost of Kwantlen Polytechnic University. He doesn’t teach in the classroom anymore but he has never let go of the world of performance. “I love it, I love working with those musicians, and the audiences seem to respond. When they respond, you have to go back there, go back to that well to replenish your life. Everything I do is informed by the music side.”
Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017
Kinnie Starr
Kinnie Starr wants to see more women running recording sessions. The celebrated Canadian musician, producer and multimedia artist has nurtured an impressive twenty year career and in those two decades Starr claims that she rarely encounters women holding down technical positions in the music scene. “I have been in the industry a long time and I don’t feel that I have the right to complain because I have made a good career for myself,” says Starr on the phone near her home in Sechelt, BC. “I’m not really interested in complaining but I am interested in looking at why there are so few women [working] as producers and engineers and songwriters.” A JUNO Award winning producer for the Digging Roots album We Are..., Starr tells me that she was approached by the National Film Board back in 2012 because they were interested in making a documentary about her. “The NFB approached me to make a Kinnie Starr documentary — and I was like I can’t imagine a worse thing than having cameras around me for a year — I really didn’t want to make a film on myself — but I told them I’d really rather make a film about the entertainment industry as it relates to women” Starr recounts that her idea was bounced around for a while until it bounced right out of the NFB and into the hands of producer Sahar Yousefi and director Stephanie Clattenburg, who both ended up co-writing the film as well. The resulting documentary, Play Your Gender, sees Starr taking on the role of the interviewer with the goal of, as she puts it, “investigating the gender gap in the music industry and how it affects the creative and productive output of songs.” Play Your Gender is a well executed examination that launches its
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playing her gender by Dave O Rama
thesis on the statistic that only 5% of music producers are female. “Music is a massive commodity that we all consume,” Says Starr, “so if we are all consuming men’s song — even when they’re sung by women, and men’s ideas made by men, making money for menmen writing up other men — so it kind of just feels like a boys club, and I think it’s gotta change.” Featuring a wide range of women music makers such as Melissa Auf Der Maur (Hole, Smashing Pumpkins), Sara Quin (Tegan and Sara), Patty Schemel (Hole), singers Lily Frost and Ndidi Onukwulu, and cellist Cris Derksen, Play Your Gender seeks out the insights of a host of men, women, professionals, and amateurs working in the music business today. Starr does acknowledge that she knows of many other women holding down various roles in the industry and a number of women DJs on the scene; there’s even a healthy number of women enrolling in colleges to study the technical arts, but she thinks things begin to fall apart when women graduates attempt to break into their field of study. “Guys don’t usually hire women to do tech,” Starr asserts. “I know because I’m a woman who does all that stuff and I basically don’t get hired by men, I get hired by women.” “Women get squeezed out because they can’t make a living,” says Starr, insisting that the bias exists whether conscious or not. “Even if we excel in our craft it’s harder to get hired as a woman because men don’t think women can kick ass on the board, kick ass as audio technicians, producers, [and] beat makers. It’s changing, but it’s still very much skewed with men continuing to do most of the work and receive most of the income in the industry as well.” Asked if this kind of institutionalized sexism goes hand and
Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017
Kinnie Starr
cont’d
hand with a similar form of racism, Starr is completely agreeable. “It’s this whole industry of white guys patting other white guys on the back — giving other white guys opportunities — hiring them — writing about their records — getting their records nominated for Polaris — getting them into the JUNOs. It’s an industry of white guys.” In addition to her artistic output Starr does a lot of work in schools showing kids how to use a variety of music creation gear. She finds that when she’s working with boys and girls the boys have a go-for-it approach while the girls tend to possess a profound tendency to demonstrate a shy helplessness. “I’m about to play sixteen schools in the Prairies and I’m going to see it at every school I go to.” Play Your Gender received its first screening last fall in both Australia and at the Hamilton Film Festival in Ontario. Starr is just taking a short break at home before she attends two screenings of the film presented by the Reel 2 Reel Film Festival in Vancouver. In the documentary one of the recurring themes is the pressure and anxiety women suffer when attempting to navigate a male dominated industry. Starr is self reflective enough to acknowledge that she only experiences the world through her own eyes but offers up an insightful response. “I know of a lot of [performers] who claim to have trouble with anxiety and I know of a lot of [performers] who use alcohol to get through that insecurity. That’s why you can see a lot of drug and alcohol use related to performance, because it’s such a nerve wracking experience, and tons of people don’t want to go on stage. They want to share their music but they don’t want to be on stage.” Having put in solid work in her role as the film’s presenter Starr
is a self described introvert and happy to now be away from the prying eye of the camera and on to new projects. “I don’t really like being on camera, but I can really get into it,” she says. “I have this thing that my mum always calls the pillar of power, and she said it has been in me since I was little. Like I can go from being super nervous and not knowing what I’m going to say, to just like ON, and into communication mode. So I can do it, but it takes a lot out of me.” Through Starr’s investigation of the staggering gender gap at the heart of Play Your Gender, rather than lay blame, the film opens itself up to a wide variety of probable explanations and possible solutions presented thoughtfully by its legion of well seasoned subjects. Ultimately she’s interested in shining a light on an issue and hoping to inspire change. “If you’ve experienced a lot of privilege in your life I think it’s very hard to reach out and do what it would require for like dude-bros. There’s a lot of labels that are just dude-bro labels. Hire other people that aren’t just your friends. Reach outside of your circle — like why not? I think that’s just better business ultimately.” It’s obvious that Starr is interested in inspiring evolution, so I ask her to reflect on the film’s ultimate goal. “I think that ideally the best thing that could happen is that more women would feel like they want to get out there and produce records after seeing the film.” A righteous goal, and one that Starr and her gifted collaborators, Yousefi and Clattenburg, explore and promote successfully in their engaging new documentary. Go find out more at playyourgender.com.
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Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017 13
Q & A with Julie Fowler
Oh Susanna
Hailing from Vancouver originally, Oh Susanna has been performing since 1996 and has released seven critically acclaimed albums. She is the recipient of a Genie Award for Best Original Song and a Canadian Folk Music Award for English Songwriter of the Year. She has also been nominated for two Juno Awards each for Best Roots and Traditional Album of the Year, as well as two Canadian Folk Music Awards for Best Solo Performer and for Best Contemporary Singer of the Year. On May 26th she is releasing A Girl in Teen City, an album of songs set in 1980s Vancouver starring a teenage punk girl named Suzie. Oh Susanna heads to Wells, BC this summer to teach a fourday Songwriting workshop (August 1 - 4) alongside Paul Linklater and Don Kerr in the lead up to the ArtsWells Festival Of All Things Art. She will also be performing at the ArtsWells Festival, August 4 – 7. She took time out of her current UK tour to chat to ArtsWells Festival Artistic Director, Julie Fowler, about her new album and who mentored her in her early songwriting career. What inspired your soon-to-be-released album, “A Girl in Teen City?” Writing this album has been an unexpected delight. I am much more from the short story school of writing songs where you imagine other lives and explore that. In this project I am remembering my life and my teenage self is the main character. A quite different task. Perhaps I felt like my life wasn’t that interesting to write about but my friend and fellow songwriter, Jim Bryson believed the opposite and told me to write more about the life I lived. I am sure glad he did because it really is like a way to immortalize the youth I had and also I am finding so many other people connect with what I am singing about. Even though it is specific to me, there are universal themes of coming of age. In terms of your early years, who were your most important mentors and what did they teach you? I must say that my parents are the ones who taught me to write. They were my earliest coaches. My dad was really instrumental in teaching me to just get my thoughts down on the page…you can always edit later. He also loves plain language that is succinct. My mother too is a great creative soul who loves putting pieces together… she is a brilliant tailor and then later in life became a film editor. So both were inspirational in teaching me how to tell a story within a form, whether it be an essay or a photograph. Then I would say that my aunt was the most brilliant oral storyteller. She could make simple things sound fascinating and emotional. In your song, “My Boyfriend” you sing about sitting in the corner watching your boyfriend sing off key in his high school rock band,
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knowing you could sing circles around him, but you stay in the background. I could totally identify with that experience and I wondered if you could talk a little bit about being a woman in the music industry. Is it getting easier for woman to speak up? What advice would you give aspiring woman songwriters and musicians? It is hard to generalize about being a woman in the music industry because it is hard to separate what happens to you as specific to you, dumb luck, or as a result of one’s gender. Sexism is now frowned upon so things are more subtle. However, I would say that things happen that I do believe are a result of sexist attitudes that are simply ingrained in us. Recently, a man I respect and know is kind, talked about having lots of women on his roster and therefore couldn’t accept anymore…I felt like that would be something that would not be said about male artists…no one has ever said, “I have too many male artists on the bill/roster”. Another example of sexism was that a reviewer thought that because my album is about a teenage girl that this would “grate” on the male listener. So it just shows that women are seen as a subset or category rather than just being human. The thing that I am singing about in the song is that I put myself on the sidelines, that as women we internalize what other people think about us. This is something that we have to try to overcome. I still downplay my talents and achievements. However, having a chip on one’s shoulder is never the way to go. Being calm and straightforward is the best way to deal with discriminatory situations. Showing strength and confidence and a sense of humour. What’s your favourite lyric from a song you have written? There are moments in songs I feel proud of. One of them is in the song “The Bridge” where I write “Till silk ribbons of white water have twisted me in two.” What lyric do you wish you had written? I admire greatly the words of Veda Hille. She is so unique, painterly and scientific. She follows her own vision so completely, uncompromising and true. Seeing that you are teaching songwriting up in Wells this summer, what do you enjoy about mentoring other songwriters? I love to see the buried treasure that people hold within them. I help give them a shovel to dig down and see what gold and diamonds they might discover.
Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017
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The Dream Music Festival
Salt Spring Studio Tour May 1 - Sept 30 Salt Spring Island, BC saltspringstudiotour.com 28 studios to discover on the tour. Maps are available at BC tourism information centres, in marinas, hotels and B&Bs, on all three ferries serving the island and online.
East Coulee Springfest May 5 - 6 Drumheller, AB ecsmuseum.ca/springfest This music festival features an eclectic mix of genres: rock, blues, jazz, alternative and more. Get ready for a weekend of dancing and grooving amid the hoodoos in a other-worldy setting in the Badlands.
Brackendale Bluegrass Festival May 6 - 15 Brackendale, BC brackendaleartgallery.com 4th annual festival showcasing BC bluegrass bands.
Good Will Shakespeare Festival May 6 - 8 Vernon BC goodwillshakespeare.ca A three day student intensive in theatre, film, music, writing. This festival provides secondary school students with the opportunity to meet and learn from a variety of internationally acclaimed actors, musicians, and artists. Students study theatre, art, TV and Video, vocal, writing, improvisation, costume design, set design, acting, makeup and directing.
May 12 & 13 Penticton, BC thedreammusicfestival.ca The 2017 line-up is an all-star list of Juno and Maple Blues award winners and nominees who will fill your evening with the best in Canadian blues, tinged with cowboy swing. The festival is held at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre.
Ignite Youth Driven Arts Festival May 16 - 20 The York Theatre, Vancouver, BC igniteyouthfest.com The festival includes music, dance, and spoken word, the world premiere of three one-act plays, a visual arts exhibit, variety shows featuring improv, drag, circus arts, and much more. All of this is created by local artists between the ages of 13-29.
UNO Fest May 17 - 27 Victoria, BC intrepidtheatre.com From the underground to the mainstream, UNO Fest is a hotbed of contemporary solo theatre and performance.
Manito Ahbee Festival May 17 - 21 Winnipeg, MB manitoahbee.ca A gathering that celebrates Indigenous culture and heritage to unify, educate and inspire. This 5 day festival kicks off with the lighting of the Sacred Fire and includes the Indigenous Music Conference, Youth Education Day and International Pow Wow.
Great Okanagan Beer Festival May 11 - 13 Kelowna BC Waterfront Park gibbonsevents.com/great-okanaganbeer-festival A three-day festival offering a mix of exclusive cask events, beer and brewing seminars and a beer sampling main event.
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May 18 thru Sept 24 Barkerville Historic Town, BC barkerville.ca Barkerville opens its seasonal interpretation schedule with street performances, mining demonstrations, court sessions, oldfashioned shopping and more. Enjoy the full Barkerville experience during the day, catch a restaurant before it closes for the night, or have a quiet evening picnic and stroll through the town and park after hours.
Okanagan Zone Theatre Fest May 18 - 22 Frank Venables Theatre, Oliver, BC theatrebc.org/zone-festivals Theatre BC is divided into 10 regional zones that encompass the province. Each year these regional zones hold festivals in order to determine a ‘best of the best’ performance. The winners of these zone festivals then proceed onto the Annual Provincial Theatre Festival held in July.
Laketown Rock Music Festival May 19 - 21 Cowichan Valley, BC laketownrock.com Classic rock festival taking place in its new home, the 172 acre Laketown Ranch in the heart of the Cowichan Valley.
Attack of Danger BayLongboard Race May 19 - 22 Pender Harbour, BC coastlongboarding.com/dangerbay.cfm Cash podiums, slide competition, live bands, camping, longboard hockey tournamant. No onsite parking for events; use shuttle provided.
Indigenous Music Awards May 19 Winnipeg, MB indigenousmusicawards.ca Indigenous Music Awards are a celebration of the accomplishments of Indigenous recording artists and music industry professionals from around the globe.
La Conner Guitar Festival May 12 - 14 La Conner, WA laconnerguitarfestival.com The town of La Conner in the Skagit Valley has a history steeped in the arts. it’s a beautiful location to showcase the art of lutherie with some of the finest luthiers in the world.
Barkerville Historic Town
Live Music Venue 228 Front Street, Quesnel BC 250.992.5812 OccidentalQuesnel.com
Seafest May 20 Cortes Island, BC ourcortes.com/activities/festivals Seafest features BBQ and raw oysters, steamed mussels and clams, and more. Also enjoy live music and local crafts.
Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017
MAY Cottonwood Community Market Stage
festivals
Surrey International Children’s Festival
May 20 thru Oct 28 Cottonwood Falls Park, Nelson, BC ecosociety.ca/markets/cottonwoodmarket Every Saturday at Cottonwood Falls Park there will be live music and a friendly vibe. Over 30 vendors plus a variety of unique artisanal products. The Market 9:30 - 3; live music 10 - 2:30.
Opera Nuova Opera & Music Theatre Festival May 20 thru July 30 Edmonton, AB operanuova.ca/vaf Every year NUOVA endeavours to share exceptional artistry in intimate venues. NUOVA has made changes to the festival to make concerts more accessible and create theatrical experiences that are highly memorable.
Kaslo May Days May 20 - 22 Kaslo, BC kaslomaydays.com The weekend will be full of entertainment for the whole family. Be sure to stop by Vimy Park Gazebo to catch the variety of acts that will take the stage throughout the weekend.
Victoria Highland Games & Celtic Festival May 20 - 22 Topaz Park, Victoria, BC victoriahighlandgames.com Cabre-tossing, music and more.
Cathedral Village Arts Festival May 22 - 27 Regina, SK cathedralartsfestival.ca The week-long festival features performing, visual and literary arts, and crafts. The festival invites children, youth and adults to create, participate and enjoy the arts in all of its diversity.
Lightning in a Bottle May 24 - 29 Bradley, California lightninginabottle.org Celebrating art, music, performance, sustainability and life. The history of LIB spans more than a decade.
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& ongoing
May 25 - 27 Surrey Arts Centre and Bear Creek Park surrey.ca/childrensfestival The annual Surrey Children’s Festival inspires young hearts and minds to greater possibilities, and celebrates our rich and diverse cultural heritage through performing and visual arts experiences.
Canadian Rockies Cowboy Festival May 26 - 28 David Thompson Resort, Nordegg, AB davidthompsonresort.com Good old-fashioned country music & cowboy poetry with the majestic Rocky Mountains as a backdrop.
Lund Shellfish Festival May 26 - 28 Lund, BC lundbc.ca/Shellfish_Festival.html Eat fresh-cooked seafood, enjoy local musicians, take a tour, watch free cooking demonstrations, buy some live shellfish, shop at the booths, enter a contest, or sample special menu items at the restaurants - there are activities for everyone.
Juan De Fuca Festival of the Arts May 26 - 29 Port Angeles, Washington jffa.org A beautiful setting nestled snugly between the Olympic Mountains and the Strait of Juan de Fuca, four days and nights of unparalleled artistry, a street fair filled with a garden of earthly delights, a fun after-hours program and much more.
Northwest Folklife Festival May 26 - 29 Seattle Center, Seattle, Wa nwfolklife.org/festival An annual festival of ethnic, folk, and traditional art, crafts, and music. More than 6,000 musicians, dancers, and other performers. Admission is free, but donations encouraged.
Sasquatch! May 26 - 28 The Gorge, Washington sasquatchfestival.com Held annually at the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington with an emphasis on indie rock bands and singer-songwriters, although there are also alternative rock, hip hop and comedy acts.
Curbside Night Market May 26 thru Aug 25 Vernon, BC downtownvernon.com The last friday of the month this summer for the new Curbside Night Markets. Each night market will have a live band headlining, local wineries and artisans, restaurant patios and street food plus late night shopping at local merchants.
Seabird Island First Nations Festival May 27 - 28 Agassiz, BC seabirdisland.ca/index.php/community/ first-nations-festival Three-day celebration demonstrates First Nations heritage through friendly competition and sport. Offers youth, young adults, and adults alike an opportunity to showcase their culture and history through soccer, ball-hockey, war canoe races and Sla:hal. The Seabird Island First Nations Festival is a drug-free cultural event that promotes healthy lifestyles and wellbeing.
Kettle River Art Club Show May 27 - 28 Greenwood, BC greenwoodcity.com The Art show features a variety of displays by local Boundary area artists. Admission is by donation and door prizes are drawn Saturday and Sunday evenings. Refreshments are served.
European Festival May 27 - 28 Swangard Stadium, Burnaby, BC europeanfestival.ca Burnaby plays host to the European Festival Annual celebration. A chance to experience diverse European culture, cuisine, entertainment and more.
Elevate Arts Festival June 1 - 3 Courtenay, BC elevatethearts.com Art. Culture. Ideas. Community. A barrier free, DIY, street level, participatory cultural experiment for all ages. Poetry, performance art, photography, music, extreme crafts, aerials, projections, fire and more. All free.
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Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017
North Country Fair: Family Friendly (all weather) Solstice Fun The North Country Fair is a family friendly summer solstice celebration, located in the beautiful Driftpile river valley. Since 1978, the Lesser Slave Lake North Country Community Association (LSLNCCA) has invited music and nature lovers to celebrate the summer sun surrounded by the boreal forest. The sun barely sets and the music plays until dawn. North Country Fair serves up a unique variety of music and workshops from across Canada and around the world. Gracing this years’ stage, Juno winner, William Prince is sure to inspire with the melodic baritones of his brand of country rock. Juno nominated Ten Strings and a Goatskin, hailing from P.E.I., blend pop and world rhythms in a maritime tribute. This years’ international delights include crowd favourite Tom Richardson, from Australia and The Entangados, from Argentina, whose blend of clowning and folk rock is bound to please. Sure to keep the party going, sassy Swedish pop rockers The Magnettes combine Swedish pop sensibilities, with a bold in your face attitude. As always, North Country Fair loves to showcase talent from Alberta’s vibrant music scene. Among others, joining us in 2017 are: songwriter extraordinaire Bill Bourne, avant-garde rocker Tzadeka, soulful Celeigh Cardinal Band, hip-hop duo Kemo Treats and electronic post punkers Concealer.
Featured from around the country are the highly anticipated, Pack A.D. and the poetic and powerful Birds of Chicago. Bridging the gap between pop and her traditional indigneous influence is Iskwe. Music is not the only fare at this extraordinary event! Enjoy a delicious meal at the food vendors, stroll through the artisans alley or relax at a yoga class. North Country also has a diverse variety of workshops, from flint knapping to yoyo making; tai chi to hula hooping and poi. You can go on a nature walk, try out a slack line or even join a ukestra! So don’t forget your ukulele! The North Country Fair is a great place to kick off your shoes, revel in the solstice sun and enjoy an eclectic blend of genre defying music. At any given time, multiple generations can be found sitting by a fire, sharing stories and song, meals and memories. Be sure to bring your guitar or horn as only live music is allowed at The Fair. You are even likely to find a fire-side jam. After 39 years, North Country Fair’s dedicated following of volunteers and supporters has evolved to create a truly amazing experience. A celebration of summer and song, nature and freedom, the spirit and energy of caring for the land and each other is electric and infectious. Prepare to be inspired! And don’t be surprised when you arrive and are welcomed by big smiles and a friendly greeting, “Happy Fair.”
BC Musician Magazine’s
Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017 19
JUNE festivals Summerland Action Festival
Nextfest June 1 - 11 Edmonton, AB nextfest.ca Edmonton’s springtime multi-disciplinary arts festival dedicated to providing professional development opportunities and exposure to emerging artists. Events take place at multiple venues along the 124th Street corridor. 500 artists and over 50 events!
Music Waste Festival June 1 - 4 Vancouver, BC musicwaste.ca Annual music, comedy and arts festival, featuring 100s of acts in venues spread across the city.
Bard on the Beach June 1 thru Sept 23 Vanier Park, Vancouver, BC bardonthebeach.org Bard on the Beach is one of Canada’s largest not-for-profit, professional Shakespeare festivals. Presented in a magnificent setting on the waterfront in Vancouver’s Vanier Park, the festival offers Shakespeare plays, related dramas, and several special events in two performance tents.
Jaywalker’s Jamboree June 2 - 3 Camrose, AB Alberta’s oldest outdoor fair. Main Street closes to traffic and is transformed into an outdoor festival and carnival featuring local food vendors, rides and a sidewalk sale put on by local businesses. Dozens of entertainers, from local dance clubs, bands and singers.
Castlegar Sunfest June 2 - 4 Castlegar, BC castlegarculture.com/culture-guide/ castlegar-sunfest Events happen around town and can be fun for the whole family.
Kaslo Art Walk June 2 thru Sept 29 Kaslo, BC kaslochamber.com/community/commevents.php Annual summer event that partners local businesses with local artists of all mediums. Pick up an Art Walk map at any downtown business and peruse Kaslo’s businesses and their artists.
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June 2 Memorial Park, Summerland, BC summerlandactionfestival.com Annual festival features a slo-pitch tournament, outdoor entertainment, fireworks, Man of Steel triathlon, parade, Giants Head Run, and more.
Pender Harbour Blues Festival June 2 - 4 Pender Harbour, BC penderharbourbluesfestival.com Presenting some of the best blues musicians the West Coast has to offer. The Festival is set at unique venues around the beautiful and scenic Pender Harbour, making this a boater friendly event, easily accessible by water.
Bandfest June 3 - 4 Rotary Park Ladner, BC ladnerbandfest.org Enjoy concert music from 19 different
bands – from concert marches to big band tunes, folk music, ballads, band interpretations and vocal selections.
Brentwood Bay Festival June 3 - 4 Brentwood Bay, BC brentwoodbay.info It’s a place to spend the whole day - it’ll take you that long to see and do everything at the festival. There are food vendors, market vendors, kids entertainment, fantastic live music & comedy acts, games, face painting, and more.
Heart of the City Festival June 3 - 4 Giovanni Caboto Park, Edmonton, AB heartcityfest.com A music and arts festival, part of the rich cultural climate in Edmonton’s core since 2004, taking place in Little Italy’s Giovanni Caboto Park.
Aboriginal Gathering and Peace River Pow Wow June 3 - 4 Peace River Agricultural Grounds peaceriveraic.com The 22 Annual Aboriginal Gathering & 14th Peace River Pow Wow. Host Drum: Cree Confederation. Free admission, jigging, fiddling Aboriginal crafts, children’s activities, dancers, hand drum groups, hand games.
Potash Corp Children’s Festival June 3 - 6 Saskatoon, SK potashcorpchildrensfestival.com Located in Saskatoon, it is the only international multidisciplinary arts festival dedicated to children in Saskatchewan.
Spirit of the Peace Pow Wow June 3 - 4 Taylor, BC calendar.powwows.com/events/spiritof-the-peace-powwow-9th-annual-powwow-2nd-annual-competition-powwow A traditional Powwow held at the District Ice Center in Taylor, BC (14km south of Fort St. John). A free family event that will include Native arts and crafts vendors, Native cuisine, an elders care tent, a hand drum contest and more.
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Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017
JUNE festivals IGNITE! Festival for Emerging Artists
Kluane Mountain Bluegrass Festival
June 6 - 10 Calgary, AB sagetheatre.com Presenting work from new voices. Emerging artists from all fields have to opportunity to present their work to Calgary audiences. Features theatre, music, dance and the arts.
June 9 - 11 Haines Junction, YK yukonbluegrass.com Presenting the best bluegrass bands in North America in one of the most spectacular settings in the world.
Envision Twilight Concert Series June 7 thru Aug 30 Fraser River Heritage Park, Mission, BC mission.ca Summer evening entertainment at the Fraser River Heritage Park. Bring a lawn chair or blanket and a picnic to this by donation event. Wednesdays & Fridays 7-8pm.
Chetwynd International Chainsaw Carving Championship June 8 - 11 Chetwynd, BC Chainsaw artists from Australia, Japan, USA, and Canada will gather for the 11th annual carving competition. Over 20 unique sculptures are part of the interesting outdoor gallery of chainsaw carvings created by the best carvers from around the world. The weekend draws thousands of people for food, fun and music while watching the chainsaw artists vie for top prizes.
Performance in the Park - Banff June 9 - 10 Banff, AB banfflakelouise.com/Area-Events Celebrate mountain and cultural heritage and the importance of protected places while having some rollicking fun in a great location, with friends, family, and great tunes. Bring your dancing shoes.
Pagosa Folk ‘N Bluegrass June 9 - 11 Pagosa Springs, Colorado folkwest.com Family friendly music festival with on-site camping, workshops, late night stage, vending, and epic pickin’ circles.
Seafest-Prince Rupert June 9 - 11 Prince Rupert, BC prspecialevents.com/seafest.html Features family entertainment, a seniors’ tea, youth blockstock, a parade, downtown events and games, and various harbour waterfront events such as a sailpast, flypast, kayak races, and a children’s fishing derby.
Summerland Bluegrass Festival June 9 - 11 Rodeo Grounds, Summerland, BC summerlandbluegrass.com The Summerland Bluegrass Festival provides many hours of on-stage open mic for individuals or groups. On Saturday evening, we host a feature band from 7 to 9 pm. Join us for continuous fun with Band Scrambles, seminars, and evening jams. We have unlimited parking for dry camping RV’s. Enjoy the nearby Kettle Valley Steam Railway or visit some wonderful Okanagan wineries.
