Category: <span>Festival Reviews</span>

Canada

Favourite Artists Heard At Shambhala

Shambhala Music Festival returned to Samlo Valley for its 19th year, bringing with it a lineup stacked with heavy bass, mad beats and hella funky sounds. Here are some of my favourite acts that I heard at this year’s Shambhala.

Beats Antique

Beats Antique was everything I hoped for and more. David Satori and Tommy Sidecar exhibited their talents on their instruments, playing drums and violin live for the crowd at Pagoda while their tracks spun on in the background. The pair played some of their older stuff, including “Egyptic” off their 2010 album “Blind Threshold,” and performed songs off their new album for the first time ever. Sidecar threw down an insane drum solo that left the whole crowd smiling before the duo showcased their new track with Russian singer Tatiana, whose ethereal voice was complemented perfectly by Satori’s violin. With incense floating in the air, the experience of listening to Beats Antique’s unique tribal fusion sound was enhanced. The highlight of the set though came when Satori let a unicorn jump on stage to perform some oh so magical dancing while the duo continued to play out their set. Dance moves fitting perfectly with the music, the unicorn made his way across the stage before collapsing into a fit of frenzy for his finale with Beats Antique.

 

Hermitude

It’s been a while since I’ve seen two artists so in sync with one another. Hermitude threw down a gnarly set Friday night at The Grove, somehow mixing “In The Jungle” from Disney’s “The Lion King” into Flume’s remix of their track “HyperParadise,” before Luke Dubs took to his keyboard to perform an insane solo cover of the track. Showcasing their unity, the boys unplugged their instruments, coming around to the front of the stage to perform live for the audience, truly demonstrating their skills as DJs and producers. Luke Dubs and Elgusto worked magic together up on The Grove stage, keeping the crowd dancing and grooving throughout the entirety of their set.

 

Opiuo

Maybe it’s because this was my introduction to the epicness that is the Fractal Forest but Opiuo played one of my favourite sets of the weekend. Throwing down a funky set that incorporated swing with bass, Opiuo took the crowd on a groovy journey throughout his entire 90-minute set. Jet lagged and coming straight from New Zealand, the Kiwi producer didn’t hold anything back, kicking it on the drums live for the crowd and bringing out a trumpet player to accentuate the funky tunes he was playing before mixing into jungle. I didn’t think it was possible to mix funk with drum & bass but Opiuo managed to do it beautifully.

 

CloZee

There’s only one word I can use to describe CloZee: badass. The French producer threw down a dope set that saw heavy bass mixed in with glitch-hop. CloZee truly showed that she is a force to be reckoned with, putting on one of the heaviest sets of the weekend. The female producer kept the bass pulsating across The Grove before mixing into “Wildcats” by Ratatat. A surprise guest appearance by EVeryman saw the pair paying tribute to the late Pumpkin before CloZee continued with her set, mixing in some new world sounds with her bass heavy performance.

 

The Gaff

The Gaff is one of the most talented DJs I have had the pleasure of seeing perform in a very long time. The British-Columbia native played his entire set using only vinyl, switching out LPs expertly to weave a groovy set for the crowd at Fractal Forest. It feels like such a treat nowadays to see someone spinning vinyl and it’s even more special when it is taking place in the magical atmosphere that is the Fractal Forest. While The Gaff was playing an incredible dance worthy set, it wasn’t uncommon to see many people standing still, absolutely mesmerized by what they were seeing The Gaff doing on his decks… Especially once he started scratching. The Gaff demonstrated his insane skills as a musician in the art of spinning a vinyl only set. Simply listening to his tracks does not do the artist justice, as a huge part of the musical experience with The Gaff is the show he puts on scratching and spinning.

 

Nora En Pure

Nora En Pure’s set at Pagoda was such a fantastic way to start the weekend off. Playing Friday evening, the Swiss DJ threw down a fun, dance-worthy deep house set. The female producer expertly took the crowd on a journey from deep house to tech house, channeling some DirtyBird vibes, prepping the crowd for Justin Martin’s set later that evening. Nora En Pure exhibited her ability to spin a set with a variety of genres before mixing into her well-known (and often played by other DJs) single “Come With Me.”

Canada

Five Favourite Moments From Shambhala

I’m still trying to process all the beautiful energy I felt at Shambhala Music Festival, so to help me cope with those post-Shambhala blues, I have put together a list of my five favourite moments from this year’s adventures.

1. Discovering the Fractal Forest

Discovering the Fractal Forest is like discovering a mythical creature. You have no idea what you are getting involved with until you are inside the forest, feeling the music and witnessing the madness firsthand. One of the most important things I was told by Shambhala Veterans was to avoid the Fractal Forest until I could experience it at night. And I am so glad I listened to them as my first time in the forest was mind-blowing. The stage was set up in a way that allowed festival-goers to completely lose themselves in the sights and sounds, while the primarily ghetto-funk sounds being spun there by the likes of A.Skillz, The Funk Hunters, The Gaff and DeFunk encouraged a fun vibe and an energetic atmosphere.

