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In recent years, music festivals have seemingly and very quickly become a summer staple in British Columbia. The Live at Squamish festival is set to end this summer on a stellar note with two days of incredible music on three stages. The jam-packed roster includes new wave legends Devo, Tokyo Police Club, The Decemberists and the pride of Quadra Island, Mother Mother.

Photo: Nirazilla on Flickr

The fine folks at the JP Scion dealership are offering you, my readers, the chance to win a pair of passes, but you’ve got to act quick. I have two pairs of passes – valid for the entire weekend and valued at $300/pair – to give away to two lucky readers. You have two ways to enter:

1. Leave a comment below and tell me which artist you’d be most thrilled to see live – a full listing of all artists can be found here. (1 entry)

2. Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)

RT to win a pair of passes to @LiveatSquamish from @myJPscion and @keiraanne http://bit.ly/cgCqWf

This one-day contest ends at 8 p.m. tonight with the winners to be announced shortly thereafter. Please note that the winners will be required to pick up their passes directly from the JP Scion dealership in North Vancouver.

For 363 days each year, the Village of Cumberland is one of Vancouver Island’s sleepiest towns, its streets dotted with heritage homes, a handful of locally-run shops and a towering brick post office. The other two days of the year, it’s a totally different story…

The Big Time Out has quickly become one of BC’s biggest music festivals that packs a lot of star punch. This year the music festival is returning to its two-day roots, covering the weekend of August 14 and 15, 2010. “We’ve worked hard to create a really special place for artists and music lovers,” enthuses Vig Schulman, the show’s producer. “The word has gotten out among artists, agents and the whole music community that Cumberland is a great place to play, even worth making a big detour from a busy world tour.“

Canada’s beloved indie superheroes Broken Social Scene are headlining this year’s show, bringing their world-class sound to Cumberland on their only Canadian stop this summer before hitting the U.S. tour circuit. Adding some heavyweight star power is Somali-Canadian hip hop artist K’naan, fresh off a World Cup high where his song “Waving Flag” was FIFA’s anthem for the event. Other acts confirmed for The Big Time Out include Winter Gloves, Hannah Georgas, Ohbjou, The Acorn and a ton more!

The Big Time Out will be rockin’ the party at Cumberland Village Park – it’s on one of the Comox Valley’s transit routes, so considering leaving your car at home. Kids 12 and under are free; tickets for us big kids are a steal at $62.50 for each of Saturday and Sunday (or $107.20 for a weekend pass). Tickets can be purchased in a snap online and at various retailers across Vancouver Island. Check the website for more information.

They say that the journey is the real adventure. What started as a one-night-only jam piece in 2006 has turned into international adoration for Vancouver’s Delhi 2 Dublin. Fusing musical roots from around the globe, these five eclectic musicians have created a sound that is far more than simply unique.

I first discovered Delhi 2 Dublin while wandering down Granville Street during the 2009 Juno Street Party, bounced with the crowd at last summer’s Big Time Out festival and last night celebrated the release of the band’s second studio record, Planet Electric. Rebecca and I made our way to the legendary Commodore Ballroom, a venue that was a dream come true for the band. While the new record is nothing short of a party in my living room, Delhi 2 Dublin is a band that’s a live band first and foremost.

Vancouver Islanders have a chance to see this musical gem in concert as Delhi 2 Dublin are playing a number of shows on the Island over the coming days.

Contact your local venue for tickets… that is, if there are any left. “Sold Out” is quickly becoming a term synonymous with Delhi 2 Dublin these days. The rest of my photos from last night can be found on my Flickr set.

Music history is filled with musicians who play the guitar well but only a few who can be considered legendary masters of the instrument. Whatever your opinion of John Mayer may or may not be, he is one of the legendary few.

On April 1 he brought his Battle Studies 2010 World Tour to GM Place in Vancouver, and Andrea and I were some of the first few to lock in our tickets for the evening.

The show opened with a fan favourite from 2009′s Battle Studies record, “Heartbreak Warfare”, a song laced with the logistics of love.

Supported by both new players and long-time bandmates Steve Jordan (who treated us to an incredible drum solo) and David Ryan Harris on the guitar, Mayer has managed to bring a well-balanced rock show to the crowd.

It isn’t often I find myself at a concert that’s enjoyable the entire way through, but that can’t be said of the Battle Studies show. Treating us to samples from his entire catalogue, some of John’s highlights included “Good Love Is On The Way”, “Vultures” and “Why Georgia”.

