A diverse and ample lineup showcases up-and-coming talent
The GAIN Music and Arts Festival put local bands and artists in the spotlight for its ever-growing marathon of a festival from March 1 to 5 in downtown Guelph.
While the festival has grown in size and reach since its humble beginnings in 2011, the goal has ultimately remained the same.
“GAIN Music stands for Guelph and Area Independent New Music, and the goal of the festival is to showcase local musicians on a festival stage,” said Nik Wever, GAIN Fest’s founder and co-owner of DSTRCT.
Wever explained that, while the Guelph community has always shown a lot of support for live music, there are certain bands and artists who may not benefit from the same kind of exposure. GAIN Fest aims to create a space for them to perform for a wider audience.
This year’s festival celebrated its history, bringing back bands that have been performing with GAIN Music since the beginning, while also showcasing new talents and creating new partnerships with local organizations, such as Music Weekends in Downtown Guelph and the Guelph Civic Museum.
Coming out of last year’s festival with a personal financial loss, Wever felt he needed to cut back a bit and keep things simple this time around.However, for Wever, cutting back and running a simple festival still meant five days, 10 venues, and over 40 acts on the bill.
While GAIN Fest added shows at Jimmy Jazz, the Cornerstone, and the Red Papaya this year, the three floors of 10 Wyndham St. remained the heart of the festival.
“That’s where it started,” said Wever. “There are three floors where there’s just so much potential. There’s so much that can be done and that we’re still planning on doing.”
Friday and Saturday night saw Van Gogh’s Ear, DSTRCT, and DSTRCT Lounge light up with a mix of indie rock, R&B, and metal acts, along with headlining performances by Halifax roots rockers The Stanfields and local gypsy-jazz guitarist Adrian Raso.
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FRIDAY
Claudia Idzik
The four-piece band West Hammock kept the energy going at Van Gogh’s on the third day of the festival. Despite the tiny stage, West Hammock proved to have a strong stage presence. Their set mixed old songs with a few new tracks. Revealing that they were working on a new record, they gave the crowd a taste of new material. The new song had a catchy riff that got the crowd dancing. Covering both Chet Faker and Blue Rodeo, the band showed that they could successfully dabble in a multitude of genres.
Oh Geronimo followed by filling the stage and keeping the crowd dancing throughout the entire set. Oh Geronimo’s setlist was filled with emotional songs backed with catchy instrumentals, and despite the recent shift in band members, the group seemed completely in sync.
The Kerouacs played at DSTRCT, and many fans trekked up the stairs after West Hammock to see the St. Catherines band perform. Busting out slow-tempo tracks, the band oozed rock with a tinge of blues.
The Stanfields closed off the night at DSTRCT. Hailing from Halifax, the band drew an older crowd to the venue eager to hear them play. The five-piece band brought an impressive set-up with them including strobe lights which flashed and flickered during their performance. Probably the loudest set of the night, The Stanfields were not shy of performing their rock-roots music to an energetic crowd.
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SATURDAY
Alex Harris
Saturday night of GAIN fest administered some of the biggest draws of the weekend, and this was reflected in the size of the crowds on all three floors of 10 Wyndham.
One of the tightest performances of the night came from Toronto electro-pop group Kayko. The band provided the festival with upbeat dance rhythms that no lover of ’80s pop could resist.
Vocalist Tom Hanley delivered ecstatic vocals while a close-knit rhythm section provided the perfect disco-funk backdrop against which the rest of the band delivered intricate and extended jam sections. Bassist Andrew Wright carried the groove, playing with a broken foot that could still be seen involuntarily bouncing to the beat.
Another highlight of the evening came in the form of a Cease Fire Productions presentation featuring Toronto emcee YYZ, Guelph hip-hop and soul mistress Saturdae Jonez (D’eve Archer), Braden K, Navarro, and DJ S-ONE.
Originally formed out of an open-mic jam session, the collective absolutely dominated the third floor stage. The group’s powerful, politically-charged lyrics stood out amongst the night’s acts with their soul and jazz-inspired beats.
Across the street at The Cornerstone, another GAIN performance was taking place. Locals Oh Meander played their debut show, opening up for Nate Bachynski. Oh Meander is the work of Guelph’s Victor Ly, who has previously backed multiple recording projects around town. A solid three years in the making, Oh Meander’s first gig showed that lengthy investment in songwriting and arrangement produces pointed, cozy folk music perfect for a winter’s night in.
The Bachynski Project, led by frontman Nate Bachynski, finished the evening with a dynamic rock set, running the gamut from guilty-pleasure pop-rock anthems to deep-cut indie material. Bolstered by Bachynski’s knack for catchy chord progressions, the power-pop trio has become one of the most prolific live acts in town, popping up at more venues recently than one can keep track of. This has paid off in the form of an energetic live show that was almost too much to pack within the confines of the tiny Cornerstone stage.
Photos by Claudia Idzik.