Winestock returns to Pender Island September 3rd!
Winestock is another twist on wine travel in B.C.
Stacey & I have camped in the field at Morning Bay Winery on Pender Island, BC, and partied until late with the musicians and other celebrants who join Keith and Barb at the Labour Day weekend tradition known as Winestock. This year we have our fingers and toes crossed that the lovely warm summer weather will continue, but it's still a great time for families who like to camp, sip wine in a lovely Gulf Island setting, and shake a leg to great music.
Here is a post we did a couple years back featuring a video of musician Dave Rave and his band at Winestock 2008. The full program provided by Morning Bay is below. Pender Island is a short ferry ride from Tsawwassen or Swartz Bay on Vancouver Island.
Join us Saturday, September 3 for Winestock 2011
Pender Island, BC–Morning Bay Vineyard today announced the final line-up for this year’s Winestock Music Festival, to be held this year on Saturday, September 3 from noon ‘til dusk.
Click here to buy tickets on-line: http://www.morningbay.ca/Winestock-music-festival.php
“We’re very excited by this year’s line-up,” said Morning Bay co-owner and festival director Barbara Reid. “We’ve blended some newer musical elements with some old favourites. We think it’s going to be the best yet!”
Headlining this year’s programme is Gary Comeau and the Voodoo Allstars, a Vancouver band with deep southern roots. Gary himself plays guitar, mandolin, fiddle and piano in a crafted, high-energy New Orleans-style rockin’ roods and blues. It’s a musical style he’s built from his own roots as a Nova Scotian Acadian. He’s joined on guitar by Tim Hearsey, on bass by Rob Becker, and on percussion by Chris Nordquist. Listen here for Gary & Co takin' a walk down "Easy Steet:"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ls7pTBfmYNs
Also new to this year’s bill are The Masses*, another Vancouver band with a roots sound. Vocalist and harp player Bob Mercer (yes, that Bob Mercer who was once the editor of the Georgia Straight) fronts a four-man band that combines blues with R&B, Rock & Roll and Old School Country. Listen to a sample of The Masses* Here:
http://www.reverbnation.com/themassesband
And joining us for the first time are The Heel Diggers, a Pender Island country and western band featuring the great vocals of Kathy MacIntyre and Dave Dandeneau and some fine pickers from our own ‘hood. Listen to The Heel Diggers perform "I smell a rat" here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jo-Ytw4wSvw
Returning for his sixth Winestock, fresh from a successful European tour and with his latest hit, “Anne Marie” climbing the indie charts in the USA, Dave Rave, formerly lead singer for Canada’s pioneering punk band, Teenage Head, brings his distinctive, energetic brand of rock ‘n’ roll back to Winestock with The Dave Rave Group. Dave traditionally leads the now-infamous Winestock jam session that ends the night. Listen to Dave sing the old Shaker's hit, "Out the Door," here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuhI3rn1F60
And we’re also delighted to welcome back for his sixth Winestock, one of Vancouver’s finest songwriters, Wyckham Porteous. Wyck’s distinctive lyrics and folk-rock sound delighted Pender audiences at his solo house concert this summer. Listen here to Wyckham's 1995 composition, This Land.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=my5KuLqpobc
And we're glad to welcome back our musical director, Simon Kendall, of Doug and the Slugs fame, whose keyboards will provide the backing for several of the bands. Listen to music links here for samples of Simon's solo piano album "Voyages from the Left Coast.:
And don’t forget there are food vendors and arts vendors on the site. We’ll keep plenty of wine chilling. And bring your tent to sleep over in our oceanfront vineyard. Washroom facilities available. But you won’t need a sleeping bag because you’ll be dancing all night.
Make your travel arrangements through BC Ferries reservations here: http://www.bcferries.com/bcftravelcentre
Travel is available on Pender with Pender Island Cab at http://penderislandcab.com/contact/
Click here to buy tickets on-line: http://www.morningbay.ca/Winestock-music-festival.php
– post by Mike Klassen. Mike is a candidate for Vancouver city council in the upcoming November 19th election. For more information visit klassenforvancouver.com, or check out facebook.com/klassenforvancouver or @MikeKlassen.