Rocktographers wants to make sure you get the most out of your Rifflandia. With over 150 artists playing over 20 stages, we’ll be your guide to some of the (often hidden) gems in such a huge festival.
Decisions are hard and that’s why Rocktographers is here to help you. Here’s who to see at Rifflandia 2016 on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Updated September 14th to reflect schedule change.
Here are our picks for Saturday, September 17th.
Fox Glove
1:30PM, Saturday, 17th
Rifftop Tent
Renn Madeleine Bibeau, Claire Butterfield, and Chelsea Kanstrup make up Victoria’s Fox Glove. The three create a unique luscious vocal harmonies that can’t be found anywhere else in the local music scene. That combined with their musicianship and songwriting make this folk-pop trio a force to be reckoned with. Hopefully they have their all-star backing band (Sam Weber, Esme John, Dougal Bain, and more) with them for their Rifftop Tent performance. We can’t think of a better way to kick off your Saturday at Rifflandia.
No Sinner
2:00PM, Saturday, 17th
Royal Athletic Park Main Stage
Colleen Rennison and her blues rock band, No Sinner are no strangers to the big festival stage. Having blown minds away at Rock The Shores last year the band is back to make more fans at Rifflandia’s main stage in Royal Athletic Park. Get to the park early, grab an adult beverage, and enjoy the heck out of this band. They guarantee to get you grooving early in the day.
Moontricks
2:35PM, Saturday, 17th
Rifftop Tent
BC festival fixture Moontricks, an electronic folk-hop duo hailing from the wilds of the Kootenays, make their Rifflandia debut under the Rifftop Tent with a mid-afternoon set. Featuring NOG on beats and harmonica and Sean Rodman on guitar (and sometimes banjo), Moontricks is known for their cross-genre blend of bass music and bluegrass. They proved themselves fan favourites at Tall Tree and Shambhala this summer, and they’re bound to grab some new fans at Riff.
The Zolas
3:10PM, Saturday, 17th
Main Stage
Indie darlings, The Zolas have been consistently putting out great indie pop records since 2009. Their high energy shows and their electro-infused sound bring a rolling dance party wherever they play. Oh, and Zachary Gray worked on LA Hallucinations with Carly Rae Jepsen. You know how much we love her at Rocktographers. So obviously seeing The Zolas is a no brainer.
Band of Rascals
3:50PM, Saturday, 17th
Rifftop Tent
Band of Rascals are quickly becoming one of the hardest working bands in town. Between playing at this year’s Tall Tree festival, a hugely successful performance at Rock The Shores, a secret show with the likes of Hollarado, and from Courtenay all the way down to Colwood in a day with Tour De Shores it seems there’s no stopping them. Their show is full of energy, foot stomping tunes, and piggy back rides.
Coleman Hell
4:30PM, Saturday, 17th
Rifftop Tent
On the heels of a Juno nomination for Breakthrough Artist of the Year, Coleman Hell makes his triumphant return to Rifflandia with a well earned place in the park. At last year’s Riff he played to a crowd so packed at ANIÁN, that people were literally lined outside the chain-link fence for a chance to see the banjo wielding, raspy-voiced, genre-mingling dance party that is Coleman Hell. This much success and he hasn’t even released an LP yet! (due sometime before the end of 2016).
Tennyson
5:15PM, Saturday, 17th
Rifftop Tent
Edmonton brother-sister duo Tess and Luke Pretty are Tennyson, an electronic act who mix deft digital production with live drumming. The two released their latest EP, Like What, last November and have since played some of North America’s biggest festivals, including Chicago’s Lollapalooza and Montreal’s Osheaga. They’ll make a stop in Victoria at the Rifftop Tent before hooking up with M83 for a handful of US dates in October.
Band of Skulls
6:00PM, Saturday, 17th
Royal Athletic Park Main Stage
English rockers Band of Skulls make their first appearance at Rifflandia since their raucous set at RAP back in 2012. The Southhampton trio of Matthew Hayward (drums), Russell Marsden (guitar/vocals) and Emma Richardson (bass/vocals) are kicking off a formidable 37-city North American and European tour tonight (September 10) in Chicago. The main stage at Rifflandia will be their fifth stop, and should feature a heavy dose of the fuzzy garage rock from their new album By Default, released back in May.
The Carlines
9:30PM, Saturday, 17th
Studio CMCT @ The Mint
Sjoerd Meyer is no stranger to the live music scene having been a go to guitar player for the likes of Mike Edel and various other projects. It’s his solo effort known as The Carlines where his songwriting and voice shine. It was this project that got him picked up for The Zone’s Band of The Month program in in late 2014 with his EP Still The Sun Will Rise. The single of the same name is still played quite regularly on The Zone @ 91.3. Rumour has it that The Carlines will be debuting some new music during their performance at Rifflandia.
