Field Trip 2014 Preview

Field Trip

Last year, Toronto’s Arts & Crafts Records celebrated its tenth anniversary by throwing a one-day festival, Field Trip – and in 2014 Field Trip returns to Fort York Garrison Commons, this time for two days, Saturday & Sunday, June 7th & 8th, with some of the best from Canada & beyond:

SATURDAY, JUNE 7th

Interpol, Garrison Stage, 9:30 PM – 11:00 PM When the Lower East Side music scene broke out at the beginning of this century/millennium, one of the biggest breakouts was neo-New Wave outfit Interpol (QRO live review) with Turn On the Bright Lights and Antics. Unfortunately, 2007 major label debut Our Love To Admire (QRO review) was a serious disappointment, leading to a hiatus (where singer/guitarist Paul Banks did his own solo thing as Julian Plenti – QRO European tour review). But 2010’s return to Matador Records Interpol (QRO review) was a return to form, and so was their live show (QRO photos), even on the festival circuit (QRO photos at a festival). Of course, the following year saw another hiatus (with Paul Banks going solo again, this time under his own name – QRO album review), but the band has returned once more, working on a new album and headlining Field Trip ’14.

A Tribe Called Red, Fort York Stage, 8:45 PM – 9:45 PM Mixing world music and modern dubstep/hip-hop, Canada’s A Tribe Called Red (QRO photos) has three DJs bringing First Nations powwow to the dance club scene.

The Kills, Garrison Stage, 9:00 PM – 9:00 PM Before garage-rock blew up in the States a few years ago, Britain was at the center of a neo-garage/blues boom all its own – and one of the best was duo The Kills (QRO photos) and Midnight Boom. Rock frontlady extraordinaire Allison ‘VV’ Mosshart took some time off from partner Jamie ‘Hotel’ Hince after Midnight to pair up with that guy from that other male-female neo-garage/blues ‘The’ duo, Jack White, as The Dead Weather (QRO album review). But The Kills returned in 2011 (QRO photos outdoors at a festival) with Blood Pressures (QRO review) & songs like “You Don’t Own the Road” (QRO video), and still have the killer live show (QRO live review), especially outdoors (QRO live review outdoors).

Kevin Drew, Fort York Stage, 7:30 PM – 8:15 PM When Broken Social Scene (see below) went on a hiatus after 2010’s Forgiveness Rock Record (QRO review), the various members went on various solo and side-projects – including main man Kevin Drew, who put out solo debut (if you don’t count 2007’s ‘Broken Social Scene Presents: Kevin Drew’s Spirit If. – QRO review) Darlings (QRO review) earlier this year. While BSS return to Field Trip (QRO ’13 photos) to headline Day Two, Drew brings his great solo show (QRO live review – that includes friends like Charles Spearin – QRO interview – of BSS & Do Make Say Think – see below – and Dave Hamelin of Eight and a Half & The Stills – QRO interview) to Day One.

Lord Huron, Garrison Stage, 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM Los Angeles label IAMSOUND is best known for electronic acts, but found a nice local indie-folk act in Lord Huron (QRO photos in Los Angeles).

Vance Joy, Fort York Stage, 6:15 PM – 7:00 PM From the other side of the Commonwealth, Melbourne’s Vance Joy is the rare footballer (that’s soccer to you yanks) turned singer.

Half Moon Run, Garrison Stage, 5:15 PM – 6:00 PM Montreal’s young trio Half Moon Run (QRO photos) come to Field Trip after last year’s American release of their debut Dark Eyes (QRO review), which included touring cross-country with Toronto’s Metric (QRO live review with Half Moon Run).

Shad, Fort York Stage, 5:05 PM – 5:45 PM The flowing rhythms and educated delivery of Kenyan-born, Ontario-bred rapper Shad have long drawn comparisons to k-os and Common. The difference between them being that the former’s style is even further evolved to feature self deprecating lyrics while still exploring troubling issues. After winning a hometown radio contest, Shad was able to self-finance his debut disc, the success of which led him to record four subsequent albums, tour worldwide, and collect multiple Juno and Polaris nominations.

Austra, Garrison Stage, 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM 2011 was a breakout year for Katie Stelmanis (QRO photos at a Canadian festival), the force behind Austra (QRO live review). The Canadian act put out debut Feel It Break (QRO review), which was short-listed for her country’s prestigious Polaris music prize, and their airier electronica (QRO photos outdoors) has won fans with songs like “The Villain” (QRO video), “Beat and the Pulse” (QRO video), and “The Choke” (QRO video). She comes to Field Trip behind last year’s follow-up, Olympia.