Not only did Fractal Forest have one of the best vibes of the weekend, with one of the most incredible set ups possible, but it was something for festival-goers to discover on their own. Stumbling upon the hidden stage with all its Star Wars beauty and funky sounds on the way to some of the other stages made for some of the best dance parties of the weekend.

2. Swimming in the river


Shambhala has a river that flows through the festival allowing attendees a slight reprieve from the heat of the day. It is a small river that flows straight from one of the glaciers, keeping it cool despite the intense heat in the valley during the August days. It’s common to see people sitting along the banks in the shade of the trees, soaking their feet in the cool river water throughout the day.

The Living Room Stage also happens to be set up on the beach right along the river. Many people bring floaties with them to the Living Room, setting up camp on top of their inflatable toys, floating nonchalantly down the river as the mellow beats of the Living Room DJs serenade them down the river. The BC mountains stand majestically in the background, overlooking the entire scene as people swim across the perfect bed of pebblestones. With the sun beating down on Shambhafam, many people swim across the river, making friends along the way before reaching the opposite bank where more friends are made.

And, while it seems to be more of a well-kept Vet secret, there is another river, beyond the banks, that is more secluded and requires a little bit of Veteran knowledge to get to. Although I did not find this little piece of paradise, I was told it holds a jumping log and is a small oasis within the Shambhala festival grounds.

3. Free Hugs

Shambhala is known for embracing the free-spirit of its festival attendees. Upon arriving into the festival, the first thing I was warned about were the free hugs.

“It’s kind of weird… Are you okay with weird?” the man checking my car said. “Are you okay with hugs? I don’t know what it is about this place but people seem to like to give each other hugs for no reason.”

I thought he was joking.

I can’t tell you how many times I was at shows or walking around the grounds and someone dressed up as a tiger or a panda would come over to give me a hug… Simply because they felt the need to share their love for the world. Dancing solo at Fractal Forest, I received one of the best hugs of my entire life by an individual whom I will never know. He was dressed head to toe in woolies, with a scarf covering his entire face. Mid dancing he turns to me and opens his arms. Upon seeing me nod in consent, he then pulls me in for a hug. We danced together in a beautiful embrace for a solid minute before he continued on his merry way.

Free hugs was such a huge part of the festival. People connecting with one another in a way that does not happen anywhere else, and in the most respectful way possible. It was absolutely beautiful.

4. Beautiful people

The people at Shambhala are fucking weird. And kind. And respectful. And caring. It truly is the people who attend this festival that make it so wonderful. The energy at Shambhala is unlike any other.

People at Shambhala do what they want, when they want, with zero fucks given for what others are thinking about them. There seems to be an unspoken understanding between Shambhafamily that this is a safe place where you can be the most true to yourself. And this is possibly the most beautiful thing about the festival. People are the truest that they could possibly be to themselves. No one cares and no one judges one another for doing what they are comfortable doing.

5. Late night tea

Shambhala is a dry festival meaning there is no alcohol that can be purchased on the grounds. This was the first festival I have ever attended where this was a rule, and, full disclosure, I like to drink so I was very interested to see how this would affect my experience at Shambhala.

I was pleasantly surprised with it though. The festival seemed to be a lot more in control. There were less rowdy people that were being offensive and aggressive. Removing alcohol from the equation made the whole festival experience much more chilled out.

This also meant that, at the end of the night, instead of having a boozy night cap, I wound up at Night Owl coffee in downtown Shambhala for tea. Every night, on my way back to my tent, I would stop in for a peppermint tea. With the temperature fluctuating from sweat in every crevasse of your body during the day to seeing your breath at night, the tea worked wonders to warm the body up and soothe the belly, helping prepare the body for the next day of the festival.

I never thought I would insist on having tea at a festival or after a night of dancing, but after stopping for peppermint tea at the Night Owl every night, I think I am going to make peppermint tea a must-have after a night of dancing.

Bonus

The theme camps: with their insane set ups including a bouncy castle for Shambhafam to play in, and hosting their own parties every single night; the sunrises: they came in hot and early but announced a new adventure for the day

Canada

Finding My WayHome

Melding the best of Coachella and Bonnaroo, WayHome Music and Arts Festival is a refreshing change for music festival lovers. Returning to Burl’s Creek, just north of Toronto for its sophomore year from July 21-24, the festival brought a much needed chill festival vibe to the city’s music lovers.

The three day camping festival began early, on Thursday night, with a performance by Toronto band The Darcys during the ArtWalk, allowing attendees to enter the grounds a day early to visit and admire the art installations that were set up in the grounds for the weekend.

This year’s festival saw a heavily filled lineup of top Canadian talent including Half Moon Run, Arcade Fire, Shad, and Metric. The festival once again encompassed a variety of musical genres, with Major Lazer and Keys N Krates bringing their electronic beats, Rae Sremmurd and Vince Staples covering the hip hop aspect of the lineup, and Third Eye Blind, The Killers and LCD Soundsystem providing the soundtrack for festival goers born in the 90s to sing along with.

