River & Sky Music/Camping Festival launched its lineup on Tuesday, releasing the names of 30 bands playing its 11th festival, set to take place July 18 to 21 on the banks of the Sturgeon River.
A few more bands, artists, and the late-late-night dance party DJs will be announced in the coming weeks.
Let’s dance one last time with Hollerado, R&S's Thursday night headliner. It’s their final goodbye tour, with their latest album, Retaliation Vacation, so let’s send them off in style and kick it off with a great party to get R&S started.
On Friday, the dancing continues all night long with headliner U.S. Girls, called the “Best Live Band of 2018” (Paste Magazine) and winner of the 2016 Juno for best alternative album.
Saturday night will get a little intense with punk band and Polaris Prize winner F****d Up, whose latest album, Dose Your Dreams, has been called its “most sonically diverse yet” (Exclaim! magazine).
And then Sunday, Fast Romantics, known for their singles “Julia” and “Why We Fight,” will close out the festival.
“We want to celebrate inclusivity and acceptance with our lineup from across Canada and the world,” said festival director Peter Zwarich, in a press release.
“We’re excited to feature Altin Gün, an Amsterdam based band playing Turkish folk with a 1970s psychedelic-funk twist, Mdou Moctor, and his Tuareg band from Niger, who has been called the ‘Hendrix of the Sahara,’ the Austin duo Little Mazarn, with ethereal banjo and vocals by Lindsey Verrill, and New York City’s Gladys Lazer, the project of Tel Aviv-born drummer Gal Lazer.
“We want everyone to soak in some nature and summertime vibes and feel at home at R&S.”
Bands with regional ties include: Mod-punk band Tommy & the Commies (Sudbury) who have been touring Europe, US, and Turkey with Slovenly Records; ethereal-voiced singer Annie Sumi (North Bay/Guelph); rock and rollers Dirty Princes (Sudbury/Toronto) who will be releasing their EP Prince of Hearts at R&S; singer-songwriter Oli Palkovits with his band (Sudbury); Indigenous folk-pop singer-songwriter Lisa Marie Naponse (Atikameksheng Anishinawbek); and the punky trio of friends known as Slow Eaters (Sudbury).
Bands hailing from the rest of Canada at R&S, in order of appearance, include: garage rock princess Luna Li (Toronto); masked cowboy and outsider Orville Peck (Toronto); the 1980s-pop infused Rapport (Toronto); the power-pop foursome Little Junior (Toronto); psychedelic garage-punk of Pottery (Montreal); MUNYA (Montreal), the dream-pop project of Québécois musician Josie Boivin; experimental pop of Jaunt (Toronto); retro “dad rock” of Lover’s Touch (Toronto); the disco and boogie troupe Tush (Toronto); DOOMSQUAD’s psychedelic electronic dance music (Toronto); the experimental music and performance art collective Yamantaka // Sonic Titan (Montreal); dreamy psych-rockers Mother Tongues (Toronto); the badass punk outfit Bad Waitress (Toronto); the lo-fi garage rock of Paul Jacobs (Montreal); Kristine Schmitt (Toronto) known as the “Bluegrass Billie Holiday”; and Francophone troubadours of stormy hearts, The Blaze Velluto Collection (Quebec).
You can bike, paddle or drive to River & Sky, located at Fishers’ Paradise in the community of Field (West Nipissing), between Sudbury and North Bay.
“New this year, we’ve partnered with Temagami Outfitting Company to offer packaged canoe trips to our venue at Fishers’ Paradise,” said Zwarich.
“Pine Falls Lodge will be the starting point for our Murray Creek Route. We want people to spend more time in nature as part of their extended R&S experience in Northeastern Ontario.”
Children 16 years and younger with their families get in for free. Dogs are welcome on leashes, but be spayed or neutered.
There's a sauna and swimming available, but always at your own risk.
There's no beer tent. BYOB at your campsite.
Camping is available in field and forest area on the property. The cost of camping (in a tent) included in the price. Trailers/RVs will pay a fee, depending on the size.
Tickets:
- 5-Day Advance Pass: Get there a full day ahead of the festival’s official start: Arrive July 17 and stay until end of day July 21. $230 (includes HST and processing fees)
- 4-Day Advance Passes: Arrive July 18 and stay until July 21. $210 (includes HST and processing fees)
- 3-Day Advance Passes: Arrive July 19 and stay until the evening, July 21. $160 (includes HST and processing fees).
- Full Day Passes (advance): Friday $75, Saturday $75, Sunday $30
- Night Passes (advance): $55 (Thursday; Friday; Saturday)
Visit www.riverandsky.ca.