BC Musician Magazine’s
1913 Days June 9 - 13 Sylvan Lake, AB sylvanlake.ca Parade, kidszone, family activities.
Interior Savings Fat Cat Children’s Festival June 9 - 10 Waterfront Park, Kelowna, BC fatcatfestival.ca Great workshops, activity stations and performers. Bang your Djembe Drums, Play in the Mud, Carve Soapstone or Practice Circus Yoga ... all kinds of fun, exploratory workshops and a big parade.
Lumby Days June 9 - 11 Lumby, BC lumbydays.ca Lumberjack show, sporting events, live music, art show and market, vendors, kids zone and more.
Tiny Lights Festival June 9 - 11 Ymir, BC tinylightsfestival.com Over 50 performances, workshops in spoken word, theatre, and film all happening at six historic buildings in Ymir, BC.
Children’s Festival June 11 Mission, BC missionartscouncil.ca A fun filled day for children and the young-art-heart. Music, dance, juggling, games, numerous art workstations, pony rides, bouncy balloon and more guarantee smiles and laughter all around.
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JUNE festivals City of Bhangra Festival June 11 - 17 Vancouver and Surrey, BC vibc.org From highland to hoop dancing, from hiphop to dance hall, from Balkan, Brazilian, Jewish, and Flamenco teams to multimedia mashups by international recording stars, the Festival celebrates the joy of shared experience by connecting cultural communities worldwide through the vibrancy of bhangra music, dance, and song.
Casse-Tete: A Festival of Expwrimental Music June 15 - 18 The Exploration Place, Prince George, BC cassetetefestival.com Featuring improvisation, free jazz, avantgarde compositions, minimalism, postrock, noise, and more. Performers come from across Canada and beyond along with the far reaches of Prince George’s scene. A radically creative musical experience.
PRISMA - Pacific Region International Sam Steele Days Summer Music Academy June 16 - 18 June 12 - 24 Powell River, BC orchestra-academy.ca The Pacific Region International Summer Music Academy (PRISMA) offers a unique program that prepares music students and young professionals for a career in music performance. It is designed to assist students in obtaining the necessary tools to win a position in a professional orchestra. Daily musical events. Tickets can be purchased online.
WOW! Wednesday On the Wharf June 14 thru Aug 29 Marine Peace Park, Salmon Arm, BC salmonarmartscentre.ca/wow WOW! is a series of summer Wednesday evening musical concerts at Salmon Arm’s Marine Park. Musical styles ranging from jazz to rock, funk to folk are offered from mid-June through to the end of August. Held in the Park’s gazebo, listeners are invited to bring a deck chair or blanket and enjoy the music. Concerts begin at 6:45pm, and go until 8:30pm. Admission is by donation.
Victoria’s Ska & Reggae Festival June 14 - 18 Victoria, BC victoriaskafest.ca Victoria BC Ska Society presents the Annual Ska & Reggae Fest bringing fans the best ska, reggae, dancehall, dub, rock, jazz and Latin music from across the world.
G Fest June 15 - 17 Muskogee, Oklahoma gfestmuskogee.com Some of the best Country, Rock and Americana music intertwined with some of the area’s finest festival food.
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Cranbrook, BC samsteeledays.org Cranbrook’s annual festival held at Spirit Square featuring fun and excitement for the whole family including a kids’ fun zone, strongman competition, parade, ball tournament, community stage entertainment, arts and crafts and displays.
FernFest June 16 - 17 Fernwood, Victoria, BC fernwoodnrg.ca/events-directory/fernfest FernFest is a music and arts festival & neighbourhood celebration that began in 1995. The weekend is filled with an eclectic line-up of music that you might not know but are guaranteed to love. FernFest always showcases the talent that is alive in our local music scene.
Beaumont Blues & Roots Festival June 16 - 18 Four Seasons Park, Beaumont, AB bbrf.ca Presenting the Alberta capital region with the best in live Canadian blues, roots, folk, rockabilly and country music. Providing high quality live music for all ages.
Gibsons Landing Jazz Festival June 16 - 18 Gibsons Landing, BC coastjazz.com The festival weekend is preceded by Jazz Week, a full week of live music in local restaurants and other venues to promote the talented musicians on the Sunshine Coast and create interest in the Jazz Festival weekend. The weekend festival will include workshops, 2 days of outdoor stage performances overlooking the stunning Gibsons Harbour, just a 40 minute ferry ride from Vancouver.
Aboriginal Cultural Festival June 16 - 18 Royal BC Museum, Victoria, BC aboriginalbc.com/victoria-aboriginal-festival Three days of spectacular performances on an outdoor stage in the plaza at the Royal BC Museum in the heart of downtown Victoria. Each day starts with performances from the two local Host Nations and follows with shows from Aboriginal performers from across the province.
Sooke River Bluegrass Festival June 16 - 18 Sooke River Campground, Sooke, BC sookebluegrass.com/festival Held at the Sooke River Campground, the event is family friendly and features a wide range of local acoustic talent, food vendors and music workshops.
Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017
JUNE festivals Willow Creek Cowboy Gathering June 16 - 18 Stavely, AB wccowboygathering.com The weekend will include music, humour, tall tales, vendors offering handmade leather goods, jewellery, pottery, picture frames, silent auction and jam sessions.
Sweetwater 905 Arts and Music Fest June 16 - 18 Sweetwater Road, near Rolla, BC sweetwater905.com Sweetwater905 is back with their 3 day arts and music festival showcasing music, literary, visual and performance art. Promotes local, regional and Canadian music. Focusing on the singer song writer; musicians will demonstrate their talents.
Party in the Park June 16 - 17 Whitecourt, AB whitecourtwoodlandstourism.com Party In The Park is a two-day event offering a mix of cultural activities, performances, and food; and a variety of local bands and well-known headline acts.
Valemount craft beer festival June 17 Vernon, BC downtownvernon.com Putting the ALE in Valemount, a craft beer, food, & music fundraising event including Shred Kelly and Athabasca Barn Burners. All in a big open field at the Valemount Airport. Spectacular wide open space for a block-party-style fun time.
Midnight Sun Festival June 18 Fairbanks, Alaska downtownfairbanks.com Alaska’s largest single day event plays host to over 30,000 fans who take 33 live musical performances on three stages, over 180 booths of arts, crafts, merchandise, information, food, and fun. Skateboarding, face painting, extreme car racing, paddler’s river slalom race, break dancing, pony rides, vintage motors, BBQ cook-off, gold panning, break dancing, celestial shopping, and fabulous food.
3rd Biannual All Nations Festival June 17-21 Kwikwetlem, Coquitlam Coast Salish Territory twitter.com/AllNationsFest A Coast Salish festival of music, food, and ideas celebrating our shared future. Free.
Arts Without Borders June 18 - 24 Lloydminster, AB artswithoutborders.ca Street festival, street dance, art market, celebration of the arts.
Adstock June 18 Memorial Peace Park, Maple Ridge, BC Free outdoor, alternative music festival in the heart of Maple Ridge at the Bandstand in Memorial Peace Park. The show highlights youth bands and acoustic acts and will also host some of the best bands in punk, metal, ska and hardcore that Vancouver has to offer.
Pretty Good Not Bad June 18 - 21 Multiple Venues, Victoria, BC pgnb.ca Brand new music, arts and multi media event. Pretty Good Not Bad is organized and executed by Victoria’s Pretty Good Society, an evolved continuation of the programming, curation and production work presented from 2009 to 2015 by Animal Productions and sub|division. Bolstered by members of CFUV and local event promoters Urban Therapy, the nonprofit is dedicated to supporting Victoria’s vibrant creative community.
Kanata Festival on Turtle Island June 19 - July 1 Larwill Park, Vancouver BC aboriginalbc.com/events/kanata-festival-on-turtle-island/ The Kanata Festival is a 13 day, cultural festival featuring food, music, art, workshops, and performances. While taking place in BC, the festival will feature aspects of Indigenous culture from across Canada.
Theatre Royal Summer Gala June 17 Barkerville Historic Town, BC barkerville.ca Kick off Barkerville’s summer season with theatre fun on Saturday, June 17th at the Theatre Royal’s summer show premiere.
OUTstages June 20 - 24 Victoria, BC intrepidtheatre.com OUTstages is Victoria’s first queer theatre festival. A week of outrageous stories, surprises, parties and performances from and for the queer community and beyond.
Sunshine Festival June 17 Vernon, BC downtownvernon.com Block after block of outstanding bargains, great live entertainment, children’s activities, street cafes, art and cultural performances bring crowds out to downtown Vernon. Rock out at the main stage, stroll the avenue with a refreshment in hand, or relax at a patio café.
Sled Island Festival June 21 - 25 Calgary, AB sledisland.com Featuring over 250 bands plus comedy, film and art in 30 venues.
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Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017 23
JUNE festivals Miners Memorial Weekend June 22 - 24 Cumberland, BC cumberlandmuseum.ca A three day labour history and labour issues festival featuring film, heritage tours and music. The event welcomes hundreds of attendees from across Western Canada and as far away as the UK including workers and their families, activists, artists, writers, academics, community leaders, musicians and many others.
The Works Art and Design Festival June 22 - July 4 Edmonton, AB theworks.ab.ca The Works International Visual Arts Society produces The Works Art & Design Festival which attracts artists and patrons from around the world, boosting the energy and imagination of downtown Edmonton at the start of every summer. The Works is a free event that draws an audience representing all ages and interests, offering over 200 exciting exhibits and special events to the public.
Penticton Elvis Festival June 22 - 25 Penticton, BC pentictonelvisfestival.ca The 3-day Festival is an annual event taking place in the picturesque city of Penticton. Features dozens of tribute artists gracing outdoor stages set around Okanagan Lake. Headliner at Penticton Trade & Convention Centre.
Freezer Burn June 22 - 26 Ponoka, AB freezerburn.org Freezer Burn is the annual Burning Man event for the Alberta region. We create a temporary community out on the prairie to strengthen our ties with old friends, and to forge friendships with newcomers to the Burning Man experience.
tival is an annual event held in Seldovia, Alaska. Featuring fine musicians and performers from Alaska, the United States, and beyond.
Long Days Night Music Festival June 22 - 25 Swift Current, SK longdaysnight.ca Celebrate four of the longest days of the year with great music and lots of fun under a big-top tent at Marston Street and 11th Ave SW, in Swift Current, Saskatchewan.
Vancouver International Jazz Festival June 22 - July 2 Vancouver, BC coastaljazz.ca British Columbia’s biggest music presentation brings the world’s best bands to Vancouver while drawing over half a million people to 35 indoor and outdoor stages. The internationally acclaimed event features over 1,800 artists.
Nelson Artwalk June 23 thru Sept 10 Downtown Nelson, BC ndac.ca Local businesses along Baker Street, Vernon Street and Front Street present the work of local artists in business locations as venues and galleries.
North Country Fair June 23 - 25 Driftpile, AB lslncca.ca/current A fantastic celebration of the summer solstice, camping, friendship and music. Summer Solstice, sometimes known as
Classic Guitars
465 Main St. Penticton 250-492-5007
24 BC Musician Magazine’s
Edmonton International Jazz Festival June 23 - July 2 Edmonton, AB edmontonjazz.com The Edmonton Jazz Festival Society instills in audiences the appreciation of jazz music as a diverse art form, connecting regional audiences with provincial, national and international jazz artists. The Society is dedicated to providing a professional and supportive environment for jazz artists to perform, collaborate, and celebrate with the people of Edmonton, jazz music from across the globe.
Inshala Festival June 23 - 26 Fort McCloud, AB inshala.ca A family orientated weekend event in the great outdoors of Southern Alberta. From speakers to movement workshops to art explorations. There will also be a kids zone, art installations and a walking labyrinth. Our evenings will be filled with soothing sounds, groovy beats, and inspiring performers for all ages.
Summer Solstice Festival d’ete June 23 - 24 Gravelbourg, SK summersolsticefestivaldete.com Celebrate the spirit of our Southern Saskatchewan landscape through art, music, dance, literature and drama providing a living, interactive diary of culture - things of the spirit - to local, provincial and regional audiences.
Campbell Bay Music Festival June 23 - 24 Mayne Island, BC campbellbaymusicfest.com The Campbell Bay Music Fest presents emerging artists in a diverse array of genres.
Seldovia Summer Solstice Music Festival June 22 - 25 Seldovia, Alaska seldoviaartscouncil.net/seldoviamusicfestival The Seldovia Summer Solstice Music Fes-
Midsummer, Litha, or St. John’s Day, occurs in the middle of June. It is a celebration of the longest day of the year and the beginning of Summer. It has been a grand tribal gathering time since ancient times. It is a festival of community sharing and planetary service.
acoustic & electric amps & pick-ups mandolin & violin strings, cables, cords lessons & tips
Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017
A scenic run through wine country.
Sunday, October 1st 2017
This one-of-a-kind course begins and ends at the Festival of the Grape and travels to Picturesque Osoyoos Lake.
Full, 20K, 10K & Kids Run Oliver, British Columbia
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Registration at skibaldy.com/marathon
JUNE festivals Tall Tree Music Festival June 23 - 26 Port Renfrew, BC talltreemusicfestival.com Tall Tree Music Festival is one of BC’s premiere music festivals, with three epic days of music, activities, camping and the great outdoors. Join us on Browns Mountain in beautiful Port Renfrew B.C. Canada, and get ready for a weekend of a lifetime.
SASKTEL Saskatchewan Jazz Festival June 23 - June 2 Saskatoon, SK saskjazz.com Taking place in the heart of the Bridge City in the middle of summer, this jazz festival boasts a following like no other. With eclectic choices for performers from small to mainstage, this is one of the staple events of a summer in Saskatoon.
Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival June 23 - 25 Vancouver, BC dragonboatbc.ca This annual festival is a free event featuring the colourful Eye Dotting Ceremony on Friday and two more days of non-stop entertainment on the World Beat Stage, fabulous food and shopping, and of course, dragon boat racing of the highest calibre.
TD Victoria International JazzFest June 23 - July 2 Victoria, BC jazzvictoria.ca/jazz-fest Over 90 performances on 11 stages in downtown Victoria. Jazzfest will offer workshops and clinics during the week. Check out the food village and Big Rock Beer Garden at Centennial Square.
Refresh June 24 Forest Grove, BC refreshnap.ca A conversion of electronic music, participatory art, and visual art.
Revelstoke Street Fest June 24 - Aug 27 Grizzly Plaza, Revelstoke, BC revelstokeartscouncil.com/events/revelstoke-spirit-festival Nationally recognized as the jewel in Revelstoke’s cultural crown, the Revelstoke Arts Council proudly presents the Summer Street Festival every year. 65
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consecutive nights of music from the end of June through to the end of August, the Revelstoke Arts Council provides free live music in Grizzly Plaza. With a diverse range of unique artists, the Summer Street Festival is fun for the whole family.
SaskPower Windscape Kite Festival June 24 - 25 Swift Current, SK windscapekitefestival.ca This world-class event attracts kite flyers, enthusiasts and fun loving people from across the globe to one prairie field to enjoy an exciting weekend of kiting and family fun. Free admission
Round the Mountain June 25 Kimberley, BC roundthemountain.ca Kid’s races, live music, food and drinks will provide fun and entertainment for everyone. Participate in Kimberley’s Round the Mountain Race (RTM) on the RTM trail.
Greek Day on Broadway June 25 Vancouver, BC greekday.com Takes place on Broadway, from MacDonald to Blenheim Street in Vancouver from 11am-11pm. Food and beverage vendors, market place, performances by dance groups, and a kids zone.
Giants Head Freeride-LongBoard Race June 26 - 28 Summerland, BC giantsheadfreeride.com Music. Skateboarding. Camping. Three full days of shuttled runs, lake jumping, and camping at the rodeo grounds.
Jimi Hendrix & Bob Marley shrine open June to September 15th from noon to 6pm 432 Homer Street downtown Vancouver ph 604.688.0112 creeksidestudentresidence.com
Sacred Music Dance Camp June 28 Johnsons Landing Retreat Center, BC JohnsonsLandingRetreat.bc.ca Certified dance leaders, lead the Dances of Universal Peace for a heart opening experience. Limited to 50 dancers so register early. Karma Yoga trades available. Free Camping.
Dauphins Countryfest June 29 - July 2 Dauphin, MB countryfest.ca Canada’s longest running four day country music festival is held annually every July long weekend, and features the best in local, national and international entertainment on three separate stages. Nestled on the north side of Riding Mountain National Park, the festival site is 10 km south of the City of Dauphin, Manitoba, and is home to the most beautiful outdoor amphitheatre in Western Canada.
Magnificent River Rats Festival June 30 - July 1 Athabasca, AB riverratsfestival.com Bringing Athabasca and surrounding communities together to enjoy music, local artisans, and many other family oriented activities.
39 Days of July Cowichan Summer Festival June 30 - August 7 Duncan, BC showroomproductions.ca Live entertainment every day from noon till 8pm with musical acts every Wednesday in City Square from 7:30-10pm. Sunday afternoons showcase the diversity of the community. The 40th Day of July, (Sunday September 3rd) features music from 2pm till 10pm in City Square.
Adäka Cultural Festival June 30 - July 6 Kwanlin Dun Cultural Centre Whitehorse, YK adakafestival.ca A vibrant program filling an incredible 8 days of traditional and contemporary music, dance, drumming, art & craft, storytelling, film, cultural presentations, workshops, artist demonstrations, a community feast and much more.
Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017
JUNE festivals Penticton Rib Festival
Smithers Midsummer Music Festival
June 30 - July 2 Penticton, BC pentictonribfest.com Rotary Ribfest brings Okanagan Lake Park alive with a full weekend of fantastic family fun. Indulge in a rib cook-off between four champion barbecue teams from across Canada, music throughout the entire event, entertainment and activities for children and youth, as well as a beverage garden and loads of vendors.
Funtastic Festival
June 30 - July 2 Smithers, BC smithersmusicfest.com The Midsummer Music Festival is a familyfriendly event held each year in the Bulkley Valley. The stage will welcome an eclectic mix of performers from headliners to local and regional talent. The three day festival also offers a host of workshops, jam zones, food and craft vendors, and new this year, a ‘bliss zone’ for yoga lovers.
Kamp Festival June 30 - July 3 Whatsan Lake Retreat Center, BC kampfestival.com KAMP Festival is a summer camp for adults. A three-day weekend adventure in recreation and art creation. 3 night celebration of music and dance. Over 50 workshops, games and activities, yoga & wellness programming, delicious locally sourced meals, talent show and more.
Destination Mainstage
June 30 - July 3 Vernon, Armstrong & Enderby, BC funtasticsports.ca The Funtastic Summer Festival features four nights of 70’s, 80’s, 90’s & Country music under the stars at the region’s biggest outdoor concert. Beverage gardens, daytime contests, and more than 4500 athletes participating in more than 616 slopitch games for North Americas largest slo-pitch tournament.
The Prince George Folkfest Society (the folks that bring you Coldsnap, Northern BC’s premier winter music festival) and City of Prince George are pleased to present eight days of FREE live music to celebrate Canada’s sesquicentennial!
June 30 - July 8 Vernon & District Performing Arts Centre, BC theatrebc.org/destination-mainstage The Annual Provincial Theatre Festival for community theatre groups throughout BC. More than 60 community theatre clubs participate in Theatre BC Zone Festivals held in April and May. Winning plays from 10 Zones bring their plays to this 7 day festival.
Bruce Cockburn, Delhi 2 Dublin, The Paperboys, Cécile Doo-Kingué, April Verch Trio, Don Amero, Linda McRae, Shred Kelly, Red Moon Road, Scarlett Jane, Rachelle Van Zanten ... and many more! Charlotte & Matt Diamond
Special performance by during KidzArt Dayz on July 7 & 8 presented by
July 1 - 8 Canada Games Plaza
Prince George, BC
www.princegeorge.ca/canada150
We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada. Nous reconnaissons l’appui financier du gouvernement du Canada.
BC Musician Magazine’s
Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017 27
and Craig Gilbert
This is where the sound comes from
Sound Factory has been serving the Prince George and northern BC music community since 2003. On January 1, 2017, the store changed ownership and management for the first time in its 14-year history. The new owner is Aidyl Jago, a lifelong musician and professional music administrator. She hit the caviar and emailed BCMM to celebrate. What is the competition like in the Prince George region? Are you the only show in town? Sound Factory is a very diverse business, so our competition varies depending on the line of business that we offer. We are a retail store where we sell new, used and consigned instruments, as well as audio gear, accessories, and used vinyl records. We are a music school with more than a hundred students in a wide variety of instruments. We are also an audio production company with sound techs for hire and a rental department. I think what sets Sound Factory apart from the competition is that we are locally, independently owned and operated by extremely experienced and knowledgeable people who are active members of our northern BC music community. We work really hard to treat our customers, students and their families the way we would want to be treated in a music store/school, since we’ve all been in their shoes! What has been your biggest challenge since New Year’s Day? Sound Factory is a mature business, established in 2003, so it had plateaued in growth in the years prior to us taking over. Our biggest challenges since the beginning of the year have been rebranding and re-stocking. We’ve been trying really hard to reach out to the community to make sure that people know that Sound Factory is still here, under new management, and still independently owned and operated by local musicians, FOR local musi-
28 BC Musician Magazine’s
Rico in the guitar room at Sound Factory, Prince George. photo supplied.
Q&A with Aidyl Jago
cians! We’ve also spent the last couple of months diversifying our inventory, making sure that we are stocked up on the brands and products everyone wants and needs. We are also carrying vintage instruments and gear to cater to the more experienced and particular customers. So what do you have going for you? I have been extremely fortunate in that I have the most amazing team working with me on the rebirth of Sound Factory. My partner from day one of this endeavour has been Kirby Gerrie, who defected from one of our competitors to manage the new Sound Factory! He is one of the most knowledgeable and experienced music retail professionals in northern BC. He is also an excellent drummer who is very well respected in our music community. Our instructors and admin/sales and sales staff are also exceptional ... we truly have some of the best musicians and human beings working with us! How has your growth matched with your vision from the outset? What are your plans for the future? Re-growing Sound Factory is a constant work in progress. We made some big changes from the outset, bringing in used and consignment instruments and gear as well as used vinyl records, in order to expand our customer base. We are now in the midst of renovating our existing space and expanding the music school to include an acoustic drum room where we can have two full-sized drum kits side-by-side, so our drum students can get LOUD (we currently teach drums on electronic kits)! We’re also creating a rehearsal and performance space that will be available for rent, as well as a space to do high-quality recordings. We are also looking into becoming the exclusive northern BC dealers of some outstanding BC-made and sourced instruments, in order to conscientiously support our local economy.
Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017
My professional background is in music administration, so we will eventually be expanding our lines of business to include music management and administration services that are not commonly offered in northern BC, such as copyright administration, grant writing, booking and artist management. Are you plugged in to the PG community? YES! Being an active part of the Prince George and northern BC community is the driving force behind everything we do at Sound Factory. Everyone at Sound Factory is an active musician of some nature, and it’s so important to be able to help foster and empower our music community and music scene from a business perspective. We’ve started doing this by providing corporate partnership in the form of cash sponsorship and in-kind services to local community groups such as the Coldsnap Festival, CFUR (campus radio), the Legion/Mad Loon Entertainment, and other local nonprofit organizations. Keep an eye out for us at ArtsWells this summer! We have eyes everywhere at ArtsWells, but first we take Manhattan. You mentioned when we spoke earlier that you’re making major inroads in accessibility, is that right? As the mom of two young kids, and knowing how much music education benefitted me at a young age, it is so important to me that Sound Factory’s music school offers accessible and flexible music education options to the community at large. My son has some developmental delays, so I’ve been learning more and more about how much music can help children to overcome social and communication obstacles, so I am also looking into catering some music classes and lessons to kids with ASD and other developmental delays. I want everyone in our community to know that Sound Factory is an extremely warm and family-friendly environment, for people of all ages, across the spectrum.
APPLY TO SHOWCASE SHOWCASE APPLICATION AVAILABLE JUNE 1, 2017
(The deadline to apply is June 30, 2017) www.bctouring.org
Online Directory of performing artists who are touring BC, Alberta and the Pacific Northwest artsontour.com PACIFIC CONTACT AND ARTSONTOUR ARE PROGRAMS OF
BC Musician Magazine’s
Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017 29
JULY festivals Music in the Landing
Music in the Park Kamloops
July 1 - August 26 Gibsons Landing, BC gibsonsvisitorinfo.com Free outdoor concerts every weekend all summer long in Gibsons. Please check face book page for various locations and times.
Kootenay Country Music Festival July 1 - 2 Pass Creek Exhibition Grounds kootenaycountryfest.com Enjoy food and goods vendors and assortments of beer and spirits while you experience some of your favorite Country music artists at the beautiful Pass Creek Exhibition Grounds near downtown Castlegar BC. Celebrate Canada Day the right way!
Metalocalypstick Fest July 1 - 2 Valemount, BC metalocalypstickfest.rocks Metal fest featuring metal or hardcore/ punk bands with FEMALE power. All Canadian all power! With special out of country guests! 2 day metal fest camp out in beautiful Valemount, British Columbia”
Mountain Mosaic Festival of the Arts July 1 Kinsmen Beach, Invermere, BC columbiavalleyarts.com Free festival for the whole family following the Canada Day Parade. Enjoy the Home Hardware Festival Stage featuring live entertainment. Art tents, Build-a-Boat Contest, clowns, bounce castles and more. Participate in the Transformation Station with tattoos and face painting. A variety of food kiosks. From 12 to 3 pm.
Celebrating Canada’s 150th Birthday in Edgewater B.C. 30 BC Musician Magazine’s
HeatWave
July 1 thru Aug 31 Riverside Park, Kamloops, BC kamloops.ca/events/musicinthepark Free musical entertainment every evening during July & August in the Rotary Bandshell at Riverside Park, 7pm. Friday evening performances at McDonald Park 7pm.
First Saturday in Kimberley July 1 thru Oct 7 Downtown, Kimberley, BC kimberleyarts.com Celebrations of arts, culture & heritage. Every first Saturday of the month from July to October, downtown Kimberley. Live entertainment, Arts Avenue, art & craft demonstrations and more.
Live In Lake Country July 1 thru Aug 26 Lake Country, BC liveinlakecountry.ca Free concert performances Saturday evenings 6pm. Various locations please check website for details.
Merritt Art Walk July 1 thru Aug 15 Downtown Merritt, BC nvartscouncil.com Pick up your Art Walk books from the Information Centre or various businesses that have the Art Walk logo and check out the great art work on display.
Penticton Scottish Festival July 1 Kings Park Penticton, BC pentictonscottishfestival.ca Celtic groups gather to perform and compete in this annual event.
