BeatRoute Magazine B.C. print e-edition - June 2016

It’s been a rough year for our poor little Canadian
dollar. The ways of the world have been at work
crushing our funny colorful money into absolute
oblivion. Gone are the days of quick trips to Seattle
for cheap groceries, nowadays it seems as though a
dollar will only get you as far as fifty cents. Are small
businesses suffering? Sure. Did you have to cancel
that Spring Break trip to Austin? Probably. Is America
buying our country for half price? Well I guess
you could say that. But the greatest concern on the
minds of our nation’s policymakers and economists
is this: what will happen to the music festivals?! The
Live Nation behemoth Squamish Valley Music Festival
shut its doors, Pemberton has Pearl Jam headlining,
our worst fears are realized as BC’s commercial
music industry clamours to pull together an unmanicured
patch of dirt on which you can feign enjoyment
to a chorus of Pitchfork approved acts. But don’t let
yourself be paralyzed by the fear you’ll have to go an
entire summer without wearing branded sunglasses,
our summer festival guide is here to remind you that
BC is home to more than two festivals — we actually
have quite a few. Below are the granola gatherings,
hometown hoedowns, and multi-day raves you can
turn to now that our monopoly money has prevented
us from reeling in Kanye, LCD Soundsystem, or
Radiohead. Please wear sunscreen, please test your
drugs for fentanyl, please don’t sleep with your best
friend’s ex, try to behave, we love you, be safe, don’t
forget to brush your teeth. (Maya-Roisin Slater)
MUSIC WASTE
June 2 – 5 in Vancouver, BC
Seeking shelter from the annual barrage of
extravagant, bro-centric festivals sponsored by
purveyors of cars and cell phones? Perplexed
by the continued insistence that Muse are an
enjoyable headliner? Existing as the proud
antithesis of that, Vancouver’s Music Waste,
now in it’s 22nd year, is a DIY-focused Music,
Art, and Comedy festival boasting over 70
BC artists across 14 venues, primarily in East
Van. The lineup includes a plethora of beloved
locals such as Dada Plan, Jay Arner, and The
Courtneys/Peace side project Gum Country.
Slide over to your preferred record store to grab
a $15 festival pass and dive in. (Willem Thomas)
PRETTY GOOD NOT
BAD FESTIVAL
June 17 – 19 in Victoria, BC
Pretty Good Not Bad has crept into the Victoria,
BC, summer festival scene with a humble and
simple artistic allure that has the full package
experience of truly experimental musical
endeavours. Peachy fresh and at it with vigor the
organizers have personally curated and provided
platforms for artists from different mediums
to exhibit their works, as well as an immersive
atmosphere for attendees to lose themselves in
during the weekend of June 17 to 19. Music
and sound art, contemporary dance, video and
visual, and interactive multimedia are all on
the menu for this one. Some must see acts have
to be Friday night’s Laurel Halo, a Michigan
artist finding balance and atmosphere through
her experimentation with electronic music,
and Sunday’s Jean-Michel Blais, a Montreal
pianist whose fingers run feverishly through
the keys with tranquil, flawless delicacy.
With a mandate to “Reimagine our urban environment
as activated creative terrain, reframe our
collective concept of ‘a performance’ and lastly
stimulate and nurture our community’s appetite
for ‘the other,’” there isn’t much else festivalgoers
could ask for from Pretty Good Not Bad.
Didn’t snag a ticket? Don’t fret just yet, free
programming (along with all ages) will be
available each day of the festival. (Jamie Goyman)
VICTORIA SKA AND
REGGAE FESTIVAL
June 22 – 26 in Ship Point (Inner Harbour)
Now in its 17th year, the Victoria Ska and
Reggae Festival is a culturally rich part of the
musical fabric on Vancouver Island. The festival
fires up to full throttle on Wednesday, June 22
with pioneering Jamaican ska and reggae group
Toots and the Maytals headlining the main stage
at Ship Point in the Inner Harbour. The heat
will continue to build over five days, giving an
extra day to savour the spice of an increasingly
diverse range of free and ticketed offerings.
Formerly known as Ska Fest, the festival
now includes reggae in the title to increase
its reach. Founder and artistic director Dane
Roberts is educating and nurturing a strong
scene of Jamaican-rooted music enthusiasts.
