This year’s Kispiox Music Festival has a few new twists, some new additions and once again a full and unique venue with a little something for everyone, according to organizers.
Hundreds of volunteers have been baking, building, cleaning, facilitating, organizing and much more to get ready for this weekends events which kick off on Friday and run through to Sunday early evening.
There are a variety of merchandise venders, food vendors and a long list of entertainment lined up including headliners like Go-Go Bonkers and Lost & Found Puppet Co., which is a unique addition for those who are unfamiliar with them, according to organizers.
Promotions coordinator for the headliner committee Emily Campbell is new to the area but excited to be on board and said she thinks this year’s music line up is going to be different and amazing she said.
“It’s looking like we are going to have a really great mix with incredible musicians this year,” she said. “ There are so many great genres including things like spoken word with Chris Gilpin, puppet theatre, but there seems to be a lot of talk about Jaron Freeman-Fox ,who lived in Cedarvale for a few years.”
Campbell had a chance to speak with him about his return to the North in an interview a few weeks back.
“I know he was born in Sechelt, but spent his early years in the NorthWest so I asked him if he had a solid memory of life up here and if living in rural communities had an influence on his music,” she said.
Freeman brought humour to his reply.
“Soiled or solid?” he said. “At age five, most memories involve soil. At about age six, I so distinctly remember the day we got a toilet for the house we lived in in Cedarvale. It seemed like such an amazing luxury to no longer have to walk to the outhouse through four feet of snow in the middle of the night while wearing my snowsuit coveralls.”
As for the influence living in the north may have had on his music, Freeman said it definitely has played a role.
“Absolutely, and for so many reasons,” he told Campbell. “Largely because in cities, people go out to shows mostly to seek or create community. In communities, people go out to shows to hear music. So much of the music I make now is based on this. For instance, ‘Rainwood’ which is the opening track on my album is dedicated to Cedarvale and ‘Back to the Boonies’ which is a ‘rural’ blues tune is about ending up in the city.”
Freeman was not the only group Campbell interviewed of the big acts coming this weekend. She also spoke with Shred Kelly about their style of music they call “Kootenay Stoke Folk” which she admits left her a little puzzled, so it was her first question she asked them.
“Well, every time someone asked us ‘what kind of music do you play?’ the common answer was always something like ‘kind of folk, but kind of rock, with foot stomping banjo riffs, with a ukelele and a mandolin too, and punk rock driven tempo which is high energy, and it’s easy to dance to, but not celtic, or alt-country, or bluegrass, more like an old-timey string band on steroids,’” they told Campbell.
“We shortened that to “Stoke Folk” one hazy night in Newfoundland last summer after three days of playing shows and kissing cods. It’s folk music that stokes and I guess we are generally stoked folks as well which shines through our songs. Home base for us is Fernie, which is in the East Kootenays so there you have it.”
She also spoke with headliner Chris Gilpin who brings a new twist to the festival this year, she said.
“Spoken Word, as a headlining act, is new to the Kispiox music festival this year,” Campbell said. “So I asked Chris what do you have to say to anyone new to the genre, or perhaps any skeptical, music loving, non-believers?”
To which he replied that his style is nothing new but a way to entertain and push language to new heights.
“Spoken Word has been around since the invention of the camp fire,” Gilpin said. “It’s really just words spoken creatively for a listening audience. Just like music, there are plenty of different styles, drawing on everything from hip hop to clowning. I was drawn to Spoken Word for the same reason that I’m drawn to people who say unexpected things in the middle of a conversation. It’s pushing language into new forms, and thoughts into new places.”
Another headliner, NikTex will be making the stop in the Kispiox while on tour in the North and Campbell asked them to share something about their previous experiences in the area.
“I always look forward to going up north,” NikTex said. “Especially because we’re going even further north this year to places we’ve never been before. There’s something magical about the great north, love seems to flow with more fluidity.”
NikTex will be performing Friday night on the Hall Stage along with the Erica Mah, Klezmer Kats, Dorjee Tesring and Dubtonic. Shred Kelly will be on the River stage after Go-Go Bonkers, Jess hill, Non Prophet, local band 15 to Freedom and will be followed by Maria in the Shower.
Saturday night things kick off on the River Stage with Theresa Pasaluko, Hillbilly Scrabble, Montefugo, local band Blind Vinyl, Jaron Freeman-Fox and the last act of the night will be Donne Roberts.
The evening performers on the Hall Stage are Nascent State, Lost & Found Puppet Co., Seth & Shara, Jess Hill, Chris Gilpin, Definitely Not the Drum Circle and Los Gringos Salvajes.
Sunday performers will see a second show by several of the above with some great additions such as local band, Axes of Ego.
For a complete list of all the performers and a look at the festival schedule people can visit the Kispiox Valley Music Festival website.
It’s also not to late to volunteer for the weekend but people should contact the organizers.