The 6th Annual
June 30th, July 1st & 2nd
July 1 - 8 Prince George, BC coldsnapfestival.com Coldsnap is partnering with the City of Prince George, the Prince George Community Foundation and the Community Foundation of Canada to present Heat Wave, a free, 8-day musical celebration of Canada.
Downtown Live Salmon Arm July 1 thru Aug 31 Ross Street Plaza, Salmon Arm, BC salmonarmdowntown.com/music/downtown_live Running through the July and August summer months, Downtown Live will consist of 21 performances. Alternating Thursday Jazz evenings 7pm, Friday afternoons 12:30, and Saturday evenings 7pm.
Pacific Rim Summer Festival July 1 - 9 Ucluelet & Tofino, BC pacificrimarts.ca The Pacific Rim Arts Society presents the Annual Pacific Rim Summer Festival with events taking place in Ucluelet, the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, and Tofino. Art shows, live entertainment, events, and workshops.
Victoria Pride Festival July 1 - 9 MacDonald Park, Victoria, BC victoriapridesociety.org The Parade (Government/Pandora) and Festival (MacDonald Park) featuring live bands, drag performances, vendors, food fair, community groups, children’s entertainment and a beer garden.
Festival Mainstage, Saturday, July 1st Featuring Tim Williams John Wort Hannam Gabriela Geneva Cammie Leard
Festival Food Arts & Crafts Vendors A-Muse Troupe Beer Garden
After party featuring
All Saints Church Yard 11 am on July 2nd
Friday Porch Parties Evening Around Town on June 30th
Sunday Workshops
Small Town Dirtbags
www.steamboatmtnmusicfest.ca
Tickets available online
Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017
Celebrating 40 years
2017
JULY 13.14.15.16 JERICHO BEACH PARK including
The Bulkley Valley Folk Music Society presents:
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gg & Joe Henry • Shawn Colvin • Blind Pilot Billy Bra Rhiannon Giddens • Mbongwan ked Ladies • a Star Barena T & h n e o W s i m n a t e S r . W h e at • I L John K AM RURA • B a n r a d t • S K l l a A t h r l e e e n E d wa r d dH s Ferron an C h r i l e d e r e D n e • h E T l d l i n k a a Solo Rafa lsen el Nive Nie a li m l i s W & n T o l h r e a Y M a • r r f a Bender au s Andy Sh e • m N a a G t i e v l l e e N B o • r t y h s s A a merica Blick B
ach • Eilen Jewell • Roy Forbes • Si Kahn Archie Ro rsen • Ramy Essam • Ganga Giri Noah Gunde in & Meredith Axelrod • Grace Petrie Jim Kwesk l Jal • Aoife O’Donovan & Noam Pikelny Emmanue and many more!
smithers fall fairgrounds • june 30-july 2, 2017 ★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
THE TOURIST COMPANY★RAE SPOON & PLASTIK ★ DEVON WELLS ★ SAMSON’S DELILAH ★ ENTANGADOS★KITTY & THE ROOSTER★RUSTY FORD ★YELLOWKNIFE THROAT SINGERS★MIP POWER TRIO★SAMTUDOR★CAST★KHARIWENDELLMCCLELLAND ★MARIN PATENAUDE★CULT BABIES★BAD HOO★ KYM GOUCHIE★GROSSBUSTER★MISS WHITE SPIDER
Info and tickets : thefestival.bc.ca
Performers from around the world plus over 40 regional acts!
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★ Smithers Midsummer Music Festival
http://www.smithersmusicfest.com/
www.smithersmusicfest.com LIVE Music • Camping • Arts & Music Workshops • Kids’ Stage & FunZone • Food & Crafts
http://kaywa.me/y14g8
LIKE us on Facebook for announcements about prizes, performers & other bvfms gigs
Download the Kaywa QR Code Reader (App Store &Android Market) and scan your code!
BC Musician Magazine’s
Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017 31
JULY festivals Comox Valley Youth Music Camp and Festival of Summer Sounds July 2 - 22 Mark Isfeld School, Comox, BC cymc.ca This acclaimed summer school and festival features Jazz, Classical, Strings, Piano, and Musical Theatre programs and performances (both student and faculty) through the month of July.
Summer Sundays Concerts Port Moody July 2 thru Aug 27 Rocky Point Park, Port Moody, BC summersundays.ca Free concerts every Sunday, 2-4 pm. Featuring top Vancouver and area R&B, soul, funk and blues bands at Rocky Point Park.
Concerts in The Park - Ladysmith July 3 thru Aug 28 Transfer Beach, Ladysmith, BC lrca.bc.ca Sunset and Music at beautiful Transfer Beach in Ladysmith BC – what better way to spend your Sunday evenings this summer? The Ladysmith Resources Centre Association invites you to Concerts in the Park, our weekly fundraiser. Picnic by the sea while you listen to our fantastic lineup. By donation.
Wednesdays on the Water July 5 thru Aug 30 Peach Orchard Beach, Summerland, BC summerlandarts.com/events/wednesdays-on-the-water Families are invited to bring lawn chairs, blankets or even a picnic and enjoy the music. Beach access, playground, water park, fields & volleyball court on site. A different genre of music every week so there is a little something for everyone. Concerts start at 6:30pm.
Jammin’ in Jubilee Concerts in thePark July 6 - 27 Jubilee Park, Abbotsford, BC jaminjubilee.com Live music in Jubilee Park, August 4th, 11th, 18th, and 25th. Art Market open at 6 pm, music starts at 7 pm.
Elephant Mountain Literary Festival July 6 - 9 Multiple Venues, Nelson, BC emlfestival.com Annual Canadian literary festival held mid-July each year. Bringing the best and brightest literary and publishing talent to the number one arts town in Canada.
Indian Summer July 6 - 15 Vancouver, BC indiansummerfest.ca A festival of arts, ideas and diversity.
Civic Sounds July 6 thru Aug 24 Civic Plaza, Vernon, BC downtownvernon.com Free summer outdoor concerts featuring live local bands in Civic Plaza in downtown Vernon every Thursday night from 7-9pm. Bring your lawn chair, a blanket and pick up a to-go dinner downtown and enjoy the music – don’t forget your dancing shoes.
Performances in the Park Williams Lake July 6 thru Aug 24 Boitanio Park, Williams Lake, BC centralcaribooarts.com/events/performancespark The concert series will feature two acts
Jammin’ in Justice July 5 thru Aug 30 Justice Park, Vernon, BC downtownvernon.com Take a well-deserved break every Wednesday afternoon and relax in Justice Park. Jammin’ in Justice features smaller bands and entertainers, perfect for an outdoor lunch outing. Performances from 12-1:30pm.
32 BC Musician Magazine’s
A Celebration of Music, Art, Dance, Nature and Community
Vive la Diversité!!
each week; one at 6pm to showcase performances including youth, theatre, dance, musical and fashion shows, followed by a headline act from 7:00 – 8:00 pm. All acts will be family friendly.
Winnipeg Folk Fest July 6 - 9 Birds Hill Provincial Park, Winnipeg, MB winnipegfolkfestival.ca 10 stages of music to explore at this family friendly festival.
Atlin Arts & Music Festival July 7 - 9 Atlin, BC atlinfestival.ca A family-friendly festival including an exciting collection of accomplished and emerging musicians and visual artists, art and music workshops and kids’ activities. Free camping with ticket purchase.
Calgary Stampede July 7 - 16 Calgary, AB calgarystampede.com The Stampede promotes volunteerism, presents a year-round slate of events, investing in youth and agricultural programs, and developing a unique western experience for the world to enjoy.
Eventide Music Series July 7 thru Aug 17 Centennial Square, Victoria, BC eventidevictoria.com CFUV 101.9 FM, the City of Victoria and the Victoria Downtown Business Association presents free, all-ages, accessible, outdoor music series that takes place every Thursday from July 6 to August 17.
North West Roots Festival July 7 - 8 Expo Centre, Enumclaw, WA nwrootsfestival.com 2 nights of on-site camping with parking, late night festivities, beer garden, and the best local food and craft vendors, featuring some of the NW’s best local reggae sharing the stage with a selection great touring acts.
Oliver Music in the Park CHRISTINALAKEHOMECOMING.COM
July 7 thru Aug 31 Oliver Community Park Stage, Oliver, BC oliverartscouncil.org Experience live music paired with the best little night market in the Okanagan Valley.
Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017
JULY festivals Edmonton International Street Performers Festival July 7 - 16 Sir Winston Churchill Sq, Edmonton, AB edmontonstreetfest.com Featuring every conceivable act from magician to mime, catapult to cabbage catcher, living statue to fire eater, over four million visitors have experienced it.
Pembina River Nights July 7 - 8 Rangeton Park, Evansburg, AB asmallshieldmusic.ca Small intimate festival, family friendly, ckua listeners, good crowd, by the river, camping. Canadian and International musicians, all styles.
Bass coast Summer Festival July 7 - 10 Merritt, BC basscoast.ca Each year Bass Coast offers an eclectic mix of emerging Canadian electronic producers alongside internationally renowned artists.
FVDED in the Park July 7 - 8 Holland Park, Surrey, BC fvdedinthepark.com An emerging urban music festival and the largest outdoor music event in Metro Vancouver. Over 30 world-renowned artists across three stages.
SOULFEST 2017 July 7 – 9 Twin Butte, AB www.twinbuttestore.com/soulfest Hosted by Cam Penner and Jon Wood, the weekend starts on Friday night and keeps going all weekend at the Twin Butte Store. Sunday afternoon jam.
Theatre Under the Stars July 7 thru Aug 19 Malkin Bowl, Vancouver, BC tuts.ca Theatre Under the Stars presents two musical theatre shows a summer. 2017 season features Mary Poppins & The Drowsy Chaperone.
All Folk’d Up in Montmartre July 7 - 9 Kemoca Regional Park, Montmartre, SK allfolkedup.net Family friendly event with three days of music on two stages.
The Phillips Backyard Weekender July 7 - 9 Philips Brewery, Victoria, BC phillipsbeer.com Victoria’s best backyard party. The back lot of Victoria’s Philips Brewery once again transforms into a 3 day concert venue.
Whistler Children’s Art Festival July 7 - 9 Village, Whistler, BC artswhistler.com The heart of Whistler village will be transformed with tents, balloons and stages. This fun-filled weekend features a multitude of hands-on art workshops led by professional artists in fine arts, crafts, theatre, multi-media, dance and music from across BC.
Cates Park Concert Series July 8 thru Aug 26 North Vancouver, BC musart.ca A free, outdoor concert series that occurs on Saturdays in July and August from 4pm to 7pm on the waterfront stage in front of the food consession in Cates Park. This series provides the opportunity for exposure for original bands and artists to the local community.
Chemainus Blues Festival July 8 - 9 Waterwheel Park, Chemainus, BC chemainusblues.com Presented by the Chemainus Valley Cultural Arts Society.
Peace Festival July 7 - 8 Twelve Foot Davis Events Park, Peace River, AB peacefest.com Concerts Friday and Saturday night, Saturday street fair and activities for kids and the whole family.
Christina Lake Summer Homecoming Festival July 8 Community Beach, Christina Lake, BC christinalake.com Come Home to the Lake! Discover Canada’s warmest tree lined lake, nestled in the mountains of Boundary Country and experience the charm of this Community Summerfest packed with lots of fun! Market, demos, displays, music, performances, family beach party, grand finale “Light Up The Lake” boat parade for cash prizes & more!
Music At The Cannery July 7 - 25 Steveston Village, Richmond, BC gulfofgeorgiacannery.org/events/musicat-the-cannery Every Friday night at 6:30pm in the month of July for an evening of music. Every week will feature a different musical act, catering to a wide range of musical tastes, from blues, jazz, folk and more! Music at the Cannery is produced in collaboration with the Beat Merchant Record Store in Steveston. Concerts are held outdoors on the Cannery’s Tank Deck.
Greenwood Founders’ Day July 8 - 9 Lion’s Park, Greenwood, BC greenwoodcity.com Great fun for the whole family. Parade, exhibits, food vendors & entertainment.
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JULY festivals Harrison Festival of the Arts July 8 - 16 Harrison Hot Springs, BC harrisonfestival.com The Harrison Festival of the Arts has presented the best in performing and visual art from around the world set against the magnificent mountains and the sandy beaches of Harrison Lake. An event the whole family can enjoy featuring music (an outdoor and indoor stage), a large outdoor art and craft market, workshops, a special day for children (of all ages) and much more.
Kimberley Medieval Festival July 8 - 9 Kimberley, BC kimberleymedievalf.wix.com/kcbmf The Annual Kimberley Medieval Festival includes an authentic Viking village, learn about the past, dress up, and come together for this free community event.
Saskatoon berry Festival July 8 Mortlach, SK mortlach.ca/events/saskatoon-berryfestival-2017 Community event with plenty of saskatoon berry pies, music, arts & crafts, and a dance.
Khatsahlano! Music + Art Festival July 8 West 4th, Vancouver, BC shopwest4th.com/events Features eight stages showcasing more than 50 of Vancouver’s top musical performers as well as the eclectic work of local artisans and street performers from 9am - 11pm. This 10-block street fair also features a wide variety of food options, bustling patios, giveaways, special activities, and licensed outdoor beer gardens.
Osprey Festival July 8 wildbirdtust.org Maplewood Flats North Vancouver, BC 23rd Annual. Birds, acoustic music, Coast Salish foods, visual arts, workshops, nature walks, all ages, Free.
Summer Sounds July 9 thru Aug 27 Beacon Park, Sidney, BC sidney.ca Every Sunday in July and August, bring a chair or blanket to Beacon Park and listen to a variety of entertainment from 2 - 4 pm.
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Music on the Wharf Maple Ridge July 10 thru Aug 28 Port Haney Wharf, Maple Ridge, BC mapleridgemuseum.org/exhibitionsand-events/events/music-on-the-wharf Monday nights concert series features local and regional bands. 2017 dates are July 10, 24 & August 14, 28. The performers cover a variety of musical styles including jazz, blues, bluegrass, brass band, rock and western.
Downtown Victoria Buskers Festival July 11 - 16 Victoria, BC downtownvictoria.ca/buskers A free six-day family friendly event. Victoria will become a hub of busking talent with performers coming from far and wide - with a good dose of some home-grown local talent thrown in.
Burn in the Fraser July 13 - 16 Agassiz, BC burnintheforest.com This is a regional Burning Man event for BC. Our community is built on the participation of its members and from the simple exchange of food, stories, or a lending hand, to the elaborate construction of an interactive art project.
Ness Creek Folk Fest July 13 - 16 Big River, SK nesscreekmusicfestival.com Variety of music, tons of artistic activities and workshops.
Timber! Outdoor Music Festival July 13 - 15 Tolt-Macdonald Park, Carnation, WA timbermusicfest.com Music and community in the beautiful natural environment of the Pacific Northwest.
Craven Country Jamboree July 13 - 16 Craven, SK cravencountryjamboree.com The longest running multi-day music festival in Canada. It has been on the same site for 30 years - in the middle of the beautiful Qu’Appelle Valley.
CASCADIA July 13 - 16 Masonic Family Park, Granite Falls, WA cascadianw.com Featuring three days of camping with music, art, workshops, performances & artisan vending. Family friendly & party approved.
Pemberton Music Festival July 13 - 16 Pemberton, BC pembertonmusicfestival.com Nearly 100 performances and five stages over four glorious days of music, comedy, and camping on 300 clean, open acres in one of the most idyllic settings on Earth.
Billy Barker Days July 13 - 16 Quesnel, BC billybarkerdays.ca Quesnel’s Billy Barker Days is a free family festival celebrating our gold rush heritage. The festival features four days of entertainment for those seeking action, relaxation, fun and excitement.
Armstrong Metal Fest July 14 - 15 Hassen Arena, Armstrong, BC armstrongmetalfest.ca Featuring more than 36 local and international musicians together at the Hassen Arena in the small town of Armstrong. Prepare for this annual heavy metal and camping music festival. Camping is included with the purchase of a ticket and there will be several other events throughout the weekend for your enjoyment.
Vancouver Island Music Fest July 14 - 16 Comox Valley Fairgrounds, Courtenay, BC islandmusicfest.com Vancouver Island MusicFest is 3 days & nights of amazing roots, blues and world music from across Canada and around the world. 6 stages & over 75 concerts, on-site riverside camping, kids activities, eco-education areas, workshops, unique crafts, tasty foods & so much more.
Astral Harvest Music & Arts Festival July 14 - 17 Driftpile, AB astralharvest.com Family-friendly atmosphere is part of the magic. 4 stages, 3 nights, DJs, live music, workshops, performances, conferences, live art.
Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017
JULY festivals Arts on the Fly
Northern Lights Music Festival
July 14 - 15 Horsefly, BC artsonthefly.com Arts on the Fly is back for 2017. Over the past years Horsefly has introduced artists from around the world to this small community. Multiple venues, workshops, kids areas and more.
Luminosity Project July 14 - 17 Nahatlatch Valley, BC luminosityproject.ca A collection of cutting edge musicians, artists, teachers, and visionaries from around the globe.
July 14 - 16 Cooks Valley Campground Piercy, California northernnights.org 4 stages of music, camping, music and art in the Redwoods.
Unity Music Festival July 14 - 16 Slocan City, BC unitymusicfestival.ca This family friendly festival is located right on the shores of Slocan Lake in the West Kootenays. Great music, great beach, local culture and amazing views.
Wild Mountain Music Festival July 14 - 16 Entrance Ranch, Hinton, AB wildmountainmusicfest.ca Beer tent, kids area, food vendors, crafts vendors. Trailer and tent camping onsite. Shuttle bus to and from Hinton.
Vancouver Folk Music Festival July 14 - 16 Jericho Beach Park, Vancouver, BC thefestival.bc.ca Known around the world for the quality of its programming, friendly ambiance and beautiful park setting, the Vancouver Folk Music Festival offers an exciting, eclectic and diverse music for all ages at Jericho Beach. Add in fabulous food, great shopping, a special area for little folks plus other on-site activities and amenities.
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Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017 35
JULY festivals Folk on the Rocks
Sunshine Cabaret
July 14 - 16 Yellowknife, NWT folkontherocks.com With more than 24 hours of programming you can drift between six stages on the shores of a beautiful crystal clear subarctic lake fringed by ancient rock and a landscape of soft sand. Purveyors of both contemporary and traditional folk jam alongside some of the country’s coolest indie-starlets.
Lone Butte Rocks Day July 15 Downtown Lone Butte southcaribootourism.ca/announcements/lone-butte-rocks-days Kids zone, petting zoo, vendors plus the Historical Association will hold their annual garage sale in the Water Tower park. Other events include a “poker-run” with prizes for the top hands.
Chemainus Bluegrass Festival July 15 - 16 Waterwheel Park, Chemainus, BC chemainusbluegrass.com Presented each year by the Chemainus Valley Cultural Arts Society. Two magical days of bluegrass music.
Cortes Days July 15 Smelt Bay Provincial Park, Cortes Island, BC mansonshall.org/programs/cortes-day It’s a complete celebration of Cortes Island starting with breakfast and followed by a parade. The day is filled with activities for children and adults, such as the cake walk, chicken run and the famous Nail, Snail and Bail race.
Dawson City Music Festival
July 15 thru Aug 20 Gyro Park, Penticton, BC downtownpenticton.org/sunshinecabaret Live music featuring a wide variety of performers. Friday and Saturday nights from 7 - 9pm in Gyro Park. (No shows Aug 4 and 5.)
Gateway Fest July 21 - 23 Bengough, SK gatewayfestival.com The Gateway Festival is an outdoor, family-friendly, 3-day celebration of music and culture. Bengough is just north of the historic Big Muddy Badlands.
Rock the Shores July 21 - 23 Colwood, BC rocktheshores.com Biggest rock event on Vancouver Island.
Starbelly Jam July 21 - 23 Crawford Bay, BC starbellyjam.org Starbelly Jam is back. Same great spot and vibes. Fun for the whole family. Vendors, workshops, festival camping and other near by accommodations.
Darrington Bluegrass Festival July 21 - 23 Darrington, Washington darringtonbluegrass.com The Pacific Northwest’s oldest running bluegrass festival. The Darrington Bluegrass Festival started in 1977 and is going strong, drawing over 7,000 people each year.
JULY 1 · 2017 · 12:30 to 3 pm Festival Stage · Canada 150 Interactive Art Project Food Vendors · Face Painting · Children’s activities Build a Boat & Float contest
July 21 - 23 Dawson City, YK dcmf.com The Dawson City Music Festival has been a fixture of the Yukon cultural calendar since 1979. An eclectic blend of concerts, workshops, and sessions over three days in 6 venues including the historic Palace Grand Theatre.
Hay Fever July 21 - 23 Burns Lake, BC ldfms.ca Formerly the Grassy Plains Music Festival, but now: Hay Fever. Same location in the Grassy Plains Hall. This year’s headliner is Rachelle Van Zanten.
Islands Folk Festival July 21 - 23 Providence Farm, Duncan, BC islandsfolkfestival.ca Held at beautiful Providence Farm near Duncan, throughout the years the spirit of music and community and thousands of musicians have graced our stages. This festival has become a world class event with a family feel - folk, jazz, blues, country, children’s, bluegrass, roots, Americana, Canadiana, & world beat.
Interstellar Rodeo Edmonton July 21 - 23 Hawrelak Park, Edmonton, AB interstellarrodeo.com/edmonton Six Shooter Records presents Interstellar Rodeo, Southern blues, rock and soul traditions make up the base sound with great dance bands and indie performances to round out this years amazing line-up.
August 18 th & 19 th 2017 2-day WatERFRont Music FEstival Purchase your tickets on-line at invermeremusicfest.com Or call 250.342.4423 MusicFest Food & Refreshment Village Kids 12 & under FREE
Kinsmen Beach Green Space · Invermere, BC · info@columbiavalleyarts.com · 250-342-4423
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Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017
JULY festivals K Days July 21 - 30 Edmonton, AB k-days.com K-days is a tribute to Edmonton’s history and a door to the future. Family fun, adventures in wine, food and spirits, and a long list of some of the finest musical acts in Canada.
Street Performers Festival July 21 - 23 Grande Prairie, AB gpstreetfest.com Bringing jugglers, acrobats, musicians, installation artists, facepainters, and many other assorted entertainers from around the world to Grande Prairie.
Kimberley JulyFest July 21 - 23 Centennial Park, Kimberley, BC kimberleyjulyfest.com Julyfest is also home to one of the biggest soccer tournaments in North
America, an extreme downhill longboard race, the Kimberley Homecoming Parade, a Kids Festival and an amazing Saturday night Dance Party.
Mission Folk Music Festival July 21 - 23 Fraser River Heritage Park, Mission, BC missionfolkmusicfestival.ca Mission has carved out a niche that is unique among Canadian festivals, seeking to find the best, the rarest, the unheard of that should be heard and to nurture local artists while reaching around the globe to bring in the world’s great music.
South CountRy Fair July 21 - 23 Fort Macleod, AB southcountryfair.com South Country Fair is a rural, peace-oriented, camping, music and arts festival.
Parksville Beachfest Concert Series July 21 thru Aug 19 Parksville, BC parksvillebeachfest.ca Friday and Saturday evenings enjoy top notch music on the beach. Through the week participate in the sandsculpting competition.
Renton River Days July 21 - 23 Renton, WA rentonriverdays.org An annual multi-day family festival featuring a variety of events, special features for kids, arts and crafts, recreation, food, and stage entertainment at Liberty Park and Cedar River Park.
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Summer Solstice Music Festival
Early Visit BirdourTickets Prices Until June 1st website or find us on Faceboook BC Musician Magazine’s
Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017 37
Metal is for
Girls
This Canada Day long weekend, a new B.C. festival will be celebrating its second year with the roar of chunky riffs, screeching feedback and guttural vocals. Metalocalypstick Festival in Valemount, BC is a metal music festival that places the focus on women in the scene, and celebrates their power and skill within this typically male-dominated genre. Founded by musician Kaia Kinney, the idea for Metalocalypstick Festival was born when, upon looking for femme-based festivals to book her band Anarcheon, she was unable to find a festival that focussed on women in the genre. With only a couple Europe-based, female-vocalist centred metal festivals on the radar, Kinney took action and started up what appears to be Canada’s first woman-focussed metal festival. While celebrating the breadth of skill of women vocalists in the genre, Kinney also wanted to hold a light to women who are bashing skins and melting faces, highlighting the variety of musicianship and skills that women in metal are bringing to the table. In its first year, Metalocalypstick Festival featured world class thrash, death, symphonic metal and hardcore bands, including Brazil’s Nervosa, Montreal’s Valfreya, and New Mexico’s Suspended, amongst many others. Not only does Metalocalypstick Festival provide a stage dedicated to women in metal, but they also donate a portion of proceeds to Girls Rock Camp Vancouver, encouraging and enabling the next generation of women to take space as performers in the industry. The aggressive nature of metal music has secured it largely as
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by Britt Meierhofer
a boy’s club (thanks, gender norms!) since its beginnings back when Black Sabbath emerged, in the early 1970’s. While there have always been some women whose metal careers were highlighted (think Girlschool or Warlock), success in the genre seems to be mostly reserved for men. As we enter an age where gender roles are challenged and women are emerging as visible game changers in a plethora of male-dominated industries, the metal scene is also seeing a surge of female influence and power, both on and off stage. The CEO of The Heavy Metal Music Association of Canada is a woman (Jenny DuHaime), with other women working within the organisation as well, indicating that inclusivity and equal opportunity are more a part of the metal scene than perhaps ever. With the female perspective in metal making its way into the spotlight, it’s interesting to examine the influence that it has on the evolution of what denotes the characteristics of heavy metal, as a genre and as a culture. No longer are the days when women are mostly pigeon-holed into groupie or sex-object types of roles within the metal scene. As more women integrate into the culture as band members, fans and organizers in the metal community, the narrative has been shifting to reflect and hold space for women in those roles. The narrative also seems to be focussed moreso now than ever on gender politics and how inclusivity looks within the metal community, which is important in changing the structural hindrances that divert women from getting involved in heavy metal and its subgenres.
Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017
opposite: Skye Maension; above: Kaia Kinney; right: Kami van Halst; below: Kenzie Darling. photos supplied. While Edmonton’s metal scene is churning out a lot of great woman-powered metal these days, Vancouver is holding its own, with groups like sludge duo HEDKS, death metal group Kymatica, riff-slingers Anarcheon and post-hardcore band Massive Scar Era holding stage time at this year’s Metalocalypstick Festival. Last year’s festival featured bands Omega Crom, Dead Asylum, and Elysium Echoes, who all represented Vancouver stellarly amidst the international line up. Metalocalypstick Festival, Girls Rock Camps and other efforts to arm women with the confidence and skill to make noise are paving the way for gender parity in heavy music, and the best way to encourage the diversification of these scenes is to support them! Go to the shows, camp at the festivals, give your daughters drums and amps. Metalocalypstick Festival runs July 1-2, 2017 in Valemount, BC, and more information can be found at www.metalocalypstickfest.rocks. See you in the pit!