Utilizing the grounds to its full capacity, the four stages were thoughtfully set up to avoid any sound bleeding between stages. Once again, the WayAway stage proved to be a hidden gem in the grounds. Tucked away among a grove of trees, the picturesque stage not only provided relief from the heat for fans, but also saw some of the best performances of the weekend including Marian Hill’s unique electro-jazzy sound and The Paper Kites mellow folky tunes.

The heat was extreme this year but the well organized festival ensured attendees could stay hydrated with free water refill stations provided throughout the grounds, along with free Vitamin Water. The cashless RFID wristband system implemented this year allowed attendees to simply swipe their wristbands at vendors and alcohol tents, giving them a means to quickly purchase items.

While some of the art installations were reminiscent of other big American festivals that I’ve attended, including the balloon train from Coachella and the flags from the grounds at Mysteryland, there were many unique pieces for fans to stumble upon and discover throughout the weekend.

The festival’s signature “W” structure welcomed WayHomies into the grounds every day while the “I Feel You” flower arch became the motto of the weekend for many. However I’d still love to see more unique, random art installations. The event is billed as a music and arts festival and the art component could have been stronger.

The vibe of the festival was very laid-back, many people appearing to go with the flow as they explored the grounds and what it had to offer. Hammocks hung from trees, with fans watching shows from the comfort of swinging a few inches off the grounds, and Muskoka chairs were set up by the WayBright stage for attendees to rest their weary feet.

Although there was no silent disco this year (at least none this girl could find), the festival afterparties were rampant in the campgrounds, with newfound friends staying up until all hours of the morning dancing and reminiscing on the days’ events.

The first official full day of the festival saw the talented Gary Clark Jr. rip his guitar anew, shredding apart the WayHome stage, while LCD Soundsystem took to the stage later in the day to bring their unique and classic electro-pop sound under the starry night sky. Matt and Kim closed out the evening with their fun indie pop sound at the WayBold stage, guarded by the two unknown, black and white portraits framing the stage. Toronto favourites Keys N Krates threw down an epic electronic set that kept the crowd dancing and the totems bouncing to close down the WayBright stage.

Saturday saw 90s favourites Third Eye Blind performing some of their classic tunes such as “Semi-Charmed Life” midday at the WayHome stage, while Arcade Fire closed out the stage with an epic fireworks show to their hit “Wake Up.” Of course, one of the highlights from Saturday was Chet Faker’s groovy set that saw the talented Australian producer jumping from keyboard to synth to vocals, to perform some of his classics along with some of his newer sensual songs like “Gold.”

By the final day of the festival, the sun and extreme heat had taken its toll on many people, but BØRNS brought fans back to life with an early and energetic set at WayBold. Famous sisters Haim characteristically bantered with one another during their performance at the WayHome stage, following Stars’ beautifully quirky performance and preceding the final show of the weekend by The Killers. The Killers kept the crowd dancing and singing along throughout the entirety of their performance, shooting confetti into the crowd for one final festival pump up.

Many people that I spoke with had qualms about the lineup lacking in a lot of big name, popular artists this year. But it was nice to see so much Canadian talent at a Canadian based festival. It provided attendees with the opportunity to discover so much new music and some incredible up and coming talent. I will definitely be following a number of the lesser known stellar acts that I was fortunate enough to be introduced to.

Organizers appeared to have worked out many of the kinks from the inaugural year to execute a well-planned and top notch event for their return to Burl’s Creek. Taking ideas from the more successful parts of some of the best festivals in the world guaranteed attendees an awesome experience. Most importantly, the mellow atmosphere provided WayHomies with the opportunity to attend a large scale music and arts festival, easily accessible to the city of Toronto, with a vibe that is unlike any other festival in the area. And because of that, I look forward to heading home again #soon.

Canada

Favourite Artists Heard At WayHome

The return of WayHome to Burl’s Creek for its sophomore year brought with it a lineup filled with Canadian talent, complimenting the Canadian location of the festival, as well as a slew of artists from a variety of genres. Here are my favourite acts that I heard at this year’s WayHome Music and Arts Festival.

Robert DeLong

I had no idea what to expect going into Robert DeLong’s set but was in complete awe of the artist by the end of his performance. The one-man band jumped around from instrument to instrument, looping piano chords and his voice, while using a mixer to create music live for the crowd. He even graced the crowd with an epic drum solo, holding nothing back as sweat flew off his face while he pounded the instrument. Even with an equipment failure midway through the performance, Robert DeLong handled the malfunction expertly, joking about the issues of relying on technology as a musician and conversing with the crowd while bringing the equipment back to life. Robert DeLong managed to display his insane musical talents during his set at WayHome and is definitely someone that should not have been missed.

