Are you have a good time Squamish?!
This question was blasted from Live at Squamish's main stage - the one with the perfect backdrop of the Stawamus Chief - many, many, many times throughout the weekend.
It rang throughout the field to be greeted by a roar of approval from the crowds.
Then it was asked again and again and yet again. Each time the crowds complied with increasing enthusiasm.
And we do believe they meant it.
The little music festival that could actually did meet the audience's expectations, by all accounts. And along with it, boosted local pride and may even have served as a balm for those still smarting from the Olympic Games shutout.
Even with the hype, with the anticipation of thousands of visitors, with tickets in hand, locals could still be caught looking somewhat surprised each time that question rang out, as if to say "Oh yeah, this is Squamish."
That dawning awareness would be invariably followed by a raising of the chin, squaring of the shoulders and a glance around to catch some stranger's eye to brag about being a local. "You get it now?" seemed to hang unspoken.
Our former mayor used to make the unfortunate comment that Squamish was sick of feeling like Whistler's "ugly second cousin."
Few who live here identified with that statement - they're more likely to resent it, actually - but no one can deny that's the way the town is perceived by many who travel the Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler.
You know the type. The ones who say: "Squamish? Oh, that's the McDonald's on the highway, right?"
There's no doubt this festival enlightened more than a few of these folks.
So what else did Live at Squamish do for Squamish?
It certainly provided plenty of locals with the opportunity to take in a free concert - among the dozens and dozens of locals encountered, we could count on one hand how many actually paid for tickets (to his credit, Squamish Coun. Bryan Raiser was among these).
The weekend also gave local vendors and artists a chance to showcase their wares and take in a free concert.
It drove a large number of visitors to local businesses undoubtedly provided with a bunch of free tickets.
Those ticket giveaways were not insignificant at $80 per day pass, $150 per weekend pass and $250 per VIP weekend pass.
But it was a win-win for all parties since it drove up the bodies grooving on the festival grounds and thus the energy, giving those who travelled to the venue with purchased tickets a better time.
And perhaps most importantly it generated enthusiasm among locals who may not have been so keen otherwise. That's key for promoters -getting the town onboard. And Lord knows Squamish is a hard sell.
But Live at Squamish seemed to achieve the impossible: near unanimous approval. Even the RCMP said police compiled only a few extra files from the weekend's festivities.
No slouches those brand.live promoters.
That's not to say there wasn't some grumbling, most significantly from neighbours who call the location inappropriate, the noise intolerable and the event invasive.
Perhaps organizers can come up with a solution for those who are inconvenienced. If anyone can pull it off, it seems they can.
- Sylvie Paillard