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Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017 39
JULY festivals Theatre on the Edge Festival July 21 - 23 Shuswap Theatre, Salmon Arm, BC shuswaptheatre.com Friday afternoon to Sunday night sees alternating 60 minute performances in the theatre and sets of free live music at the Edge Club on the patio.
Ukee Days July 21 - 23 Village Green, Ucluelet, BC ukeedays.wordpress.com Celebrating westcoast life featuring logger sports, live music and performances, food and retail vendors, parade, beer gardens, pancake breakfast, salmon & oyster BBQ, contests and more.
Winthrop Rhythm & Blues Festival
Downtown Kelowna Block Party July 22 Kerry Park & Bernard Ave, Kelowna, BC downtownkelowna.com Kelowna is closing the streets of the downtown for the biggest block party in the Okanagan. Bring your family, friends and dogs for a full day of shopping, fashion shows, children’s activities, dancing, music and more! Sing, move and groove with live entertainment on three street stages and fun free outdoor activities from 10am - 4pm.
Calgary Folk Music Festival July 27 - 30 Prince’s Island Park, Calgary, AB calgaryfolkfest.com With a singularly Canadian festival style, earning a glowing reputation for programming that welcomes music from around the corner and the globe, bringing together marquee artists, local favourites, history-makers and innovators to Calgary for a broad-ranging vision of folk with an edge.
Surrey Fusion Festival July 22 - 23 Holland Park, Surrey, BC surrey.ca/fusionfestival The ultimate celebration of international food, music & culture.
July 21 - 23 Winthrop, Washington winthropbluesfestival.com Located at the Blues Ranch on the Methow River in the resort town of Winthrop, Washington, the Winthrop Rhythm & Blues Festival is a three-day event packed full of exciting national and regional entertainment for all ages. There is on site camping, food and craft vendors, portable showers, and a beer garden.
Music By The Sea July 22 - 30 Bamfield, BC musicbythesea.ca Music festival with 10 concerts, classical and contemporary solo and chamber music, sophisticated jazz and alternative music by international performers in a beautiful West Coast setting.
Bella Coola Music Festival July 22 - 23 Fall Fairgrounds, Bella Coola, BC bellacoolamusic.org An eclectic line-up of music - roots, rock, world, blues, folk and more. With something for everyone, the festival features a children’s site, food and craft vendors and workshops.
Kootenay Festival July 22 Millennium Park, Castlegar, BC Kootenayfestival.com Featuring live music, dance, performances and cuisine from the diverse cultures represented in the Kootenay region.
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We know there are many more communities and islands in this region, but detailed maps are available at your digital fingertips — and in Visitor Information Centres all over the province. This inset and the map on the previous pages are for easy reference and aesthetic enjoyment. Thank you RIKA for exquisite map-making.
Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017
JULY festivals Live in Filberg Park Summer Concert Series July 27 thru Aug 24 Filberg Heritage Park, Comox, BC filberg.com A series of evening concerts in beautiful Filberg Park. July 27: Jesse Roper; Aug 4 Delhi 2 Dublin (during Filberg Festival); Aug 24 Ashley MacIsaac. Check website for more information.
WIND Festival July 27 - 30 Squamish, BC squamishwindfestival.com Local arts, live music and high octane wind and water sports in Howe Sound blended with musical theatre, roaming buskers, kids crafts, the farmers market, kite flying, sports demos and a movie under the stars.
Columbia Gorge Bluegrass Festival July 27 - 30 Stevenson, WA columbiagorgebluegrass.net Each year the bands include some of the stalwarts of the NW bluegrass community as well as many players who are fairly new to bluegrass and to their instruments. This is a great chance for musicians to make new friends, play music with others, and get to perform on stage.
Electric Love Music Festival July 28 - 31 Agassiz, BC electriclovemusicfestival.com Five well-seasoned, hand-picked production companies have united their years of experience. Action packed, one-night festival offers festival-goers a lush space to dance and be free in the midst of stunning mountains, waterfall backdrops as well as the river’s edge. Up and coming local talent and world renowned DJs.
Seafest - Alert Bay July 28 - 30 Alert Bay alertbayseafest.com Seafest is a 3 day festival that includes Artfest and Musicfest. This family friendly event features live music and local crafts.
Monster Energy Center of Gravity
Pure Speculation July 28 - 29 Edmonton, AB purespec.org The Pure Speculation Festival is Edmonton’s premiere science fiction and fantasy festival, featuring two-and-a-half days of panels, costumes, merchants, games and other events aimed at the geek in you.
Hootstock Festival of Music, Dance and Spoken Word July 28 - 30 Forest Grove, BC hootstock.com Featuring everything from bluegrass to dance performances, storytellers and poets, bands and electronica (EDM). Workshops, eclectic vendors and food. Everyone welcome! Camping. Festival with a great vibe and setting.
Diamonds Travel Club
since 2001
CROSS CANADA BY TRAIN
- Fly home JULY 23 - AUG 8 (17 days) Stops and tours in Winnipeg (2 nights), Toronto (2 nights), Montreal (1 night), Halifax (4 nights) P.E.I. (2 nights) fly home from Charlottown. $5995.00 per person double sharing, seats limited. $100 Early Booking Discount.
NASHVILLE only - Fly JULY 3-8
All tours are inclusive except fo r meals
Includes: flights, hotels, bus, tours, hop on hop off passes and hotel shuttle passes to the honky tonks on Broadway, taxes and the services of a Tour Guide.
$2300.00 CDN per person double
NASHVILLE/BRANSON/MEMPHIS - Fly JULY 3-14 Nashville as above plus: Branson: all shows & hotel (call for info) Memphis: Graceland, Beale Street and Gibson Guitar Factory Tour $3600.00 CDN per person double
Call Lynda 1-844-900-6550 or Vancouver # 778-565-1855 abdiamondstravelclub@gmail.com
www.diamondstravelclub.com BC Musician Magazine’s
July 28 - 30 City Park, Kelowna, BC wetape.com Canada’s Hottest Beach Festival is happening this August Long weekend at City Park in Kelowna BC. Featuring world class sports: Beach Volleyball, Basketball, Wakeboarding, Freestyle Mountain Biking, FMX, Skateboarding, and BMX. As well as some of the world`s biggest names in dance, hip hop, and pop music.
Kispiox Valley Music Festival July 28 - 30 Kispiox, BC kvmf.ca Near Hazelton. Running since 1995 on the bank of the renown Kispiox river, this festival is known across the province and even the country for featuring up and coming new musicians in all genres of music: rock, blues, folk, world, bluegrass, celtic, something for everyone.
MarketFest July 28 & Aug 25 Baker St, Nelson, BC Downtown Baker Street is transformed into a lively night market featuring 100 vendors, two stages of live music, dance performances, kid’s entertainment and more. The MarketFest runs from 6 pm to 10:30 pm. A $5 donation for admission is kindly requested for anyone over 18. Everyone is welcome, whether you make a donation or not!
Sasquatch Gathering July 28 - 30 Rangeton Park, AB sasquatchgathering.com A non-profit artistic and recreational event, set in a beautiful, rustic campground nestled along the Pembina River, kid and family friendly.
Sooke Fine Arts Show July 28 - Aug 7 Sooke, BC sookefinearts.com The eleven-day Show and Sale features 375+ pieces of artwork from the finest artists on Vancouver Island and BC’s Coastal Islands. Wander through our 17,000 square foot gallery, and enjoy all types of live music from classical to folk, bluegrass and jazz.
Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017 43
JULY festivals Gibsons Sea Cavalcade
Blessed Coast July 28 - 31 Squamish, BC blessedcoast.ca Three days of live music & performance, local organic food, yoga, workshops, and camping on the coast.
Alpine Blossom Festival July 28 - 30 Sun Peaks Resort, BC sunpeaksresort.com/events-and-festivals Entertainers and activities, including live performances, a kids zone, outdoor evening movie and more. This time of
Chemainus Accordion Festival July 29 Chemainus, BC cvcas.com/event/chemainus-accordiondays-2016 A line-up of accordion talent will perform on the stage at Waterwheel Park.
July 29 - 30 Gibsons, BC seacavalcade.ca The Annual Sea Cavalcade has a fun-filled weekend in store for you and your family. You’ll find events for all ages and levels of activity, from toddlers to seniors, spectators to competitive athletes.
Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows Country Fest July 29 - 30 Albion Fairgrounds, Maple Ridge, BC mrpmcountryfest.com Music, agriculture, food and fun... in BC farm country. Admission is free.
Caribbean Days Festival North Vancouver July 29 - 30 North Vancouver, BC caribbeandays.ca Each July, the Trinidad & Tobago Cultural Society of BC presents the Caribbean
Days Festival. This event draws a crowd of exuberant fun-lovers to North Vancouver’s Waterfront Park for a weekend of parading, dining and dancing in the sunshine.
Texada Island Blues & Roots FestivaL July 29 - 30 Texada, BC texadabluesfestival.com Texada Island Blues & Roots festival features local artists an this year is a tribute to Lenord Cohen. Camping, vendors, kidz zone, gospel hour.
Shorefest July 29 - Aug 5 English Bay, Vancouver, BC hondacelebrationoflight.com Free community concert series during the Honda Celebration of Light an annual musical fireworks competition held every summer in Vancouver. 10pm July 26, Aug 2 and Aug 5.
ARTs R I S I N G P E N T I C T O N
September 21 - 24
Join the Evolution
www.artsrising.ca
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Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017
Illuminating the Forests by Dan Walton
Deep in the abyss of the Okanagan wilderness lay a series of secluded sites that are perfect for off-the-grid, hippie music festivals. Private locations far away from urban centres allow for limitless energy to be utilized by the party-planning company Ora Laser Entertainment. They’ll be lighting up Curiosity Music Festival, taking place near Penticton in June; Summer Bass Music Festival near Rock Creek in July; and Hi Society Music Festival near Kamloops in August. “Each stage we create is from brainstorming and careful planning,” said Ora Laser owner Jordan Sikora. “Many of the stages I have put together takes many hours to prepare, in my driveway or back yard, and all are powered by PK Sound and lit by Ora Laser Entertainment.” Sikora became an enterprising laser furnisher after noticing the Okanagan’s once-mighty underground festival scene was withering away. He saw a party power vacuum that needed to be filled.
“Most of the other promotion group had disbanded or moved away,” Sikora said. “That left all the people who love music and setting their soul free on the dance floor with a hole in their lives. So we basically cater to anyone thats legal age and older. People who are high in spirit and low in judgement. Basically anyone that just wants to come have fun, socialize and be a part of the local scene.” And the craft of festival planning is something that takes considerable honing. “You can’t just throw your lights in a forest and hope it looks good,” he said. “You got to have a bit of an artsy side with light placement too.” From Friday night until Sunday afternoon, the heavy beats never stop at these weekend-long festivals. Lineups are stacked with local artists and producers whose musical showcases are comparable to any big name. Festival-goers should be prepared for hot, cold and rainy weather, and bring camping gear or have a cozy vehicle to sleep in. Hot food and hippie apparel are available through a handful of vendors, and profits are continually reinvested into more powerful speakers, laser and equipment. Spray paint artists love the atmosphere for creating mind-bending murals, and workshops are regularly held by fervent artists and dancers. Each event tends to lure crowds from 300 to 1,000 in size. “We invite every patron ourselves, which weeds out the crazy over the top party animals and people that enjoy starting fights and problems. Everyone who comes to our shows are there for a good time.” The events are invite-only, so follow Ora Laser Entertainment on Facebook to get involved with the community.
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Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017 45
AUGUST festivals Vancouver Bach Festival
Element Music Festival
Aug 1 - 11 Christ Church Cathedral, Vancouver, BC earlymusic.bc.ca/events This summer the second annual Vancouver Bach Festival returns.
Big Valley Jamboree Aug 3 - 6 Camrose, AB bigvalleyjamboree.com/bvj Whether you’re a true blue country music fan, or just like to have fun in a casual, relaxed atmosphere, Big Valley Jamboree is the event for you.
Calgary International Blues Festival Aug 3 - Aug 6 Shaw Millenium Park, Calgary, AB calgarybluesfest.com Calgary Bluesfest celebrates the best in blues from across Canada and beyond with a full week of events culminating in 4 days & nights of non-stop music on Mainstage and at the nightly Twilight Blues dance parties. The family friendly event features local food vendors, colourful arts market, festival merchandise, beer garden & more.
Sunfest Festival Aug 3 - 6 Cowichan Exhibition Grounds Cowichan Valley, BC sunfestconcerts.com On August long weekend Sunfest attracts thousands of country music fans from all over the island, the province and now boasts an international fan base. This festival features exhibits, food & merchandise vendors and a beer garden.
Mt Baker Rhythm & Blues Festival
Aug 3 - 6 Snug Lake Amphitheatre, Princeton, BC elementfestival.info 3 days & nights of music, camping & art that will be hosted on a breathtaking 160acre property nestled among the beauty of the Thompson-Nicola Valley.
The Festival at Sandpoint Aug 3 - 13 Lake Pend Oreille, Sandpoint, Idaho, USA festivalatsandpoint.com Annual summer concert series with eight nights of eclectic music under the stars on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille in Sandpoint, Idaho.
Wanderlust Festival Aug 3 - 6 Whistler, BC whistler.wanderlustfestival.com Wanderlust is a 5 day celebration combination of yoga, music and nature.
Barkerville Stage, Artwells Festival Aug 4 - 7 Barkerville Historic Town, BC barkerville.ca Visit Barkerville’s ArtsWells stages for amazing acoustic musical presentations. Our iconic and spectacular St. Saviour’s Church venue was constructed in 1869 by Reverand James Reynard of Barkerville, and the reconstructed Methodist Church building offers outstanding audibility.
Aug 4 - 7 Filberg Heritage Lodge and Park Comox, BC filbergfestival.com The annual four-day Filberg Festival is the art event of the summer! Held each BC Day long weekend, the Festival features more than 130 artisans, lively entertainment and great food for all ages at the beautiful 9-acre waterfront Filberg Heritage Lodge and Park in Comox, BC.
Coombs Bluegrass Festival Aug 4 Coombs Rodeo Grounds, Coombs, BC chrco.org/bluegrass Coombs Bluegrass Festival is the oldest in BC. If you have not yet experienced a bluegrass festival, here is a wonderful opportunity to explore what bluegrass music is, the history, see top quality bluegrass music and meet the people. Join them for a fun filled weekend of bluegrass & camping at the Coombs Rodeo Grounds. Aug 4 - 6 Tk’emlups Indian Band Powwow Grounds, Kamloops, BC tourismkamloops.com/kamloopa-powwow-in-kamloops-british-columbia One of the largest celebrations of First Nations’ culture and heritage in Western Canada. Held at the Secwepemc Pow Wow grounds along the South Thompson River.
Aug 3 - 12 Hornby Island, BC hornbyfestival.bc.ca The Hornby Festival is 10 days of festivities in mid-summer including multi-genre mainstage concerts, children’s workshops, also featuring spoken word and visual arts.
Rockin’ River Music Fest
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Filberg Festival
Kamloopa Pow Wow
Hornby Festival
Aug 3 - 6 Merritt, BC rockinriver.com Don’t miss this 4 day country music festival with over 25 bands, on-site camping. Kids 12 and under are free.
Aug 4 - 6 Bellingham, Washington bakerblues.com The Mount Baker R&B Festival has, from the beginning been dedicated to “Keepin’ the Blues Alive.” By incorporating, roots, rock, pure blues and even a touch of rockabilly & jazz, the blues is represented. Hence, an amazing vibe. As always, free camping/showers with weekend pass, 55 full RV hookups. Food/crafts vendors and beer garden as well as an indoor all-star jam after hours until 2am every night.
Kaslo Jazz Etc.
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Aug 4 - 6 Kaslo, BC kaslojazzfest.com Jazz may be in the festival’s name but it doesn’t end there. Many acts who have performed on the floating stage included
Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017
AUGUST festivals blues, funk, soul, world, latin and jazz bands. The venue’s unique location provides festival patrons with natural amphitheater surrounded by pristine wilderness to enjoy while watching the performances on the floating stage nestled on the shoreline of Kootenay Lake.
Fire n Water Music Festival Aug 4 - 6 Lac du Bonnet, MB firenwater.ca The Fire & Water Music Festival celebrates musicians, visual artists, sideshow performers, dancers and artisans. It offers three stages featuring independent music, artist workshops and children’s programming for all ages.
Connect Festival Aug 4 - 7 Besant Campground, Moose Jaw, SK connectfestival.ca Connect Festival started 22 years ago with international talent and urban culture in a beautiful Southern Saskatchewan setting. Since then, it has grown into Canada’s most illustrious grassroots electronica and alternative culture festivals. People from all walks of life come out and let their hair down.
Glacier Challenge Aug 4 - 7 Centennial Park, Revelstoke, BC glacierchallenge.com This annual event brings thousands of people from across Western Canada and parts of the US for a friendly weekend of bats, balls, beer and beats. Register a team or just come for the live music and fun atmosphere. Live music Saturday and Sunday at 10pm.
Blueberry Bluegrass Country Music Festival Aug 4 - 6 Heritage Park, Stony Plain, AB blueberrybluegrass.com Western Canada’s largest bluegrass fest! Great outdoor concert stage in Heritage Park.
World’s Invitational Gold Panning Championships Aug 4 - 6 Peace Island Park, Taylor, BC districtoftaylor.com/visit/worlds-invitational-class-a-gold-panning-championships Annual Gold Panning festivities opens on Friday night with a community parade, music and food at Peace Island Park. Champion goldpanners return to defend their titles and panning skills are demonstrated and taught to newcomers. Real gold is at stake and the competition is serious business. The weekend holds fun family events such as bannock baking, claims staking and metal detecting along with a variety of children’s activities.
Terrace Riverboat Days Agu 4 - 13 Terrace, BC riverboatdays.ca A large community festival, parade, fireworks, sports and concerts in the park.
Grizfest Aug 4 - 6 Tumbler Ridge, BC grizfest.com The Annual Grizfest in Tumbler Ridge is a music festival in the mountain wilder-
BC Musician Magazine’s
ness catering to all kinds of diverse music selections. The Battle of the Bands starts off the rocking weekend on Friday night and the tunes, food and fun continue all weekend. A daily music schedule starting at noon on Sat/Sun will happen in the rain, shine or snow. Bring warm clothes just in case.
ArtsWells Festival Of All Things Art Aug 4 - 7 Wells, BC artswells.com This is a four-day outdoor & indoor event designed with community in mind. We hope that you will enjoy the weekend taking in all the great artists, the local flavour of nature trails, historical sites, artisans, and friendly folk!
Harmony Arts Festival Aug 4 - 14 West Vancouver, BC harmonyarts.ca The Harmony Arts Festival hosts more than 70 free concerts on two outdoor stages, includes an art market, as well as artist talks and workshops, and features food vendors and culinary events.
Canmore Folk Music Festival Aug 5 - 7 Centennial Park, Canmore, AB canmorefolkfestival.com The Canmore Folk Music Festival is a weekend-long event in the heart of the Rockies - with music, food vendors, craft vendors and plenty of activities for the whole family.
Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017 47
AUGUST festivals Comox Nautical Days
Peach Festival
Aug 5 - 7 Comox, BC comoxnauticaldays.ca Tons of live local music, plus weekend highlights include the Bullhead Derby, Canoe Jousting, Dragon Boat Races, Build, Bail & Sail, the Ceremony of the Flags, parade, food, crafts and fireworks. Free and great fun for the whole family.
Maple Ridge Caribbean Festival Aug 5 - 6 Albion Fairgrounds, Maple Ridge, BC caribbeanfest.ca The festival will feature 2 large stages with continuous music provided by 15 live bands from the Lower Mainland’s Caribbean community, featuring reggae, calypso, salsa and soca music.
Flowmotion Summer Meltdown
Aug 9 - 13 Penticton, BC peachfest.com The biggest free five-day festival in Western Canada. Featuring fabulous entertainment, a variety of vendors, two parades, an Aboriginal Cultural Village, a square dance festival, Penticton Peach Festival Royalty, a sandcastle competition and a midway.
Campbell River Salmon Festival Aug 10 - 12 Nunns Creek Park, Campbell River, BC crsalmonfestival.com The prime industries of Northern Vancouver Island are forestry and fishing and our festival is a tribute to them. Logger events, Salmon BBQ, live music stage and kids activities.
White Rock Sea Festival Aug 5 - 6 White Rock, BC whiterockseafestival.com All day live entertainment, sand castle sculptures, food vendors, torchlight parade.
Folklorama Aug 6 - 19 Winnipeg, MB folklorama.ca Folklorama promotes the ethno-cultural diversity of Manitoba through entertainment, public celebrations of culture and education.
Saskatoon Exhibition Aug 8 - 13 Saskatoon, SK saskatoonexhibition.ca Numerous stages, youth talent search, art show, rides, beer gardens and more.
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Edmonton Folk Fest Aug 10 - 13 Gallaghar Park, Edmonton, AB edmontonfolkfest.org An irresistible festival. World-class folk music festival.
CannaFest Aug 10 - 12 James Donaldson Park, Grand Forks, BC cannafest.ca CannaFest combines the power of rock music with the education of the healing power of pot. Western Canada’s largest Classic Rock Festival.
Doe Bay Fest Aug 10 - 13 Orcas Island, WA doebayfest.com This four day festival features music, food, drink, camping and activities in a unique setting.
Vancouver Pride Parade Aug 6 Vancouver, BC vancouverpride.ca Attracting crowds of more than 650,000, the Pride Parade is renowned on the international stage as on of the largest and most successful events in the world, in support of LGBTQ communities, with spectators and participants outnumbering the host City’s residents. Noon-3pm.
Aug 10 - 13 Darrington, WA summermeltdownfest.com Summer Meltdown is a multi day grassroots music festival featuring 4 stages of music, onsite camping, late night performances, river access, kids activities, music workshops, beer garden, green village and so much more.
8th Annual!
From Blues to Rock, Country to Folk... Featuring:
John Welsh Band Johnny P. Johnson Carolyn Mark Coco Jafro ...and so much more! Kids’ Zone! Great Workshops! Exciting Vendors!
August 11 & 12, 2017 Spences Bridge, BC desertdaze.ca
Regina Folk Festival Aug 10 - 13 Victoria Park, Regina, SK reginafolkfestival.com The Regina Folk Festival draws great acts and great crowds to the Queen City each summer.
John Arcand Fiddle Fest Aug 10 - 13 Windy Acres, Saskatoon, SK johnarcandfiddlefest.com The aim of this festival is to promote Métis cultural traditions through the preservation and promotion of fiddle music and dance and to provide a forum to showcase youth, talent and culture.
Latin Summer Fest Aug 11 - 13 Swangard Stadium, Burnaby, BC latinsummerfest.com Latin Summer Fest presents One Love Weekend: reggae-latin-afro Caribbeanworld music.
Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017
August 11th & 12th, 2017 Come for a fresh mountain experience. Hear the best in Canadian Indie, performers that fit the spirit and energy of Fernie BC. See the line up and buy tickets at
wapitimusicfestival.com
PROUDLY CANADIAN.
PROUDLY RASTAGARIAN.
August
17-19 CALGARY CELEBRATING
150 YEARS
OF CANADA UNITING CULTURES
For tickets and info visit
REGGAEFEST.CA
BC Musician Magazine’s
Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017 49
AUGUST festivals South Cariboo Summer Festival Aug 11 - 12 100 Mile House, BC southcaribootourism.ca The 1st Annual South Cariboo Summer Festival will feature entertainment, food competitions, fun stuff for the kids, Crib Tournament, and possible a chance to skydive! A trade show exhibit hall will also be available.
Kanfest Aug 11 - 13 Canoe Meadows, Kananaskis, AB calgarykayakclub.com/CKC/index.php/ kanfest A gathering of whitewater kayaking enthusiasts for a weekend of fun. Enjoy the events, clinics and friendly competition. Live music, BBQ, demos, auctions and more.
Robson Valley Music Festival Aug 11 - 13 Dunster, BC robsonvalleymusicfestivalbc.com One of the coolest grass roots, multigenre music festivals in BC! The festival is held in the heart of the pristine and remote Robson Valley. A large list of performers is found on the web site. Camping available.
Wapiti Fernie’s Music Festival Aug 11 - 12 Annex Park, Fernie, BC wapitimusicfestival.com Wapiti hosts the best in Canadian Indie. Festival site 5 min from downtown. Bike check, craft beer, local wine & kids tent.
Shambhala Music Festival Aug 11 - 14 Salmo, BC shambhalamusicfestival.com Set on a private 500 acre farm, over 300 acts from around the world on 6 uniquely themed stages. Living Room, Village Stage, Fractal Forest, Pagoda, Amphitheatre and The Grove.
Outside Lands Aug 11 - 13 Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA sfoutsidelands.com Multi day and single day tickets available. A smorgasbord of music. Live painting, musical theater, art-performance, comedy and variety tent, food, beer, wine and group bike ride to and from a festival.
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Saskatoon Reggae and World Music Festival Aug 8 - 13 Friendship Park, Saskatoon, SK saskatoonreggaefestival.com This young and vibrant festival celebrates artists and performers from across Canada, consisting of First Nations, Caribbean, Latin and various other ethnic and cultural groups
Desert Daze Festival Aug 11 - 12 Spences Bridge, BC desertdaze.ca Every summer the Desert Daze Music Festival features a mix of great local and touring musicians and bands. From rock to pop to folk to country to roots, music for the whole family.
8th Annual Retro Concert Weekend Aug 11 - 13 Sun Peaks Resort, BC sunpeaksresort.com Get on your dancing shoes and enjoy three days of serious rock and roll at Sun Peaks. This weekend of outdoor tribute band performances has become a favourite among local residents and guests.
Edge of the World Music Festival Aug 11 - 13 Tlell Fall Fair Grounds, Haida Gwaii, BC edgefestival.com Opening and closing with traditional Haida song and dance, EOTW music festival endeavours to bring a wide selection of musical acts – from world beat to hip hop, and everything in between. Magical ambiance, diverse vendors, a kids zone, and workshops all delight at this unique festival on stunning Haida Gwaii.
Whistler Crankworx Festival Aug 11 - 20 Whistler, BC crankworx.com Whistler BC makes its annual transformation into the Colosseum of freeride mountain biking. In a stadium of dirt sculpted out of raw mountain, a hedonic convergence of riders and bike lovers from all around the world gathers to crown champions and revel in the mountain biking revolution.
Burnaby Blues & Roots Festival Aug 12 Deer Lake Park, Burnaby, BC burnabybluesfestival.com Burnaby Blues + Roots Festival returns to Deer Lake Park for another amazing day of music for the whole family.