 

Glass Animals

The British group introduced WayHomies to their super wavy sound as the sun was slowly getting lower in the sky. Rather than playing their hit single Gooey at the beginning of the set though, the boys performed the groovy single midway through, keeping it a much loved hidden surprise for fans. The highlight of the set came during the group’s cover of Love Lockdown by Kanye West when lead singer Dave Bayley sat down at the edge of the stage to serenade the crowd. Momentarily forgetting the words and announcing this to the crowd with a sheepish grin, the band started over without skipping a beat, allowing Bayley to finish his performance of the tune in the crowd. Bayley’s energy was infectious as he danced and sang his way through the rows of fans before making his way back to the stage to close the set with Pools.

 

Stars

Canadian favourites and industry vets did not disappoint with their performance on the final day of the event. Co-lead singer Torquil Campbell wore a poignant “Doing It for Gord” t-shirt, interacting with the crowd throughout the set. The group lead fans through classic Stars tunes and covered newer songs, including a beautiful ballad of “I Took a Pill in Ibiza” by Mike Posner. Co-lead singer Amy Millan, reminded us of why the group has been in the industry since 2000 during the performance of their hit single “Your Ex-Lover is Dead,” her hauntingly stunning voice carrying us on a journey back to 2004.

 

MØ

Danish singer MØ has been killing it this past year and this definitely includes her performance at WayHome. Opening her set with a slowed down version of one of her first hit singles “Don’t Wanna Dance,” the singer threw herself into an energetic performance filled with her signature, quirky dance moves. The artist finished her set with her dance-worthy hit collaboration “Lean On” that had the crowd going wild. Of course a MØ set wouldn’t be complete without the lead singer jumping into the crowd to go crowd surfing atop her fans… Which, she did.

 

The Paper Kites

Being influenced by a couple of Aussies to check out The Paper Kites midday on Sunday might have affected the joy I had in watching the Australian indie folk band, but the group’s vibe fit perfectly at the WayAway Stage. The band’s mellow folky sound was complimented perfectly by the ambience of the stage hidden away in the trees. One of the most unique band interactions I saw this weekend came midway through Paper Kites set, when the lead singer started a mini symphony with the crowd. Providing each third of the crowd with a note to sing, he then lead everyone into a crowd sung symphony, before continuing with the band’s indie folk set.

 

Bombino

If you were able to make it into the grounds during the day Friday and withstand the heat at the WayHome Stage you would have come across Niger born Bombino, rocking out in his traditional white African robes. Having had garnered support from Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, who also produced Bombino’s second album in 2012, the artist is an incredibly talented guitar player. Demonstrating his prowess as a guitarist, Bombino’s fingers moved fast over his instrument’s strings, creating his unique African influenced rock sound for the crowd present. The artist is an insanely talented guitar player, reminiscent of some of the greats including Jimi Hendrix, and took the crowd on a spiritually magical rock performance.

Canada

Favourite Artists Heard at Digital Dreams

Digital Dreams pulled out all the stops for its 2016 edition, announcing Above & Beyond, Armin Van Buuren, Axwell /\ Ingrosso, Bassnectar, Borgore, Danny Tenaglia, Knife Party, Pendulum, and UMEK as this year’s headliners. The festival ensured that a variety of electronic genres were represented for the fifth anniversary. Here are my favourite acts hear at The Flats this year.

Destructo

It’s no surprise that the founder of Holy Ship! and producer of Hard Events isn’t afraid to throw down a gnarly g-house set. Opening strong with Dare You to Move, Destructo mixed effortlessly between drops, guiding the crowd from one g-step to the next. Of course the crowd was pumped when he dropped Get Higher Baby, before closing out strong with Cut It.

Damian Lazarus

Festival organizers clearly took into consideration Damian Lazarus’ musical talents when scheduling him at the Echo Beach stage with the sun still high in the sky. The producer, who also hosts some of the most unique techno events in the world, including Day Zero taking place at Mayan ruins in Mexico, threw down an epic set that demonstrated his prowess as a DJ. Picking up on the crowd’s vibes at the beach stage, Damian Lazarus expertly created a set that enhanced the atmosphere and energy for the day.

GRiZ

GRiZ sets have become synonymous with being some of the best parties at a festival.. And his set at Digital Dreams was no different. Putting on a show that included his signature saxophone playing and a funky-ass beat, GRiZ kept the crowd moving and dancing throughout the entirety of his set. Taking over the decks from Datsik by playing his saxophone, GRiZ played a set that included some of his classic tunes and some of his hits as Grizmatik. I’m still blown away by the young producer’s ability to mix a set while playing the saxophone so energetically.

Festival Reviews

Discovering an Electric Forest

They say you find yourself at Electric Forest. I don’t know if that’s true for everyone but, it seems that most people that go find something. The forest promises festival goers with the potential to discover and stumble upon some magical things.

It is set up so that you can follow the walkways from stage to clearing to stage, or venture off the beaten path and discover a wide range of art pieces, installations, people and creatures, for completely unique and new experiences.

