More burgers, bands and beers!
This heaping slab of party stacks up with punk, metal, RNR, grindcore, indie, noise and doom smoking hard on the local grill. Four summers in the making this all-day, all-night homegrown fest merges four coordinators from Vancouver’s live music scene: Scotty Bartlett, Johnny Matter, Taser Fraser and Mitch Ray. A party that began as a last minute idea with a BBQ, ten bands with members of NUN UN, Hole in My Head and Submerged studios. “We had about 100 people in attendance by the end of the night everybody went home very stoked,” explains Bartlett, one the “originals” behind the very first event.
By 2012 Johnny Matter, a local promoter from Apocalypse Sunrise and chef adds to the BBQ pit. 2013 overflows with gig coordinators, Art Signified: Mitch Ray and Taya Fraser joining forces to juggle the 33-band line-up. “We all have the same vision and a love for burgs, beers and bad ass tunes,” says Fraser.
Enter 2014 and the folks from Suna Studios lend their know-how, Cannibal Café with kitchen chops and Parallel 49 with serious brew master skills.
This year sees 28(ish) bands on two stages inside the air-conditioned Japanese Hall. “A venue that used to put on shows for bands like D.O.A, Subhumans, SNFU, etc. back in the ‘80s and ‘90s and is still located in East Van, which is the way we want to keep it,” explains Ray.
Outside, a BBQ pit, DJs spinning tunes and of course the mighty burger-eating contest. And who will take that enormous trophy home? “Watching the footage of the contest, it would be safe to say last year’s winner ate it,” laughs Fraser.
Onstage, Anciients roll in off the road with Black Wizard after months of extensive touring. RNR demons, The Jolts promise to electrify. Local garage punks The Living Deadbeats will show you how to dance. WTCHDR, will slay with speed and Weirding with calculated timing. “We have bands that play in front of huge crowds on a regular basis sharing the stage with brand new bands who have hardly left the jamspace,” says Ray.
“A chance to make new friends and see bands you wouldn’t normally go and see,” adds Bartlett.
“We really try and mix it up as much as possible. We got everything from punk rock, hardcore, metal, noise rock, grindcore, doom, blues-rock and thrash. Something pretty much for anybody,” explains Matter.
“We wanted to have an equal amount of punk and metal this year,” says Fraser.
With a $10 door ticket and $5 organic and vegan-crafted burgers, how can you go wrong? “If for some reason you need a break from the tunes there will be burgs grillin’ and people chillin’ in the back all day long!” exclaims Fraser. “It’ll be 1,000 times better than last year, promise!”
Saturday August 16, hop on a train; grab your skateboard, your bike, or just walk on over to the Japanese Hall on 487 Alexander St.
