The dust has settled once again on the Squamish Valley which played host to the 2015 Squamish Valley Music Festival. It's been about 72 hours since the valley was home to more than125,000 festival goers, 70+ artists performing across four stages, 81 food vendors and 2,200 support people, including operations staff, volunteers, security and medical personnel.
Some locals see the festival as an opportunity to leave town as the crowds descend, but for the most part locals seem to embrace the festival. Not only is it a big promo of beautiful Squamish to the international community, but the festival is a great event for the local economy, bringing in more than $32 million.
Officially kicking off last Thursday, locals got an opportunity to see artists perform for free on opening day, with the Funk Hunters closing the evening in style. However, the four-day festival (Aug 6-9) didn't really kick off until 3 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7 and continued late into Sunday night.
The festival brought with it musicians from all walks of life and anyone with a passion for music can appreciate the eclectic line-up that was sure to please. Musical genres represented at the festival included rock, hip-hop, rap, electronic, indie, alternative rock, southern rock, soul, R&B, folk, folk rock, hard rock, electro-pop, blue and much more.
Friday, Aug. 7 - Musical highlights:
From my hometown of steel city Hamilton, Ontario, the Arkells are an alternative rock band. The band set the mood on the first day with some upbeat songs that had people singing and dancing in no time at the Tantalus main stage. The band has been around for just over eight years now and have been honing their act ever since their musical birth. This year they took home Group of the Year and Rock Album of the Year at Canada's Junos. Be sure to check out their music.
There is something about James Bay, he is on his way to stardom. This budding young English singer-songwriter, only 24 years old, has soulful, rich and full sound that you can't get enough of. He has only been at it for two years and has a full long career ahead of him.
James Keogh (a.k.a. Vance Joy), also a relatively new musician, has taken the world by storm. Girls love him and guys want to be him, Vance has the voice, the talent and is easy on the eyes. Armed only with an acoustic guitar, his style is categorized by many as an "easy listening" kind of music. Last year he toured with Taylor Swift and performed at the MTV Europe Music Awards.
Stylish, laid-back and just damn right cool looking, the brother-sister combo Angus & Julia Stone came to please. The band is a indie folk group from Sydney down under. Their latest album, Aria was number one in their home country and has done well internationally. If you're looking to relax with a glass of wine and lounge their music will help you get there.
Frankly, I hadn't heard of Mr. Booker before Squamish Music Fest, and can honestly say he found a new fan. Benjamin Booker has a raspy, raw, soulful sound combined with an amazing guitar playing skills. Originally from Virginia Beach he is now based in New Orleans where he has picked up a Blues grunge rock sound. He performed on the Garibaldi stage (one of the smaller stages at Squamish Fest) but be sure see him on one of the bigger stages in the near future.
An oldie but goodie, Hot Chip has been performing for more than 25 years now with more hits than I can count. A very unique band especially with regards to their attire, Al Doyle sported what looked like a mental patient's outfit while lead singer Alexis Taylor wore a full head visor, at least for the first few songs. They are considered movers and shakers in the electronic world and kept theirs fans thoroughly entertained with an amazing sound and cool laser effects.
Sam Smith has become an international sensation in a short span of time and here he was backed up by a full band. At just 23, he has garnered numerous awards and achievements for his body of work and has collaborated with many talented artists. His fame has not seemed to change him as he was very sincere and humble singing in front of the Squamish crowd. If you love soul and R&B and want to listen to some feel-good tunes just dim the lights and put on any of his songs.
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Saturday Aug. 8th, 2015 - Musical highlights:
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Sunday August 9th, 2015 - Musical highlights:
The final day of Squamish Fest brought back the sunshine and with it, I think it was the best day music-wise. Starting the day off on right musical foot, the Bahamas performed on the main stage. For anyone who hasn't gotten the opportunity to see them live, you'd be surprised to learn you've probably heard their songs played on the radio before and you almost definitely thought to yourself, "Damn, I like this, I really like this." Lead singer Afie Jurvanen, a Finnish-Canadian, born in Toronto, is a self-taught guitarist, singer and songwriter who has garnered the respect of many well-known musicians. He has been known to perform alongside musicians such as Feist, Jack Johnson, KD Lang, Jason Collett and Willie Nelson. Have I got your attention yet?
