Thousands (if not millions) of emails and phone calls later, we are finally ready to announce the lineup of Arts on the Fly’s 2017 summer festival. Not one to shy away from diversity (or exaggeration), this may be the widest assortment of musical styles for an Arts on the Fly to date. Without further ado:
Bluegrass:
Two of Vancouver’s premiere bluegrass bands will be holding it down at this year’s festival. You may have caught the banjo-guitar-bass virtuosity of the Devon Wells Trio at the Medieval Market this past winter. They happened to be in the neighborhood touring a brand new record and stopped in to Williams Lake to deliver a mind-blowing afternoon set. Joining the trio is the renowned Viper Central. Mainstays of the Rio Theatre’s East Van Opry, these cats deliver a mix of Canadian roots, traditional American Bluegrass, Métis, Country, Rockabilly, and Old-time music.
Roots:
For the sake of saving space, allow me to pack a huge swath of roots influenced artists into this single category. These artists borrow from roots, rock, folk, country, and any of those styles that blend earthy acoustic instrumentation with boot-stomping electrified rhythms. Artists include: Khari Wendell McClelland, Lydia Hol, Twin Peaks, Kym Gouchie, Wooden Horsemen, Real Ponchos, Robbie Bankes, Rusty Ford, Sarah Jane Scouten, Marin Patenaude, LeathanMilne, Colin Easthope, Frontal Lobotomy, Big Fancy, Rowan Dolighan, Malcolm Jack, Molly Lamb, James Green, M Lund, Jenny Robert, and more.
Rock:
If you lean towards the heavier end of the spectrum, we have you covered. Rock acts include Sam Tudor (that’s right; he’s a rock act now), Sundown Spell, Debra-Jean and the Dreams, Drum and Bell Tower, Cole Patenaude Band, One Below, Kitty and the Rooster, Red Monkey Black King, and more.
Jazz:
Company B Jazz Band will be back at Arts on the Fly due to extreme audience demand. We are also ecstatic to have Pugs and Crows return. Two exceptional acts we are stoked to welcome for the first time are Mngwa and the Gabriel Palatchi Trio. Gabriel Palatchi Trio made a huge impression on the BC summer festival scene last year, when they absolutely blew the roof of ArtsWells with two high energy sets of dance-oriented jazz music. The trio blends Latin jazz, west coast hip hop, and virtually every other variety of dance music, with an intensity that gets your blood pumping, and the floorboards bouncing. Vancouver’s Mngwa mesh cumbia, afrobeat, reggae, and hip hop, with a beat that doesn’t quit. Also, they sing in four languages.
As if that wasn’t enough, we also have Wallgrin throwing down a set of her operatic future-folk music. Wallgrin (aka Tegan Wahlgren) is still among my favorite artists to play the Safety Meeting concert series. This gal is freakin’ incredible. Holding down the hip hop end of the spectrum are Cariboo lovelies Beka Solo and Rich Mac. Also Jesaja Class will be back to perform magic.
Adult weekend passes are available now for just $60 ($55 for youth or seniors; under 12 are free). Of course, daily passes are available if you can’t commit to the whole weekend. Purchase passes at www.artsonthefly.com, at the Bean Counter in Williams Lake, or at Clarke’s General Store in Horsefly.
More information, including info about our famous vendor market, Kid Zone, workshops, and dance programming, is up on our website now. Follow us on Facebook at Arts on the Fly or keep an eye on the website to stay up to date.
See you on the Fly!
