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Making a musical commitment

Inaugural Whistler Music Festival promises weekend of big-names and fun times
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More Music Thievery Corporation is just one of the many talented groups coming to Whistler on July 19 and 20 to perform during the first Whistler Music Festival

In less than two weeks, The Roots, Elvis Costello, and many other talented musicians will take the stage at Base II on Blackcomb Mountain.

The inaugural Whistler Music Festival will get local and visiting music lovers moving on Saturday, July 19 and Sunday, July 20, and organizers say people don’t need to worry about them pulling the plug at the last minute.

The two-day festival, which is a joint project of the Resort Municipality of Whistler, Tourism Whistler, and Whistler-Blackcomb, was first announced at the end of May. Produced by the Festival Network, the event will feature performances by some big names in the music business.

“Honestly, it’s been a long time coming and there are still some nonbelievers up there, and there are still people, even after we’ve… enlisted a great lineup and spent a lot of time, money and resources in putting up what we think will be a terrific event, there are still people who think we’re going to pull the plug,” said Tom Shepard, CEO of Festival Network.

But Shepard wants skeptics to know that they have entered into a long-term agreement with the partner agencies, so while they may not reach their goal in terms of ticket sales this year, they expect the festival to grow annually.

“We recognize this is a long term investment, and it’s going to be a build,” Shepard added.

Eventually, the goal would be for the festival to attract an audience of 10,000 to 12,000 people per day.

“We would hope that in time, this festival has the same kind of high season impact lift that peak periods during the ski seasons do,” Shepard said. “Most ski resorts are trying to build out their summer traffic — Whistler is no exception.”

Shepard said the principal effect of an event like the Whistler Music Festival should be sustainable tourism, which is of interest to the partner organizations that are looking to boost the economy by drawing visitors during the summer months. The spin-off economic beneficiaries include retailers, restaurants, accommodation providers, and adventure tour operators.

Shepard, who has had previous experience with destination marketing for the Whistler and Vancouver areas, joined Festival Network in late 2007.

Since joining the network, he has witnessed a lot of change and growth within the company, especially in regards to their festival portfolio, with five new events, including the Whistler Music Festival, added this year.

“We are being very selective in looking at some of the greatest destinations in the world, including Whistler, and putting up top flight festivals in those destinations,” Shepard said.

He points out that their “premium eclectic” lineup, which features two days chock-full of performances by The Roots, Bedouin Soundclash, Elvis Costello and The Imposters, Thievery Corporation, Broken Social Scene, Meshell Ndegeocello, Serena Ryder, Allen Toussaint Band, Robert Randolph & The Family Band, and Medeski Martin & Wood, will appeal to a more sophisticated audience.

“We’re the alternative to Pemberton, where you’ve got a huge, very youthful alternative rock audience. We are promoting something different than that,” Shepard said.

While he is confident in their talent lineup for the inaugural Whistler Music Festival, Shepard said the attendance numbers are not as high as they would like. Though he hopes ticket sales will pick up in the weeks leading up to the festival, there are a few challenges with launching a first-year event like the Whistler Music Festival.

“There have been starts and stops by other promoters in the past, and even Festival Network last year was targeted to put one together and because of the timing, it didn’t come together,” Shepard said.

But they aren’t dwelling on the past — rather, they’re focusing on ensuring that the inaugural Whistler Music Festival offers a one-of-a-kind musical experience to both the artists and the audience.

“A festival should be about creating unique memories for people,” Shepard added. “Only at a festival will you see some of the things that the artists will do.”

Organizers will be gathering feedback from the community after the event, but Shepard said he expects to hear that they need to start planning and promoting the event earlier.

“That’s true — but when you’re building a festival from scratch, in a community that has had difficulties doing the same before, it takes a… while,” he said.

With the festival just over a week away, Jay Sweet, producer for Festival Network, is working at getting the word out and nailing down some of the finer details of the event.

He said there have been some challenges with getting equipment up Highway 99, but aside from that, everything is going smoothly and he plans to be on-site by early next week to get ready for the big weekend.

“Is it nerve-wracking? Of course!” Sweet said, adding that he compares the inaugural event to a first date. “… I think we will meet the right expectations.”

For the most part, Sweet said the community has embraced the festival.

“A lot of the community seems really excited about the lineup,” Sweet said. “Especially in Vancouver and stuff like that, saying, ‘wow, this is a really well thought-out lineup,’ which is always good to hear.”

Sweet said the diverse roster of artists was deliberately selected to not only appeal to a broad range of musical tastes, but to place an emphasis on Canadian talent, as well.

Local performers will be incorporated into some of their evening events, which will take place in venues throughout the village, though Sweet is still working on sorting out those details.

And the two-day event will also feature other aspects to make this a well-rounded festival — not just a concert — including an area for vendors and artisans from the Sea to Sky corridor.

Now, they’re just hoping that people put their money where their mouths are, and come out to see what they have to offer.

“We really are looking forward to having as many people come join our celebrations as possible,” Sweet said. “It’s going to be heck of a good time.”

To see a full, detailed lineup for the first Whistler Music Festival, check out www.whistlermusicfestival.com .