Also: Reuben & The Dark, Fort York Stage, 3:55 PM – 4:35 PM Megan Bonnell, Fort York Stage, 3:05 PM – 3:35 PM The Darcys, Garrison Stage, 2:45 PM – 3:30 PM – QRO photos Maylee Todd, Fort York Stage, 2:15 PM – 2:45 PM

SUNDAY, JUNE 8th

Broken Social Scene, Garrison Stage, 8:30 PM – 9:55 PM Since being part of the indie-rock ‘Canadian Invasion’, Toronto’s Broken Social Scene (QRO live review outdoors) have also become one of the most sought-after festival bands (QRO photos at a festival) in the alternative music arena (QRO spotlight on), whether indoors at industry showcases (QRO photos at a festival) – including Arts & Crafts’ own (QRO photos) or outdoors at more traditional fests (QRO photos outdoors at a festival), to the point where they’re headlining (QRO photos headlining a festival). Fronted by singer/guitarists Kevin Drew (see above) and Brendan Canning (QRO interview), this giant collective includes The Apostle of Hustle (QRO spotlight on), Andrew Whiteman (QRO interview), musical mad scientist Charles Spearin (QRO interview) of Do Make Say Think (see below), Justin Peroff of Eight and a Half (QRO live review),and a rotating female vocalist spot that’s included Emily Haines (QRO solo album review) of Metric (QRO live review), Leslie Feist (QRO live review), Elizabeth Powell (QRO interview) of Land of Talk (QRO spotlight on), and most recently Lisa Lobsinger of Reverie Sound Revue. While the previous releases were ‘BSS Presents:’ albums focused on Drew (Spirit If. – QRO review) and Canning (Something For All of Us. – QRO review), 2010’s Forgiveness Rock Record (QRO review) was a return to the Broken Social Scene (QRO photos outdoors at a festival), and their live show (QRO live review outdoors) has included everything from Forgiveness songs like “Meet Me In the Basement” (QRO video) Spearin’s fascinating Happiness Project (QRO review) to the old ‘hits’ like “K.C. Accidental” (QRO video) and “Fire Eyed Boy” (QRO video) – as well as numerous guest stars (QRO photos), especially as it’s a hometown festival (QRO photos outdoors at a Toronto festival). Last year, Broken Social Scene headlined Field Trip for the only performance of the year (QRO photos), and they do it again as their only show in 2014!

Fucked Up, Fort York Stage, 7:20 PM – 8:20 PM While Holy Fuck (QRO live review) lost the Polaris Music Prize in 2008, that kind of a name didn’t stop Fucked Up from winning it the following year with Chemistry of Common Life (though it almost derailed the Pool Parties across the river at Williamsburg Waterfront in Brooklyn – QRO photos), and the band followed that up with singles collection Couple Tracks (QRO review) and 2011’s concept rock opus, David Comes to Life. Whether their hardcore music lives up to praise rarely given to hardcore is still up for debate, but what isn’t is how nuts the crowd goes (QRO photos at a festival) for this act out of Toronto (QRO photos outdoors), with singer/frontman Damian Abraham bringing it (QRO live review), shirtless and crazy (QRO photos at a festival). They come to Field Trip just after the release of their latest, Glass Boys.

CHVRCHES, Garrison Stage, 6:55 PM – 7:55 PM Scottish electro-pop outfit CHVRCHES (QRO live review) have gotten very big very fast, before & after the release of debut full-length The Bones of What You Believe (QRO review) – but are fronted by the tiny Lauren Mayberry (QRO photos at a festival).

Washed Out, Fort York Stage, 5:50 PM – 6:50 PM Slowly percolating up has been the new ‘chillwave’ movement, whose sound is about as defined as that term, but one of those artists is Ernest Greene (QRO interview) who moved his work out of the bedroom (where he recorded Life of Leisure EP – QRO review) and onto the live stage (QRO live review) as Washed Out (QRO spotlight on), as well as recruiting a full band (QRO photos at a festival) for 2011’s Within and Without (QRO review) and last year’s Paracosm (QRO review).

Constantines, Garrison Stage, 5:30 PM – 6:25 PM Another band to break out as part of the ‘Canadian Invasion’ a decade ago (has it been that long?), Guelph’s Constantines (QRO spotlight on) hewed more to straight-up rock ‘n’ roll (QRO live review). However, after touring 2008’s Kensington Heights (QRO review), singer Bryan Webb (QRO interview) moved back to Guelph from Montreal and started up solo work, leading to rumors of the band’s demise – but this year the band reunites behind the eleventh anniversary of 2003’s breakthrough, Shine a Light.

Hydra, Fort York Stage, 4:40 PM – 5:20 PM When Leslie Feist (QRO live review) was invited to represent her album Metals (QRO review) in a completely new format at the 2012 Polaris Prize Awards, she recruited two husband-and-wife duos, Snowblink and AroarA, and now brings that three-headed beast to Field Trip (after Feist played the festival last year – QRO photos).

Gord Downie & The Sadies, Garrison Stage, 4:10 PM – 4:55 PM After maybe only Rush (QRO live review), The Tragically Hip might be one of Canada’s biggest bands, and Hip singer Gord Downie comes to Field Trip in his collaboration with Toronto’s country outfit, The Sadies.

BADBADNOTGOOD, Fort York Stage, 3:30 PM – 4:10 PM This Toronto trio are known for incorporating hip-hop into their music, and have collaborated with the Odd Future (QRO live review) likes of Tyler, the Creator (QRO album review) and Frank Ocean.

Do Make Say Think, Garrison Stage, 3:05 PM – 3:35 PM One of the best bands in post-rock is Toronto’s Do Make Say Think (QRO photos at a festival). Sort of a post-rock version of Canadian alt-rock collectives like Broken Social Scene (see above), if the outfit’s got a leader, it would be mad musical scientist Charles Spearin (QRO interview) – also of BSS.

Also: River Tiber, Fort York Stage, 2:40 PM – 3:10 PM Lowell, Garrison Stage, 2:05 PM – 2:45 PM Zaki Ibrahim, Fort York Stage, 1:50 PM – 2:20 PM