Never one to shy away from having fun on stage, John sparked the crowd with inspired covers of Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine” and Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’”.

It’s hard to ignore controversy surrounding any celebrity in the spotlight, but after expressing regrets for his candid nature in a Playboy interview earlier this year, John claimed he just wanted to keep his mouth shut and play his guitar. And that, my friends, is simply what he did… and might I add, quite beautifully. The man can drop humour like the best of them, but jamming out with us what he came to Vancouver to do.

Some experiences in life feel like nothing more than dreams when basking in the afterglow. Never is that more true of experiences with music, an element that has the power to relate to all of us. I have a lot of gratitude for John Mayer’s music and the personal impact its had on my life since his first release.

Many moments in our lives are defined by a note or a song. It just so happens that many of my defining moments have been shaped in some way by this one man’s craft.

After yesterday’s sneak preview, I thought it only fair to end the suspense and tell you all about my adventure at The Big Time Out. You can check out the photos my mom took on her Flickr.

What surprised me most about the festival was the inclusiveness. Not only was it a family-friendly event with artistic and creative outlets for children, but the music was as varied as it was fantastic. While it may be cliché to say that there was something for everyone, that fact couldn’t be more true. And for this someone, there were three performers that were must-sees on the bill.

I arrived just in time to see Vancouver-based Delhi 2 Dublin. Back in March, I caught them during the Juno street parties on Granville Street, but was pretty pumped to watch a full set.

As expected, D2D’s intense energy got the entire crowd jumping, dancing and waving their hands in the air. Fusing together deep Bhangra, Celtic and Dub roots with a taste of hip hop, D2D have an incredibly distinctive sound that’s all theirs.

What makes D2D truly their own is the fact that the group lacks any sort of cookie-cutter sound. Their range of sound is as large and far-reaching as the variety of instruments incorporated to create the music they do. I found it next-to-impossible to take my eyes off the stage because D2D are every bit performers as they are musicians.

With hours to kill until Mihirangi hit the stage, I did a bit of exploring, eating and dancing. The crowd had a great vibe the entire day through.

When I caught a glimpse of this gourmet burger booth at the Filberg Festival earlier in August, I was tempted by it but opted for veggie rice rolls instead. However, after hours of dancing and walking, my stomach was hungry and the only cure was a yamburger.

Made from local ingredients and supporting Comox Valley-based businesses, the yamburger was every bit as delicious as I’d hoped it would be. However, with a 40-minute wait between the time I ordered to the time I actually got my burger, I may opt for something else next time.

Local DJs were dropping the needle between sets, so we were jamming to Snoop Dogg, Bob Marley and Justin Timberlake under the hot sun. I’m quite sure I’ll never again be able to hear “Could You Be Loved?” by Bob without thinking of this day.

No girl in her right mind passes up ice cream, but after these monster cones, Bethany had just about had her fill. “Wouldn’t it be funny if I just tossed it over the fence?” would’ve been funnier had her ice cream glob not actually gone flying. 10-Second Rule, right?

Or is it the Dump-Your-Ice-Cream-On-Your-Husband Rule?

By 8pm I was ready for more moneymaker-shaking, which worked out perfectly because that’s the time Australia’s Mihirangi hit the stage. This mesmerizing one-woman show (with the back-up of DJ Katch) came out in full force, singing in both her native Maori and English.

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What I love – love – so much about her sound is that it’s multi-layered. Much of what you hear is recorded through beatboxing, and each song builds upon itself.

Crowd favourite? Oui.

With a near-perfect blend of tough and tender, humour with all seriousness, Mihirangi is set for world domination in this girl’s opinion. And if any of that won’t hook you, the infectious giggle she seems to end each song with is living proof that she loves what she does and lives what she loves.

I found this video on her YouTube, which shows her entire song-building process. Amazing stuff.

What would a festival be if they didn’t save the best for last? After energetic performances from Mother, Mother and a number of belly dancers and silk aerials, Sam Roberts Band hit the stage around 10:30pm. Needless to say, the crowd went insane.

The Montreal-based band may not have made any promises, but they certainly delivered. Entertaining us all with tunes both old and new, Sam Roberts and his band commandeered the stage with drive and and enthusiasm right to the end.

