Field Trip Festival 2016 Preview

Toronto’s Fort York & Garrison Common welcome the two days of the Field Trip Festival, Saturday & Sunday, June 4th & 5th....
Field Trip

Field Trip Festival 2016 Preview

Toronto’s Fort York & Garrison Common welcome the two days of the Field Trip Festival, Saturday & Sunday, June 4th & 5th:

 

SATURDAY, JUNE 4th

Garrison Stage

The National, 9:30 PM – 11:00 PM

Cincinnati-by-way-of-Brooklyn’s The National (QRO photos outdoors) hit it big in 2007 with Boxer (QRO review) and tracks like “Fake Empire”, “Mistaken For Strangers”, and “Apartment Story” (QRO video) – and again in 2008 with the Virginia EP (QRO review), but that just presaged 2011’s High Violet (QRO review), which debuted at #3 on the Billboard charts (QRO expanded edition review). An impressive and much-in-demand act (QRO live review), they’re fitting in nicely as even festival headliner (QRO photos headlining a festival) or curator (QRO photos curating a festival), like at London’s All Tomorrow’s Parties in 2012 (QRO photos) or Boston Calling the last four years (QRO photos at Boston Calling), or last year’s new Eaux Claires (QRO photos).

Blown up to the point that New York Times Magazine ran a feature on them (QRO spotlight on) & Obama used (a family-friendly) bit of “Mr. November” (QRO video at a festival) as a campaign song, The National (QRO photos at a festival) returned from an hiatus in 2013 to take North America by storm (QRO photos headlining a festival) behind Trouble Will Find Me (QRO review), after having done so in Europe (QRO photos in Europe), the festival circuit (QRO photos at a festival), the European festival circuit (QRO photos at a European festival), Canada (QRO photos at a festival in Canada), Spain (QRO photos at a Spanish festival), Croatia (QRO photos at a Croatian festival), Singapore (QRO photos in Singapore) & their own Brooklyn (QRO photos in Brooklyn). They look to keep it going (QRO photos in 2014), coming to Toronto to headline Field Trip (QRO photos at headlining a festival).
The National
July Talk, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM

A new Canadian favourite, Toronto’s own indie-blues July Talk come to Field Trip after singer Leah Fay had a starring role in last year’s Diamond Blues film.
July Talk
Santigold, 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM

Formerly known as Santogold (changed due to threat of lawsuit from an infomercial jeweler Santo Gold – QRO live review), Philadelphia’s Santi White (QRO photos) toured with everyone from Coldplay to Kanye West – but coming to Field Trip (QRO photos at a festival) a star in her own right (QRO photos at a festival), behind this year’s 99¢ and stellar live show (QRO photos at a festival), even at festivals (QRO photos at a festival).
Santigold
Also:

Boy & Bear, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Meg Mac, 3:45 PM – 4:30 PM

Tor Miller, 2:35 PM – 3:15 PMQRO photos

Heartstreets, 1:45 PM – 2:15 PM

Tor Miller

Fort York Stage

Jazz Cartier, 8:45 PM – 9:45 PM

Toronto rapper Jaye Adams – a.k.a. Jazz Cartier – comes to Field Trip behind last year’s Polaris longlisted debut mixtape, Marauding In Paradise.
Jazz Cartier
Holy Fuck, 7:15 PM – 8:15 PM

There might not be a more ‘live’ electronic band out there today than Holy Fuck (QRO live review – whose name did bring a Canadian MP to question the nation’s support of such music acts as F*ck…), whose stated mission is make electronic music without all the studio trickery so prevalent in the genre – and which so often hampers it live (especially outside of the dance club). Instead, the band managed to record 2007’s LP (QRO review) on the fly (with opener “Super Inuit” in front of an audience), following it up in 2010 with Latin (QRO review) and this year with Congrats, and have since worked the festival circuit (QRO photos at a festival), where there sound hasn’t wilted outdoors (QRO photos outdoors at a festival).
Holy Fuck
Also:

Bully, 6:00 PM – 6:45 PMQRO photos

Brave Shores, 4:40 PM – 5:30 PM

The Beaches, 3:30 PM – 4:10 PM

Most People, 2:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Kilmanjaro, 1:30 PM – 2:00 PM

Bully
Laugh Barracks

Dave Merheje & Friends, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Rapp Battlez, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Dave Merheje

TD Day Camp Stage

Kevin Drew & Friends, 5:00 PM – 5:15 PM

When Broken Social Scene (QRO spotlight on) 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) in 2014. That year Field Trip welcomed both BSS (QRO ’14 photos) and Kevin Drew solo (QRO ’14 photos), plus a special early show for kids (QRO ’14 photos), and Drew comes back to Field Trip to do a special kids show this year.