Photo by Juan Ravagli
Photo by Juan Ravagli

The early arrival pass provides festival goers with the opportunity to enter the campgrounds a day early, setting up camp and getting settled in before the crowds arrive. Although there were no shows this year (other than the Electric Forest radio station playing only music from the performing artists) or scheduled activities (other than exploring the vendor stalls at the marketplace), the extra day proved to be vital to the festival experience as attendees were able to wake up in the campgrounds Thursday, set and ready to go for the four-day weekend.

Walking into the festival grounds, it was difficult to continue past the first stage. The Tripolee stage had a stellar lineup that had beats bopping across the grounds throughout the day with heavy hitters like Bonobo, Adventure Club and Flosstradamus taking over at night – and then it played host to yoga every day at noon.

One of the most beautiful things I saw at Electric Forest wasn’t the forest lit up at night in a multitude of colours, or all the people swinging in hammocks that were set up between the trees, but the precision with which the rows of trees had symmetrically grown.

This natural beauty surrounding the forest allowed festival organizers to set up a magical atmosphere. They used the trees to their full advantage when they developed an immersive experience for attendees.

Cartoonish clouds dangling from above led festival goers to a piano that was set up in a small clearing, allowing them to take turns playing a few notes or a few songs. A silent disco was set up beneath the shade of the towering trees, where the sun peaks playfully through as it sets for the day, with a lone monarch butterfly fluttering from dancer to dancer, carrying with it the magic of the woods. A VW bus was parked in the woods with a garden flowering inside as hippies passed around doobies to share, relishing in the beauty of the surrounding grounds.

This only begins to touch on the beauty of Electric Forest.

While there were multiple stages set up in clearings, it was the few within the forest that were the most glorious for me. These stages took a bit of wandering around to find, but once discovered, they held some of the best sets of the weekend. With Gilligan Moss playing an impossible to leave, acid house set at The Observatory, and many days spent jamming under the trees at the Forest Stage as regal, French Quarter characters slowly infiltrated the grounds, it was difficult to tell reality from imagination.

The fantastical is the norm at Electric Forest. From a zebra walking on stilts following the rest of his zoo friends through the woods, to other stilt-walking performers spreading their legs wide to make an archway for attendees to walk under, every day in the forest held new surprises and new discoveries.

The Hangar, for instance, was one place where festival goers could go for a tasty margarita or delicious IPA before grabbing a seat at a table that was set up in front of the stage. Pin-up girls walked around offering candy to attendees, transporting every one back to the 1920s. And if you had the patience to wait, you could get a free massage from a girl dressed in head-to-toe purple satin, using a car buffer to buff out the knots in your back and legs. Or if you were feeling a little hairy, you could head over to the barber shop in The Hangar for a shave.

The lineup for this year’s forest was stacked, with performances by jam bands and DJs crossing a variety of electronic genres. The String Cheese Incident graced attendees with three lengthy jam sessions, finishing their performances with an epic fireworks show. The Disco Biscuits also took the stage along with a midday performance by Nahko and The Medicine People that treated listeners to beautiful lyrics accentuated by the insanely unique voice of Nahko.

Photo courtesy of Electric Forest
Photo courtesy of Electric Forest

Mija was scheduled three times including her B2B with Anna Lunoe, and somehow incorporated Tame Impala into her opening set for her B2B at Tripolee on Saturday night. DirtyBird legend Justin Martin was welcomed to the Forest Stage for AC Slater’s curated Night Bass event that also saw an epic surprise set by Gorgon City. And if you were lucky enough to be at the right spot at the right time you might have had the opportunity to see fan favourite and festival vet GRiZ leading a parade into the forest with his saxophone before closing out Sherwood Court on Sunday night. He also took part in the surprise set at The Observatory on Saturday night that left the whole crowd singing along to Roses by Outkast.

Other than a few mishaps, including an equipment malfunction that saw the stage right speakers at Neon Indian’s set soundless, all the artists brought their A-game to the forest. The speaker blow out during Neon Indian’s set was quite unfortunate though as the group was performing a cool set that used lived instrumentals, electronic synthesizers and a wicked light show to complement the sounds.

However, the thought process behind providing festival goers with a wonderful musical experience was apparent. The stages in Sherwood Forest were set up very close to one another yet sound bleeding between stages was not noticeable.

I’m amazed I made it to any of the shows though. It was so easy to get lost in the forest, the fantastical installations and performers easily distracting me on my walks between the stages. But that distraction always led to an adventure that became just as much a part of the Electric Forest experience as the music, and added to the beauty of the journey into self-discovery.

Festival Reviews

Favourite Artists Heard At Electric Forest

It is so easy to get lost in the forest with everything it has to offer for attendees to discover. The music from this year’s event though is not something that should be overlooked. Here are my favourite acts that I heard at Electric Forest.

Hayden James

Of course an Aussie producer signed to the Future Classic label is going to throw down a groovy set. Hayden James performed on the Tripolee stage early in the afternoon on the final day of the festival. He played one dance worthy tune after another, including some of his own hits like “Something About You,” before closing out his set with “Praise You” by Fatboy Slim, a classic dance song that got the crowd jumping and dancing around.

