Rifflandia Day Four

And so it ends! Another great day of music to add to the last three days. Vancouver’s Dear Rouge starting things off at the main stage. Comprised of husband and wife Drew and Danielle McTaggart, the Vancouver based outfit gave the early crowds a good taste of alternative synth-pop to get the day started.

DSC_1455

Next up was another Vancouver act Lightning Dust. The Black Mountain side project of Amber Webber and Joshua Wells played to a rather subdued crowd at the Rifftop tent. Giving fans a chance to unwind with their minimalist brand of melodic synth-based rock.

DSC_1466Vancouver rapper SonReal was next up on the Main Stage. The performance had plenty of crowd interaction and saw the rapper comfortably on such a large stage. I feel it would have benefited from some live instrumentation and another guest performer.

DSC_1502Toronto’s Keys N Krates were up next. A good blend of live instrumentation, DJing and production. Going through mash-ups of the Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony” into electro, drum n’ bass and house. Overall a good performance, and a nice introduction to the group.

DSC_1555The Funk Hunters filled the void for headliner Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth who was unable to perform. On such short notice, the duo did an excellent job getting the crowd pumped up. The addition of guest vocals, live guitar and sax made the performance that much more enjoyable for me. One of the more enjoyable sets of the festival.

DSC_1604A short break, then on to the incomparable sample-based copyright party king Girl Talk. This was my first experience seeing Gregg Gillis do his thing on stage. It was definitely an experience worth seeing and hearing. Confetti, toilet paper cannons and giant globes brought the whole festival together. Not  too bad for 20 seconds sounds clips mashed up in a frenzy.

DSC_1648

Rifflandia 2014 was a blast! To all the good music, good vibes and good venues. We’ll see you next year.

DSC_1312

Rifflandia Day Three

Saturday was another action packed day of music and good vibes at Rifflandia. Things started off at Royal Athletic Park with Victoria punk rockers Bum performing for the first time in 20 years to their hometown crowd.

DSC_1232

Next on the main stage were Mexican garage-punkers Le Butcherettes putting on a raucous, lively affair with vocalist/guitarist Teri Gender Bender screaming in spanish and traversing the stage with her fiery persona.

DSC_1260

Next up was an amazing performance by Bay Area conscious hip hop outfit Latyrx, with MC’s Lateef The Truth Speaker and Lyrics Born trading off verses with a live drummer and DJ. By far one of the most enjoyable and energetic performances of the festival so far.

DSC_1296

Next up was LA’s The Airborne Toxic Event on the Main Stage performing festival ready alternative rock. My first experience every listening to the band.

DSC_1335

Los Angeles outfit Dum Dum Girls took the stage next, playing their own brand of easy listening dream pop to the crowd at the Rifftop Tent. All five musicians were really tight live, all-in-all a good set.

DSC_1346

Festival standby’s New Pornographers took the Main Stage next playing standards like “Letter From An Occupant” and “Mass Romantic” from their extensive catalogue of indie rock anthems. It was nice to see the full line up, complete with vocals from Dan Bejar.

DSC_1353

Transitioning from indie rock into grimey electro-tinged funky dubstep and overall dance floor madness that was Rusko. He definitely proved why he was one of the headliners, playing by far the rowdiest set of the festival to date. Pure enjoyment from start to finish.

The final act on the Main Stage were indie superstar headliners Death Cab For Cutie taking everyone back to youthful angst and melodrama. A little bit of nostalgia goes along way. Hearing such standards as “Crooked Teeth” and “I Will Possess Your Heart” and “Title Track” took me right back, as I’m sure it did for many others. It also marked guitarist/keyboardist Chris Walla’s final performance with the band. Good ol’ Death Cab.

DSC_1367

DSC_1363

The night didn’t stop there. Victoria by way of Montreal vocalist/guitarist Kandle Osborne took the stage at Alix Goolden Hall with her backing band the Krooks, playing a haunting mix of soulful alternative country. The venue was the perfect fit for this intimate performance.

DSC_1378Over to the Wood Hall for the CFUV sponsored show with Victoria’s very own New Groovement. It’s always a good time when this band gets together, and this show was no exception. Groove on!

DSC_1398There was no better way to top off the night than to catch the timeless ska/reggae band The Skatalites perform at the Victoria Public Market. A truly legendary band and an amazing experience to witness such talented musicians performing some extremely uplifting reggae music. There’s version of “Three Little Birds” was quite the experience. Good vibrations and a great way to top off the night.

DSC_1408

Rifflandia Day Two

Day two of Rifflandia is in the books. Midland, Ontario indie rockers Born Ruffians started things off at the Rifftop Tent in Royal Athletic Park.