There’s always something exciting about hearing a song live that you’ve been listening to on your iPod for years. In truth, I may have even listened to his older material on my Sony Discman. And somehow, Sam always seems to ask the right questions in his music:

Memories of the day? Too many to name. Regrets of the day? Not buying more merchandise – and I never buy merchandise at concerts.

I think it goes without saying that I’m already counting down the days to next year’s festival. A tip-to-self for 2010: I’ll leave my blanket and backpack at home. They only serve to inhibit dancing in the mud…

(A huge thank you to Cumberland Village Works for organizing and holding this awesome community event!)

Being that I didn’t get back to Vancouver until after 10pm and because I filled my entire memory card, it’s safe to say that I won’t be wading through all my pictures from this summer’s The Big Time Out until Monday evening. Until then, a teaser.

I arrived just in time to catch Delhi 2 Dublin‘s set. Their energy and entirely unique sound got the whole crowd jumping – literally.

Video: tempest_kat on Flickr

The festival’s headliner and cherry on the sundae was none other than Sam Roberts Band. Excuse the poor video quality, but it’s clear to hear that Sam and his band kick some serious ass on stage. The show was unreal.

I can promise you that the photos are of much better quality than the videos. Look for those tomorrow morning!

It recently struck me how The Big Time Out couldn’t be a more perfect name for exactly what it is – a day-long break from the ordinary all in the sake of fun and community. Did I mention there will be music and dancing?

Photo: Zoe52 on Flickr

Though The Big Time Out is only a handful of years old, the annual festival has been steadily and quickly picking up steam. Held each summer in Cumberland’s Village Park, 2009′s festival promises to live up to its stellar reputation. Live music is only one element as attendees will also be entertained by collaborative dance pieces, acrobatics and aerialists.

Photo: burnthatsucker on Flickr

Having hosted the likes of Metric, You Say Party! We Say Die! and De La Soul in previous years, this summer’s headliner is none other than Montreal’s Sam Roberts and his band.

Photo: tammylo on Flickr

A girl can only hope that he’ll sport his Jack Burton tank for the festivities – after all, August days do get rather hot in the Comox Valley. Concert-goers will also be impressed with this year’s line-up of Mother Mother, Delhi 2 Dublin (check out Raymi‘s video here), The March Fourth Marching Band, Jets Overhead, Sex With Strangers, Mihirangi, LAL and the Island’s own Vince Vaccaro.

It wouldn’t stun me to find a few fun surprises along the way…

The event is family-friendly and all kids 12 and under are welcome free-of-charge with a ticket-holding adult. Be sure to bring a whole lot of food in that picnic basket, a comfy blanket and tons of energy. The festival runs from noon until midnight with non-stop music and amusement. For those of you that forget your provisions, concession stands will be on hand and entry is by bracelet, so be sure to check out some of the great food from local eateries in Cumberland.

Photo: Zoe52 on Flickr

The Big Time Out 2009 will be held on Saturday, August 15, 2009 at Cumberland Village Park in the Comox Valley. There will be limited parking available within the village, so please consider carpooling or taking advantage of local transit. Early bird tickets are no longer available, but advance tickets are being sold for $55 each (still a fantastic deal!) until July 21. After July 21, tickets are $65. For more information, please visit The Big Time Out’s website.

I’ve got my ticket – who of you will I see there?

I’m sitting in a sea of boxes and waiting for Wednesday’s move. It’s kind of weird to be sitting here doing nothing because the last four or five days have been seriously non-stop and nothing that I had planned on.

Friday night was the Juno Cup hockey game, pitting Canucks alumni against the rock stars. Lucky us got to pile onto the Gibson Guitars bus to be chauffeured to the event.

This bus is seriously insane… fully stocked with loads of junk food, autographed guitars, rock posters, leather seating, a baby grand and a wickedly sharp heater in the bathroom that I ended up sitting on, resulting in a heinous purple and blue bruise on my right butt cheek.

I put a serious dent into the jar of goldfish crackers.

I expected the arena at UBC to be packed out, but in truth, it wasn’t much of a game. The alumni were really just standing around and letting the musicians think they were playing. After the first period, we went back to the bus to eat more goldfish, drink more rye and watch Wedding Crashers until the game was over.

Thigh guitar.

Saturday night hotel dance party. Before the Gibson Guitars Juno party, we gyrated to Beyoncé and Britney.

