2 Stages, 6 Bands, And A Whole Lotta Beer
written by Vaughn Oliver
Vancouver’s Red Truck Beer sure knows how to throw a party; with 6 bands performing back-to-back (to-back-to-back…), beer and wine flowing like water, and delicious barbecue eats, this is a gathering that fulfills the most basic of necessities – food, drink, and Rock & Roll! Speaking of music, I hope you don’t mind bare feet because this concert event will rock your socks off. Each performance brings a new taste of rock infused jams to the forefront, including RedEye Empire’s reggae-rock, HighKicks‘ overdriven-rock, or Bend Sinister‘s progressive-rock – and so much more. It’s never a dull moment.
Starting at 4 p.m. and going until 10, this event has your whole evening covered! Quick band changes and non-stop rocking ensures that the good times never stop rolling. There are a few areas to relax as well, if one desires. The Truck Stop, where you can sit down and have some food or drinks, is open for the entire show. Porta-potties are in abundance so there is nary a line-up for the truck stop restrooms, and a stylish wrist-band enables you to enter and exit the premises at your leisure. Spanning from late afternoon to sundown, you definitely get your ticket’s worth here.
Ottawa based indie-rock outfit Hollerado headlined this lovely July 9th date supported by Little India, a dreamy pop-rock group, Old Man Canyon, a chill-electronic band with infectious melodies, and the previously mentioned artists; RedEye Empire, HighKicks and Bend Sinister. They were all a pleasure to watch, let me tell you. Each one brought their own eclectic styles and made for a very diverse, fun-filled day.
RedEye Empire kicked off the event with their unique brand of reggae rock, incorporating light dancing with heavier rock styles; think Bob Marley meets Led Zeppelin. And even a cover of “Ramble On” to round it all out. Plus guitarist Jay was such a pleasure to watch on stage, easily the happiest guy there. Bend Sinister kept it rolling with their huge 80’s sound, a mixture of all things great from that era to create something new, but still reminiscent of Styx, Boston, and Deep Purple, to name a few. Not surprisingly, they nailed a cover of Van Halen’s “Jump” before seceding from the stage. Little India drew the crowd back to 2nd stage and kept people dancing with their positive flow, moving from stylized verses all the way to groovy breakdowns. They appeased the crowd so much they were beckoned to play an encore – unfortunately time was not permitting.
The evening kept rolling right along with Vancouver’s own Old Man Canyon on main stage, giving the audience a chance to cool down and sway along to the music. I commented that they would fit perfectly alongside a night-in and a bottle of wine, and I have intentions to do just that. Well-placed in the line-up, Calgary duo HighKicks were up next to get the sweat out. Noise to some, electrifying top-notch rock to others, HighKicks have a style that you either leave, or love, and everyone there seemed to love it that night. Hollerado then finished off the night on main stage, which was barely big enough to contain their catchy, memorable punk-pop-rock, delivered with a vigor that made the entire audience feel like they were 17 again, listening to a garage band perform in a hometown back alley. It was pretty awesome, to say the least. Perfectly selected, they performed Blink 182’s “Dammit” and made for an unforgettable evening. And just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, an amalgamation of the bands joined main stage for a classic cover tune, Neil Young’s “Rockin’ In The Free World”. It was incredibly uplifting and a night I won’t soon forget.
Due to the excellent atmosphere, people, and performers, I will be attending the next Red Truck Beer concert on August 6th, where Jon Pardi takes the stage along with a plethora of upbeat, rock-your-socks-off acts. Come grab a beer, a burger, and listen to some great music! I hope to see you there.
You can find tickets and more information about the upcoming events at Red Truck Beer Live. See you there!
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written by Vaughn Oliver