DSC_1110Next on the Main Stage was Airbourne, Australia’s very own purveyors of lavish over-the-top stadium rock n’roll. Complete with massive stacks of Marshall amps, beers smashed over heads and plently of moshing. Good ol’ wholesome fun.

DSC_1114Toronto electro-pop outfit Dragonette were up next in the tent, with vocalist Martona Sorbara giving the crowd a taste of their older material with songs like “I Get Around” and “Take It Like A Man”. Despite the vocals being a little flat, her stage presence made up for it making for an enjoyable dance party.

DSC_1133The final act on the main stage was headliner Serena Ryder. Armed with an extremely impressive stage presence, vocals to match and a talented backing band. She started things off with the ever-popular “Stompa” and segueing into an interlude about her upbringing in Millbrook, Ontario straight into a version of Etta James famous tune “At Last”.

DSC_1146

DSC_1176

Over to the Phillips Backyard for some hip hop courtesy of The Beatnuts and Del The Funky Homosapien. Both acts played spirited long sets due to the absence of Kool Keith, who was unable to perform due to unknown circumstances.

DSC_1194

Hrdvision closed out the night with a minimalist techno set at Market Square.

Much more music to come on Day 3. Stoked for Latyrx, New Pornographers, Rusko, Hilltop Hoods, Addison Groove, The Skatalites, The New Groovement and Death Cab. Happy Riffing!

Rifflandia Day One

Another year of Rifflandia is upon us. And CFUV is here to cover it. Thursday night saw the Chicago label Numero Group co-founder Rob Sevier playing a mix of funk, soul and r&b 45’s to the crowd at the Phillips Backyard.

DSC_1043

Following up were Harlem based trio RATKING bringing an explosive brand of high energy, gritty hardcore hip hop, with MC’s WIki and Hak trading off verses backed by live production courtesy of Sporting Life. 

DSC_1070

Finishing the night off at the Backyard was Detroit’s very own Danny Brown, who after being denied entry into the country last year finally got the chance to headline the festival. Brown was certainly a crowd pleaser with his vulgar trap-influenced brand of warped hip-hop.

DSC_1100

The night finished itself off at the SubDivision showcase at Lucky Bar with bass heavy techno courtesy of Max Ulis (Sabota) and UK hardcore drum n’ bass throwback artist Tessela.

Excited for The Beatnuts, Kool Keith, Del The Funky Homosapien, Born Ruffians, Sabota and Tiger & Woods today.

 

 

 

And so it ends on a rainy day.

Phoenix

I managed to barrel through a thunderstorm to make my way to the final day of Rifflandia. Although the weather was terrible and the stench of the beer tent was at times unbearable, the energy and spirits remained high. I think everyone took the time to stick around the festival, not only for the line-up, but because they picked up a positive vibe from everyone around them. I kicked off the day with the Canadian group, Stars. Stars hit a nostalgic note for me, and I stopped everything I was doing to sing every word of “Your Ex-Lover is Dead.” Although the group is incredibly tight and played a good set, they weren’t quite what I wanted to hear in the middle of the day at a music festival. The crowd couldn’t get enough, and I enjoyed what the band had to offer.

Stars. Photo credit: CFUV 101.9FM

Stars. Photo credit: CFUV 101.9FM

Stars. Photo credit: CFUV 101.9FM

Stars. Photo credit: CFUV 101.9FM

20130915_161345

Beats Antique took over on the side stage afterwards followed by my favourite performance of Rifflandia 2013. Big Boi took the main stage and pumped out the most energetic and just plain fun set I had seen all weekend. He pumped out hit after hit, from Ms. Jackson to Shutterbug, and I couldn’t stop shaking my hips and moving my feet despite being soaked only a few songs into the set.

Big Boi. Photo credit: CFUV 101.9FM

Big Boi. Photo credit: CFUV 101.9FM

Big Boi. Photo credit: CFUV 101.9FM

Big Boi. Photo credit: CFUV 101.9FM

I finished the day off with the ever-whimsical Matt & Kim. They included a lot of novelty in their set with spurts of Harlem Shake and top 40, anal sex jokes, and confetti guns. Their music was the usual bubblegum pop flair with an upbeat tempo. Although I found it all a little goofy and over the top, I couldn’t take the smile off my face. They are genuine entertainers just out to have a good time and delivered just that.

And that ends another year of Rifflandia. Thank you to everyone who made the last weekend happen and to all the volunteers who worked tirelessly (even in the rain!) to bring Victoria a killer weekend.

Until next year,
Phoenix

Saturday

Saturday at Rifflandia kicked off in the perfect way with Wavves. I have seen Wavves once before at Sugar a couple of years back and I’ve always remembered the live, skater teen angst of their live set. They delivered again with Nathan Williams decked out in Lakers shorts. Their sound hasn’t changed much, although I thought that they felt a bit burnt out. They lacked any connection with the audience outside of their music and it felt like they just wanted to finish and party. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the music, I just don’t know how excited Wavves was to play Rifflandia.