Morning Show
9:30PM, Saturday, 17th
Metro Theatre
Formed in 2013, alt-rock alternative band Morning Show has members both in Victoria and Vancouver, meaning monthly get togethers for a weekend in barns, basements, and living rooms in either city to collaborate. The songs on their EP Prom Theme document the initial frustration of a long distance working-relationship and the eventual freedom gained by developing a new process of creating music; free from any stigmas or constraining methods they had relied upon before.
Miami Nights 1984
***SCHEDULE CHANGE** 10:00PM, Saturday, 16
Capital Iron
Local DJ/producer Michael Glover, better known by his stage name Miami Nights 1984, makes no bones about his obsession with all things 80s. Boat shoes without socks, crisp white suits with the sleeves rolled up, and shiny red and yellow Ferrari Testarossas are just a few examples of the visual imagery conjured by MN84’s modern synthpop creations. A veteran of multiple Rifflandias past, his 9:00 pm set at Capital Iron this year promises to have the post-park crowd feeling totally radical.
Fake Shark
10:30PM, Saturday, 17th
Victoria Event Centre
Formerly called Fake Shark – Real Zombie! the Vancouver freak pop band has changed in their name for something a little pithier, Fake Shark. Their return to Victoria has been a much anticipated event and there is no better place to see them then the Music BC showcase at the Victoria Event Centre. With their most recent single Something Special blowing up the modern rock charts we know it’s going to be a packed house. If you are looking to catch the over the top Fake Shark we recommend you get there early.
Frankie
10:30PM, Saturday, 17th
Copper Owl
Dream rockers, Frankie return to Victoria for the first time since their show at Sugar with Jon & Roy last year. The band came together for a one-off gig in 2013, but have since toured Canada, America, and Mexico. Proving that music this good should stick around. Frankie released their debut EP Girl of Infinity last summer with quite a bit of success and are now working on a follow up full-length LP.
Dope Soda
10:30PM, Saturday, 17th
ANIÁN Yard
Dope Soda may just be the largest band to ever play on the ANIÁN stage (sorry, The Wet Secrets). Led Dave DiRT and his three-piece horn section and full band this jazz-rock-reggae band always gets the party going. If you aren’t having a good time during a Dope Soda show you are doing something wrong. Make sure to catch their theme medley during their set. You can expect epic songs from Halo, Game of Thrones, Jurassic Park, and so much more. It’s one of the coolest parts of their set. That and Dave’s great nerdy t-shirts.
The Katherines
10:30PM, Saturday, 17th
Metro Theatre
Vancouver trio The Katherines’ fuse elements of dreampop rock, Noir’n’B and sensual vocal harmonies to distill an enthralling shadowy sound. Sisters Kate and Lauren Kurdyak and Kaitlyn Hansen-Boucher recently released their expansive and emotional debut album, To Bring You My Heart, which features collaborations with the likes of Hawksley Workman and Steve Bays from Mounties, and JPNSGRLS vocalist Charlie Kerr. The Katherines are a group on the rise, and their show at Metro Theatre has the potential to be one of the sleeper hits of Rifflandia.
**Note Prozzäk has been moved to Friday**
Dirty Radio
**SCHEDULE CHANGE** 11:00PM, Saturday, 17th
Capital Iron
This trio will be bringing their sweaty, chaotic moves to the Capital Iron stage on Saturday night, priming the audience for Prozzak. Boasting a stage presence to be reckoned with, their futuristic R&B-infused sound is sure to get every audience member dancing. Though they played Rifflandia last year mid-afternoon at the park, we think they’re more suited to the late night outdoor vibe at Capital Iron this year.
JPNSGRLS
11:30PM, Saturday, 17th
Victoria Event Centre
JPNSGRLS are a force to be reckoned with. Neither Japanese, nor girls (and I’m pretty sure we’ve made this joke before), these guys bring a high-intensity alt rock show to every venue they hit. Lead singer Charlie Kerr projects a dangerous energy, twisting and flailing and still managing to keep the crowd hanging on to every word. Both shows they played at last year’s Rifflandia were at capacity, so give yourself extra time to make it to the Victoria Event Center.
Zoubi and The Sea
11:30PM, Saturday, 17th
Studio CMCT @ The Mint
Zoubi (the first name of singer Zoubi Arros) and the Sea mix folk, funk, jazz, and pop, but they can also inject healthy doses of sexy, as evidenced by their incredible cover of Queens of the Stone Age’s Make It Wit Chu last time they were in town. It’s also one of those wonderful bands who realizes that music needs more horns (saxophone, in this case).
The Wild Romantics
12:30PM, Saturday, 17th
Studio CMCT @ The Mint
The Wild Romantics is a highly appropriate name for this band. Real-life couple Aleisha Kalina and Evan Miller hold back none of their love for each other on stage. Hailing from Nanaimo, but now based in Vancouver, Aleisha and Evan discovered each other while performing separately, and have been inseparable ever since. Their harmony isn’t limited to their vocal performances. Their music — which could be described as folk/rock turned up to 11 — is full of raw energy, but their presence on stage is powerful. Damn near intoxicating.