Veteran festivalgoers know all about it: the best thing
about music festivals, aside from getting drunk in a field, is discovering artists you never even knew existed.
Yes, we'll all be heading to LIVE at Squamish to see the Tragically Hip and (for some of us, for some reason I'll never understand) City and Colour.
But these two acts are not what LIVE at Squamish is all about. There are dozens of great live acts on hand, many of which you've likely never heard of, and many may very well blow your mind.
Here are five acts that you should certainly make yourself available for this weekend:
The Pack AD
Sunday, 7 p.m., Garibaldi StageTwo East Vancouver rocker chicks play balls-out garage tunes that put the Black Keys to shame.
Charles Bradley
Saturday, 4:45 p.m., Garibaldi Stage
Sure, Otis Redding is long dead but the funk lives on through Bradley, a 64-year soul revivalist who released his debut album, No Time For Dreaming, in 2011.
LP
Saturday, 6 p.m., Garibaldi Stage
Eclectic, spirited singer-songwriter can rock a ukulele like won't believe. She's been pegged as one of 2012's rising stars.
Wintersleep
Saturday, 6:40 p.m., Stawamus Stage
They're at once the most celebrated East Coast band and the most consistently overlooked Canadian act currently working. Their brainy, emotive indie rock is absolutely thrilling on stage.
Mark Farina
Sunday, 9 p.m., Garibaldi Stage
Mastermind of some of the most intelligently crafted electronic music this side of the Atlantic, Farina will be the ecstasy-inducing festival cap-off you're hoping for.