Drew (QRO live review) comes to the TD Day Camp Stage with “& Friends” – could that be BSSers like Brendan Canning (QRO interview) or Charles Spearin (QRO interview), female vocalists he’s recruited like Emily Haines of Metric (QRO live review) or Leslie Feist (QRO live review), and/or other musicians he’s worked with like Dave Hamelin of Eight and a Half & The Stills (QRO interview) or sixties great Andy Kim (QRO album review)?



Also:

Paula Perri, 4:00 PM – 4:15 PM

San Romanoway, 3:00 PM – 3:15 PM
Kevin Drew

 

 

SUNDAY, JUNE 5th

Garrison Stage

Robyn, 8:30 PM – 10:00 PM

Robyn (Robin Miriam Carlsson – QRO photos at a festival) gained international fame with nineties dance-pop hits like “Show Me Love”, but then retreated to her home base of Sweden until relatively recently. Back-up vocals on Britney Spears’ “Piece of Me”, opening for Madonna in Europe, and being featured on Röyksopp’s Junior (QRO review) all set the stage for her three-part charting Body Talk series in 2010. More recently she has been teaming up with others, such as with Röyksopp on 2014’s Do It Again and with La Bagatelle Magique with last year’s Love Is Free.
Robyn
of Montreal, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM

There are few acts that do a live show like of Montreal (QRO live review). Kevin Barnes’ epic orchestra (QRO photos at a festival) literally fills the stage (QRO photos at a festival) with a performance more akin to (the actually French Canadian) Cirque du Soleil than indie-rock (QRO live review). The band (QRO photos) emerged out of the Elephant Six Collective to reach serious heights, with 2010’s False Priest (QRO review), 2012′s Paralytic Stalks (QRO review), extras Daughter of the Cloud (QRO review), 2013’s Lousy with Sylvianbriar (QRO review), and last year’s Aureate Gloom (QRO review), but they have to be seen live (QRO live review) to be truly believed (QRO photos at a festival) – and are welcome in Montreal’s rival, Toronto. They (QRO live review) come to Field Trip in the run-up to August release of their latest, Innocent Reaches.
of Montreal
DIIV, 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM

Brooklyn shoegaze outfit DIIV (QRO live review) – previously known as Dive (QRO photos) – come back home, after releasing debut Oshin (QRO review) in 2012 and follow-up Is the Is Are (QRO review) this year.
DIIV
Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

The ‘Screaming Eagle of Soul’, Charles Bradley is one of the many great soul singers to emerge from Brooklyn’s DapTone Records, which also brought the world Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings (QRO live review) and Budos Band (QRO album review), but Bradley more than stands on his own, from festivals (QRO photos at a festival) to hotels (QRO photos at a hotel) to topping the bill at the one-and-only Apollo Theater (QRO photos)!



Also:

Dear Rouge, 2:55 PM – 3:40 PM

Charlotte Day Wilson, 2:00 PM – 2:35 PM

Charles Bradley

Fort York Stage

Plants and Animals, 8:15 PM – 9:15 PM

Montreal-meets-Halifax Plants and Animals (QRO photos) are grounded in both alternative and classical, like so many of the high-minded acts from up there (and played Osheaga back in 2008). They also deliver, like with 2008’s Polaris- & Juno-nominated Parc Avenue (QRO review), or this year’s Waltzed in from the Rumbling.
Plants & Animals
Basia Bulat, 6:45 PM – 7:45 PM

Canadian songstress Basia Bulat (QRO photos) brings her autoharp and records like 2010’s Heart of My Own (QRO review), 2013’s Tall Tall Shadow, and this year’s Good Advice to Field Trip (QRO photos outdoors). She even does a bonus early set at the TD Day Camp Stage (see below).
Basia Bulat
Ra Ra Riot, 5:20 PM – 6:15 PM