Gilligan Moss

Gilligan Moss played a very nifty set for the crowd at The Observatory. With bubbles floating above through the trees and forest creatures dancing amongst the crowd, the acid house sounds of the duo fit perfectly with the atmosphere in the forest. With a huge grin on their faces, the pair appeared to be having a blast as they played original tunes from their Ceremonial EP, before mixing into their trippy remix of “Gooey” by Glass Animals and closing out with an extended version of their hit single “Choreograph.”

Whilk & Misky

It’s hard to describe the sound of Whilk & Misky but it is definitely something unique and beautiful. The two Brits sound better live than they do on their recordings, with Misky’s raspy voice giving a folk layer to the house music being put down in the background by Whilk. Whilk & Misky displayed their unique sound and talents with Whilk keeping the beat moving that carried Misky’s voice, slowing it down for “Love Lost” before picking the energy back up again to perform “Babe I’m Yours.”

Gorgon City

Gorgon City Live showcased the talents of Matt and Kye, with the DJ duo mixing live for the crowd as some of the singers for their various tunes belted out the lyrics for the songs that were being played. The British duo revealed at the end of their live performance that they were scheduled to play the surprise set for that evening at the Forest Stage, which turned out to be one of the most fun shows of the weekend. The Gorgon City DJ set proved to be an awesome dance party that had the singers from earlier in the evening come out to jam with the crowd while Matt and Kye spun some wicked house music.

Kry Wolf

I was fully expecting to see Chris Lorenzo when I hit up the Forest Stage for the end of the Night Bass curated event Saturday night, but the schedule had changed and lo and behold Kry Wolf was closing out the night. Lewis Darvill of the British duo kept a steady beat through the background of the set, overlaying different house music with the underlying bass beat that carried the crowd’s dance moves and kept everyone’s feet moving during the entire late night set. Although I was looking forward to see Chris Lorenzo that evening, I was happy to have discovered a new underground house artist.

Soul Clap

What a treat to see Bamboozle and Lonely C throw down one of their infamous funky sets at the Forest Stage. The talented duo of Soul Clap played groovy tune after groovy tune, expertly keeping the funk flowing over the dancing crowd. Closing out the Forest Stage for the night after a day of curated music, attendees were treated to a full day of fun, dance-worthy sets before the duo took the stage to finish the night with their characteristic funky sound.

Mija

When Mija plays, she gives 110%, throwing down a filthy set every time and keeping the energy levels of the crowd running high as everyone tries to keep up with her. Friday at The Jubilee tent, Mija kept the crowd bouncing and grinding from one genre to the next as she played a set that moved from hip hop to trap to techno to deep house to rock. The energy levels were high that day, the sweat was dripping, and the music was filthy.

DJ Jazzy Jeff

DJ Jazzy Jeff in the house! What a treat to see a 90s legend like Jazz in the flesh in his element. Curating a wicked hip hop set for the forest fam, DJ Jazzy Jeff expertly wove classics with new, leading the crowd on a hip hop journey that kept people singing along.

Festival Reviews

Five Favourite Moments From Electric Forest

I still haven’t fully washed off the mud that has caked on to my feet from Electric Forest, so to ease those muddy feet back into the real world I have put together a list of my five favourite moments from this year’s festivities.

1. Discovering all the forest has to offer

Two of the most beautiful things about Electric Forest were the unique venue in which it regularly takes place, and the ability to get lost on the festival grounds, exploring the activities and decorations that light up the forest itself. The photos of the festival don’t give you a true sense of the experience.

From the light-up clouds deep in the woods that led me from tree to tree, to the golden Hybycozo art pieces that dangled from high above welcoming festival-goers into the forest, the festival had so much to offer – if you were willing to let yourself go and explore. I don’t want to give everything away for future attendees, as discovering the forest is just as much part of the experience.

I will say though that anyone who attends Electric Forest can look forward to stumbling across a soothing garden with miniature Buddhas. Or finding a small temple with heart-shaped archways where festival-goers can write messages to lost loved ones. The forest held so many beautiful creatures, some on stilts, some in shoes, but all in costume and character, who wandered through the forest, interacting with festival-goers and bringing so much joy as they infiltrated the woods.

2. The Colorado Kaleidoscope

The Observatory held so much more for festival-goers than just music. Although this was also a stage that held some of the best nighttime surprise sets, The Observatory was set up in a way where festival-goers could climb up to a second level and watch the performance on the stage below from a comfortable vantage point.

The second floor of this viewing area was built on top of a mini marketplace where vendors were set up selling their products. One of the vendors in this particular marketplace was Leifers Look. Established in Colorado, the kaleidoscope stand had set up a large, wooden kaleidoscope for attendees to peer into and test out their product. Upon peering into the kaleidoscope and having someone turn the wheel for you, you would see all these different geometric shapes and colours melt into one before reshaping themselves.

