AUGUST 12-14th, 2022
AMBLESIDE MUSIC FESTIVAL

Review by Metallic Barbie
Photos by Peter Ruttan

Over this past weekend, Vancouver saw the return of festivals for the first time in two years. Formerly the Ambleside Classic Rock Festival, from the ashes of Covid this gathering rose, like a disabled Phoenix, re-branded as the Ambleside Music Festival with a markedly different soundscape.

I think this was the most eclectic music festival I have ever been to, with acts ranging from rap to rock to indie to soul to borderline bluegrass.  Though most of it made my ears bleed, I do respect the balls it takes to get on stage and let it all hang out.

Boasting a majority of Canadian acts, the festival saw headliners Mother Mother (Friday), The Offspring (Saturday) and Marianas Trench (Sunday) rock West Vancouver from early afternoon to a conservative 930/10 PM in the evening. Headliners were supported by acts like the bluesy Jesse Roper, Tokyo Police Club, new cross-genre golden boy Grandson, established rockers The Blue Stones, cover magicians Walk Off the Earth, locals The Harpoonist & the Axe Murderer, and indie-dance group Virginia to Vegas. A wildly entertaining and insanely talented support act that requires special mention is St Paul & The Broken Bones.  Out of Alabama, the band consists of a horn section, groove all day, and wickedly soulful rhythm, making them by far the most surprising act on the Mountain Stage.  Vocalist Paul Janeway channels the passion and force that only a true southern soul can muster.

While most bands took their moment to soapbox, whether about the pandemic, politics, or other, the majority of groups generated some laughs and almost all were able to wrangle their crowd into some shenanigans.

If you felt the festival essentially peaked with The Offspring, like myself, you did have the opportunity to peruse a variety of food trucks and take on an abundance of cheese and grease.  As the sun made its way across the sky, you may have found some cool patches to escape the heat momentarily.  Or, my personal fave, you found refuge in one of the three beer tents where, despite being sponsored by Granville Island Brewing, you couldn’t find a Granville brew to save your life. I guess thanks have to be given to Molson and Vizzy for stepping up?

All in all, it’s hard to complain about an outdoor festival in West Vancouver in August - with the ocean to your south, the mountains to your north, and zero rain, the only gripe is being unable to protect your ear holes from some of the din. Hopefully you didn’t come to remember the things you wanted to forget from the night before, but instead rode the high of actual live music and some strange-ass tan lines.