If you’ve walked past the Maury Young Arts Centre in recent weeks you may have been treated to the sound of piano music drifting along the cobblestone pathway between the trees. The brightly painted community piano installed outside the Arts Whistler headquarters invites anyone to tease out a tune, an interactive installation bringing a musical note into Fall for Arts, Whistler’s season of arts and culture.
It’s about to get a lot more tuneful around the village with Whistler’s First Local Music Festival happening this weekend. Bands from the Sea to Sky Corridor will be playing in two locations in Whistler Village on September 24 and 25, with the festival continuing into the evening with musicians picking up instruments in pubs and clubs along the Stroll.
Left: The community piano inspiring art at the 2016 ArtWalk launch. Right: Whistler Village turns into a festival.
Visitors can expect funk and folk, reggae and rock in the line-up, described as a ‘Who’s who’ of Whistler’s unique and diverse music scene by Maureen Douglas, Executive director of Arts Whistler.
“Whistler’s First Local Music Festival is an opportunity to showcase all of this amazing talent we have throughout the Sea to Sky,” She explained via email. “Because many of the bands play in the bars and clubs, we created this event to showcase and celebrate them in the Village, where people of all ages can enjoy them. The festival format provides a rare chance to see our finest local musicians all in one place.”
The bands – a mix of seasoned performers and those who are new to the scene – are also excited at the chance to play in a relaxed festival setting that allows them to be both close to the audience and meet other musicians, an essential ingredient of the local musical community according to rising stars Northern Ignition. “Collaboration between local musicians is what makes playing music in Whistler so great. Northern Ignition is made up of players that are involved in multiple projects, and each bring unique musical ideas to keep it fresh and fun.”
Après and intimate events – two places where Whistler’s musicians can be found year-round.
Fresh and fun is how the Village is going to sound this weekend with more than 20 bands lined up to play (Insider Tip: get a spot on a patio near the stages early so you can view with a brew). The outdoor stages are free and open to all ages so there’s absolutely no excuse not to come out and get a taste of the local music scene – check out the festival schedule on the Arts Whistler website for times and locations. If you prefer your music after dark, there’s more bands playing in various venues through the village during the night.
We’ve add a few clips from some of the artists playing this weekend to get you in the mood. Note that if DJs are more your thing, Whistler also boasts a ton of local talent in this area with various club nights to check out. For more information on events happening this fall – festivals, events, concerts and more – visit Whistler.com.
Big Love Band
Brother Twang
Dakota Pearl
FOMO
Gordo (Gord Rutherford)
Jeremy Thom
John Shrier
Kostaman and the Good Vibrations
Little Biggs Band
Lozen
Marble Canyon
Northern Ignition
Poor Dirty Sylvia
Rackateers Whistler
Railtown Prophets
Red Chair
Some Assembly Required
More about the band
Live Audio – After You’ve Gone
