I was in a local shop the other day and I overheard a Squamish resident lamenting the fact that no festival had yet to replace the now-defunct Squamish Valley Music Festival.
“It sucks,” he eloquently articulated. “I mean, like, we so totally need another music festival in Squamish. There is nothing to do here.”
His friend casually inquired what he had thought about the lineup of the final SVMF a couple years ago.
“Oh. I actually never went to one,” came the complainer’s reply. “I meant to every year, but never made it. And now… now it’s gone and I have to go all the way to Vancouver if I want some live music.”
You know, it took all my willpower not to smack that guy in the back of the head with my shoe.
Here he was complaining about the loss of a local festival he never even supported in any concrete way, and at the same time slandering Squamish’s thriving and vibrant live music scene.
Just look at the Sea to Sky Gondola’s events page online and you’ll see a schedule of performers for the annual Mountain Music Series every weekend. Browse The Chief’s own event pages, as well, and you’ll usually find a live band or two playing at a local watering hole on Fridays and Saturdays, or a classical or choral performance happening at a church or elsewhere.
And let’s not forget the culturally significant Brackendale Art Gallery. Sure, things may have slowed down a tad at the BAG as owner Thor Froslev has aged, however, the venue still has lots going on this month, including live music, jam nights and film screening for Earth Day.
That’s hardly “nothing.” It’s more than I’ve encountered in comparably sized towns in which I’ve lived.
Oh, and for the guy complaining about the lack of music festivals in Squamish, he’ll be happy to know the BAG hosts the 15th annual Bluegrass Festival on May 6.
It used to be a whole weekend affair, with several bluegrass bands playing, plus instrument workshops and a big jam, however, over the past couple of years it has been condensed and concentrated into one big bluegrass celebration day with some pretty hot players of the genre.
But, of course, for us to have a 16th annual version of the event next year, folks need to actually come out and support it.
The same goes for all the other live music that happens around town. If you want to hear the music, then you’ve got to pay (or rather buy tickets to see) the piper.
And if you don’t make the effort, then you have no right in the end to complain or lament the day the music died… well, unless you want a shoe to the back of the head, that is.
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