Columbia Basin Culture Tour Aug 12 - 13 Columbia Basin, BC cbculturetour.com Explore artists’ studios, museums, art galleries, and heritage sites through this free, self-guided tour within the Columbia Basin. Meet the artists, shop for fine art and craft, view demonstrations, special exhibitions interpretive displays or chat with local historians during this two day cultural celebration.
Okanagan Pride Festival Aug 12 - 19 Kelowna, BC okanaganpride.com An open, inclusive, inter-faith, ecumenical gathering to celebrate diversity and inclusion.
Burrard Inlet Fish Fest Aug 12 Rocky Point Park, Port Moody, BC bifishfest.wordpress.com This community engaged art event. Again this years event is a green, solar, wind and bicycle powered performance stage.
Richmond Maritime Festival Aug 12 - 13 Britannia Shipyards, Richmond, BC richmondmaritimefestival.ca Seafarers and landlubbers alike celebrate Steveston’s waterfront heritage at the Britannia Shipyards, National Historic Site. Fun for the whole family, live music and performances, artists, exhibitors and food.
Opera in the Village Aug 13 - 14 Fairmont Palliser, Calgary calgaryopera.com/16-17/chautauqua Calgary will once again be bursting with music and mirth as Imperial presents Canada’s only outdoor summer opera festival Calgary Opera’s Opera in the Village. Daily opera and musical performances, outdoor activities, roving performers, food trucks and more. This is a great introduction to the opera experience.
Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017
AUGUST festivals Centralia Old-Time Music Campout Aug 13 - 20 Centralia, WA centraliacampout.com This is a relaxed event for musicians who like lots of jamming and hanging out with old friends and making new ones.
British Columbia SwingCamp Aug 13 - 19 Sorrento, BC bcswingcamp.ca Spend an inspiring, challenging and joyous week with others who share a passion for swing. The BC Swing Camp provides a friendly, non-competitive environment for everyone from swing novices to more seasoned players. You’ll enjoy an extensive selection of seminars and workshops to help you grow as a musician.
ReggaeFest Aug 17 - 19 Shaw Millennium Park, Calgary, AB reggaefest.ca
Experience why this Calgary family event has become the premier summer Reggae Festival in all of Canada. Chill out with a brew in the Village, hang with the kidz in the Zone, savor the flavours of island spices and take in some great live music. Come join the Rastagarian Movement!
Yukon River Side Art Festival Aug 17 - 20 Dawson City, YK kiac.ca/artsfestival The Yukon Riverside Arts Festival is an annual KIAC summer event that takes place on Dawson City’s Discovery Days weekend. The festival is primarily based outdoors in open-air tents along the Yukon River, but events also take place at numerous venues around town.
Saskatoon Folkfest Aug 17 - 19 Saskatoon, SK saskatoonfolkfest.com For three days each year, Saskatoon
comes alive with the sights, sounds and tastes of our ethnic heritage.
Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts Aug 17 - 20 Rockwood Centre, Sechelt, BC writersfestival.ca Join Canada’s longest running summer gathering of Canadian writers and readers, featuring established literary stars and exciting, new voices… with opportunities for writers and readers to mingle amidst Rockwood’s heritage gardens.
Jazz At The Lake Festival Aug 17 - 20 Sylvan Lake, AB jazzatthelake.com Jazz At The Lake presents four concerts, Feb 20, May 21, Aug 20 and Sept 23 of the highest quality of jazz performers, continuing Sylvan Lake’s historic tradition of live music.
Art by: Anita McComas
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Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017 51
AUGUST festivals Manitoba Electronic Music Exhibition Atmosphere Gathering Aug 17 - 21 Multiple Venues, Winnipeg, MB memetic.ca Manitoba Electronic Music Exhibition aka “MEME” is a yearly electronic music and digital arts festival started in 2010 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. MEME features various concerts, events, workshops and a series of outdoor concerts located at The Cube in Winnipeg’s Old Market Square.
Country Thunder Aug 18 - 20 Prairie Winds Park, Calgary, AB countrythunder.com/festivals/calgaryalberta Country Thunder is the premier Country Music Festival to roll into southeast Wisconsin and Arizona for the past 23 years. In August 2016, Country Thunder AB launched in Calgary AB, Canada! This 3 day event took place at Prairie Winds Park in the NE area of the city and featured the hottest acts in country music.
Aug 18 - 20 Cumberland, BC atmospheregathering.com Intimate west coast dance festival showcasing live and electronic music, art, dance and workshops for all ages.
MoM Festival Aug 18 - 20 Fort St. James Fair Ground, BC momfestival.com Three days of art and magic, with two stages, roving theatre, workshops, youth activities, vendors, visual arts, crafts and more. MoM misses you! Now held in the meadow at Fort St. James fair ground.
Gabriola Theatre Festival Aug 18 - 20 Gabriola Island, BC artsgabriola.ca Ten fantastic theatre performances from BC and beyond; live music stage all weekend long; 50-plus artists and artisans at Street Art! Kids Corner, Theatre Salons and more! All on beautiful Gabriola Island—the Isle of the Arts.
Bear Creek Folk Festival Aug 18 - 20 Muskoseepi Park, Grande Prairie, AB bearcreekfolkfest.org Grande Prairie hosting its first annual Folk Music Festival, featuring over 30 artists. Offering a shuttle service between a local campground and the festival site.
Victoria Dragon Boat Festival Aug 18 - 20 Victoria, BC victoriadragonboat.com Three days featuring exciting dragon boat races, entertainment on two stages, great food, activities for kids and families, and more.
Invermere MusicFest Aug 18 - 19 Kinsmen Beach, Invermere, BC invermeremusicfest.com Invermere MusicFest is set on the picturesque shoreline of Lake Windermere. Stage lineup includes all genres of music for all ages and the festival hosts musician workshops and jam sessions.
Invermere Music Fest: A heavenly beach, a pool of talent Every summer, there’s a heavenly beach in the Rockies that gets taken over by talent to become the grounds for Invermere MusicFest. It’s a two-day festival that launches with a high-energy dance party on Friday night, and then on Saturday, a full lineup of fire will steadily intensify the energy levels in the lead up to the headlining act – Blackie and the Rodeo Kings. The festival is only in its fifth year, but already “We’re growing into a festival that the musicians like to come to,” said Jami Scheffer, executive director of the event. While she was building the lineup, Scheffer said there was a torrent of talent hoping to be part of MusicFest with two to three bands were submitting applications each day. “We treat our bands well, they have a good time and they reach out to us.” And with such a wide variety of talent to choose from, Scheffer fills the bill with a spectrum of musical artistry. “It’s about picking a variety of styles and the right genres for the time of day. The challenge of a good festival is how you place the music. And we make sure there’s something for everyone – if you don’t like the music of the moment just wait a little and it’ll change.” But even the most picky listeners will be tuned into the talent pool at MusicFest. And attendees especially don’t want to miss will be the performance of vocalist Dawn Pemberton, whose career
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by Dan Walton
has blossomed since her performance at MusicFest 2013 – at the time, she was a member of the three-person choir for blues-rock duo Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer. “She’s coming as her own band to perform R&B,” said Scheffer. “I remember fondly how great she was.” The main stage bands all fit into the genres of folk and rock ‘n’ roll, and for the first year, there’s a “chill tent,” where DJs will be playing electronic music both evenings. “Friday night we’re picking upbeat, danceable music. And then Saturday during the day will be more laid back, with really good creative music. Then it winds up for the evening into another big night of fun.” Arrowhead Brewing Co. – where Invermere’s local ales are made – will be the beer sponsor, and the Okanagan’s Tinhorn Creek will be pouring the wine. And all of festival’s manufactured magic is complemented by its surroundings, in the natural beauty of the Columbia Valley. With their re-entry policy, MusicFest-goers can take a break from the show if they feel like wandering over to the public beaches or going to town for lunch. Planning a long road trip in order to attend MusicFest is justifiable. It’s happening on Aug. 18 and 19, and tickets cost $50 through invermeremusicfest.com or $60 at the gate. “We’re the best fest in the East Kootenays.”
Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017
AUGUST festivals Harvest Sun Music Fest Aug 18 - 20 Kelwood, MB theharvestsun.com A small festival providing a forum for farming organizations to create awareness of their cause through music and the arts. Supporting Manitoba performers and artists, the festival maintains an allCanadian line-up throughout the festival’s duration.
Hi, Society Music Fest Aug 18 - 20 Kootenay Boundary, BC facebook.com/HiSocietyEntertainment Developed by a dedicated collective of individuals, fuelled by their passion of music, arts, and progressive social action and interaction. Expect friendly, eclectic people, good music, and an open atmosphere.
Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Aug 18 - 20 Lyons, Colorado bluegrass.com/folks A three-day family friendly event on the river with camping options. Near-by hiking and mountain biking trails.
Come By The Hills Music Festival Aug 18 - 19 Mishtahiya, AB comebythehills.ca Nestled in the beautiful Battle River Valley in East Central Alberta. The Battle River Music Society is bringing you a great lineup of folk, country, roots, blues, jazz and celtic musicians.
East Coast Kitchen Party Aug 18 - 20 David Thompson Resort, Nordegg, AB davidthompsonresort.com/specialevents.htm Lively & talented performers, spectacular mountain scenery & a fresh lobster dinner. This music is guaranteed to get your toes a-tappin’. Don’t forget to check out the late-night jam sessions in our pub once the mainstage closes. Come get your jig on! Located on Hwy 11 at Cline River, AB
Picture Butte Jamboree Days Aug 18 - 20 Picture Butte, AB picturebutte.ca/visitors/jamboree_days.php Archery, slo pitch, pancakes, family street dance, and lots more family fun.
Blackberry Street Party Aug 18 Powell River, BC powellriver.info/calendar An annual week-long tradition this is a family-friendly festival with live music and visual artists, food and contests and ending in a huge street party on Friday including an amazing fireworks display.
Princeton Traditional Music Festival Aug 18 - 20 Princeton, BC princetontraditional.org/festival The free festival takes place in the centre of Princeton, and begins with a public street dance and band. Saturday and Sunday are given over, between the hours of 10 am to 6 pm, to a variety of concerts, workshops, panels and jams.
Ponderosa Arts & Music Festival Aug 18 - 20 Rock Creek, BC ponderosafestival.com Ponderosa Festival will be bringing all its art, music, and freshness back to Rock Creek this summer. A three-day boutique festival experience with picturesque riverside camping, two stages of stellar bands, artists, great foods, vendors, and the chillest vibes.
Salmon Arm Roots & Blues Festival Aug 18 - 20 Salmon Arm, BC rootsandblues.ca The Salmon Arm Roots & Blues Festival is among the largest and most musically diverse festivals in BC. Roots & Blues provides an incredible sonic and visual sampler and it’s a great place to come together with family and friends. Kids 12 and under are free. Come join in the excitement!
Rainbow Trout Music Festival Aug 18 - 21 Rosseau River, just south of St. Malo, MB rainbowtroutmusicfestival.com Three days of music, camping, goo friends, bon fires, dancing, swimming, and so much more. Rock, electro, hip-hop, blues, jazz, folk, garage, funk, reggae, and on and on.
Stony Plain Cowboy Festival Aug 18 - 20 Stony Plain, AB stonyplaincowboyfestival.com A legendary historical tribute to cowboy poetry, music & art.
Shady Grove Bluegrass Festival Aug 18 - 20 Broadway Farm, near Nanton, AB foothillsbluegrass.com Hosted by the Foothills Bluegrass Music Society and presenting bluegrass music from BC to across the country and from the US.
Northern Lights Bluegrass Festival Aug 18 - 20 Ness Creek, SK northernlightsbluegrass.ca The Northern Lights Bluegrass & Old Tyme Music festival offers an opportunity to intimately immerse yourself, as an active participant, within a community of world class musicians. Hear performers on the main stage or jam by the campfire.
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Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017 53
AUGUST festivals Otalith Festival Aug 18 - 19 Ucluelet, BC otalithfestival.com Otalith features an eclectic mix of international, national and local musical acts for a weekend of music, community, social consciousness and environmental awareness.
Interstellar Rodeo Winnipeg Aug 18 - 20 At the Forks, Winnipeg, MB interstellarrodeo.com/Winnipeg Interstellar Rodeo is brought to you by Sixshooter Records and presents a festival stage at the Forks in Winnipeg. One stage, meticulously curated weekend celebration of music, wine and food.
Mid-Autumn Moon Festival Aug 19 Barkerville Historic Town, BC barkerville.ca This traditional Chinese celebration honours Barkerville’s Chinese heritage with activities all day, entertainment in the evening, a lantern parade at dusk, and fireworks.
Chemainus Jazz Festival Aug 19 Waterwheel Park, Chemainus, BC chemainusjazzfestival.com The annual Jazz Festival features incredible local and west coast jazz talent.
Oliver Sunshine Festival Aug 19 Oliver Community Park, Oliver, BC oliverrecreation.ca Come celebrate Oliver’s unique agriculture, heritage and natural beauty through a full day of free family-friendly activities. The annual Sunshine Festival parade will take place Saturday at 10:30 down Main Street before the main stage entertainment gets underway around 11:30 and runs through until 11 pm. Free admission.
it for sale. There is also dance, music, a poetry slam and workshops for both kids and adults.
Grindrod Garlic Festival Aug 20 Grindrod Park, Grindrod, BC greencroftgardens.com The alluring aroma of garlic draws you in to a whole series of competitions taking place at the Festival. Pull up a seat on the grass to listen to the live local bands performing from the porch of the Grindrod Hall, and check out the vendors 9am-4pm.
NimbleFingers Bluegrass and OldTime Music Workshop and Festival Aug 20 - Sept 1 Sorrento, BC nimblefingers.ca Two week-long workshops. Festival held on Aug 26th. NimbleFingers provides a friendly and non-competitive environment for everyone from beginners to advanced
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Victoria Fringe Aug 23 - Sept 3 Victoria, BC intrepidtheatre.com A Vancouver Island festival tradition for thirty years, Victoria Fringe Theatre Festival takes over downtown Victoria BC each summer for a 12-day celebration of live performance from around the world, featuring an eclectic mixture of spoken word, drama, musicals, dance, comedy, magic, theatre for young audiences and more.
Motion Notion Music Festival August 24 - 28 Beaverfoot Lodge and Festival Grounds, Golden, BC motionnotion.com A world-class electronic music festival with five artistic stages at a spectacular venue as well as workshops and yoga.
Shine on Festival of Music and Art Aug 24 - 27 Beavercreek Park, Kerry, MB An annual festival held at the end of the summer, in celebration of a joyous season coming to a close. The finest music Winnipeg has to offer away from bustling civilization in the beautiful Sandilands forest.
Summertime Blues Aug 24 - 27 Nanaimo, BC nanaimobluesfestival.com A true Blues Festival featuring renowned International, National and Regional artists held outdoors in a park on Nanaimo’s sparkling blue harbour. Nightly post-concert jam at The Queens included in admission. Get yer blues on: Chicago, Memphis, West Coast, Texas, Contemporary and Gypsy Blues.
Nelson Fat Tire Festival
Arts Alive in the Park Aug 19 - 20 Powell River, BC powellriverartscouncil.com Arts Alive in the Park is two days of summer fun. Established and emerging local artists display their work and present
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players, with ample opportunity for group learning, electives, organized jam sessions, and many other spontaneous activities. World-class instructors, intimate concerts, old-time dances, fantastic food and loads of jamming.
With Special Guests The Harpoonist & The Axe Murderer + Jerry Cook & Dave Vidal
Aug 24 - 27 Nelson, BC nelsonfattire.com Annual festival celebrating all things bicycle. Parade, Show N Shine, cross country and downhill rides. Roots, rocks and rhythm party Saturday night.
Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017
Gabriola Island’s FIRSTMusic Fest Plans are underway for a brand new multi-genre music festival on beautiful Gabriola Island—the Isle of the Arts!—for this Labour Day Weekend (September 2-3, 2017). Produced by the Gabriola Arts Council as part of their 20th anniversary celebrations, the Gabriola Music Fest will offer a Main Stage with more than 16 top-notch bands and performers from around the west coast, and including everything from folk to rock, blues to R&B, and reggae to family-fun. After the sun goes down, festival-goers will move into the Roxy Theatre to enjoy late-night, world-class DJs and live performance artists from around the world. Don’t miss hit bands such as The Stacks, Fallbrigade, Sophia Danai, Frivolous (DJ), Downtown Mischief, Norine Braun Trio, CROATIA, Caleb Hart, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, 2DeepSoul, Firewood Poetry, Jamie McCue, DJ Eliazar, Esmi Villa, Tom Kuo, Stetson Road, Corbin Keep, Sidewaysounds, Westcoast Gypsy Beachrock, and GYST. This festival of music, arts, and creative culture will be a celebration of diversity, inclusivity, mindfulness, and compassion, and— alongside awesome musical performances—will also include arts vendors, delicious plant-based food, family activities, art installations, nature and art workshops, yoga, meditation—and that’s just the beginning! Through a collaboration with Poetry Gabriola Society, you can also enjoy the work of some of Canada’s most innovative and interesting poets and performance poets. The enthusiastic festival organizers are making some big promises: to provide a weekend-long immersion in some of the best independent, innovative, and inspired music in Western Canada; to enrich the lives of participants through the arts; to creatively inspire, entertain, engage, and invigorate the local community and
MoM Festival August 18-20, 2017
by Alina Cerminara
those who visit the Island; to promote and honour inclusivity both onstage and off; to take care of all fellow beings through a mindful, sustainable, responsible event; and to promote empathy, compassion, happiness, a healthy spirit, and a truly positive vibe. Gabriola Island is one of the southern Gulf Islands located in the Salish Sea, between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland. Sit back and allow the 25-minute ferry ride from downtown Nanaimo to transport you to a weekend of fantastic festival vibes, on an island that features an array of stunning landscapes and endless opportunities to be in nature—whether that’s at the beach, on a trail in the woods, or in a field surrounded by other music-loving festival-goers. Gabriola’s small-town character and groovy Gulf Island ambiance—along with a collection of fun locals and a brilliant community of visual and performing artists—provides the perfect atmosphere for an amazing late-summer event. Standing on a big rock in the ocean, surrounded by good people, great music, fabulous vibes, and more art than you can imagine. Where else would you want to be? Gabriola is already home to the renowned Gabriola Theatre Festival (every August, and featuring 8 main-stage shows, a two-day outdoor art market, and an outdoor music stage), the long-running Thanksgiving Artist’s Studio Tour (every October, with more than 80 artists at 60-plus locations), and the Isle of the Arts Festival (every April, with ten days of arts and culture workshops and programs). The Gabriola Music Fest is a natural addition to the Isle of the Arts. Would you like to be involved? Volunteer? Vend? Contact alina@artsgabriola.ca or visit artsgabriola.ca. We’d love to discuss working with you!
Linda McRae Carolyn Mark CR Avery The Alkemist Samson’s Delilah Doug Koyama Folky Strum Strum The Kwerks Sky Parallel The Party on High Street Maxim Banjo Man Cossette Dave Soroka Joey Only Big Fancy Bobby Dove Barefoot Caravan Sundown Spell At the beautiful Mob Bounce Miss White Spider Fort St James Parlour Panther Fairgrounds Kitty & The Rooster The Racket
momfestival.com
Early Bird Ticket Prices (until July 31): Single Ticket: $80.00 Family Pass: $200.00 (2 adults and up to three youth 13-17)
BC Musician Magazine’s
Full Price Tickets (after July 31): Single Ticket: $100.00 Family Pass: $220.00 Age 12 and under: Free (with adult)
Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017 55
AUGUST festivals North Okanagan OM Festival
Morden Corn & Apple Festival
Aug 25 - 27 The Monashees Woodland Retreat Organic Music, Organic Modalities, Organic Meals, Organic Methods, Organic Merriment. OM represents all things…
Rogue Arts Festival Aug 25 - 27 Shirley Macey Park, Gibsons, BC roguefest.ca The Rogue Arts Festival is a 3 day outdoor, multidisciplinary arts festival including music, performance and visual arts, workshops, vendors, demonstrations, and whatever else is conjured up.
Aug 25 - 27 Morden, MB cornandapple.com The Morden Corn and Apple Festival is a family event and has a reputation for catering to all age groups with a variety of events to guarantee the enjoyment of all.
vEGGfest Aug 25 - 26 Vegreville, AB veggfest.ca A little bit country, a little bit rock ‘n roll; Veggfest Music & Culture Festival brings the party back to the pysanka, the largest Ukrainian Easter egg in the world.
Motion Notion: 18 Years of
Transformational Experiences
Embarking on its 18th year, Canada’s longest-running bass and psytrance music and arts festival, Motion Notion lifts the veil of transcendence this August 24th-28th. The event awakens the life force of the breathtaking forest surrounding historic Beaverfoot Lodge nestled in the mountains of Golden BC. Unveiling a pulsating lineup that perfectly aligns with the festival’s storied reputation for assembling some of the biggest names in electronic music alongside beloved emerging artists, Motion Notion prepares attendees for an auditory adventure of fantastical proportions. Channeling the heartbeat of the Rocky Mountains is dubstep legend and Firepower label boss Datsik alongside psytrance powerhouse Avalon who will be on hand with plenty of otherworldly vibes. Straight out of Bristol and joining the ranks of 2017 headliners is OWSLA’s Koan Sound and fellow labelmates The M Machine, whose signature sound of melodic and upbeat underground house is sure to win the crowd’s hearts. Rounding out the bill’s top acts is Dim Mak’s own Dirtyphonics, who will deliver slamming drum & bass beats and the heaviest of basslines to the spellbinding grounds. Constructing an insanely eclectic sonic landscape to entice a vast community, Motion Notion shifts to embrace a more diverse musical lineup that features over 100 regional and international acts. On curating a stellar lineup, Motion Notion’s director Kevin Harper says, “We’ve brought the strongest team together to combine brand new transformational experiences with one of our best lineups to date to really take this festival to new heights. The collective efforts of our MoNo family have come together to deliver a beautiful and unique environment, and this year will by far top them all.” Look forward to a completely reimagined landscape for Motion Notion 2017, as the new visionary behind the festival, Kevin Harper, plans to take Motion Notion to the next level for its 18th year. Aiming to further heighten the festival experience, the festival will welcome exciting expansions to the grounds, including the unveiling of a glorious beachside stage, upgraded glamping options, immersive art installations, extraordinary stage design plus more performers than ever before. The expanded performance lineup features fire dancers, contortionists, hypnotists, magicians, aerialists, comedians, yogis, and workshop luminaries.
South Cariboo Garlic Festival Aug 26 - 27 Lac La Hache, BC garlicfestival.ca This festival is firstly about garlic! You will find garlic and garlic eats and treats, spices, rubs as well there are plenty of other artisans at the festival. There is also live entertainment.
Deep Cove Daze Community Arts Festival Aug 27 Panorama Park, North Vancouver, BC musart.ca The festival includes a main stage with bands and entertainment, a kid’s stage, an artisan village featuring all types of arts and crafts, a midway of rides for kids, food fair, sponsor booths, and a beer garden.
Interior Provincial Exhibition Aug 30 - Sept 3 Armstrong, BC armstrongipe.com The Interior Provincial Exhibition (I.P.E.) is a five-day agricultural fair that showcases agricultural history, cultural and artistic talents. With 20 different exhibition divisions, rodeo, parade and music.
Symphony Under The Sky Aug 31 - Sept 3 Heritage Amphitheatre, Hawrelak Park, Edmonton, AB edmontonsymphony.com Symphony Under the Sky celebrates 20 years, presenting 4 evenings of music ranging from classical gems to Hollywood hits, in a beautiful outdoor setting.
Quadrapalooza Aug 31 - Sept 3 Quadra Island, BC quadrapalooza.com Quadra Island’s Art & Music Festival: Live music, painting, characters, puppets, juggling, dancing, crafts, clothes, vendors, food, refreshments and games.
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Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017
SEPTEMBER festivals Gabriola Music Festival Sept 2 - 3 Gabriola Island, BC artsgabriola.ca The two-day multi-disciplinary music festival on our beautiful Isle of the Arts will—true to the Gabriola Arts Council’s mandate—celebrate the arts in all forms: music, visual arts, spoken word, and more, where artists can sell and display their work, entertain their community and others, collaborate with one another, instruct festival-goers, and work on a variety of levels with other community members.
Nicola Valley Fall Fair Sept 1 Merritt, BC Arts, crafts, canning, baking, floriculture and needlework exhibits, this traditional agricultural event features livestock competitions and educational displays, antique farm equipment displays and the popular Harvest Dance.
Four Corners Folk Fest Sept 1 - 3 Pagosa Springs, Colorado folkwest.com Folk West presents the annual Four Corners Folk Fest. A family-friendly outdoor music festival on two stages, pickin circles, music workshops, and free children’s programming. On-site camping, beer, food and craft vendors.
Bumbershoot Sept 1 - 3 Seattle, WA bumbershoot.org Seattle’s Music & Arts Festival, Bumbershoot takes place in the heart of the city at the 74-acre Seattle Center. Over 100,000 visitors from near and far spend the weekend reveling in the world of Bumbershoot, experiencing everything from regional favourites to international superstars.
Ryga Arts Festival Sept 1 - 3 Summerland, BC marginalarts.ca A long weekend full of concerts, theatre, spoken word and creative workshops will be happening throughout Summerland. The Festival is inspired by author George Ryga, (1932-1987), who lived in Summerland, and whose most famous play, “The Ecstasy of Rita Joe,” premiered in 1967, awakened a nation celebrating its centennial to the con-
tinuing tragedy of its Indigenous Peoples. In the spirit of Ryga there will be lots of laughter, music, and fellowship.
Whistler Art Walk Sept 1 Whistler Village, BC artswhistler.com/events/artwalk Whistler ArtWalk is a two-month, self-guided walking tour throughout businesses in the village.
Cariboo’s Rockstock Festival Sept 1 - 4 Williams Lake, BC cariboosrockstock.com Cariboo’s Rockstock is devoted to people that love camping and thrive on live classic rock, hard rock, and metal. Also featuring country, rock’n’roll, folk, blues and rockabilly.
Sunshine Music Festival Sept 2 - 3 Palm Beach, Powell River, BC sunshinemusicfest.com The Festival is a celebration of music from across Canada and the world. Craft market and vendors.
Carving on the Edge Festival Sept 2 - 14 Shore Pier, Tofino, BC carvingedgefestival.com Annual celebration of the West coast carver. The event showcases traditional and contemporary West coast wood carving with exhibits, forums, feasts, family programs and demonstrations.