This year’s offerings include international acts
such as the Black Seeds, Orquestra Brasileira de
Musica Jamaicana (OBMJ), Entangados, DubFx,
Mikey Dangerous, and Skarate Kid. The bill will
be rounded out by local favourites including,
The Party on High Street, The Leg-up Program,
Tequila Mocking Bird, and Marafani World Beat.
The festival also includes multimedia art
installations by the Rocksteady Collective,
burlesque dancing, and interactive workshops.
Since its humble beginnings as a one day event
featuring mostly local acts, Ska Fest has grown
up yet remains true to its roots in terms of both
music and community. “It’s not just about what’s
hot lately,” Roberts says. The success of the festival
is measured by the growing community of international
musicians and music lovers that come
together every year. “We create a strong independent
scene,” Roberts says. “People like the energy
behind it because it has soul.” (Trina McDonald)
VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL
JAZZ FESTIVAL
June 24 – July 3 in Vancouver, BC
Once more our city comes alive to swing, bop,
and rock to the eclectic sounds of world-renowned
artists and rising local ensembles
for ten days in parks, cathedrals, and concert
halls across the Lower Mainland. This year’s
line-up is offering a mind-boggling mix of
gospel, blues, hip-hop, funk, and pop under
the all-encompassing umbrella of jazz music,
and will be sure to give even the most-seasoned
of festival attendees reason to not miss
a single minute of the action. Highlights
include former Fugees member Ms. Lauryn
Hill, British pop royalty Joe Jackson, masked
surf-instro guitar slingers Los Straitjackets,
Swedish noise group The Thing, and local
legends The Dan Brubeck Quartet. What’s
more, while some of the more high-profile
acts will set you back a pretty penny, there are
more than enough free events to choose from
for the more thrifty thrill-seekers among us
and who knows, you may just discover your
new favourite band in the process. (Bryce Dunn)
SHAKE! FEST 3
June 30 – July 2 in Victoria, BC
Third time’s the charm for this fledging garage/
punk/psych music meet-up in the Garden City.
Victoria has been steadily planting the seeds of
its music scene under our noses for some time
and the time is now for them to reap what they
have sown. When local synth punk vets Timing
X, mind-melters Psychosomatic Itch, and rock
‘n’ punk pros Durban Poison join forces with
Calgary power pop professionals The Mandates,
Van City’s baseball-loving bruisers The Isotopes,
and Sackville Nova Scotia’s party garbage
punks Astral Gunk, you’ve got no excuse not to
hop on the next ferry and get down to the bad
sounds these kids have to offer. (Bryce Dunn)
TALL TREE MUSIC FESTIVAL
June 30 – July 3 in Browns Mountain
(Port Renfrew, BC)
If you’ve ever wanted to get lost in nature
and experience a truly amazing event, Tall
Tree Music Festival is your jam. Three days
and nights of West Coast vibes set on top of
Browns Mountain in Port Renfrew BC, this
marks the festival’s seventh year. Tall Tree has
become a nationally acclaimed event, boasting
an incredible lineup on four stages with
weird and wonderful activities and world-class
camping. This year’s lineup includes a wide
array of indie acts like Mother Mother, Current
Swell, and The Dudes, plus electronic acts
like Mat The Alien, Smalltown DJS, Neighbor,
Woodhead, and more. Tickets have sold
out every year but can still be purchased if
you hurry from their website. (Emmalee Brunt)
FVDED IN THE PARK
July 3 – 4 in Holland Park (Surrey, BC)
As the ever-wise American electronic artist
Zhu’s 2014 hit once refrained, “Baby, I’m faded!”
In this context, hopefully you’ll be faded
too in Surrey’s Holland park, due to a serious
case of musical goodness. For the second
year in a row Blueprint Events is bringing its
electronic and hip-hop music festival, FVDED
In the Park, back to the lower mainland. Taking
place in early July, expect three stages packed
with 38 stellar electronic, hip-hop, and R&B
acts. Headlining this summer are Jack U, Zedd,
Bryson Tiller, Travis Scott, and Kaytranada.
The festival will also include food trucks, art
installations, and all-round first rate amenities.
The big international names will be sharing
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June May 2016