Wavves. Photo credit: CFUV 101.9FM

Wavves. Photo credit: CFUV 101.9FM

Rob Garza from Thievery Coporation. Photo credit: CFUV 101.9FM

Rob Garza from Thievery Coporation. Photo credit: CFUV 101.9FM

USS followed up on the main stage at RAP. I heard a few songs and ignored the rest of their set. I won’t say more than that, but I feel you can gather how I felt about their show. Rob Garza from Thievery Corporation was next with an outstanding DJ set under the Riff tent. For a solo guy on stage, the audience went wild and the energy was high. I didn’t know what to expect from the show and I was more than impressed.

Rob Garza from Thievery Corporation. Photo credit: CFUV 101.9FM

Rob Garza from Thievery Corporation. Photo credit: CFUV 101.9FM

The night was finished off with the one and only Death from Above 1979. I had been looking forward to this duo all weekend and I was blown away by how they managed to bring their album to life. Their energy was up, banter was hilarious, and songs sounded as if we were moshing in 2004.

Death From Above 1979. Photo credit: CFUV 101.9FM

Death From Above 1979. Photo credit: CFUV 101.9FM

Death From Above 1979. Photo credit: CFUV 101.9FM

Death From Above 1979. Photo credit: CFUV 101.9FM

Death From Above 1979. Photo credit: CFUV 101.9FM

Death From Above 1979. Photo credit: CFUV 101.9FM

Death From Above 1979. Photo credit: CFUV 101.9FM

Death From Above 1979. Photo credit: CFUV 101.9FM

Death from Above 1979. Photo credit: CFUV 101.9FM

Death from Above 1979. Photo credit: CFUV 101.9FM

Until next time,
Phoenix

 

Kicking off the RAP

Friday evening, the sun was shining and the Royal Athletic Park was bustling with good vibes and a nautical theme. I made it to RAP just in time to catch one of the shows I was really looking forward to at the festival. Leading up to the festival, I’ve heard many opinions on Courtney Love as one of the headliners for Rifflandia. Some hold the opinion that she is a wash-up, her show will be awful, and generally don’t care about her as an artist. Others were excited for nostalgia and others were legitimately excited to see her perform as genuine fans. I fall somewhere in between the latter two and by the time she hit the stage, I couldn’t wait to see what she had in store for Victoria. I’ll start off by saying, the show was fantastic. She sounded great and had some hilarious banter that was classic Courtney  (“I had to stay at a Comfort Inn. I’m a fucking diva. That shit was gnarly.”) She played mostly Hole tunes with a few of her solo songs and a couple new tracks to make a well rounded set. In the end, I have to say, I’m excited that I was able to see her perform as I never thought that would be possible, let alone be possible and fantastic.

Courtney Love. Photo credit: CFUV 101.9 FM

Courtney Love. Photo credit: CFUV 101.9 FM

Courtney Love. Photo credit: CFUV 101.9 FM

Courtney Love. Photo credit: CFUV 101.9 FM

Courtney Love. Photo credit: CFUV 101.9 FM

Courtney Love. Photo credit: CFUV 101.9 FM

Courtney Love. Photo credit: CFUV 101.9 FM

Courtney Love. Photo credit: CFUV 101.9 FM

I left the park to make my way to Philip’s Brewery. I have to say that Philip’s is probably my favourite if not in my top 3 local venues. The crowd was intense and from the moment you walked in the park, the whole atmosphere made you ready to party. To say that the sold out venue was just a large party is an understatement. Z-Trip was finishing off his set and making everyone animalistic and out of control in the best way possible. It was music that shook you to the bones, rattled your veins, and made you want more. The moment Action Bronson took the stage, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The crowd lost it, whatever “it” they had left the moment a beat dropped. Action Bronson puts on quite the show and was the most fun I had at a show up to that point in the festival. At one point he stopped and asked the audience to hand him some sort of drug and almost silmultaneously began to wear a flag a fan threw to him on his head. His humour, rhyme skills, and pink coverse had me and I can’t wait till I can see him perform again.

I finished off the night with something completely different at Alix Goolden Hall. Cold Specks took the stage in a Victorian era black dress, just her and her guitar. She began acapella and her voice, what makes her so unique and draws people to her music,  was indescribable. I couldn’t take my eyes off her performance. Cold Specks is a highlight of the festival for me, and one of the top 3 shows I attended. She is a rock in the Canadian music scene that you are missing out on if you have not seen her perform.

I have more to come from this fantastic weekend at Rifflandia. Stay tuned for photos of Death from Above 1979, Big Boi, and more.