GABRIOLA MUSIC FEST September 2 - 3, 2017
Join hundreds of music and island lovers at this NEW music and arts festival on beautiful Gabriola Island. Engage with the arts in all forms while celebrating love, compassion, inclusivity, and mindfulness! Escape the city for the weekend and enjoy two dynamic musical stages, beautiful art, scrumptious food, fun family activities, and much more. Come be part of this new grassroots festival on the Isle of the Arts.
artsgabriola.ca
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Vancouver Island Blues Bash Sep 2 - 4 Victoria, BC jazzvictoria.ca/blues-bash Featuring local, regional and international blues and R&B artists/groups in both free to the public, and paid admission performances, on the beautiful outdoor stage in Victoria’s Inner Harbor, Ship Point Picnic Site.
Accordion Noir Festival Sept 3 - 14 Multiple Venues, Vancouver, BC accordionnoirfest.com Vancouver’s annual celebration of the world’s most misunderstood instrument.
Victoria International Chalk Art Festival Sep 6 - 10 Victoria, BC victoriachalkfestival.com A two-day chalk art exposition across our beautiful downtown. From Government Street to Centennial Square, music stage, food village, artisans, and kid’s chalkers area.
Vancouver International Fringe Festival Sept 7 - 17 Vancouver, BC vancouverfringe.com Celebration of theatre on Granville Island. More than 700 performances by 89 artists. With a final night of awards where the Pick of the Fringe is announced.
Annual Cowboy and Drover Jubilee Sept 8 - 10 Barkerville HIstoric Town, BC barkerville.ca Celebrating BC’s rich cowboy heritage with 3 musical venues, poetry tent, singing competition and more.
Sh’Bang Festival Sept 8 - 10 Bellingham, WA shbangfest.com A Festival of Ideas: soapbox derby, live entertainment, art installations and workshops.
Every Home • Every Business Every PEACHLAND
Week!
VIEW
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SEPTEMBER festivals Serenity Music Harvest Festival Sept 8 - 10 Birch Island, BC serenitymusic.ca 3 days and nights of great music in a great setting. If you are in the North Thompson Valley follow the yellow guitars. All children under 12 are free admission. Free camping (limited space).
Pentastic Hot Jazz Festival
Sept 14 - 17 Lake Koocanusa, BC fozzyfest.com FozzyFest is a three-day long, spectacular music festival featuring both international & Canadian DJs, musicians and artists in a gorgeous setting. Festival site is located 358 km southwest of Calgary,
Rifflandia Festival
Sept 8 - 10 Penticton, BC pentasticjazz.com The Penticton Jazz Festival held at 5 venues around Penticton. Free shuttle service between venues. Three days of world class jazz to entertain and excite music lovers of all ages.
Circle the Wagons Festival Sept 9 Calgary, AB circlethewagons.ca The travelling food, beer and music carnival. This family friendly event has something for everyone including a circus school for kids, bubble soccer, 2 stages with live bands and DJs, roaming circus performers, 12 food trucks, a site-wide liquor license, a wiener dog parade and so much more
Lake Country ArtWalk Sept 9 - 10 Lake Country, BC artwalk-lc.ca ArtWalk is a highly successful annual arts festival that features the best in creative, orginal artworks, along with music, theatre, workshops and special events. Let the colourful gates of ArtWalk lead you to the lastest in great art.
Hills Garlic Festival Sept 10 Centennial Park, New Denver, BC hillsgarlicfest.ca Shop, eat, and enjoy live entertainment. A huge variety of harvest bounty, crafts, and food. Entertained on the main stage and a family entertainment tent.
BreakOut West Festival Sept 13 - 17 Regina, SK breakoutwest.ca This year The BreakOut West festival will be hosted in Regina. Open to residents of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, the Yukon or the Northwest Territories.
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FozzyFest
Sept 14 - 17 Victoria, BC rifflandia.com Annual Rifflandia Festival will transform the city of Victoria, featuring a truly diverse lineup of artists across numerous stages, all within walking distance in the city’s beautiful and historic downtown core. Join us for 4 days of music, food, art and fun! Visit Rifflandia.com for details.
Harvest Moon Festival Sept 15 - 17 Clearwater, MB harvestmoonfestival.ca The Harvest Moon Festival celebrates the harvest season and local food production, while providing an opportunity to link those from rural and urban communities. The festival is a key to promoting the Harvest Moon Learning Centre, the generous spirit of the Town of Clearwater, the talents of local artists, tasty produce of local producers and the beauty of the Pembina Valley.
Kaleido Family Arts Festival Sept 15 - 17 Edmonton, AB kaleidofest.ca Alberta Avenue comes alive with a free arts festival featuring music, dance, theatre, film, literary, and visual arts. Artists collide in an environment of creative exploration and performances on rooftops, sides of buildings, back alleys, parks, old spaces and new spaces of 118th Avenue.
Accordion Extravaganza Sept 15 - 17 St. John’s Cultural Center, Edmonton, AB edmontonaccordion.com The festival is part of the Edmonton Accordion Society’s aim to promote accordion music and accordion culture. The event kicks off with a family friendly cabaret Friday night. Saturday morning features workshops followed by a free afternoon of open stage. Bring your accordion and book a slot or be part of the appreciative audience.
Pender Harbour Jazz Festival Sept 15 - 17 Pender Harbour, BC penderharbourmusic.ca/jazz All styles of jazz from swing to Latin to gypsy to straight ahead to fusion and more. Many events are free.
Similkameen Sizzle Pepper Festival Sept 16 Keremeos, BC gotpeppers.info Live entertainment all day, chilli cookoff, hot sauce competition, vendors and concession. Festival is taking place in Memorial Park.
Rock Creek Fall Fair Sept 16 - 17 Rock Creek, BC rockcreekfallfair.ca A true country fairs. It is commonly referred to as “The biggest little country fair around”. Bring the whole family to our exhibition for a fun filled two day experience.
Salt Spring Island’s Annual Fall Fair Sept 16 - 17 Saltspring Island, BC ssifi.org/fall-fair Much loved by young and old, locals and tourists alike, the annual Fall Fair is Salt Spring Island’s oldest community event, and the one with the most heart!
The Nakusp Suffercross Sept 17 Kootenays, BC kootenaysufferfest.com CX Bike Race CX Bike Race and Duathlon/ Corporate Challenge.
RiverFest Sept 21 - 24 New Westminster, BC fraserriverdiscovery.org Province wide event to celebrate the worlds waterways.
Fungi Festival Sept 21 - 24 Sicamous, BC fungifestival.com Participants enjoyed identifying and picking wild mushrooms, watching evening presentations, and attending workshops.
Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017
SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER festivals Chilliwack Children’s Arts Festival Sept 22 - 23 GWG Theatre, Chilliwack, BC chilliwackartscouncil.com/events/ chilliwack-childrens-arts-festival/ The Chilliwack Community Arts Council presents the Chilliwack Children’s Arts Festival. Bring your family to take part in artsy fun for children of all ages.
Kootenay Book Weekend Sept 22 - 24 Nelson, BC kootenaybookweekend.ca Come together to talk about books and to share a love of reading. Discussions, author talks and more. Books selected a head of event.
ApplePress Party Sept 23 Filberg Heritage Park, Comox, BC filberg.com The Filberg ApplePress Party is our annual fall fundraiser featuring the Pressing Matter Mobile Juicer. Come for the fresh juice and also enjoy live music, free kids activities, gourmet food, baking and snacks and an impressive community of knowledgable home harvesters.
Cultural Heritage Festival Sept 23 - 30 Tofino and Ucluelet, BC pacificrimarts.ca Join the Pacific Rim Arts Society in exploring art forms that represent the diversity in the cultural heritage of the west coast.
Okanagan Vinyl Fest Sept 24 Seniors Drop-In Centre, Penticton, BC peachcityradio.org Amazing bargains to be found on any budget at this South Okanagan record show, produced by Peach City Radio. Over 30 vendors from Western Canada selling new & used vinyl, CD’s, and hi-fi equipment. You’ll also find music memorabilia, DJ’s, food vendor, listening lounge and more!
Early Music Vancouver-Main Series Sept 27 - Apr 28, 2018 Christ Church Cathedral, Vancouver, BC earlymusic.bc.ca/events For 45 years, Early Music Vancouver (EMV) has dedicated itself to fostering an understanding and appreciation of musical treasures from the Renaissance, Baroque,
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and Classical periods. EMV is the largest presenter of early music in Canada, and is one of the most active and innovative organizations in its field in North America.
Edmonton International Film Festival Sept 28 - Oct 7 Edmonton, AB edmontonfilmfest.com A buffet of the best new indie filmmaking from around the globe. Schedule includes 55 feature-length slots, and 100+ short films programmed into feature-length packages.
Trail’s End Gathering Sept 29 - Oct 1 High River, AB albertacowboypoetry.com A showcase of talent from the Alberta Cowboy Poetry Association.
Wicked Woods Music Festival Sept 29 - Oct 3 Kimberley, BC wickedwoodsmusicfestival.com A magical two night event to end off the festival season. A weekend filled with Wicked Beats, Wicked Vibes and Wicked Friends.
Culture Days Sept 29 - Oct 1 Lower Mainland, BC culturedays.ca Through an annual three-day national celebration each September, hundreds of thousands of artists and cultural organizations in hundreds of cities and towns come together and invite Canadians to participate in free interactive and “behind the scenes” activities to discover their cultural spirit and passion.
Queen of the Peak Sept 29 - Oct 1 Tofino, BC queenofthepeak.com All women’s surf championship. Sunday after party presented by Otalith, open to everyone 19+.
Mushtari Begum Festival of Indian Classical Music and Dance Sept 30 Massey Theatre, New Westminster, BC cassiuskhan.com Massey Theatre will be transformed into an ethereal courtyard, immersing audiences into the timeless and ancient forms of Indian Classical music and dance. A tribute to the late Ghazal Queen Mushtari Begum, Cassius Khan and Amika Kushwaha invite you to experience a journey of emotions through these rare classical arts performed live.
Festival of the Grape Oct 1 Oliver Community Park, Oliver, BC oliverfestivalofthegrape.ca Celebrating the grape harvest, great wine and great food in the Okanagan Valley. Over 50 wineries, 20 food vendors, Kids Zone, Grape Stomp, Trade Show, and Main Stage Entertainment.
Salt Spring Island Apple Fest Oct 1 Salt Spring Island, BC saltspringapplefestival.org The Salt Spring Island Apple Festival is an
Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017
SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER festivals incredible little community event, attracting about 1500 apple lovers, celebrating the apples (and food) of Salt Spring Island and connecting you with the farms and farmers that produce this very special diversity of tasty, healthy food.
Sechelt Arts Festival Oct 6 - 22 Sechelt, BC secheltartsfestival.com The Sunshine Coast’s leading edge visual and performing arts festival features over 100 artists, ten days of concerts, premiere stage performances, workshops, heritage exhibit and a cross-cultural art exhibition. The 2017 celebration is “Origins: Legacies of Coast Art”
Litfest Oct 12 - 22 Edmonton, AB litfestalberta.com Edmonton’s Non-Fiction Festival brings together some of the best-selling, awardwinning and emerging authors of books, magazines and films through a series of events and gatherings.
imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival Oct 18 - 22 Toronto, ON imaginenative.org An international festival that celebrates the latest works by Indigenous peoples on the forefront of innovation in film, video, radio, and new media. Each fall, the festival presents a selection of the most compelling and distinctive Indigenous works from around the globe. The festival’s screenings, parties, panel discussions, and cultural events attract and connect filmmakers, media artists, programmers, buyers, and industry professionals. The works accepted reflect the diversity of the world’s Indigenous nations and illustrate the vitality and excellence of our art and culture in contemporary media.
Sunshine Coast Art Crawl Oct 20 - 22 Sunshine Coast, BC sunshinecoastartcrawl.com The Art Crawl offered Crawlers access to over 100 participating galleries and art studios, representing over 275 artists along the entire Sunshine Coast Highway from Langdale to Earls Cove or Earls Cove to Langdale. Come, meet the artists and experience the
vibrant arts and culture community on the Sunshine Coast.
BC Beer Awards & Festival Oct 21 Croatian Cultural Centre, Vancouver, BC bcbeerawards.com The signature consumer tasting event of BC Craft Beer Month, this festival celebrates the very best in craft brewing from across the province.
Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival Oct 28 - Nov 4 Banff, AB banfflakelouise.com/banff-mountainfilm-and-book-festival Showcases the films and stories of adventurers from around the world, focusing on adventure sports, mountain culture, and the environment.
The Fitzhugh
Canadian Festival of Spoken Word Oct 23 - 28 Peterborough, ON cfsw.ca A national showcase for spoken word talent, includes an array of panels, showcases, workshops and other events designed to facilitate the growth and vibrancy of the Canadian spoken word and poetic communities.
Oliver in October:
Something for the whole family!
Wine, Beer, &Marathons!
Saturday September 30 and Sunday October 1 mark the Wine Capital of Canada Festival weekend in Oliver, BC. This weekend is unlike any other. It is two solid days of celebrating all the bounty and beauty the South Okanagan has to offer. The fall grape harvest is in full swing, the salmon have returned to the Okanagan River to spawn and the days are still long. Saturday kicks off with the 2nd Annual Oliver Cask and Keg Festival. It is a night of celebrating our local breweries, distilleries and cideries. Add live music, tasty food trucks, and the urge to dance and bam! It is a party. Learn more and get tickets at www.olivercaskandkeg.ca. Sunday morning is when the athletes shine during the 1st Annual Baldy Marathon. Runners will indulge in a Full, 20k, 10k and kids run on this one-of-a-kind course along the Okanagan River. The soothing sounds of the water, mature trees and calling birds will keep you Zen as you head south towards picturesque Osoyoos Lake. The course is almost flat with barley any time on roads or pavement. What more can you ask for in a foot race? How about starting and finishing at a world renowned wine festival! The Baldy Marathon begins and ends at the Festival of the Grape where you get to partake. Registration is open at www.skibaldy.com/marathon. Festival of the Grape is now in its 21st year. We celebrate the grape every year because it makes wine! There are over 50 wineries offering wine tastings. At the food trucks and artisan vendors you can find food for any taste, glass ware, jewelry, and the list goes on. Live entertainment will be on the main stage and the famous grape stomp squishes on through the afternoon. Enjoy a little art with you wine at the Fall Art Show and Sale while the kids are entertained in the kid’s zone. Is there more? You bet. Check out www.oliverfestivalofthegrape.ca for details and tickets.
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Of Snail Trails, Hawkwind, and Snakeskin:
The Strange Saga of the
Melodic Energy
Commission by Allan MacInnis
You’ve probably seen their albums on the wall at Neptoon or Zulu — privately pressed Vancouver obscurities, these days usually fetching in the neighbourhood of $100. Though both came out in runs of 1000, the one with the blue cover — 1980’s Migration of the Snails — is a smidgen easier to find than its greenish predecessor, Stranger in Mystery, from 1979. Migration’s cover features a group of smiling counterculture types, male and female, peering through what appears to be the curved opening of a conch, or perhaps a gigantic snail shell. It looks too damn weird to be an ordinary rock album, but — you theorize, standing there in the record store, peering at the cover for clues — if it were just some latter-day hippie avantgarde experiment, with no rock content, it probably wouldn’t fetch so high a price. So what the hell is it — psych? Prog? Electronica? Your uncertainty will only deepen if you spin it, and discover that besides guitars and drums and synths, there are instruments from all over the world, from dulcimers to kalimbas, tablas to flutes, bass harmonica to Theremin. There is indeed a hippie avant-gardism to it — a flowing, hallucinogenic drift — but there is also a compelling pulse. Plus there’s a hint of legendary American weirdos the Residents in the gnomic vocals (and lyrics which actually do seem to revolve around snails). And wait a second — Del Dettmar plays the Delatron? Like — the Del Dettmar, the synth player from Hawkwind, who you hear jamming with Lemmy and company on Space Ritual: he’s the guy with the beard? What IS this album, you wonder; who were these guys; and — why snails? Asked the question, bandleader Don Xaliman giggles happily in his East Van home studio. “They’re slow!” he says, shrugging. “I don’t know why snails, but Doug and the Slugs were around at the time. And I was into promotion: I took this stencil called ‘snail trail’ and went around the city spray painting it onto sidewalks and stuff, like, ‘if snails want to migrate, go that way! Stay on the sidewalks.’” Plus, Xaliman adds, “an article appeared just as we released it in the Sun about how there was an infestation of European brown snails in Kitsilano, which kind of fit somehow.” (The article ends up photocopied as one of the inserts for the album, along with a poster and lyric sheet). “Also, Del was from England” — specifically Deptford, in South London, before he relocated to BC in the 1970’s. “So that kind of had a bit of influence, because the map inside has arrows coming from England.” The cover art and poster are by science fiction artist Tim Hammell, and have an otherworldly, SF feel. “The album was supposed
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M=E/C2 era: George McDonald, Don Xaliman, Rod Booth, Ed Van Benthem. photo Peter Tanner. to open up,” so that the conch-like curve the band is peering through becomes “the eyes of the beast in the poster,” Xaliman explains. “But it was too expensive to do.” The idea was for there to be compositions by all the members of the band — described in the liner notes as a “loose-knit wrapper” of like minds, also including long-time collaborator George McDonald, on Theremin, who has known Xaliman long enough that the two saw the Velvet Underground perform at the Retinal Circus, back in 1968; and multi-instrumentalist Randy Raine-Reusch, who is presently relocated to Texas with his partner, zheng player Mei Han. Other members included Hawkwind/ Pink Fairies/ Brian Eno collaborator Paul Rudolph, as well as Mark and Paul Franklin, John Murray, Ross White, Gerald Toon, and Kathy Yearwood, the girl wearing face paint on the cover. “We said, like, ‘okay everyone, go write something about snails,’” Xaliman says. “I’m not sure who wrote what, but everyone has a composition. Del wrote ‘Escargot.’” Xaliman has long been active, locally, in music and recording engineering. “I ended up running a studio for some people in Victoria — I was the engineer on Nomeansno’s Sex Mad,” he reports. He also has a background, as a young man, in doing light shows for “local bands in halls throughout the Fraser Valley and Vancouver.” Those led to his getting involved in video; he estimates he has recorded audio-video for “about one hundred” concert and dance performances around Vancouver. But while much of Xaliman’s work in recent years has been projects for hire, slowly and surely, his energies, these days, are returning to his own band. “Lately I’ve been looking at this stuff and getting enthused about presenting it to people,” he says. “We’ve got five or six albums” that could be put out. Besides a new (double?) CD that he is slowly assembling in the room where we sit, there are the two private press LPs, two songs on the Vancouver Independence
Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017
Migration era (on beach with George McDonald, Don Xaliman, Del Dettmar and Kathleen Yearwood). photo Cliff Baldwin. comp, a later 7 inch, and two more recent Melodic Energy Commission CD projects, Time is a Slippery Concept — from 2005 — and 2013’s Wave Packet. (Moonphase Compendium, also on CD, gathers digital versions of Stranger In Mystery and Migration of the Snails, and can sometimes be found with the local discs at Neptoon.) In the middle of all that, Xaliman tells me, there’s also a “lost” third album, M=E/C2 — “Melody over Energy equals Consciousness, squared,” Xaliman explains — which was recorded at the same sessions as the 7 inch and compilation album songs, but only ever briefly released on a low-run cassette distributed out of Scotland. “I wasn’t really happy with the mixes at the time. I do like the music,” Xaliman says. “Robin Spurgin at Psi-Chord pretty much donated his time and invited us in to record an album. We recorded it, we mixed it there, but it was all really quick. And he had an 8 track, one inch machine, 30 IPS, then he sold it, and there was no other one in town. So the tape just sat in the closet for a long time. And then I found the machine years later in Montreal, so I went to Montreal and got the tape transferred to digital. And then I brought it back and it sat on the shelf for even longer. A little while ago, I started to play with it and remix it.” The M=E/C2 sessions date from what Xaliman calls their “rock band” years, circa 1981-1982, where the Melodic Energy Commission was most active playing live. Shows back then included a highly successful opening slot for Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band at the Commodore, which happened thanks to the support of Perryscope’s Gerry Barad, who was a fan. “Perryscope wanted to make sure we were confident, so they gave us a nightclub — because they owned Richards on Richards
at the time, though it wasn’t called that. It was in phase between being the Laundromat and something else. But they gave us that venue for a couple of days, rehearsing on the big stage, with no audience. It was good training! Then the next day we’re on the Commodore stage — a really big stage, and it was a sold out show.” Xaliman recalls that during soundcheck, “we made up these funny-shaped pieces of paper as a promo for the band, cryptic things like Gong’s Daevid Allen would probably do, and put them on all of the tables, so people could think more about the band than just seeing them onstage. And the Beefheart gang, without Beefheart, were out there, and they were looking at this saying, ‘it’s just like Gong!’ They kinda liked that.” The experience “was fantastic,” Xaliman beams. “We got an encore and everything, and played one more song. I was quite amazed, because that’s quite rare, especially when Captain Beefheart is waiting backstage.” Footage from around that time exists, shot by Lenore Herb, AKA Lenore Couttes, at Metro Media, a now defunct artist-run centre on Commercial Drive, where Xaliman and company had a music studio in the basement, and weird art brethren like Tunnel Canary, Si Monkey, and the Haters all played shows. Xaliman cues up a strikingly cool video for a song called “Not Like Dominoes,” shot there. The only recording of the song in existence, it shows that, in an improvisatory, live rock groove, the Melodic Energy Commission sounded rather like Krautrock giants Can, with added Theremin. The performance is far more confident and passionate than the somewhat cerebral oddness of their previous releases; it’s no wonder Beefheart’s audience was impressed. Theremin man George McDonald joins BC Musician and Xaliman
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George McDonald and his homemade, six-armed Theremin. photo Heather McDonald. in the basement during the screening. It’s hard to miss the weird material- some sort of strangely plastic, unfinished patchwork cloak — hanging crookedly from his arms, onscreen, as he plays. What the heck is that stuff, anyways? “Rattlesnake skins,” Xaliman answers. McDonald corrects him. “Python skins. It’s the shedding of Jozef’s python” — this being “the Incredible” Jozef Demcak, a local performer with whom the band crossed paths. “There used to be a WavePacket era (backyard with George McDonald, Thom Evans, club at Broadway and Main and he’d have all these big baskets with Paul Franklin, and Don Xaliman). photo Heather McDonald. snakes in them, and at one point he would chain his assistant to this handlebars of a motorcycle). crucifix, and he starts getting snakes out of his basket and wrapThe Melodic Energy Commission may have peaked in 1981, but ping them around her.” There were also scorpions, tarantulas, and other exotic creatures you can’t keep a good band down. Core members reunited to put out a new album, Time is a Slippery Concept, in 2005, then played in the show, as McDonald remembers. “The big snakes were out a rare live show at the Khatsahlano Summer of Love fest in 2008. on the dance floor, and they’re about twenty feet long. They start heading towards the tables, and he’s pulling them back by the tails (Some of the promotional material described them incorrectly, but towards the dance floor, and people are jumping up and knocking understandably, as an original act “from the 1960’s”). 2013 saw the release of Wave Packet, which did well in Japan, Xaliman reports. tables over…” McDonald and Xaliman are both laughing at the memory. “Some- And record collectors remain excited about their back catalogue: Hawkwind completists and fans in England continue to hound him times the show was called ‘The Devil and the Virgin,’” McDonald to reissue M=E/C2 on vinyl, which he is considering doing. recalls. Best of all, members of the band — minus Raine-Reusch, though “I actually played with him as he did his magic show at the Penthouse,” Xaliman adds. “He had a one week gig. It was three shows Xaliman is in touch and hopes to include him — spent much of the a day or something, and it’s a twenty foot python that weighs like, summer of 2016 jamming together in Xaliman’s home, recording 250 to 300 pounds, so we had to carry it upstairs. There’d be three everything, which Xaliman has been poring over, preparing their next album. people in different sections of it!” The Captain Beefheart gig was probably the peak for the Melodic “It’s two discs,” McDonald says. “One is more ambient” — swirling and multicoloured and rooted in live performance — “and the Energy Commission, in its initial incarnation. “I remember feeling other has bass and drums,” including original members the Franklin like, ‘Okay, this is the beginning! We’re taking off,’” Xaliman says. “Instead we went into the studio, and recorded, and then the band brothers. What about their Hawkwind connection? Apparently Xaliman and broke up.” He shakes his head. company have been in touch with Bridget Wishart, vocalist from the McDonald went on to play in a “grungy rock band” with Young Canadians bassist Jim Bescott, called the Crazy Cats, or sometimes Space Bandits phase of the band, who has sent them some files the Krazy Kats. They were “the house band at the Buddha,” mostly over the internet. They’ve even gotten in touch with Del Dettmar again, where he now lives in Kootenay Bay. doing rock covers (and maybe a bit too much dope, McDonald “The last time I talked to him, he was playing more violin and admits). Then he stepped out of the rock life to be a family man, while continuing to tinker with his Theremin designs. (The “Not Like guitar. His Synths are in the closet. But I mean, we might go and record with him there!” Xaliman grins mischievously. “Like, walk into Dominoes” Theremin is the third Theremin he put together; he is currently on “number five,” a six-armed, one-of-a-kind creation that his living room and say, ‘Okay, ready?’” melodicenergy.com only he knows how to play, and which, by design, resembles the
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Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017
Festival Guide When it comes to what to see, what to bring and what to wear to some of the best festivals in Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia, we have you covered.
