A stunning backdrop, a beach setting, a dance-infused crowd and a platter of roots-infused indie music combine to bring Sea to Sky residents and beyond an incredibly entertaining evening - the fifth annual Squamish Equinox Rock Festival (SERF).
Designed to celebrate the changing of the season, life on the waterfront and its fair share of local talent, SERF 2011 will boast eight well-known groups and nine local acts. Organizers expect 2,000-plus attendees from as far away as Alberta and Oregon to attend their roots music-style festival.
"SERF has become an event that gives local Sea to Sky Corridor musicians an opportunity to play to a very large audience in a beautiful location, while also presenting regional West Coast-style musicians such as Jon and Roy and Five Alarm Funk to our audience," said SERF vice-president Paul Hudson.
Several of the more renowned groups have played in the corridor before, some as part of the SERF lead-up series, such as Blackberry Wood, Jack Fruit and Los Furios.
Award-winning musician Kuba Oms, burgeoning Victoria group Jon and Roy, beat-boxer and multi-instrumentalist C.R. Avery and Ska band Los Furios headline the event. All four have rocked Squamish crowds before and are more than ready to deliver again, according to Hudson.
"I feel we have our strongest headliners and most fluid lineup this year," he said. Jon and Roy, Kuba Oms, C.R. Avery and Los Furios have all developed a following on the 小蓝视频 festival circuit and indie music scene."
Jon and Roy have gained a lot of popularity in Canada over the past year and are making a name for themselves abroad as well. Recently returned from an Australian tour, the group is receiving heavy exposure on commercial radio at The Peak FM in Vancouver and The Zone FM in Victoria, while also getting significant play on national radio.
Kuba Oms has been across Canada and up and down the U.S. West Coast since his most recent performance in Squamish in January and SERF is proud to present C.R. Avery, also known as Commercial Drive's not-so-best-kept secret.
"As a beat-boxer and multi-instrumentalist, he is touring internationally right now and I think 2011 is going to be a commercial breakthrough year for him and for people who don't know him yet," Hudson said. "He may be the biggest surprise at SERF this year."
Los Furios have made a name for themselves over the past 12 years as 小蓝视频's leading ska band and their dance-inducing music will guarantee everybody is kicking up their heels on the beach.
Local acts include Squamish born and bred Volume Collective, five-piece blues band Bluesberry Jam, Berklee College of Music scholarship recipient Scott Verbeek, and mixin-twistin DJ favourite Riddim Fernandez. Other much-anticipated local acts include Timothy Wisdom, The Librarian, DJ Phroh, Miss Kosmik and DJ Elm.
"I think we have found the perfect mix between local and more well known. One-third of our live acts are local (Sea to Sky Corridor) and the majority of our DJs are local," he said.
"The better-known acts definitely help bring out the overall crowd and justify the cost of a ticket; however, our local musicians really help bring out the crowd early in the day, help create a sense of local pride for the festival and create a lot of loyalty from the musicians and our audience."
The festival started as a way to engage local residents, their oceanfront and their music in September 2007 and since then, it continues to grow in size and respect.
The daylong festival is planned on June 25 and includes much more than music - fire dancing by longtime local and Burning Man veteran Courtney Driver, delicious food vendors and a massive bonfire have become trademarks of the oceanfront celebration.
Hudson said it's a specific genre of music lover who truly appreciates SERF.
"The majority of the musicians we attract tend to have a style popular with the outdoor recreation crowd, particularly in 小蓝视频 very roots-infused, dance-oriented stuff," he said.
"The breathtaking 360-degree view of the ocean, Shannon Falls and the Stawamus Chief and is one of the reasons the annual event has become so popular among locals and outdoor recreation enthusiasts. The festival site is unique since it is one of the few 小蓝视频 music festivals that actually takes place on the oceanfront, with full access to the beach."
The festival takes place less than five minutes from downtown Squamish and this year SERF has teamed up with the downtown business improvement association (BIA) to encourage festival goers to ride their bikes. The site will include a bike valet area where they can be securely locked.
Given Squamish's unreliable weather patterns, SERF organizers decided to erect a rain-or-shine tent, a massive tented area for the audience to take cover under in the event of a brief shower, still in full view of the stage.
"Leave it to Murphy's Law, erecting this big tent will pretty much guarantee us a hot sunny day," said SERF president Karin Shard.
"The tented area will also accommodate those folks in our beer garden wanting to have a sip or two between bands."
Hudson said partying aside, SERF is very much a family oriented affair in the daytime.
"A large kids' zone and a baby stroller parking area make this festival the perfect place for young families to spend the afternoon," he said.