I think Brad was okay with it all.

Gibson Guitars Juno party, Richard’s on Richards.

BNL!

Mr. Twilight was at the party but wasn’t “doing pictures,” so no luck. Raymi and I went up to him to chat it up instead, but he had way too much attitude for someone that will probably be starring in American Pie 11 someday. I did manage to snap a creeper shot, so I’ll post that once Fil watermarks it for me.

Sometimes there’s nothing left to do but dance. So we did, and we did it a lot and we did it sweaty.

I have become obsessed with this song/video (it’s truly amazing) so I decided I’d completely rip her off and dress just like her. Tank knotted in the back.

Finally something mellow today. Us three ladies hit the hot tub, pool and sauna and kicked ourselves for not doing it days ago. I would’ve fallen asleep in the sauna if I could’ve.

And this is Elizabeth and Nick’s dog, Mitzie. She loves the taste of my nostrils.

Thanks for amazingly endless good times all weekend, Raymi, Fil and Brad. Vancouver’s gonna miss you but I’ll miss you more.

It’s been more than eight years since I last saw Hanson in concert, which also happens to be the last time they played Vancouver. When I found out they were returning to play an acoustic show at the Commodore Ballroom, I insisted on dragging Becky along with me.

I have this thing with Hanson and a need to turn skeptics into believers.

Being the awesome girl that she is (and knowing how much I appreciate the rock trio of brothers from Tulsa, Oklahoma), Becky went above and beyond. Not only did she score us tickets to the show, but also landed an opportunity to meet and interview them, as well as naming me “official” photographer for her writing piece.

Isaac, Taylor and Zac were three of the kindest and most genuine men who obviously have a passion for what they do.

Following our interview (audio will be available in the next day or two, so check back), Becky and I tagged along as Hanson completed a one-mile walk to promote social and humanitarian awareness.

We had time to kill before the show and did so by drinking beer and eating wings. I have beer bloat this morning for the first time ever, so it looks like I’ll be sticking to wine in the future.

While the thought of an acoustic show invokes the ideas of “quiet” and “low key,” Hanson’s show was anything but. The men know how to rock, and they know how to rock it well.

In case you were unaware, Hanson write, record, produce and perform all of their own music and have been doing so for the better part of their lives. Forget the cookie cutter concept.

You know you’re getting old when you’re at a concert, your favourite band is playing and you can’t even stick it out to the end. We left after about an hour of Hanson’s set because neither of us could keep our eyes open any longer. Despite that, the show was fantastic and the day was an experience I won’t soon forget. Our podcast interview with Hanson should be up and airing within the next day or too, so don’t miss that!

My entire set of photos can be viewed here on Flickr.

Photo: Mercury Records

In 1997, there was no escaping “MMMBop,” either on the radio, MuchMusic or from yours truly’s JVC three-disc stereo system. I spent countless hours that summer sitting on the roof outside my bedroom window listening to Hanson’s debut album, “Middle of Nowhere.”

Fast forward 10 years: 2007 saw the release of “The Walk,” an album recorded and released entirely on Hanson’s own label, 3CG Records. Much of the proceeds from the record, and a single entitled “The Great Divide” in particular, were donated to HIV/AIDS research in Africa. Hanson have since been touring the record extensively, and in each city played, the band completes a one-mile barefoot walk with their fans to continue to raise awareness for a cause the brothers are obviously so passionate about.

Photo: kmarski on Flickr

Being that it’s been eight years since I saw them play the Orpheum Theatre, you can imagine my excitement when I learned they’d be playing the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver on September 10, 2008. Through the magic of everyone’s favourite Vancouver blogger, Miss604, I will be able to bring all of you, my fabulous readers, up close and personal with the trio from Oklahoma.

Prior to completing the one-mile AIDS walk (for which I am completely willing to forego my pedicured tootsies) with Hanson, Rebecca and myself will be interviewing Hanson, snapping photos and taking in the show that evening. I’ll remind you all closer to the date, but be sure to check back after September 10th for all the juicy tidbits, audio interview and photos from what will most certainly be a day to remember.

What: Hanson (live and acoustic)
When: Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Where: Commodore Ballroom, 868 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC (show is 19+)
How: Tickets at Ticketmaster [click here]

For more information on the band, visit their official website.

Still a skeptic? Check out this acoustic clip of the boys (attempting to play) with Tom Green on drums.