Comprehensive listings of Festival City and area’s seasonal offerings
View the festival guide online
www.vueweekly.com/category/festival-guide
Live music heals
Nimble Fingers 2016 jam. photo Peter Reed
by Peter Reed
jammin’ together at NimbleFingers Many years ago I was told by a good friend that part of finding happiness in life is ‘finding your tribe’. I found mine last summer at the NimbleFingers Bluegrass and Old-Time Workshop. Hosted by Craig Korth and Julie Kerr, Nimble Fingers is now in its 26th year. For the uninitiated, the camp offers a week-long musical immersion in a specific focus of your choosing (I took the plunge into learning Dobro). Students can also pack their day full with special interest workshops such as dance-calling and musical meditation. In the evening there is an old-timey square dance and social, band scramble and the student concert on the final evening. Even with this incredible variety of event options, I feel the star attraction was the late-night jams, where you can pick away to your hearts content. At any one time you can stroll around the grounds and join a multitude of unscheduled jams, where everybody is welcome, encouraged and supported to share and be part of the music. I was warned by NF alumni that the late night jamming would be hard to leave. Sleep deprivation is part and parcel of the experience. I clocked an average of just over four hours a night which is about half my normal sleep. In another setting having 150 odd sleep deprived people, for a whole week would mean something like a grumpy zombie apocalypse (anyone been to the later part of the Shambhala festival?). At NimbleFingers, however, it seemed to profoundly deepen the experience and it’s hard to pin down why exactly. Perhaps the sleep deprivation causes the brain to function in a ‘low-battery’ state, that
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allows our collective egos to be set aside and focus on what is right in front of us. The present, the people and being fully immersed in the culture and nuances of sharing music. On the final evening, late into the night as the summer rain teemed down, I found myself seeking shelter, huddled with fellow pickers at a songwriter jam. It was a magical evening of laughter, tears, and mutual appreciation as we shared stories of love, loss and life through the medium of song. After a particularly flooring performance from Dana Jennejohn (a Yukon based singer-songwriter), the matriarch of the jam, Edith Wallace leaned in, connected eyes with all and whispered, “we songwriters are like whales passing each other in the night. We have to look after each other and celebrate each other’s song.” Nimble Fingers was for me a profoundly inspiring experience. I would like to thank all attendees for the most inclusive, non-judgemental, cross-generational environment in which to share the love of music. Let there be songs to fill the air. …. And now for a banjo joke. What’s the definition of a successful banjo player? A guy whose wife has two jobs. NimbleFingers Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Workshops & Festival is a 2-week experience. In the middle, on Saturday August 26th is the NimbleFingers Festival. nimblefingers.ca
Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017
Arts Rising
Festival magnetizing talent towards Penticton Artists of all stripes are plotting to commandeer Penticton’s downtown corridor this fall to throw the first Arts Rising Festival. Nothing is in the way to contain the limits of creative expression. There will be four days of concerts, slam poetry, street art, a shortfilm festival, theatre, storytelling and wearable art. The combination of creativity is being booked within city’s most active areas — from the lively locales that shape Penticton’s culture to the beaches of Lake Okanagan. Entertainment is penciled in at the Cannery Brewery, which has enough space to make incredible craft beer and still host large functions; the Shatford Centre, an olden-days brick public school that was refurbished for the arts; and a modern movie theatre will be the venue for a shortfilm competition. Beyond the many activities planned directly by the festival, Arts Rising is an inclusive promotion, so nearby restaurants and businesses have been encouraged to participate and make the occasion even more innovative. “It’ll be extra-cool with live music in all the restaurants and cafes during the festival,” said Vaelei Walkden-Brown who is co-ordinating the event. “It’s about bringing the community together and the evolution of the arts. We want to showcase the uplifting ability arts have to bring about positive change in the community.” On another front, Arts Rising is salvaging a popular Penticton festival that was last held in 2012. “Reimagine Art Festival is coming back to make some street art,” said Walkden-Brown. “It’ll add a more alternative edge to the festival.” To complement the culinary arts — which are practiced year round within Penticton’s signature restaurants — eccentric improv actors from the Peach Gravy Theatre Company will be taking over participating restaurants and businesses to share some spontaneous dinner theatre performances.
by Dan Walton
The concepts of an artist’s reception and a traditional fashion show will merge for ARTwear, a showcase where runway models will be dressed in anything but clothes. Instead of materials like cotton and polyester, ARTwear attire makes use of things like cardboard and beer cans. And the idea continues to grow, making use of even more upcycled materials. Similar to the thrifty ideas of ARTwear, an Imagination Station will give children a new creative perspective by teaching them how to create art out of recyclable materials. As for music, Arts Rising isn’t bound to any particular styles or genres as organizers go about booking the acts, though most of the talent will be local to the South Okanagan. One of the highly anticipated performances will be coming from the Lakemen, a rock ‘n’ roll quintet with members from Penticton and Kelowna. “Their music — it’s basically four guys who just switch instruments, and there’s no vocalist,” said Walkden-Brown. “Their stuff is transcendental prog rock. They’ll portray the heavier, grittier part of Penticton that isn’t well known.” A cozy little coffeehouse called the Saint-Germain Café and Gallery will host storytelling and poetry sessions. And across the road at Landmark Cinemas, the Snakebite Film Festival will be using the commercial theatre for a film competition. Those entering can’t even begin recording or producing their short movie until the week before Arts Rising begins. The event is open to all filmmakers, challenging them with a mini script, a mentor and some props — and then 48 hours to complete the film. A week later, when the Arts Rising is underway, the short films will be shown and judged on the big screen. “There’s lots of passion behind this.” The Arts Rising Festival will emerge in Penticton for four days this September, the 21st to 24th. Ticket info is coming soon and can be found though www.artsrising.ca/services. “Arts Rising can’t be compared to any other music festival — it’s a festival for all arts disciplines.”
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REVIEWS Apocalipstick The Harpoonist and The Axe Murderer
harpoonistaxemurderer.com reviewed by Dave O Rama
An Apology Issah Contractor
issahcontractor.bandcamp.com reviewed by Dave O Rama Issah Contractor is a human vessel for drum and bass. The man is so gifted on a battery of percussion implements and bass guitar that I’m simply blown away trying to conceptualize how this gifted musician’s mind works. Contractor was born in Canada, then raised in Kenya until the age of 14 when he immigrated back, and now currently based in Vancouver where he’s working on some interesting projects. The nine compositions on An Apology are fat and juicy and filled with funky goodness. Contractor’s double-headed rhythm beast pops and pulsates like hippos dancing on hot coals. Rooted in jazz fusion and with that deep funky centre you can hear elements of African dance music, heavy dub, free jazz, and other delights. Writing and arranging all the compositions on An Apology, Contractor joins forces with award-winning Vancouver based sax player Brent Mah who paints his gorgeous reed work all over Contractor’s complex funk foundation like birds skittering between the jaws of a crocodile. Queer As Funk’s Marc Van Rosi drops in on a couple of tracks and lays down some flavourful servings of savory, skilled, and beautifully realized lead and rhythm work. David Steele, a major league Vancouver vocalist who has worked with Bette Midler, Def Leppard, and Bon Jovi adds some playful and inspired vocalizations while Contractor soaks the whole thing in a shimmering wash of liquid ambience. The masterful playing, intelligent and creative sound design is polished to a stunning sheen by producer Peter Fraser from PetezaSlice at Vancouver’s Resonant Mind Productions. An Apology is a brilliant and unique piece of jazz fused funkanomics; a piece of work that forecasts great things from this highly accomplished cadence wizard.
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This Canadian duo comprised of Shawn “The Harpoonist” Hall and Mathew “The Axe Murderer” Rogers is known for its thunderous wall of scalding new millennium blues and penchant for rigorous touring itineraries. In addition to Hall’s sonic concussion harp technique and Rogers spaced out guitar methods these guys were able to create an awe inspiring sound with the incorporation of an impressive collection of effects pedals and their added use of foot drums. This third time around, with their first release since 2014’s A Real Fine Mess, Hall and Rogers have jacked it up a notch by recruiting the services of keyboardist Geoff Hilhorst (The Deep Dark Woods) and drummer John Raham (The Be Good Tanyas). Together they have produced a gospel soaked southern fried bayou biscuit that ponders the trials and thribulations facing the human race in this age of blind gluttony and environmental meltdown. Apocalipstick ponders an approaching cataclysm while searching for hope along the way as we willfully dance toward the precipice. Boiling over with soul, Hall’s smoky raw vocals are reminiscent of blues man John Hammond’s voice while a choir of guest vocal talent infuse the songs with an anthemic quality that lifts these commanding songs to even greater heights. The Harpoonist and The Axe Murderer are known to travel a road between the traditional and the futuristic, where Mississippi juke joints ring loud with tweaked out guitar solos and modern rock seasonings. It’s certainly impressive how these guys manage to imbue their music with just the right measure of radio friendly hooks and infectious beats without diluting the essence of their sound. Having toured the world and shared stages with such heavyweight talent as Mali’s Tinariwen, the legendary Booker T Jones, blues veteran Taj Mahal, and cumbia psyche outfit Xixa, The Harpoonist and The Axe Murderer is an award winning Canadian blues unit that continues to thrill audiences all around the world. With solid production from band members Hall, Rogers, and Raham Apocalipstick is a boogie fueled hunk of get down that could possibly set our stagnant commercial radio waves ablaze in a blazing cloud of hellion retribution.
4thmeridian.ca Sign up for notifications of upcoming art & collectible auctions at 4thmeridian.ca Get in touch info@4thmeridian.ca to inquire about hosting your online fundraising auction.
Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017
Further Down The Line Scott Cook
scottcook.net reviewed by Dave O Rama
It’s reassuring to still see sensitive balladeers like Scott Cook out there filling our ears with intelligent and insightful poetry. In this age of candy coated sugar pop divas and electronic dance music obsessed with looped sound bites it’s important that there are still artists out there with something profound to say. Scott Cook’s songs are filled with heart and tales exploring the trials and complexities of living a conscious life. Kicking off with the title track, Cook pays homage to American songwriter Woody Guthrie, clearly establishing that what we are about to experience is a collection of songs that deeply respect the folk song writing tradition. Cook writes about love and the rewards and consequences that come with loving. Like Guthrie, Cook is a traveling minstrel who has roamed the world for well over a decade gleaning inspiration for his heartfelt musical stories from the humanity he encounters. The Alberta troubadour doesn’t shy away from addressing politics both social and intimate. Delivered with delicacy his lyrically inventive songs contained here on Further Down The Line reference social justice issues, simple pleasures, and the personal challenges life throws in our way to test us. Featuring the musical talents of friends like Bramwell Park (banjo, mandolin), Melissa Walker (upright bass), Adam Iredale-Gray (fiddle), and bathed in the beautiful voices of Benjamin James Caldwell, Heather Styka, Dana Wylie, and Jenny Ritter, Further Down The Line is a collection of compelling short stories crafted by a veteran poet of the road. I was particularly impressed with Cook’s reimagining of the old spiritual Walk That Lonesome Valley where he takes a page out of Woody Guthrie’s playbook adding his own verses to celebrate the bravery of plain folk like abolitionist Isabella Baumfree, anti-war activist Dan Berrigan, and incarcerated whistleblower Chelsea Manning. Cook then takes on a more upbeat note with the feminist themed song Fellas, Get Out The Way with its joyful pro matriarchy message. A seasoned entertainer with a rich voice and a big personality Cook is wise enough to know he needs to break up the serious vibe once and while which he does with gleeful simplicity on Kitchen Dance Party On. If you’re in need of some music with substance, heart, and a whole lot of lyrical craft then Scott Cook’s latest deserves your attention.
4thmeridian.ca I sent my album to you guys, where’s my review?
Our next online auction of fine art & collectibles is May 30 - June 22. Proceeds go to the PAG’s summer children’s art camps. Get tickets now for the PAG’s LIVE auction gala, June 22.
Penticton Art Gallery 199 Marina Way, Penticton, BC.
pentictonartgallery.ca
BC Musician Magazine’s
1. We receive a lot of albums; 2. It was an EP, not an album; 3. You emailed a download link and damn, those are nearly impossible for us to keep track of; 4. We did review a whole bunch but ran out of room in issue 122; therefore, maybe it will show up in issue 123; 5. We receive a lot of albums. Thank you!
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Hyena Twist The Black Hyenas
blackhyenas.bandcamp.com reviewed by Dave O Rama
12 Songs To Haunt You Betrayers
thebetrayers.bandcamp.com reviewed by Dave O Rama
Atomic! The Album The Cavaleros
Nothing shakes the cobwebs from my brain like a deep dose of high grade psychobilly music and I have to report that The Black Hyenas deliver up a premium blend. I may be known for my schizophonic tendencies but if I was forced at gunpoint to pick my all time favourite then my answer would always be The Cramps. For me the Cramps have it hands down, and I must admit that I rarely encounter any other bands that can do justice to that form of swamped out monster movie schlock n roll. Leaching out from the somber streets of Daysland, Alberta back in 2011 The Black Hyenas brew up a powerful amalgamation of tangy ingredients incorporating a rich helping of rockabilly, deep country blues, southern fried rock, flaming surf, garage, and jungle bop all stuffed inside a gothic zombie taco. Lead singer Joystik owns a mighty set of lungs that belt out the hard edged sardonic horror show lyrics delivered with charisma and intense sincerity. Drummer Luann Facemelter pounds out a
throbbing floor-shaking onslaught equaling guitarist King Rocker’s psychotic tornado of twang every step of the way. Harp man Trevor “Cryin’ Wallslide” Duplessis infects the sound with a relentless storm of blue noise while gutbucket bass player Black Lily kicks a whole tub full of sludge all over the The Black Hyenas bottom end while adding a welcome jugband component to this contagious concoction. Tossing us out a juicy hunk of rock n roll flesh this new EP features three rerecorded ballroom smashers selected from the band’s two full length releases Carrion Call and Missing An Ear. Each track is wall punching insane, rockin’ at breakneck speed, with the power to whip those exposed into a trance-like rhythm frenzy. The Black Hyenas possess a jagged go for the throat sound, dressed up in horrorshow chic, dripping in caustic wit and powered by bourbon and jet fuel. This is a band I yearn to see live. Don’t think about, just get it!
Edmonton`s Betrayers cook up another full length slab of deep psychedelic soul in their greasy garage of love. Kicking out a pulsating fuzz soaked hallucinogenic hurricane of sugary brain candy 12 Songs To Haunt You is the kind of hook laden prescription that will seep into your dreams and carry you off to uncharted dimensions. The Betrayers sound is a tight melodic mess of jangly guitars gliding over oozing layers of buzz and spaced out organ-isms. Part British Invasion, part punk garage, with glittering references to the summer of love and laced with grinding rust bucket blues, 12 Songs To Haunt You definitely passes the
acid test. The chilling male vocals intertwine beautifully with the listless female harmonies and the band has a gift for capturing a sound from way back and taking it way out into new territory. The production here by Jesse Northey and Travis Sargent at Riverdale Recorders is truly stellar and really captures the sound of an era that the Betrayers seem possessed by. Trembling with unrestrained sexual impulses and echoing with ghostly manifestations I guarantee 12 Songs To Haunt You will shake your shack and trip out your neighbours. A perfect soundtrack for your next psychotic reaction.
Coming fast on the crest of their Banzai Pipeline EP Victoria’s The Cavaleros drop their new full length release Atomic! The Album. Fully immersed in the surf rock groove The Cavaleros embrace all the swagger and style with precise execution and a rebel spirit. On Atomic! The Cavaleros spit out ten fiery surf instrumentals delivered with blistering force and dripping with rock n roll bravado. This fine tuned trio slather their music with buckets of sustain and heaping servings of Mexican spice. German “Sandy” Cavalero lays down a relentless jungle beat over Johnny Cavalero’s pounding undertones while producer and gang leader
Eddie Cavalero unleashes a blistering five string assault that pays a complex and passionate tribute to the world of surf. From their matching jailhouse stripes and mariachi jackets, to the cool album cartoon graphics, The Cavaleros have this whole thing dialed in. It’s Link Wray meets The Stooges at a bullfight on Waikiki Beach. Switchblade sharp and burning rubber, Atomic! The Album is sure to satisfy anyone with a taste for rockabilly, psyched out garage rock, and salty beach party ballistics. High octane and seriously shacked, with Atomic! The Album The Cavaleros leave you blissed, breathless, and totally noodled.
thecavaleros.com reviewed by Dave O Rama
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Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017
Monument Parkland
parklandmusicproject.bandcamp.com reviewed by L. V. Nash
Books & Branches Caribou Whispers
booksandbranches.bandcamp.com reviewed by L. V. Nash
Parkland Monument is a company in Missouri that makes memorials. Their website says “Each memorial has a special definition which conveys something meaningful about a person, their life and the sentiments we hold for that person.” To whit: construct an obelisk or aggregate headstone as a solid reminder of that once-human. But that will also stand as a memento mori. Monument the album replaces that permanent structure of stone with story, another means of memorializing. Parkland is a band from Vancouver that defines itself as rock, experimental. They have also been called avant-country — but really, we’re way post-country here. By common understanding, however, experimental means that each time the story is told it is told differently. Parkland will never perform this story the same way again. So we’ve got that game going on. Monument is at once a permanent recording of a story told one way. The cover art by Dave Wilson is a close-up of plaster that can be used to coat a surface for years; or layered, it builds up the representation of another monument, a bust. Monument is a structure, with just four pieces, built up into a representation in the mind’s eye of love lost. In honoring the memory of someone long-loved — “I should have been your best friend / and I should have been there till the end / and I should have been your biggest fan / but I’m on this bus again leavin my home town” (Biggest Fan) — that most wretched of constructs, the “should” is employed. The slamming, lasting, heaviest disparagement that can be used as a passive put down, when used against oneself it is the sledgehammer of regret. And wow, what a permanent thing that can be. More permanent in the collectible variety of modern monuments is the white vinyl pressing of Monument that avid collectors will be seeking. Rob Malowany has pure and imperfect and heart-wrenching longing in his voice. Paul Rigby plays the pedal steel to tear-springing levels. Monument is compelling and driving in its rhythm and focus. The songs fit together and are long and satisfying. You won’t hear any of it on the radio, and you won’t want to put this in your device on shuffle. But many of you will want the luscious white vinyl to hold in your hands.
Described as “the studio culmination of numerous cassette demos and idiosyncratic scraps sent by songwriter Colin McLaine to multi-instrumentalist Stephen Lyons (Fond of Tigers) while McLaine was living in a small trailer in the Yukon.” “I write like crazy to get the blood flowing” pretty much sums up what living in a small trailer in the Yukon might do to your circulation if you aren’t busy. Busy is what Colin McLaine has been, ironically, for a guy isolated in the bush, in writing this diverse little collection of ditties. Of the 14 on this release the titular tune is the longest, clocking in at 5 and a half minutes, almost 2 full minutes longer than the others. Each one, though, perfectly composed and each one clever. There’s a Jonathan Richman-like story-telling quality, with a more talky-like singing than singer-singing. And some of the rhythms, particularly on “Dog,” are reminiscent of the Violent Femmes circa The Blind Leading the Naked. But don’t let that description infect how you hear the whole album; McLaine is his own voice. Except when he says the word “dog” it’s dawg without the drawl, more of a Lou Reed “dog” if you can hear that. Okay, let’s accept that McLaine is able to conjure some lovely and reminiscent tones with his voice. There’s not a huge range, which makes the sound strong on his main plane, north of the 60th parallel. Over and over the songwriting is clever. There has been plenty of time to edit the lyrics to his satisfaction, and when he and Lyons got together to put music to word they synthesized the bush into ballads. “I love to draw, but not that kind of attention / I love to draw, but not that kind of attention to… my… self.” (French Song Pt. 2). That might be why these songs were scattered about the trailer for a while. The entirety of Books & Branches is attention-worthy.
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It’s Time Steve Kozak Band
stevekozakband.com reviewed by R. Doull
Legacy Big Miller & Tommy Banks
chronojazz.com reviewed by R. Doull
Guitarist Steve Kozak’s style is usually described as west coast blues or jump blues. A style that was developed primarily in Los Angeles when Texas blues musicians moved west and met swing jazz. He is that, but he is also a lot more. A hard-working fixture on the Lower Mainland blues scene since the early 1980’s, starting in the Bad Habits and about five bands later emerging as a leader in 2003 with his first recording, Steve Kozak - West Coast Blues Review. Ironically he won a Maple Blues Award in 2013 for New Artist or Group of the Year. By that time he had been working for thirty years and he had released three albums as a leader. In May of 1977 Kozak met Muddy Waters who was playing at the old Stardust Roller Rink in North Vancouver. He said Waters “really encouraged me to keep playing the blues and to do my best to help keep the music alive.” For a blues musician that would be roughly equivalent to Moses meeting God on Mt. Sinai, you couldn’t not keep playing after that. The final track on this CD, Goin’ Fishing, is based on a Muddy Waters riff. Kozak’s press release talks abut his love of getting out on the water for a day of fish-
ing. But what kind of fish is it that can sit right here by his side? Breaking the west coast stereotype Kozak draws on a number of Chicago influences; in addition to the Water’s homage he covers Magic Sam’s Every Night and Every Day and he resurrects Jody Williams’ little heard You May. Although not well known today Williams was the first guitarist in Howlin’ Wolf’s Chicago band and he did some amazing work with Bo Diddley. Kozak also incorporates R&B with his cover of Brook Benton’s Kiddio, a shot of Cajun on Trouble and something that might actually be described as west coast swing on That’s Cool With Me, an original complete with laugh track at the close. Seven of the twelve tracks are Kozak originals. He plays with a precision that is deceptive. It is the simplicity of wisdom. Nothing is overplayed. Roger Brandt plays bass, Chris Nordquist on drums, and Dave Webb on piano and organ. The CD is produced by Matthew Rogers of the Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer who provide backing vocals. Rogers also plays additional guitar on one track and Shawn Hall contributes harmonica throughout. Jerry Cook guests on saxophones and Dave Vidal plays additional guitar on One Woman I Need.
There are four stories that come together to result in this CD and any one of the four would fill a book. The independent jazz based Chrongraph Records label was founded by bassist and CKUA radio announcer Kodi Hutchinson in Calgary in 2004 and has active releases from a roster of about twenty-six different musical aggregations. This CD is a fundraiser for the educational programs of the Edmonton Jazz Society and the Yardbird Suite and is released in conjunction with the Yardbird’s 60th Anniversary celebration. Both Big Miller and Tommy Banks were prime movers in the development of the Edmonton Jazz Society and in 2009 a small park in Old Strathcona was named after Big Miller and a bronze statue of him was erected there (he died in 1992). Tommy Banks was instrumental in the effort to recognize the contributions Miller made to the development of musical culture both in Edmonton and around Alberta, including stints teaching at Grant MacEwan and the Banff Centre. Miller was also awarded an honourary doctorate from Athabaska University. The story starts in 1922 when Miller was born in
Sioux City, Iowa. In 1949 he began singing with Lionel Hampton out of Kansas City and then moved to Jay McShann’s band. The same band Charlie Parker started in. Miller was big, almost 6’ 4”, and made his reputation as a Kansas City shouter. You had to be commanding to appear in front of the territory bands or you would get blown off the stage. He worked with Fletcher Henderson, Count Basie, Duke Ellington and many other well-known bands. In 1967 he got stranded in Canada when he was appearing as part of Jon Hendricks’ review – The Evolution of the Blues – and they went broke. He started taking one off gigs to raise the money to go back to the US but after visiting Edmonton and appearing with Banks on several occasions he was persuaded to stay. High praise for Banks and great news for Alberta. This CD is a duet recording with Miller on vocals and Banks on piano. It was recorded in an afternoon in August 1989 and is a program of nine jazz standards, originally intended as a demo for a band recording that was never realized. It is a warm intimate session that could only have been produced by two old friends and consummate professionals who could hear each other breathe.
From The Shed The Trees Like Torches
liketorch.es reviewed by R. Doull
Canim Lake resident Simon Hermann performs as a solo artist under the name The Trees Like Torches. Last summer he did a tour through Germany and during his stay in Leipzig received an offer from a sound engineer to record in
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an old shed in Leipzigs Weststadt. He made a three song CD there that he has since released in a limited edition handstamped digifile that includes three pieces of artwork. One song from the CD is available to hear on his website. He cites Primo Levi, Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild, and Marina Keegan’s The Opposite of Loneliness as influences.
Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017
Gone to the Spirits Norine Braun
norinebraun.com reviewed by R. Doull
Shufflin’ The Blues Holly Hyatt and Jon Burden
hollyandjon.com reviewed by R. Doull
This is Norine Braun’s tenth album and it is on a much larger scale than her earlier work. She draws on all of her influences in rock, blues, folk and aboriginal music from both North and Central America to take on this ambitious project. The music is organized thematically around the life story of Ququnak Pa‡kly (Gone-To-The-Spirits) a two spirit Kootenai person. Only a few details survive of Gone-ToThe-Spirits life. Raised as a woman, she appears in David ThompsonŤ’s journals from 1803 living as a wife to one of his men named Boisverd. Expelled by Thompson she renamed herself and said that her sex had been changed by her encounter with whites and she became a man. Thompson encounters Gone-ToThe-Spirits again in July of 1809 near the headwaters of the Columbia where they have become a prophet and they
forcibly disdain him. They are out of his power. In 1811 they arrived in his camp as a well-dressed powerful man with a young wife. At first Thompson did not recognize Gone-To-The-Spirits and he does not name them but calls them the “the Woman that carried a Bow and Arrows and had a Wife.” In April of 1827 Sir John Franklin encounters them at Fort Chipewyan and subsequently records their death as a warrior. Braun’s album opens with a spoken word description of the death of GoneTo-The-Spirits. Then she imaginatively and magically fills out Gone-To-The-Spirits life story in a cycle of thirteen songs. The CD ends with Braun’s reading of her own short story about the same subject. One track from the CD, Transform (Take me Away), is available to hear on Braun’s website.
Recorded live at The Silverton Gallery in Silverton BC. This is the third release from this duo, who were formerly known as Holly and Jon in an earlier acoustic incarnation. They have now taken on electric blues in a trio format with the addition of drummer Marvin Walker. Burden plays electric and slide guitar and Hyatt handles bass. They share vocals. Hyatt scats on Slushy Blues. They cite their main influence as the early 1960s blues trios of Otis Rush, Magic Sam and Freddie King. These bands were the architects of the Chicago West Side sound which was a challenge to the South Side sound originated by people like Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. In a gesture of conciliation between the west and the south this album opens
with a version of Water’s Blow Wind Blow that incorporates the guitar line Kenny Burrell used on Back at the Chicken Shack, from the 1960 album The Incredible Jimmy Smith. These guys are not fooling around. They are authentically linked to the music they espouse. The nine tracks are mixed between five originals; four by Hyatt and one she co-wrote with Burden, and four covers. In addition to the Waters track there is one each from Memphis Slim, Nick Gravenites and Robert Johnson. It is a tribute to the quality of Hyatt’s original songwriting that it is completely of a piece with the covers. Everything sounds like it came from the same deep well of experience. There are six performance videos posted to their website.
Where the Music Begins 23 locations in Alberta and BC Visit long-mcquade.com to find a location near you.
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Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017 73
In the Cool of the Dawn Roland Nipp
This CD is the sixth from Richmond based guitar virtuoso Nipp. His previous recording, Ragged Hearts, was nominated for the Best Instrumental Rock Album in the 2017 Just Plain Folks Music Awards and two tracks from that recording are also nominated in the Best Instrumental Rock Song category. If you have favourite rock guitarist, name that person, and you can bet that
somewhere, somehow Nipp has subsumed their style. I put this CD on in the vast headquarters of the BC Musician tower and the questions started flying. Is that Andy Summers, Jeff Beck, Santana, Susan Tedeschi? There is a jukebox on his website that plays a selection of songs from all of his recordings and four performance videos are also available there. Nipp’s work has been featured in Guitar Player Magazine in their Spotlight section and he has also appeared in Vintage Guitar and 20th Century Guitar Magazines. He clearly loves to play. Watch for him around the Lower Mainland this summer.