After discovering the joy of this nifty toy, and admiring the beauty of the visuals, it was just as much fun and just as joyful to watch the expression of those individuals walking by who decided to stop in for a peek to ease their curiosity. The look of pure amazement and joy on everyone’s face as they discovered the beauty of the kaleidoscope was absolutely fantastic.

3. Kettle Corn

Speaking of pure joy… Although I personally did not try the kettle corn, the joy over the discovery of delicious free kettle corn by one of my campmates puts it in my Five Favourite Moments. During a quick journey back to camp to grab essentials for the night, one of the returning camp members became distracted by the smell of the kettle corn as we walked by the Candy Shoppe (and yes, there is a Candy Shoppe in the middle of the forest).

After turning around to find that the aforementioned campmate was no longer with the returning group, and completely baffled as to where he could have gone, he came bouncing out from behind the Candy Shoppe and loped down the hill like a baby T-Rex. “Guuyyyysssss,” he said with popcorn still in his beard and looking as though he could not believe what he had just experienced. “You have to try the kettle corn.”

4. Stumbling across Preservation Hall Jazz Band

Preservation Hall Jazz Band - Danny Clinch Photography
The seven-piece jazz band brought the grooviness to the forest on three different occasions, with sets at varying stages. However, it wasn’t until spending some time wandering around the festival that I was fortunate enough to get drawn in to The Observatory by the funky tunes that the band was playing.

With tuba, saxophones, clarinet, trumpet and trombone, Preservation Hall Jazz Band treated attendees to an awesome dance party that had the intimate crowd swing dancing with one another.

5. Beach Day

Within a half hour drive of the festival location in Michigan, there are some incredible sand dunes. Electric Forest allows campers to leave the festival in their vehicles whenever they please and return to their initial camp spot.

After a few days of dancing in the hot sun and frolicking through the dusty woods, a morning group excursion to the nearby beach for a swim was gold. After our 30 minute drive and a steep and challenging climb up to the top of the dunes, it was easy to feel as though we had been transported to another planet. Or at least another part of the world. As far as I could see, smooth sand was rolling up and down, meeting the big blue sky. After a short walk across the dunes, we came across a steep, sandy hill that led down to the beach and opened up onto the cool, lake water below.

Bonus

The magical monarch that flitted from person to person in the silent disco, carrying with it the beauty of the festival on its delicate wings.

Canada

Bestival Masters Its Second Year In Toronto

Bestival Toronto was unlike any other Toronto-based music festival – in the best way possible. With fully immersive environments, a musical lineup that embraced house and rock music, and a new, easily accessible location, Bestival was a well planned music festival that catered beautifully to the young, hip crowd of Toronto.

Smith-Bestival-Union-JackThe festival itself did not feel like the standard, North American festival, somehow embracing a more laid-back energy. Maybe its because Bestival started in the U.K., dreamt up by Rob da Bank of England’s Sunday Best Recordings. Or because quite a few of the performers including Jamie XX and The Cure are British. Or maybe it was because of the trio of Brits giving out “free shrugs,” with one of the three being dressed head-to-toe in the Union Jack. Nevertheless, you couldn’t help but feel as though you had been transported out of the 6ix for the weekend to a magical festival on the Isle of Wight.

The festival’s unique concept, with a “Summer of Love” theme, dress-up parades, art scattered around the grounds, and activities to take attendees “beyond the music,” provided Toronto with a weekend event that should become a summer staple for all Torontonians.

The eclectic musical lineup for the two-day event saw Tame Impala headlining alongside The Cure. There were also performances by heavy house hitters Jamie XX and Porter Robinson, and a set by festival co-founder Rob da Bank.

Jamie XX performed on the Main Stage early Saturday evening, providing a bopping set for fans until his music came unplugged. After a few confusing minutes for fans and the performer himself, Jamie XX was plugged back in, finishing his set with the interrupted “Gosh.” While the fans all seemed super excited to have him finish his set, the momentary pause and confusion was a bit of a downer and Jamie XX definitely didn’t have the opportunity to showcase his range of talents in only one hour.
Smith---Bestival---Tame-Impala
ODESZA followed Jamie XX’s performance in the pre-closing slot, taking to the Main Stage Saturday as the sun was setting over the festival grounds. The duo put on an incredible performance that saw the use of live vocals, drums and a mixer that allowed them to perform live renditions of original tunes and covers, including a phenomenal, chilled out cover of Faded by ZHU. ODESZA was followed by Saturday’s headliner Tame Impala, who put on a stellar show, filled with trippy visuals that perfectly complimented the psychedelic nature of their music.

On day two, the event saw the soft, melodic voice of Daughter serenading the late afternoon crowd over at the Main Stage while Thomas Jack took to The Big Top in the evening. Thomas Jack’s music provided festival-goers with a dance infused set that saw him mixing expertly between genres, hair bouncing around as he jammed out with the crowd, huge smile on his face. Lee Foss was given a two-hour sunset slot at the Bollywood Stage that had the crowd dancing through the entirety of his set, before Dubfire closed down the stage with a fiery performance.