Oh, how they’ve grown (QRO spotlight on)! In the less than eight years since their self-titled EP (QRO review) and the death of singer/drummer John Pike, the Nor’easter collective Ra Ra Riot (QRO photos) has not only rebounded but exploded (QRO photos at a festival), embracing life even more on 2008’s excellent The Rhumb Line (QRO review) than early single “Dying Is Fine” (QRO video) could have predicted. Ra Ra Riot’s live show (QRO live review) sees everyone but the new drummer running around on stage like kids on candy (especially singer Wesley Miles – QRO interview – but also guitarist Milo Bonacci – QRO interview – and bassist Mathieu Santos – QRO interview), but they’re also relative road ‘veterans’ (QRO photos at a festival), from near-immediately after Pike’s death (QRO live review) to outdoor festivals (QRO photos outdoors at a festival) to in-stores (QRO photos) – even at an Apple Store (QRO photos) – to industry showcases (QRO photos at an industry showcase) to bigger & bigger rock clubs (QRO photos) to bigger & bigger outdoor venues (QRO live review outdoors) to opera houses (QRO live review) to fashion launch parties (QRO live review) – and even the occasional basement show (QRO photos). They’ve also built a songbook, from early numbers like “Each Year” (QRO video) and “Can You Tell?” (QRO video) to Rhumb single “Ghost Under Rocks” (QRO video) and the Pike-penned “St. Peter’s Day Festival” (QRO video) to “Too Dramatic”, from 2010’s follow-up The Orchard (QRO review), “Dance With Me” (QRO video) & “I Shut Off” (QRO video) from 2013’s more dancetronica Beta Love (QRO review), and “Water” from this year’s Need Your Light (QRO review).

Before Beta Love the band did see the departure of cellist Alexandra Lawn (QRO interview) – so what will happen to the usual tight pack of males (QRO photos at a festival) in front of everyone’s indie-rock crush (QRO photos in 2013)?
Ra Ra Riot
Eliot Sumner, 4:20 PM – 5:00 PM

Eliot Sumner maybe be best known as being the child of the famed Sting, but has been crafting her own way, first as I Blame Coco, and now under her own name.
Eliot Sumner
Lennon & Maisy, 3:20 PM – 4:00 PM

Sisters Lennon & Maisy Stella, daughters of husband & wife group The Stellas, came to the world thanks to their roles as Maddie and Daphne Conrad on ABC’s recently cancelled country music drama, Nashville – or from their viral video cover of “Call Your Girlfriend” by Field Trip headliner Robyn.
Lennon & Maisy
Jason Collett, 2:20 PM – 3:00 PM

Jason Collett (QRO spotlight on) began as an alt-country artist, before joining Broken Social Scene (QRO spotlight on) when the Toronto collective burst through as part of the ‘Canadian Invasion’ in 2003/2004. Yet the following year Collett (QRO interview) left the Scene to focus on his solo work, which has consistently maintained top quality on albums like 2008’s Here’s To Being Here (QRO review), 2010’s Rat a Tat Tat (QRO review), 2011’s b-sides Pony Tricks (QRO review), 2012’s Reckon (QRO review), and this year’s Song and Dance Man (QRO review), as Collett has drawn on Americana, folk, and even the softer sounds of the seventies for a well-worn style. His live show ranges from solo gigs (QRO solo live review) to his fronting of the ‘Bonfire Ball Revue’ tour (QRO live review) with friends Zeus and Bahamas. Zeus has also backed him up on occasion (QRO photos with Zeus at a festival), and Collett has himself gone back on stage with BSS (QRO photos on-stage with Broken Social Scene at the same festival), proving Collett is skilled in any environment (QRO photos at a festival overseas), with great songs like, Here‘s “Charlyn, Angel of Kensington” (QRO video), Rat a Tat Tat‘s “Lake Superior” (QRO video), the newer “Never Again” (QRO video), and even “Talkin’ Jive” (QRO video of Bee Gees cover).

He also plays a bonus early set at the TD Day Camp Stage (see below).



Also:

Kalle Mattson, 1:30 PM

Jason Collett
Laugh Barracks

Scott Thompson & Friends, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Canada has not just given the States great music, but also great comedy, like the seminal troupe The Kids In the Hall. And maybe the best known Kid is Scott Thompson, whose characters range from Queen Elizabeth II to “alpha queen” socialite Buddy Cole (who The Colbert Report sent to the Sochi Winter Olympics in Russia) – Thompson & The Kids were ground-breaking in how they unabashedly showcased gay life in their late eighties sketch series.

Thompson comes to the Laugh Barracks with “& Friends” – could that include any Kids?…



Also:

Crimson Wave, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Scott Thompson

TD Day Camp Stage

Jason Collett, 5:30 PM – 5:45 PM

Regent Park School of Music, 4:45 PM – 5:00 PM

Basia Bulat, 4:00 PM – 4:15 PM

Brighid Fry, 3:15 PM – 3:30 PM

Lost Lyrics, 2:30 PM – 2:45 PM
Jason Collett

 

 

For festival website, go here: http://fieldtriplife.com/

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