Another performer who pleasantly surprised me this year. Elle has great stage presence, she is funny, quirky and very entertaining. She admits most of her songs are about guys who have pissed her off but she realizes women are just as bad as guys, she being the worst of them. She came dressed in a white top hat with matching tailcoat over a skeleton-printed onesie. I think her outfit matched her personality perfectly. Her style has some country roots, tempered with blues-rock.
Their music is the perfect match for any music festival. With only two band members Mike Kerr (lead vocals/guitar) and Ben Thatcher (drums) their songs seem so full of life that if you weren't looking you'd swear you were listening to a full band. It's impossible to remain seated as they play; no matter where I looked I saw people moving back and forth, heads thumping, hips shaking and jumping up and down. These guys are entertainers and have so much energy, it was hard to keep up.
Clemens Rehbein (lead singer) seems to have a perma-smile when he performs for an audience. I don't blame him; his music makes you smile and feel good inside and out. The sound is upbeat, a combination of reggae and electronic music. All their songs have a similar sound but this does not make them any less appealing. Last year their single, "Stolen Dance" garnered them international fame, massive radio play and numerous awards.
Yet another sibling duo that performed at this year's Squamish Festival. this folk duo reigns from Sweden and consists of Klara (guitar/vocals) and Johanna Söderberg (Keyboards/backup vocals). I've never been to Sweden but after seeing them perform live, I fell instantly in love with that country — well, maybe just Swedish girls.
I've had the opportunity to see Mother Mother perform live a few times and they never cease to entertain. As they mentioned during their set ("We live just down the road"), they call Vancouver home, and are originally from Quadra Island, B.C. Frontman Ryan Guldemond, sporting a blonde mohawk, black jeans, black sleeveless shirt, black shoes with no socks, had rock god written all over him. Over the course of six years and four albums, the band has refused to be locked down to one sound, evolving from their folky 2007 debut album, Touch Up into something closer to pop-rock on their latest efforts. Needless to say their songs are uniquely theirs and I look forward to their ever-shifty discography.
Alabama Shakes is one of three bands I had to see. I first saw them perform live at Sasquatch 2012 and had goosebumps almost the entire set. Unbeknownst to me, the raw, rugged, soul wrenchingly, earth-shaking voice I had heard on the radio came not from a man but woman. I am not the first to make this mistake and certainly not the last, but lead singer Brittany Howard's voice is a force of nature. A Southern gal who bodes from Athens, Alabama, she is proud of her roots, even sporting an outline of her home state on her right arm. Not only is Howard a true musician, a guitarist, singer and songwriter, but she is also extremely humble. Unlike most bands who express their thanks and love for the crowd with no real sincerity behind it, Howard was genuinely moved by all who came to watch her perform and expressed her deepest love for Canada in an unrehearsed fashion.
If there was one band that deserved to close the festival on Sunday night, Mumford & Sons was it. The main stage was packed with excited fans as far as the eye could see. Earlier that day Marcus Mumford made a surprise guest appearance performing two songs with First Aid Kit. Unfortunately, this was the only guest appearance during the entire festival. It's a shame when bands perform at festivals and don't take the time to collaborate with their fellow peers. Regardless, Marcus stepped up his game and showed his true colours. The set began with the U.K. folk-rock quartet all on electric guitars and keyboard, with the the song "Snake Eyes." The band is well-known for their acoustic prowess yet their latest album, 'Wilder Mind" dons a full-blown electric sound. It was not long before they hung up their electric instruments and replaced them with their acoustic counterparts.
The set was a whopping two hours long and fans got the opportunity to witness many of their hit songs, including, "I Will Wait", "Below My Feet", and "Awake My Soul." Unlike Drake's energy-filled set the night prior, Mumford & Sons' momentum wavered from time to time. However, this was to be expected as a few their songs are slower in tempo. The band was well aware of their audience and finished the set with some high-energy crowd-pleasers, bringing members of First Aid Kit and Bear's Den for a massive encore of "Little Lion Man."