Until next time,
Phoenix

 

It all starts here.

CFUV @ Rifflandia 2013

These last couple of days at Rifflandia have been a blur. From hip-hop to 90s rock, this year’s festival has a flare for the wonderful. I took the time Thursday evening to show hop venues and soak up whatever I could bend my ears at. Starting the night, I joined in some local love with Olav at Rehab Nightclub. Olav has an ambient style of beats, perfect for a chill night vibe. He spiced his usual set up with “VIP Edits” turning his music into more of a dance floor beat. The sound system for the club is built for bass and Olav definitely brought it. I followed up with Serengeti and Jel at Club 919. I had recently got into Serengeti and have heard nothing but hype for his live set. He delivered on the hype, however I don’t believe the crowd was quite ready for the show. They strayed back, avoiding the dance floor, which was a bit of a let down for a show that should have caused a jive in everyone’s sneakers.

Serengeti & Jel @ Club 919. Photo credit: CFUV 101.9 FM

Serengeti & Jel @ Club 919. Photo credit: CFUV 101.9 FM

Jel @ Club 919. Photo credit: CFUV 101.9 FM

Jel @ Club 919. Photo credit: CFUV 101.9 FM

I finished off my evening at the Metro Studio. Although I did stop at Alix Goolden for Humans (which had a healthy crowd of young folk), I did not want to miss any of  the line-up at Metro. I got in just in time to catch Dusted. I think it’s safe to say that Dusted will be my surprise favourite of Rifflandia. I had never heard them before except for a few facts like the members are also part of Holy Fuck. The two piece rocked the Metro, but all eyes were on the drummer who not only played the drums but also included a synth and some keyboards. Whether you are a fan of Holy Fuck or not, Dusted is definitely worth a listen. Of course, the night was finished off by the one and only Braids. Despite a few technical difficulties (that you probably wouldn’t have noticed if the band didn’t mention them), they blew me away with sheer talent. Their songs are normally quite beautiful to me but their sound enveloped the Metro and everyone in it in such a wonderful way (like if you had your favourite blanket wrapped around you while camping on a warm evening under a perfect night sky). The show brought everyone to their feet in the end and stole the festival for me.

I have of course been out and about these last two days. Stay tuned for updates on Courtney Love, Death from Above 1979, and more!

Until next time,Phoenix

Chali 2NA on tha Radio

Image

If you have listened to my Radio show on CFUV, you will know the size of the place I hold in my heart for Chali 2na. Its about as big as he is. about 6″7. In terms of spirit its the size of an ocean. He dwells in an ocean of spirit like a big ol’ tuna fish. His baritone voice can be heard from miles away and is consistent in its power weather he is “rapping” or just speaking.  His show in the park today was just as big as I expected.  This is his 3rd Rifflandia and seems like he’s just always down to play a show. Always down to get his (awesome) crew together and jam. All of his musical minions are unreal. a singer who belted out lines from jackson 5 and a bassist who grooved out with steezy funky vibes. “if its not hip-hop, Its about where hip hop came from”, a line from what he deemed as his “radio station”, which was his stage. He asked the crowd “Who loves good music?”, “Who loves good hip-hop music?”, and then “Who loves the radio?”….. silence and then boooo’s eminated from the crowd. Generally speaking, this is true. The FM radio has become a place where DJ’s can’t play what they want, and it all comes from a list of pre-generated chart releases.  It’s sad but thats why I love campus radio! I allow myself to play a Jurassic5, or Chali 2na track weekly, and I have to constantly remind myself how lucky I am to have freedom in my programming. “hold on to that feeling- FREEDOM”, a line from a J5 track Chali played today in the park- which everyone danced and smiled to. As much as Cali dissed the Radio, I think he would be proud of myself and fellow DJ’s at CFUV who respect GOOD MUSIC> Thanks Chali!!!!

 

Image

XOXO, Zada

Courtney Love (‘s to preform)

Image

From my window just blocks from royal athletic park we were fuelling up on a black bean, corn tortilla, gin fiesta when suddenly “shhh! whats that sound?” Turns out, it was the raspy rock n’ roll bellowing of Miss. Courtney Love. We didn’t drop everything and run to see Courtney’s entire set, but it was decided we had to at least see what this lady was up to. We showed up to see her rockin’ out and just wailing. She’s got that rock n’ roll voice that has aged just as she has. In her musical career, she has written a  lot of different songs, fueled by experiences that were very intense, and very public. In her set she played new songs, and also went waaayy 90’s with Hole tributes. “Its better to RISE UP, than to fade away”, she yelled. Her songs aren’t fantastic but that girl is a performer. Quite frankly I think it’s great that she’s back on tour, letting out her emotions and surely not Fading Away.

Image

XO, Zada