There was no way that SERF co-headliner Kuba Oms was going to miss the fifth annual Squamish beachfront music festival.
Oms fought lack of sleep, a voice he was on the verge of losing and car troubles to arrive on time for the festival and thrilled the Squamish crowd.
After a long night of performing and partying at the Tall Trees Music Fest in Port Renfrew on Friday (June 24), Oms made the long trek to Squamish on Saturday (June 25) on precious little sleep.
"It was a three-hour drive to get to the Swartz Bay ferry terminal," he said. "And it was a long, winding road. Me and my keyboard player had no choice but to stay super engaged in our conversation to stay awake, but we ended up just saying the same thing over and over."
Oms eventually made it into Vancouver, but not before stopping to grab some gear and a quick rest before the show. Unfortunately for Oms, when he went to start his car again, it simply wasn't co-operating.
"The vehicle just wouldn't start and I got a little worried because I'd never missed a show in my life," he said. "But then I thought, 'What would my dad do,' and I tapped the start with a screwdriver and it started up. Thanks to my dear old dad for that one."
Those in attendance at SERF were given regular updates on Oms' status, but he hit the stage just before 10 p.m. and wowed the crowd.
"I think the show went really good," he said. "I felt like I was home, like I was amongst family and friends."
It's the third time in the past year that Oms has performed in Squamish, as he took part in Live at Squamish last summer and also performed at Chances Boardwalk in January. He said he truly enjoys performing in Squamish.
"There's really a different feel to Squamish," he said. "It's kind of an Island vibe. Everyone is very rootsy and into nature and the beautiful surroundings. It really feels like home."
SERF organizers Paul Hudson and Karin Shard pointed to Oms' impromptu performance with C.R. Avery as one of the highlights of the night.
"I think that was a bit of a highlight for me," Shard said. "It was spontaneous and I certainly wasn't expecting that as a promoter but the fact that it happened, I think people were blown away by that."
Hudson said he was impressed by headliner Jon and Roy's set.
"It was magical I'd say," he said. "They did a double encore and were asking us if it was OK to go over. They were really into it."
However, organizers said unseasonably cold weather and a number of other events in town took a bite out of their attendance.
"I think the weather had a lot to do with it," Hudson said. "It hindered our attendance quite a bit. I think a lot of people who came to the site in the daytime with their kids may not have come back later on because of the wind."
But Shard said those attending were pleased with the musical talent that SERF attracted.
"Overall, people were just ecstatic about who came and the bands themselves, too, just loved it and thought it was a beautiful place to play music," she said.
Organizers said they are toying with the idea of moving the festival to a date later in the summer but added that the bike valet area will definitely return after a successful debut.
"I think we had enough room for 100 bikes and at one point I think I saw 75 bikes in there," Hudson said.
"Everyone who was coming through there with their bikes thought it was awesome," Shard said. "And they were really thankful that they had an opportunity to come down with their bikes."
They added that both the covered tent and the live art demonstration were met with a positive response and will also likely come back. Despite a dip in attendance, Hudson said there is still a need for festivals like SERF in Squamish.
"There was still a core group of people who showed up which really goes to show that there is a need in Squamish for this type of festival," he said. "We have the support and hopefully that will grow."
For more information on SERF, visit www.squamishmusicfestival.com/pages/home.php.
