Festival season is finally upon us
Summer is perfect time to get together and enjoy some of the best musicians working today
Canadians like festivals. Like, we really like them and at any time of the year, too. But there is something particularly appealing about the summer music festival. Typically taking place under the open skies as the sun shines, these group gatherings are notable for their camaraderie, above average mix of music and overall fun.
Even those all-too-familiar moments like tearing across the site to share a tarp with a bunch of unknowns as the rain deluges down with enough force to drown out the metal band on the mainstage are kind of all right.
It’s a pretty tall order to ask of any promoter that a festival delivers on all fronts for every day. So taking this into consideration, our pick of the seasonal showcases from now until leaves start falling angles towards the proven events.
Here are five festivals to take in this summer:
1 VICTORIA SKA AND REGGAE FESTIVAL
When: June 20 to 24,
various times
Where: Various venues in
Victoria Tickets and info: From $64.50 at victoriaskafest.ca
It never ceases to impress how Victoria, a place not known for its West Indian population, or even mod scene, should host what is one of the key ska and reggae festivals in North America. But that is exactly what this four daylong event is with such massive names as Ozomatli, Freddie McGregor and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones appearing alongside such hot new talents as Yellowsky and Mexico’s acclaimed Panteón Rococó. Concerts, workshops, plenty of dancing and probably a few clouds of skunky smoke rising up here and there. Always a good time and super high-energy. No wonder the basic passes are all sold out; again.
2 VANCOUVER FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL
When: July 13 to 15, various times Where: Jericho Beach
Park
Tickets and info: From $45 at ticketzone.com
Hands down, one of the great Canadian musical events. Not only does the Vancouver Folk Music Festival boast one of the most perfect places to hear music of any site across the country, it’s kept to its 1978 mission statement to be a community-based operation free of any of the major corporate presence
at almost all other similar events.
But the lack of big capital hasn’t meant the event doesn’t draw big names.
This year’s lineup includes such massive talents as Ry Cooder, Alex Cuba, Neko Case and Son De Madera as well as soon-to-be stars Darlingside, The Dead South, Dálava and Kacy & Clayton. The fest has always broken new artists in town.
3 ROCKIN’ RIVER COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL
When: Aug. 2 to 5, various
times
Where: Merritt
Tickets and info: From
72.50 at rockinrivermusicfest.com
SUNFEST COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL
When: Aug. 2 to 5, various
times
Where: Cowichan Valley,
Vancouver Island
Tickets and info: From $69 at sunfestconcerts.com Wait a minute, you say. How can you have two festivals under the same number? Here is why. These two events take place on the same dates in different parts of the province, but both are focused on the same genre of music. Truth is, the amount of talent being shared between these two festivals — Eric Church, Dallas Smith, Midland, James Barker Band, etc. — is almost like they are doing a back and forth trade-off. This doesn’t normally work in booking contracts, but the distances are enough that we like to think that country music fans are getting twice the chance to make it to a big hoedown nearer to home this way.
4 SHAMBHALA MUSIC FESTIVAL
When: Aug. 10 to 13, various times Where: Salmo River Ranch Tickets and info: $420 at shambhalamusicfestival.com
There is a solid argument that this interior electronic dance music-focused festival created a movement across the province (and the country) for slamming sound systems, awesome light shows and trippy tribe party action. Besides being a spawning ground for B.C. digital artists who became global brands, the lineup every year is massive. A small sample of 2018’s lineup includes The Glitch Mob, Rezz, The Funk Hunters, Rezz, Dizzee Rascal and on and on.
5 SALMON ARM ROOTS & BLUES FESTIVAL
When: Aug. 16 to 19,
various times
Where: Salmon Arm Tickets and info: From
$79 at rootsandblues.ca
For 26 years, the not-forprofit Salmon Arm Folk Music Society has presented a who’s who of the funkier/groovier side of folk, as in the rhythm and blues, blues and bluegrass side. One of the strengths of this event near beautiful Shuswap Lake is its mix of Canadian and international talent such as Colin James, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Juno-award winners Monkey Junk and acclaimed roots duo Pharis and Jason Romero. But, honestly, the idea of seeing The Family Stone celebrate 50 years of Sly and the Family Stone is too cool.