It was unfortunate that the festival organizers had to deal with the local city noise bylaws because this meant that the music and festivities on the grounds had to stop at 11 p.m. The Bollywood Stage, while still bopping during the day, had the potential for an epic show at night, taking advantage of the darker environment to show off special effects and lighting. However, with the sun setting around 9 p.m., festival-goers were only given a two hour nighttime show there. As well, many of the artists, although still mixing awesome dance sets for attendees to jam to during the day, could have put on epic performances once the sun had set and the stage had come to life.

A big change this year though was its new location. Last year’s event at Centre Island had a few logistical problems. The only way to get there was by boat, whether the public ferry or by hiring a private water taxi. While not so much an issue getting to the festival, this resulted in attendees having to wait an excessively long time to leave the festival by catching the very limited ferry service back to the mainland at the end of the night. This year’s event at Woodbine Park meant more transportation to and from the festival was available for attendees making for a much quicker journey home, or to the official Bestival Afterparties – although Uber surge pricing was ridiculous, taxis were hard to come by, and street cars were uncomfortably full.

The festival kept the three stages from the inaugural year, including the purple elephant decorated Bollywood Stage, the Main Stage, and the white tent style of The Big Top. They also kept the inflatable church that had been set up in the grounds the inaugural year, allowing the lovers of the world to get married on festival grounds. Full ceremonies were held, with the honorary brides and grooms dressed in their Sunday best, an exuberant MC officiating the ceremony, and rice being thrown as the newlyweds walked out of the church, hand-in-hand.

And if you decided to attend the wedding on Sunday afternoon, you might have spotted Thomas Jack, cheering on the lucky couple before heading over to The Big Top to play his 85-minute set of the day.

Canada

Taking a Field Trip to Fort York

The aptly titled, Field Trip Music and Arts Festival, is a family friendly affair with a laid-back atmosphere. Reminiscent of going on a school field trip to visit Fort York, the festival provided attendees with the opportunity to explore the historic grounds of the old Toronto fort while enjoying a variety of local and international music at the two stages set up on the grounds.

Activities for the whole family were readily accessible with a bouncy castle for the young-uns to jump around in, impromptu ping-pong tournaments occuring throughout the days, bean bag tossing competitions between friends, and watermelon eating contests at The Mess Hall. Little kids could be seen running around the historic fort with green balloons tied to their hands as music floated over the old barracks.

The family-friendly event created a uniquely safe feeling for a festival. Many people could be seen enjoying the music on lawn chairs and blankets, while Moms and Dads were walking around the grounds, bottle-feeding their babies with sound cancelling head phones caressing the delicate little ears of the babes.

The second day of the festival got off to a wet start with inclement weather encouraging festival organizers to suspend the music and evacuate the grounds until early evening. Once the grounds opened again and the music started back up, the sun could be seen setting over the infamous Toronto skyline as the trees in the barracks lit up with pinks and purples, illuminating the leaves that danced magically in the breeze. Patio lights could be seen twinkling above the various food trucks that provided Torontonians with a taste of some of the local cuisine.

From Portobello Burger‘s vegetarian, vegan, gluten free options, to Caplansky’s Deli with a menu filled with BBQ brisket, the vast array of food trucks provided festival-goers with plenty of gourmet options. Curbside Deliciousness offered butter chicken nachos to attendees and The Flying Chestnut Kitchen‘s bright blue and yellow FCK sign beckoned attendees to come try their different tacos. JP‘s truck offered a slew of BBQ options straight from their smoker and The Pop Stand provided gourmet popsicle choices to attendees including cherry bourbon sour, blueberry lime mint and basil lime.

Festival-goers were also given the opportunity to explore the historic Toronto landmark with The Laugh Barracks and the Analogue Gallery Sound Image Exhibition being set up in the barracks buildings, while The Marketplace provided attendees with the opportunity to buy trinkets by local vendors.

The two stages in the grounds saw The National closing the festival on the Saturday night of the event, and Robyn re-scheduled to shut down the night on Sunday with her energetic performance at 9:25 p.m. The pop star danced her way around the Garrison Stage in a sparkly, silver sequinned costume, shaking her hips as she belted out original tunes, new music, and remixes of some of her most-loved tracks by some of her favourite dance artists from across the globe.

While Sunday’s inclement weather unfortunately led to the cancellation of “Nashville” famed sisters Lennon and Maisy’s set, Canadian Basia Bulat was still able to take the TD Stage to perform as the fluffy, dark blue clouds rolled off into the distance, showcasing her soulfully pleasing raspy voice. The two-day event also saw performances by Santigold, July Talk, Ra Ra Riot, and Dear Rouge.

Field Trip is a definite must-attend Toronto summer event, providing activities and music for all ages of festival-goers. Being true to its name, the festival uses the “field trip” theme to its advantage, providing attendees with the opportunity to not only watch some of their favourite musicians perform, but to also explore a part of Toronto’s history in the shadow of the CN Tower.