After playing in rock ‘n roll (the Invaders) and country bands in the 50s and 60s Allan Markin hung it up for forty years and became an academic. Five years ago he came out of retirement and recorded his first CD titled What Golden Years?, which is a raggedy look at aging. Now at the age of seventy-five he has taken on an ambitious project, a twelve song cycle documenting the history of the Doukhobors in Western Canada from their arrival in 1899 to the present day. As a people the Doukhobors have often been subject to uncomprehend-
ing discrimination and negative propaganda. Markin’s CD is a useful corrective, singing about the accomplishments and strong communities created by these hard working people of Christian faith – the word Doukhobor means Spirit Wrestler. In 1968 George Woodcock with Ivan Avakumovic wrote the first sympathetic history of the Doukhobor experience in Canada and that book was updated and produced as a two part series for CBC TV in 1976. The first part was titled The Living Book and the second was Toil and Peaceful Life, also the title of this CD.
rolandnipp.com reviewed by R. Doull
Places: Songs of Toil and Peaceful Life
Allan “Dr. Eclectic” Markin
allanmarkin.com reviewed by R. Doull
Dryspell Dryspell
dryspell.ca reviewed by R. Doull Six song debut EP from this Victoria based three piece. Straightforward hard rock with enough experience to add dynamics and make it a catchy. They cite Tom Petty and Oasis as influences. Katherine Beckett adds supporting vocals and apparently she will be taking on full time duties when the band releases their first full-length player later this year. The cover art is a nice riff on the Beatles Revolver.
Meanwhile..... Maddie Jay & The PH Collective
maddiejay-thephcollective .bandcamp.com reviewed by R. Doull Originally from Smithers, bassist, producer, songwriter, vocalist and visual artist Maddie Jay now lives in Boston and has put together a group that she describes as either new age acid jazz or psychedelic instrumental hip-hop with a horn section and a bank of synthesizers. They will be touring the BC interior in the summer of 2017.
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Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017
Ogopogo Punk The Evaporators
Brother Ali’s “Nardwuar,” a song that he recorded after Nardwuar interviewed him and gave him some records and, in true Nardwuarian skewed fashion, Mohammed Ali memorabilia. Brother Ali is a white rapper. Four thematically linked videos are posted to the Evaporators website. Although wherever they shot the Ogopogo video looks decidedly unlike Okanagan Lake. That, I suppose, is in keeping with their warped (in a good way) sense of humour.
theevaporators.com reviewed by R. Doull
Nine tracks. No waiting. Most songs are in the two-minute range. As befits the Evaporators everything is short and on point but off-kilter. They state their purpose and move on. Seven originals; a cover of Candy, a song first recorded in 1968 by Montreal band The Rabble; and
The Orange Challenge Quatuor André Lachance
andreslachance.com reviewed by R. Doull
André Lachance has been a pillar of Vancouver’s jazz scene for the last twentyfive years. Usually playing either acoustic or electric bass he has been a member of more than ten working ensembles and a first call sideman for visiting international jazz musicians. He has shown up on sessions for five different record labels as well as on CBC recordings. He worked as a sound engineer for Radio-Canada FM in Vancouver. He taught a workshop at the Banff Centre. Quatuor André Lachance was founded in 2010 and is a vehicle for Lachance to play electric guitar on his own compositions in a modern improvised setting. He is supported by Brad Turner on Fender Rhodes
and Piano, Chris Gestrin on Moog Synthesizer Bass and Joe Poole on drums. Some of the compositions here will be familiar to those who have heard the group live. Others are newly composed specifically for this CD. The title of the CD is a bit enigmatic, so we asked him what it refers to and here is what he said: “It is my favorite colour. It is also the most visible colour to the human eye. The least likely colour found in nature. That’s why it is used in traffic cones. “It is a challenge to find words that rhyme with orange. But if you say orange challenge fast a bunch of times, it may provide an answer to the riddle. “A friend of mine who is a sound-man in Vancouver came upon a sale of orange clothes in a store and had the idea to challenge himself to wear something orange every single day for a year. He did the year and I believe kept it up far longer than that. I always liked that story. “Orange is the colour of the second chakra, and is associated with the musical pitch D. There are 4 tunes in D on the CD (just happened that way) so it was fitting. “People have asked me if it is about Trump and no, the title was chosen before he was elected and I don’t want dedicate any of my music to this poor excuse of a human, but I wholeheartedly support the idea that our challenge will be to get through the years of the orange creature down in the USA.”
BC Musician Magazine’s
Live in store shows Always All Ages Always Free
Vinyl, CD, Cassette 1551 Ellis St Kelowna, BC 250.862.8965
www.milkcrate.ca milkcraterecords
@milkcrater
Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017 75
alphabetical festivals at a glance! 39 Days of July Cowichan Summer Festival Aboriginal Cultural Festival Aboriginal Gathering and Peace River Pow Wow Accordion Extravaganza Accordion Noir Festival Adäka Cultural Festival Adstock All Folk’d Up in Montmartre Alpine Blossom Festival Annual Beaumont Blues & Roots Festival Annual Cowboy and Drover Jubilee ApplePress Party Armstrong Metal Fest Arts Alive in the Park Arts on the Fly Arts Without Borders ArtsRising ArtsWells Festival Of All Things Art Astral Harvest Music & Arts Festival Atlin Arts & Music Festival Atmosphere Gathering Attack of Danger Bay-Longboard Race Bandfest Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival Bard on the Beach Barkerville Historic Town Barkerville Stage, Artwells Festival Bass Coast Summer Festival BC Beer Awards & Festival Bear Creek Folk Festival Bella Coola Music Festival Big Valley Jamboree Billy Barker Days Blackberry Street Party Blessed Coast Blueberry Bluegrass Country Music Festival Brackendale Bluegrass Festival BreakOut West Festival Brentwood Bay Festival SwingCamp Bumbershoot Burn in the Fraser Burnaby Blues & Roots Festival Burrard Inlet Fish Fest Calgary Folk Music Festival Calgary International Blues Festival Calgary International Children’s Festival Calgary Stampede Campbell Bay Music Festival Campbell River Salmon Festival Canadian Festival of Spoken Word Canadian Rockies Cowboy Festival Canmore Folk Music Festival CannaFest Caribbean Days Festival North Vancouver Cariboo’s Rockstock Festival Carving on the Edge Festival CASCADIA Casse-Tête: A Festival of Experimental Music Castlegar Sunfest Cates Park Concert Series Cathedral Village ArtsFestival Centralia Old-Time Music Campout Chemainus Accordion Festival Chemainus Bluegrass Festival Chemainus Blues Festival Chemainus Jazz Festival Chetwynd Intl Chainsaw Carving Championship Children’s Festival Chilliwack Children’s Arts Festival Christina Lake Summer Homecoming Festival Circle the Wagons Festival City of Bhangra Festival Civic Sounds Columbia Basin Culture Tour Columbia Gorge Bluegrass Festival Come By The Hills Music Festival
76 BC Musician Magazine’s
June 30 - Aug 7 June 16 - June 18 June 3 - June 4 Sept 15 - Sept 17 Sept 3 - Sept 14 June 30 - July 6 June 18 - June 18 July 7 - July 9 July 28 - July 30 June 16 - June 18 Sept 8 - Sept 10 Sept 23 - Sept 23 July 14 - July 15 Aug 19 - Aug 20 July 14 - July 15 June 18 - June 24 Sept 21 - Sept 24 Aug 4 - Aug 7 July 14 - July 17 July 7 - July 9 Aug 18 - Aug 20 May 19 - May 22 June 3 - June 4 Oct 28 - Nov 5 June 1 - Sept 23 May 18 - Sept 24 Aug 4 - Aug 7 July 7 - July 10 Oct 21 - Oct 21 Aug 18 - Aug 20 July 22 - July 23 Aug 3 - Aug 6 July 13 - July 16 Aug 18 - Aug 18 July 28 - July 31 Aug 4 - Aug 6 May 6 - May 15 Sept 13 - Sept 17 June 3 - June 4 Aug 13 - Aug 19 Sept 1 - Sept 3 July 13 - July 16 Aug 12 Aug 12 July 27 - July 30 July 31 - Aug 6 May 24 - May 28 July 7 - July 16 June 23 - June 24 Aug 10 - Aug 12 Oct 23 - Oct 28 May 26 - May 28 Aug 5 - Aug 7 Aug 10 - Aug 12 July 29 - July 30 Sept 1 - Sept 4 Sept 2 - Sept 14 July 13 - July 16, June 15 - June 18 June 2 - June 4 July 8 - Aug 26 May 22 - May 27 Aug 13 - Aug 20 July 29 - July 29 July 15 - July 16 July 8 - July 9 Aug 19 - Aug 19 June 8 - June 11 June 11 - June 11 Sept 22 - Sept 23 July 8 - July 8 Sept 9 - Sept 9 June 11 - June 17 July 6 - Aug 24 Aug 12 - Aug 13 July 27 - July 30 Aug 18 - Aug 19
Comox Nautical Days Comox Valley Youth Music Camp Comox Valley Festival of Summer Sounds Concerts in The Park - Ladysmith Connect Festival Coombs Bluegrass Festival Cortes Days Cottonwood Community Market Stage Country Thunder Craven Country Jamboree Cultural Heritage Festival Culture Days Curbside Night Market Darrington Bluegrass Festival Dauphins Countryfest Dawson City Music Festival Deep Cove Daze Community Arts Festival Desert Daze Festival Destination Mainstage Doe Bay Fest Downtown Kelowna Block Party Downtown Live - Salmon Arm Downtown Victoria Buskers Festival Early Music Vancouver-Main Series East Coast Kitchen Party East Coulee Springfest Edge of the World MusicFestival on Haida Gwaii Edmonton Folk Fest Edmonton International Film Festival Edmonton International Jazz Festival Edmonton International Street Performers Festival Electric Love Music Festival Element Music Festival Elephant Mountain Literary Festival Elevate Arts Festival Envision Twilight Concert Series European Festival Event Name Eventide Music Series FernFest Festival of the Grape Filberg Festival Fire n Water Music Festival First Saturday in Kimberley Fleetwood Community Festival Flowmotion Summer Meltdown Folk on the Rocks Folklorama Four Corners Folk Fest FozzyFest Freezer Burn Fungi Festival Funtastic Festival FVDED in the Park G Fest Gabriola Music Festival Gabriola Theatre Festival Gateway Fest Giants Head Freeride-LongBoard Race Gibsons Landing Jazz Festival Music in the Landing Gibsons Sea Cavalcade Glacier Challenge Good Will Shakespeare Festival Great Okanagan Beer Festival Greek Day on Broadway Greenwood Founders’ Day Grindrod Garlic Festival Grizfest Harmony Arts Festival Harrison Festival of the Arts Harvest Moon Festival Harvest Sun Music Fest Hay Fever Heart of the City Festival Edmonton Heat Wave Hi, Society Music Fest
Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017
Aug 5 - Aug 7 July 2 - July 22 July 2 - July 22 July 3 - Aug 28 Aug 4 - Aug 7 Aug 4 July 15 May 20 - Oct 28 Aug 18 - Aug 20 July 13 - July 16K Sept 23 - Sept 30 Sept 29 - Oct 1 May 26 - Aug 25 July 21 - July 23 June 29 - July 2 July 21 - July 23 Aug 27 - Aug 27 Aug 11 - Aug 12 June 30 - July 8 Aug 10 - Aug 13 July 22 July 1 - Aug 31 July 11 - July 16 Sept 27 - April 28 Aug 18 - Aug 20 May 5 - May 6 Aug 11 - Aug 13 Aug 10 - Aug 13 Sept 28 - Oct 7 June 23 - July 2 July 7 - July 16 July 28 - July 31 Aug 3 - Aug 6 July 6 - July 9 May 31 - June 3 June 7 - Aug 30 May 27 - May 28 June 9 - June 11 July 6 - Aug 17 June 16 - June 17 Oct 1 - Oct 1 Aug 4 - Aug 7 Aug 4 - Aug 6 July 1 - Oct 7 Sept 9 Aug 10 - Aug 13 July 14 - July 16 Aug 6 - Aug 19 Sept 1 - Sept 3 Sept 14 - Sept 17 June 22 - June 26 Sept 21 - Sept 24 June 30 - July 3 July 7 - July 8 June 15 - June 17 Sept 2 - Sept 3 Aug 18 - Aug 20 July 21 - July 23 June 26 - June 28 June 16 - June 18 July 1 - Aug 26 July 29 - July 30 Aug 4 - Aug 7 May 6 - May 8 May 11 - May 13 June 25 July 8 - July 9 Aug 20 Aug 4 - Aug 6 Aug 4 - Aug 14 July 8 - July 16 Sept 15 - Sept 17 Aug 18 - Aug 20 July 21 - 23 June 3 - June 4 July 1 - July 8 Aug 18 - Aug 20
Hills Garlic Festival Hootstock Festival Hornby Festival Ignite Youth Driven Arts Festival IGNITE! Festival for Emerging Artists imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival Indian Summer Indigenous Music Awards Inshala Festival Interior Provincial Exhibition Interior Savings Fat Cat Children’s Festival Interstellar Rodeo Edmonton Interstellar Rodeo Winnipeg Invermere MusicFest Islands Folk Festival Jammin’ in Jubilee Concerts in the Park Jammin’ in Justice Jaywalker’s Jamboree Jazz At The Lake Festival John Arcand Fiddle Fest Juan De Fuca Festival of the Arts K Days Kaleido Family Arts Festival Kamloopa Pow Wow Kamp Festival Kanata Festival on Turtle Island Kanfest Kaslo Art Walk Kaslo Jazz Etc. Summer Music Festival Kaslo May Days Kettle River Art Club Show Khatsahlano! Music + Art Festival Kimberley JulyFest Kimberley Medieval Festival Kispiox Valley Music Festival Kluane Mountain Bluegrass Festival Kootenay Book Weekend Kootenay Country Music Festival Kootenay Festival La Conner Guitar Festival Lake Country ArtWalk Laketown Rock Music Festival Latin Summer Fest Lightning in a Bottle Litfest Live in Filberg Park Summer Concert Series Live In Lake Country Lone Butte Rocks Days Long Days Night Music Festival Lumby Days Luminosity Project Lund Shellfish Festival Magnificent River Rats Festival Manito Ahbee Festival Manitoba Electronic Music Exhibition Maple Ridge Caribbean Festival Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows Country Fest MarketFest Merritt Art Walk Metalocalypstick Fest Mid-Autumn Moon Festival Midnight Sun Festival Miners Memorial Weekend Mission Folk Music Festival MoM Festival Monster Energy Center of Gravity Morden Corn & Apple Festival Motion Notion Music Festival Mountain Mosaic Festival of the Arts Mt Baker Rhythm & Blues Festival Mushtari Begum Festival Music At The Cannery Music By The Sea Music in the Park-Kamloops Music on the Wharf-Maple Ridge Music Waste Festival Nelson Artwalk Nelson Fat Tire Festival Ness Creek Folk Fest Nextfest Nicola Valley Fall Fair NimbleFingers North Country Fair North Okanagan OM Festival North West Roots Festival
Sept 10 July 28 - July 30 Aug 3 - Aug 12 May 16 - May 20 June 6 - June 10 Oct 18 - Oct 22 July 6 - July 15 May 19 June 23 - June 26 Aug 30 - Sept 3 June 9 - June 10 July 21 - July 23 Aug 18 - Aug 20 Aug 18 - Aug 19 July 21 - July 23 July 6 - July 27 July 5 - Aug 30 June 2 - June 3 Aug 17 - Aug 20 Aug 10 - Aug 13 May 26 - May 29 July 21 - July 30 Sept 15 - Sept 17 Aug 4 - Aug 6 June 30 - July 3 June 19 - July 1 Aug 11 - Aug 13 June 2 - Sept 29 Aug 4 - Aug 6 May 20 - May 22 May 27 - May 28 July 8 July 21 - July 23 July 8 - July 9 July 28 - July 30 June 9 - June 11 Sept 22 - Sept 24 July 1 - July 2 July 22 May 12 - May 14 Sept 9 - Sept 10 May 19 - May 21 Aug 11 - Aug 13 May 24 - May 29 Oct 12 - Oct 22 July 27 - Aug 24 July 1 - Aug 26 July 15 June 22 - June 25 June 9 - June 11 July 14 - July 17 May 26 - May 28 June 30 - July 1 May 17 - May 21 Aug 17 - Aug 21 Aug 5 - Aug 6 July 29 - July 30 July 28 - Aug 25 July 1 - Aug 15 July 1 - July 2 Aug 19 June 18 June 22 - June 24 July 21 - July 23 Aug 18 - Aug 20 July 28 - July 30 Aug 25 - Aug 27 July 24 - July 28 July 1 Aug 4 - Aug 6 Sept 30 July 7 - July 25 July 22 - July 30 July 1 - Aug 31 July 10 - Aug 28 June 1 - June 4 June 23 - Sept 10 Aug 24 - Aug 27 July 13 - July 16 June 1 - June 11 Sept 1 Aug 20 - Sept 1 June 23 - June 25 Aug 25 - Aug 27 July 7 - July 8
Northern Lights Bluegrass Festival Northern Lights Music Festival Northwest Folklife Festival Okanagan Pride Festival Okanagan Vinyl Fest Okanagan Zone Theatre Fest Oliver Music in the Park Oliver Sunshine Festival Opera in the Village Opera Nuova Opera & Music Theatre Festival Otalith Festival Outside Lands OUTstages Pacific Rim Summer Festival Pagosa Folk ‘N Bluegrass Parksville Beachfest Concert Series Party in the Park Peace Festival Peach Festival Pemberton Music Festival Pembina River Nights Pender Harbour Blues Festival Pender Harbour Jazz Festival Pentastic Hot Jazz Festival Penticton Elvis Festival Penticton RibFest Penticton Scottish Festival Performance in the Park - Banff Performances in the Park - Williams Lake Picture Butte Jamboree Days Ponderosa Arts & Music Festival PotashCorp Children’s Festival Pretty Good Not Bad Princeton Traditional Music Festival PRISMA Pure Speculation Quadrapalooza Queen of the Peak Rainbow Trout Music Festival Refresh ReggaeFest Regina Folk Festival Renton River Days Retro Concert Weekend Richmond Maritime Festival Rifflandia Festival Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival RiverFest Robson Valley Music Festival Rock Creek Fall Fair Rock the Shores Rockin’ River Music Fest Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Rogue Arts Festival Round the Mountain Ryga Arts Festival Sacred Music Dance Camp Salmon Arm Roots & Blues Festival Salt Spring Island Apple Fest Salt Spring Island’s Annual Fall Fair Salt Spring Studio Tour Sam Steele Days Saskatoon Exhibition Saskatoon Folkfest Saskatoon Reggae and World Music Festival Saskatoonberry Festival SaskPower Windscape Kite Festival SASKTEL Saskatchewan Jazz Festival Sasquatch Gathering Sasquatch! Seabird Island First Nations Festival Seafest-Alert Bay Seafest-Cortes Seafest-Prince Rupert Sechelt Arts Festival Seldovia Summer Solstice Music Festival Serenity Music Harvest Festival Sh’Bang Festival Shady Grove Bluegrass Festival Shambhala Music Festival Shine on Festival of Music and Art Shorefest Similkameen Sizzle Pepper Festival Sled Island Festival Smithers Midsummer Music Festival
BC Musician Magazine’s
Aug 18 - Aug 20 July 14 - July 16 May 26 - May 29 Aug 12 - Aug 19 Oct 1 May 18 - May 22 July 7 - Aug 31 Aug 19 Aug 13 - Aug 14 May 20 - July 30 Aug 18 - Aug 19 Aug 11 - Aug 13 June 20 - June 24 July 1 - July 9 June 9 - June 11 July 21 - Aug 19 June 16 - June 17 July 7 - July 8 Aug 9 - Aug 13 July 13 - July 16 July 7 - July 8 June 2 - June 4 Sept 15 - Sept 17 Sept 8 - Sept 10 June 22 - June 25 June 30 - July 2 July 1 June 9 - June 10 July 6 - Aug 24 Aug 18 - Aug 20 Aug 18 - Aug 20 June 3 - June 6 June 18 - June 21 Aug 18 - Aug 20 June 12 - June 24 July 28 - July 29 Aug 31 - Sept 3 Sept 29 - Oct 1 Aug 18 - Aug 21 June 24 Aug 17 - Aug 19 Aug 10 - Aug 13 July 21 - July 23 Aug 11 - Aug 13 Aug 12 - Aug 13 Sept 14 - Sept 17 June 23 - June 25 Sept 21 - Sept 24 Aug 11 - Aug 13 Sept 16 - Sept 17 July 21 - July 23 Aug 3 - Aug 6 Aug 18 - Aug 20 Aug 25 - Aug 27 June 25 Sept 1 - Sept 3 June 28 Aug 18 - Aug 20 Oct 1 Sept 16 - Sept 17 May 1 - Sept 30 June 16 - June 18 Aug 8 - Aug 13 Aug 17 - Aug 19 Aug 11 - Aug 13 July 8 June 24 - June 25 June 23 - July 2 July 28 - July 30 May 26 - May 28 May 27 - May 28 July 28 - July 30 May 20 - May 20 June 9 - June 11 Oct 6 - Oct 22 June 22 - June 25 Sept 8 - Sept 10 Sept 8 - Sept 10 Aug 18 - Aug 20 Aug 11 - Aug 14 Aug 24 - Aug 27 July 29 - Aug 5 Sept 16 - Sept 16 June 21 - June 25 June 30 - July 2
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Sooke Fine Arts Show Sooke River Bluegrass Festival Soulfest 2017 South Cariboo Garlic Festival South Cariboo Summer Festival South County Fair Spark the Vibe Spirit of the Peace Pow Wow Starbelly Jam Stony Plain Cowboy Festival Street Performers Festival Summer Solstice Festival d’été Summer Sounds - Sidney Summer Sundays Concerts - Port Moody Summerland Action Festival Summerland Bluegrass Festival Summertime Blues Sunfest Festival Sunshine Cabaret Sunshine Coast Art Crawl Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts Sunshine Festival Sunshine Music Festival Surrey Fusion Festival Surrey International Children’s Festival Sweetwater905 Arts and Music Fest Symphony Under The Sky Tall Tree Music Festival TD Victoria International JazzFest Terrace Riverboat Days Texada Island Blues & Roots Festival The Dream Music Festival The Festival at Sandpoint The Nakusp Suffercross The Phillips Backyard Weekender The Works Art and Design Festival Theatre on the Edge Festival Theatre Royal Summer Gala
July 28 - Aug 7 June 16 - June 18 July 7 - 9 Aug 26 - Aug 27 Aug 11 - Aug 12 July 21 - July 23 July 7 - July 8 June 3 - June 4 July 21 - July 23 Aug 18 - Aug 20 July 21 - July 23 June 23 - June 24 July 9 - Aug 27 July 2 - Aug 27 June 2 June 9 - June 11 Aug 24 - Aug 27 Aug 3 - Aug 6 Aug 4 - Aug 5 Oct 20 - Oct 22 Aug 17 - Aug 20 June 17 Sept 2 - Sept 3 July 22 - July 23 May 25 - May 27 June 16 - June 18 Aug 31 - Sept 3 June 23 - June 26 June 23 - July 2 Aug 4 - Aug 13 July 29 - July 30 May 12 - May 13 Aug 3 - Aug 13 Sept 17 July 7 - July 9 June 22 - July 4 July 21 - July 23 June 17
Theatre Under the Stars Timber! Outdoor Music Festival Tiny Lights Festival Trail’s End Gathering Ukee Days Unity Music Festival UNO Fest Valemount Craft Beer Fest Vancouver Bach Festival Vancouver Folk Music Festival Vancouver International Fringe Festival Vancouver International Jazz Festival Vancouver Island Blues Bash Vancouver Island Music Fest Vancouver Pride Parade vEGGfest Victoria Dragon Boat Festival Victoria Fringe Victoria Highland Games & Celtic Festival Victoria International Chalk Art Festival Victoria Pride Festival Victoria’s Ska & Reggae Festival Wanderlust Festival Wapiti Fernie’s Music Festival Wednesdays on the Water - Summerland Whistler Art Walk Whistler Children’s Art Festival Whistler Crankworx Festival White Rock Sea Festival Wicked Woods Music Festival Wild Mountain Music Festival Willow Creek Cowboy Gathering WIND Festival Winnipeg Folk Fest Winthrop Rhythm & Blues Festival World’s Invitational Gold Panning Championships WOW! Wednesday On the Wharf Yukon River Side Art Festival
July 7 - Aug 19 July 13 - July 15 June 9 - June 11 Sept 29 - Oct 1 July 21 - July 23 July 14 - July 16 May 17 - May 27 June 17 Aug 1 - Aug 11 July 14 - July 16 Sept 7 - Sept 17 June 22 - July 2 Sept 2 - Sept 4 July 14 - July 16 Aug 6 Aug 25 - Aug 26 Aug 18 - Aug 20 Aug 23 - Sept 3 May 20 - May 22 Sept 6 - Sept 10 July 1 - July 9 June 14 - June 18 Aug 3 - Aug 6 Aug 11 - Aug 12 July 5 - Aug 30 Sept 1 July 7 - July 9 Aug 11 - Aug 20 Aug 5 - Aug 6 Sept 29 - Oct 3 July 14 - July 16 June 16 - June 18 July 27 - July 30 July 6 - July 9 July 21 - July 23 Aug 4 - Aug 6 June 14 - Aug 29 Aug 17 - Aug 20
SOROKATHON 2017
“The 2016 fundraiser was held at Music on the Mountain and was for the benefit of that festival. These photos are all from the finale, around 4 in the afternoon on the Saturday. I had gotten up at about 9 that Friday and due to technical delays didn’t begin to play until 1 or so, then it took about 27 hours to do a 24-hour show (we stopped the clock any time I needed a break for food or bathroom), so at the time these photos were taken I’d been up for about 30 hours.” ~ Dave Soroka
Sorokathon 2017 will be held in Prince George at the Artspace. It will begin at 12 noon on Friday, May 26th and will continue until 12 noon on Sunday, May 28th. In support of the festival culture in Western Canada, Sorokathon is a fundraiser for an emergency fund to be established to help festivals that run into trouble with funding. Sorokathon is Dave Soroka, performing for 24 hours without sleep, all originals and no repeats. Search for Sorokathon on Facebook.
Clockwise from left: Caleb Sanders, Travis Charuk, Cam Neufeld, Brin Porter, myself, Raghu Lokanathan, Samantha Scott, Wax Mannequin, Richie Rothwell, Tereza Tomek, Sunny Daye, Steve Gosselin and Gary Cuthbert (guitar player, standing behind the post).
78 BC Musician Magazine’s
Ultimate Summer Festival Guide 2017
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