Day two of Rock the Shores turned out to be another scorcher of a day (literally. It was, like, a million degrees).
Everything about day two seemed amplified over day one; the temperature was hotter, the crowds were larger, and there were a lot more dudes with their shirts off and I’m not being self-conscious, you’re being self-conscious.
Lo Waight and the Rattlesnakes and Dirty Mountain, current and former Zone Bands of the Month respectively, both helped to get the day started off on the right foot with engaging, blues-rock sets while three Edmontonians with a surfy-Fernwoody vibe, The Velveteins, batted third.
Jade Jackson brought her soulful and seductive country sound to the afternoon crowd while Chuck Ragan channeled his inner early Springsteen, but it wouldn’t be a party on the Westshore without an appearance by The Metchosin One himself, Jesse Roper.
He’s as comfortable on stage as he is off, as though you’d just ran into him at CanWest mall (which is what I still call it and you should, too). It’s obvious how much Roper enjoys what he does and, after watching him literally play with kids and puppies on and off stage, there’s unquestionable: nobody doesn’t like Jesse Roper.
Corb Lund’s chicken-fried rockabilly-inspired set was actually an appropriate way to transition into the remainder of the evening, which saw fan favourite and up-and-coming Canadian legends The Sheepdogs rock the hell out of those shores.
Long hair, bellbottom pants and glorious fringe, The Sheepdogs were tailor-made for large venue performances; their classic 70’s rock style and sound is meant to be experienced live and large. As they played into the (very appreciated) sunset, it was finally time to introduce the night’s headliners; punk rock icons Social Distortion.
A fitting act to cap of a day that skewed both a little harder and a little more country than the day before, Social Distortion’s set was a tight, driving testament to their talent, legacy and undoubted influence on some of the acts that had played earlier in the day.
Day two of Rock the Shores 2018 had a notably different feeling than day one; a little louder, a little more raucous, and a little more fun. With an eclectic mix of hicks, hipsters, and punks it was definitely a rowdy Saturday night in Colwood.
