All the way back on September 8th, I was speaking about how the Rifflandia feeling had returned and that we had a whole festival to cover. Well, that was a couple weeks ago and now we are on the final day of Rifflandia with not much left to cover. Here is a list of my feelings: Sad, Glad, Sleepy, and probably more feelings but I cannot think about them right now due to being sleepy. Without any further hold up, let’s take you through the third day of weekend two at Royal Athletic Park.
Starting off the day was Vancouver’s Kate Yahn on the Rifftop stage. A pleasant surprise for our whole team and a new favorite. Think Fleetwood Mac meets Shania Twain, especially on her track so sorry. Starting off the final day with her set was a nice treat and I think I can speak for the whole team when I say, when’s the next Kate Yahn show? Regardless of when it is, I cannot recommend enough to check her out.
Toronto’s Jesse Gold was up next on the Rifftop stage. Smooth R&B in the afternoon is definitely my type of afternoon. The band played some of the calmest music I heard all weekend. One song from their set that comes to mind is entitled Go Go Gadget , like the popular cartoon Inspector Gadget. The song actually had hints of the old theme song from the cartoon but still had the same Jesse Gold feel. A really nice set from the Eastern Canadian performer.
Originally from Saddle Lake Creek Nation but now based out of Los Angeles, Tia Wood joined us on The Park Main Stage for a great set. With her guitar player by her side, the duo blended traditional music and her own compositions which was very welcoming. Representing and advocating for Indigenous culture can be an overwhelming task at times but individuals like Tia take on the challenge and represent well. I hope that we see Tia back in our area sooner rather than later.
During both weekends at the festival, I would always walk by the comedy stage. I made a pact to myself that during the second weekend, I would check out a couple full sets at Heckler’s Comedy Bunker. For the first act, I decided to catch local comedian Shane Priestly. Well-rehearsed set with great timing. The punchlines hit where they needed to and left people laughing throughout the set. Shane, all the best with your romance with your family doctor and I hope you lose the weight to keep that love going!
Back into the cloudy light of the outside world, I decided to head over to the Rifftop Stage and catch local favorites Miina. Earlier this summer, the big name change announcement took place and this was the first time catching them since the change. Different name, but still the same great sound. The west coast group’s harmonies took me into a dream state and I’m sure I was not the only one feeling that way in the crowd. I guarantee that their next show in Victoria will be packed, so when it does get announced, hop on tickets as soon as possible.
For the second time of the day, I decided to roll down to the Heckler’s Comedy Bunker for Nova Scotia/British Columbia based comedian, Evan Mumford. In my opinion, he’s one of the funniest comedians Victoria has to offer, but that may be biased since I have drinks with the guy down at our favorite local spot, Peacock Billiards. Evan’s crowd work is next level and hopping from person to person while still speaking about his own experiences is his speciality. His set was marvelous and I cannot begin to say how much you need to see his stand-up act live. Just before we move on, I also want to give a shoutout to Dan Duvall for organizing the comedy stage at Rifflandia this year. While walking around The Park and Electric Avenue, I could overhear attendees speak so highly of the comedy element at the festival this year. Fingers crossed that it returns better than ever for next year!
At this point, we were right in the middle of the final day of Rifflandia. I think it was only fair that the festival spiced things up. What better way to do that then with a DJ set by none other than Melanie C. If you are unfamiliar with that name, you may be more familiar with her original stage name, Sporty Spice. The original member of the Spice Girls took to The Park Main Stage for an energy filled set. I’ve used “energy” to describe a lot of the acts over these past two weekends, however Mel C brings a whole new meaning to this. Her stage show was essentially an aerobics course because if someone did exactly what she was doing, you probably wouldn’t need to workout for the day or even the week. In terms of music selection, there were the classics, but a few EDM tracks were also sprinkled in. I saw “DJ Set” and was worried, but you heard it here first: Melanie C can mix and perform a DJ Set, a great one at that! So Rifflandia, are we bringing her back for a headlining set or what?
Toronto has been the home to some great rap artists over the years. DijahSB is paving their own way in the Six with their representation as a non-binary individual. Identity is an important part for an artist, but it can easily be used to minimize them and place them into a small niche. For example, some may say Dijah is a great non-binary rapper. Well to those that believe this, I raise you this: DijahSB is a great RAPPER. They are out here doing their thing with a blending of clever bars with smooth beats, Dijah has the right formula. It’s incredible to see their climb to the top and hope to see them back on our coast very soon.
10 years ago, Herbie Hancock visited Victoria for a set at the Royal Theatre as part of TD International Jazz Fest 2013. 15 year old Joshua was in attendance that night and I remember feeling the presence of a legend. Fast-forward to now and Herbie has returned to play The Park Main Stage at Rifflandia. While some of the musicians have changed since that performance, the same great sound was there. Speaking of musicians, I want to quickly mention how great it is that Herbie Hancock works with younger artists. A majority of the musicians on stage had been around for awhile, but the drummer was the youngest one there. Herbie would probably agree with me when I say, “Don’t let his age fool you”, because he definitely deserved to be on that stage.
This year was not easy on the jazz community as legendary saxophone player and friend of Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, passed away in March. For his set, Herbie played Footprints as a way to tribute his late friend and I definitely felt a train of emotions. These legends will not be around forever and while I’m lucky to say that I saw Shorter play Victoria in 2012, it’s still not easy to lose a genius like him. I don’t want to be negative when I say this, but Herbie is getting older too. However, if Herbie continues to play like that and has the energy to jump up with a keytar like he did to end his performance, then I’m pretty sure he will be around a little while longer.
The heart of Iceland made its way to the Rifftop stage. KALEO has been anticipated by Victoria since the Rifflandia lineup announcement and I think they lived up to these high expectations. Crowd attendance was at an all time high for their performance and it turned out to be a lovely way to conclude the stage at this year’s Rifflandia. Rumor has it that the staff were treated to sing-a-long with the band after the festival ended, which I bet created memories that will last a lifetime.
We had one final headlining act who had yet to play on The Park Main Stage and the anticipation for his arrival was felt. The members of the headliner’s band sat patiently waiting for KALEO to end their set. When that time came, the lights on the Main Stage shined and the colors of Red, Gold, and Green filled the atmosphere. It was finally time for Stephen Marley to complete Rifflandia 2023 for us all. At the beginning of the set, I noticed Stephen had a Nyabinghi drum in front of him, which is a common instrument a part of the Rastafarian culture. Drumming along, Stephen performed the tracks of his father with a voice so similar, it felt like Bob was with us. From I shot the sheriff to Jammin’, the sounds of Reggae made for a perfect closer.
With that, the end of Festival Season and Rifflandia 2023 has come. With plenty of firsts, I definitely see this year as a success. Before I sign-off until the next show, I will mention something said to me by Nick Blasko, Rifflandia’s founder. When asked about the change to two weekends, he mentioned that he “wants to keep the festival fresh” and how they are “always looking to do something new.” One may say, If it isn’t broken, why fix it? However with continued innovation, the festival continues to stay relevant and on top. If this is the vision of the team, then I cannot wait to see what’ll happen at Rifflandia 2024.
