The first day of Live at Squamish was indeed filled with happy times indeed in a very large field. It would appear that the music festival shook off any signs of a sophomore slump as the food carts were abundant, the beer garden was bigger, most importantly crowds were thicker at this second annual production.
The first acts didn’t take to the Garibaldi and Stawamus stages until almost 4:00pm on the first day of Live at Squamish but they packed a whallop between the time She Stole My Beer began and Girl Talk sent a spinning, dizzy, dance-crazy crowd home to bed at the end of the night.
There were surprises everywhere, from bands hanging out and signing autographs to impromptu shows and a sneak peek at Metric’s Emily Haines and James Shaw as they did an acoustic set on the Garibaldi Stage.
The Proper Villains, Photo by John Biehler on Flickr
The biggest (pleasant) surprises came from two acts from Down Under. The first was Kim Churchill, an incredible one-man band that blew everyone away playing Led Zeppelin (he was on guitar, had a kick drum, and played harmonica). The second was the John Butler Trio.
I’ve heard them a few times on the radio but this “jam band” had the better part of the entire festival attendance up on their feet grooving to stand-up bass, slide guitar, and epic drum solos.
Torquil Campbell & Amy Millan of Stars, Photo by John Bollwitt on Flickr
Torquil Campbell of Stars, Photo by John Bollwitt on Flickr
One of the world’s most popular DJ’s, Girl Talk, rounded out the night on the Stawamus stage with his incredible mashups that took you from Black Sabbath and Bon Jovi, to The Beastie Boys, Notorious B.I.G., Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and back to Metallica and Michael Jackson.
The start of Girl Talk’s set. Video by John Biehler.
The beats didn’t stop for a complete hour and as he does with all his shows, Girl Talk had festival goers on stage dancing beside him as he cranked out the mixes from his laptops.
Day Two Tips If you’re heading up to Live at Squamish on Sunday, August 21st, slap on the sunscreen and bring a hat (UV index will be high even if clouds are present). You can also bring in a small picnic lunch, if you are so inclined, and a bottle for water that is no more than 1.5 litres. All bags are searched and if you would like to partake in the beer garden, be sure to have 2 pieces of ID on you.
Use the computers in the Get Social Cafe, Photo by John Bollwitt on Flickr
Also be sure to check out the Green Couch Sessions stage which is tucked away behind the Silent Disco area. They have acts coming through to play sets in their tent, some of which will hit the larger stages later in the day.
Hey Ocean on the Green Couch stage, Photo by John Bollwitt on Flickr
Rumour has it The Matinee will be there just before 6:00pm on Sunday. The Green Couch is also right next to the pop-up barber shop so gents can stop in for a shave n’ a haircut throughout the day.
Here’s to the second day of Live at Squamish 2011 that will see The Zolas, The Dudes, Metric, Weezer, Major Lazer and more perform between the evergreen-covered mountains of Squamish.
All photos in this post were taken exclusively for Miss604.com by John Bollwitt (Website, Flickr) & John Biehler (Website, Flickr).
It was a big week for transit in Metro Vancouver as the Canada Line and the original SkyTrain both celebrated anniversaries. Although it’s been 26 years since we first heard the memorable 3-toned chime announcing the next SkyTrain station it was 25 years ago this week that it was put into regular service. It’s also been 2 years since our trains started reaching Vancouver International Airport. In honor of these milestones, this week’s collection of old-timey photos from the Vancouver Archives has a transit theme.
1890 – Cordova Street trolley. Archives item# CVA 1477-422.
1906 – BC Electric Interurban. Archives item# Out P685.
In just a few weeks school starts again, the temperature will dip, and vacations will end. This weekend you can still enjoy Vancouver’s nightlife and dancing in a large, open venue — supporting a great cause in the process.
The Brian Jessel Autohaus Summer Blast on Saturday will feature live music from Eric Solomon and beats from DJ Dana D. There will be hours of festivities at the Rocky Mountaineer station including a fashion show, car show, and more with host Tara Lett.
I have two pairs of tickets to give away to my readers. Here’s how you can enter to win:
Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
I entered to win tickets to #SummerBlast on Saturday from @bjautohaus & @miss604 http://ow.ly/66X7o
I will draw two winners (who will each get a pair of tickets) at 11:30am tomorrow, Friday, August 19, 2011.
