It’s officially summer and the Discorder office is starting to look like a ghost town. But you know what? I’m totally OK with that. The next two months, after all, are the token vacation months, so why not head out of town for a bit to clear your head? As for me, I’m currently sitting in YVR waiting to board a plane to Calgary to check out the Sled Island Festival. Having not been in Cowtown for over eight years, I’m excited to see how that city deals with their annual, ever-growing punk and indie event. I’m especially interested in seeing how some of our home-growns (like B-Lines and Keep Tidy, to name but a few) play out in front of a foreign crowd. My guess is that they’ll tear it up just as if they were playing here. I’ll level with you, though, I’m most thrilled about the mid-day pool party show I got invited to. Free hot dogs and hardcore bands; how can you go wrong? You can check out our full coverage of the fest, including daily wrap-ups from me and a photo-diary courtesy of our Real Live Action editor Steve Louie, on our website.
With that in mind, it is the festival season. If you have a couple days to spare, might we suggest heading up to Squamish for the Bass Coast Festival with some glow sticks in tow? Judging from Erica Hansen’s profile on the event, people are going to be dancing all night to a ton of DJ sets—wildlife be damned. Just remember to pack lots of water… and maybe a soother or two.
Cover stars Babe Rainbow and prOphecy sun might be odd choices for your summer soundtrack, between the former’s frightening post-dubstep crawls and the latter’s high-brow, naturalistic soundscapes, but the solo artists are certainly keeping Vancouver’s electronic scene interesting all year long.
Meanwhile, the hi-octane, fuzzed-out fumes of local scuzzters White Lung might not technically provide a breath of fresh air, but the punkers could definitely set the scene for a PBR-fueled back alley BBQ somewhere in the depths of East Van.
Also, if you’re planning to have a staycation this year, make sure to head out to the Biltmore’s Twoonie Tuesdays. We recently partnered up with the club’s monthly, locals-only night and we’re supremely stoked that it costs as little as a slice of pizza. This month they’re hosting the Shilohs, Capitol 6 and Timecopz. Check it out!
Wrapping things up, without being too much of a parent, make sure you’re sun-safe this season. I’m actually totally serious, here. It’s gonna get hot! Slip on a shirt, slap on a hat and all that. You don’t want your vacay ruined by a brutal sunstroke. I packed an extra bottle of sunscreen in my backpack for that pool party in Calgary… I’m a leggy guy and I burn easy.
Discorderly yours,
Gregory Adams