This past weekend (June 2-3) marked the unofficial kick-off to summer festival season, as Field Trip returned to the city’s historic Fort York Garrison Common for its sixth annual edition. The fest was filled to the brim with good vibes along with the to-be-expected splash of rain.
The Day Camp kids programming was well attended with many a little one either running around hyper off ice-cream (whose line was almost as long as the bar) or tuckered out as their cool parents sang along to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs as Karen O deep throated the microphone.
While that was happening, we were hanging out with artists like Partner, Pierre Kwenders, Allie X, Charlotte Cardin and HAERTS, along with fans and friends, taking their portraits, asking what their fave parts of the fest were and what Canadian music means to them. Check out what they had to say and our shots below.
Kate Killet
The Field Trip sign: the most Instagrammed act of the festival.
Kate Killet
Partner
Lucy Niles of Partner: “I liked seeing all the people in the crowd that knew the words to our songs.”
Kate Killet
Jill Krajewski
Jill Krajewski (social media producer for VICE): “I loved when Partner played their song Big Gay Hands. I want to drive across Canada to that song.”
Kate Killet
Charlotte Cardin
Charlotte Cardin: “I just think it’s really cool that we have festivals that promote Canadian music. It’s cool to see some French artists still cross over – we’re the same country!”
Kate Killet
Pierre Kwenders
Pierre Kwenders: “When you start there’s only a few people there and then you keep going and halfway through your set people start to come and the party gets started – that’s the moment.”
Kate Killet
Dizzy
Dizzy: “I think local when I think Canadian music. There’s a certain humbleness to Canadian music right now. It still feels very grassroots in a lot of ways.”
Kate Killet
Allie X
Allie X: “The highlight of playing my hometown is seeing people I know in the audience. My sister is here with her husband and baby. Bobby Kimberley, who’s been my friend for 10 years and now we work together, he’s here.”
Kate Killet
Noname
Chicago’s Noname kept things interesting for herself and the crowd by focusing on new, fresh songs.
Kate Killet
Liza Anne
Liza Anne: “Getting to play this record in the place where it was first believed in… Every time we’re in Toronto it just feels like this embrace of my soul. This is the first place that understood my child!”
Kate Killet
HAERTS
Nini Fabi of HAERTS: “I loved the Liza Anne set! We hadn’t seen her before and they did such a great show. Just beautiful to watch.”
Kate Killet
Jackie Pirico
Jackie Pirico (comedian): “I don’t even care if it rains! That’s how carefree festival girl I am.”
Kate Killet
Amy Wood & Jenna Rogers
Amy Wood: “My highlight is Jenna’s rain outfit.”
Kate Killet
Brent Albrecht
Brent Albrecht (Indie88 host): “When the sun came out during Deer Tick, that was my favourite part for sure. It was pouring rain and the sun came out and everybody looked at it at the same time. That was really nice.”
Kate Killet
Reuben Bullock of Reuben And The Dark
Reuben Bullock of Reuben And The Dark: “Canadian bands have a lot of heart. I don’t know if it’s work ethic or just that real motivation to make sure what you’re doing is being felt, but there’s a lot of heart, even generations past.”
Kate Killet
Mileena
Mileena: “We’re all here, we all supporting each other, we all work with each other. And that’s beautiful.”
Kate Killet
Jacob Banks
Jacob Banks: “Canada in many ways is like the UK in respect to the microcosm of people and cultures.”
Kate Killet
Rachel Romu
Rachel Romu (model): “The highlight of the festival for me was probably being in the crowd, with my walker for Allan Rayman. It was still light out, so folks could see I had a mobility device with me, so there was no one bumping or tripping, but it felt really neat to be having the same experience as people who weren’t using mobility aids, and to feel both safe and welcomed in the crowd. I also loved that the accessible washrooms were implemented differently this year. There was someone ensuring folks with disabilities would have priority and that the limited amount of accessible stalls wouldn’t come with an inflated wait time for those who needed it.”
Kate Killet
STACEY & Jena Gogo
STACEY & Jena Gogo: “Alvvays at sunset. The dreamiest time.”
Kate Killet
They’re not wrong.
Kate Killet
Emily Haines of Metric
Metric took the crowd back to 2009 with a set focusing on their album Fantasies.
Kate Killet
music@nowtoronto.com | @katekillet