The event runs from 8:30pm until 1:00am on Saturday, August 20, 2011. Must be 19 years of age or older to enter, win, and attend this event. Please enjoy responsibly and plan a safe ride home.
You can read more about Horn of Africa efforts on the Canadian Red Cross website and text AFRICA to 3033 to make a $5 donation. I am a proud member of the Canadian Red Cross’ Twitter team.
The second annual Live at Squamish music festival kicks off in about 48 hours as thousands prepare for good times in a field and a fun-filled schedule of music and activities. Whether you’re camping out, staying in Squamish or Whistler, or just heading up for a day, the festival should have something for you. From DJ’s and dancing to food truck eats and open air rock. The full schedule was recently released as well as a special treat for Friday in case any keeners want to get a preview of the grounds.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Spots are all sold out but if you booked camping, the grounds open at 12:00pm.
Sound Check Party from 6:00pm to 8:00pm with The Matinée, My!Gay!Husband! and Kuba Oms and the Velvet Revolution. The first 1,000 people to show up will get in and you don’t even need a Live at Squamish ticket to attend this preview. The beer garden will also be open at this time.
Saturday, August 20, 2011 & Sunday August 21, 2011
Box office opens at 10:00am each day.
Some quick tips: Do bring a blanket, your own picnic (no bigger than a lunchbox), water (in a container no more than 1.5 litres), a camera (just not professional size if you’re not accredited media) and a smile and your dancin’ shoes. Do not bring chairs, BBQ’s frisbees, umbrellas, all the regular pointy/dangerous weaponry type stuff, laser pointers, fireworks and the like. There are in-and-out privileges and pass-holders will get wrist-bands for the weekend. The site is also smoke free.
If you haven’t secured on-site parking then you can park in downtown Squamish and take the free shuttle to the festival off Cleveland Ave. There is also a free bike valet for those who cycle in.
Tickets are still available for $89 (single day, purchased before Friday) and $19 (weekend passes, purchased before Friday at midnight). Prices go up to $110 (single day) and $190 (weekend) after the Friday night deadline.
Miss604.com is a proud Media Sponsor of Live at Squamish 2011.
UpdateWhistler Water wants to give you 2 VIP passes for the weekend. To enter just leave a comment here or post the following on Twitter: “RT to enter to win VIP @LiveatSquamish tickets from @WhistlerWater #LAS2011 http://ow.ly/678bL“. They’ll draw a winner tomorrow at 10:00am. Must be 19 years of age or older to enter and win the VIP passes. Good luck!
Update In case you missed the first day (Saturday) at Live at Squamish I have a recap posted here.
Stanley Park will host its first-ever BioBlitz this weekend. According to the organizers at the Stanley Park Ecology Society, a Bioblitz is “an extravaganza of many hands-on exploratory inventories of nature.”
Participants will be in specific groups alongside science experts and given a designated amount of time to identify as many plants, insects, birds, amphibians, fish, and intertidal creatures as they can. They’re calling all “citizen scientists” to help out with this massive undertaking for 24 hours this weekend (12 hours on both Saturday and Sunday).
Schedule for Saturday, August 20, 2011
Nature House Display
Time: 10:00am to 3:00pm
Meet at: Nature House (Lost Lagoon)
Beach Seine
Time: 3:15pm to 5:15pm
Meet at: Lumberman’s Arch
Hummingbird Trapping
Time: 5:00pm to 7:00pm
Meet at: Lumberman’s Arch
Wild Edibles and Medicinal Plant Walk
Time: 6:00pm to 7:30pm
Meet at: Beaver Lake
Bat Mist-Netting
Time: 8:00pm to 11:00pm
Meet at: Beaver Lake
Owl Survey
Time: 8:00pm to 11:00pm
Meet at: Beaver Lake
Patricia Thomson, Executive Director of the Stanley Park Ecology Society, told me by email that it’s great for all ages. “People can join a single event or many to watch hummingbirds being banded, audio-track owls, mist-net bats or beach seine for gunnels.”
Thomson added, “Considering it hosts 7 million visitors each year, Stanley Park still holds many secrets in its wildlife and habitats: in recent years, two species described nowhere else in the world were identified in Stanley Park.”
The Stanley Park Ecology Society, which works closely with the Vancouver Park Board, released a “State of the Park” report last year. They’re hoping that this year’s Bioblitz will be able to enhance and add to the information in that report.
There are organized Bioblitz events across the USA and Canada each year. Whistler recently hosted a Bioblitz earlier this month.
