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Skrillex donates sound system to Pemberton Arts Council

American DJ Performing at Pemberton Music Festival
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Electric donor American electronic music singer-songwriter Skrillex is giving $6,000-worth of Pioneer music equipment to the Pemberton Arts Council. Photo submitted

American electronic music DJ and singer-songwriter Skrillex is donating $6,000-worth of Pioneer music equipment to the Pemberton Arts Council.

Skrillex, who is bringing his Fullflex Express Tour to the Pemberton Music Festival on Sunday, July 19, is donating two CDJ-2000 professional turntables and a DJM-900 mixer.

As part of the tour, Skrillex is making a similar donation in the seven other Canadian stops. Pemberton is the only small-town location on the tour. It is part of his partnership with the non-profit Bridges for Music program.

Lana McKenzie, the treasurer of the Pemberton Arts Council, calls the donation "amazing."

She adds: "It's the best offshoot of a festival you can imagine. When they first contacted me, I was blown away that the artist was thinking of us here."

McKenzie says the equipment will be shared jointly between the arts council and Pemberton's youth centre.

She adds that the equipment could be used at gatherings, and at arts council workshops on how to be a DJ.

"We could bring in some of the bigger DJs from Whistler to run workshops," McKenzie says.

"Our youth centre is over the moon."

With the council lacking in a PA system, the mixer board could also be useful this way.

Skrillex will hand over the equipment during his stay at the festival.

This isn't the first time the Pemberton Music Festival led to donations to the community.

Following the 2014 festival, American rapper Tyler the Creator donated a pop-up skate park to the Lil'wat Nation at Mount Currie.

Lovecoast wins Be the Best, Play the Fest

Squamish-Vancouver indie band Lovecoast has won the Be the Best, Play the Fest competition and the right to perform at the Pemberton Music Festival.

The four-member band took home $3,000 and will perform a 45-minute set at the festival, which takes place from July 16 to 19.

The Will Ross Band of Squamish came second, winning $1,500, and Marble Canyon of Whistler came third, winning $500.

Eight regional bands competed for the prizes.

Competition organizer Mountain FM announced that Ross will open for Sam Roberts at Whistler Olympic Plaza on Wednesday, July 15.

WAC Summer Arts Classes return

Art on the Lake is holding a series of new programs. The Whistler Arts Council (WAC) program returns in July and August not only with a new name, but also with a new lineup of creative courses.All classes take place at the picturesque Alta Lake Station House.

The first workshop of the summer, Creative Exploration through Expressive Arts, will take place on July 18 and 19.

On Aug. 8 and 9, artist Zoe Evamy will lead a workshop on watercolour painting, Exploring the Colour of Shadows, which is open to those with some experience in the medium.

Registration for all classes, and more information on what is on offer, can be found at www.artswhistler.com/classes.

Biennale Artists show final projects

Four Vancouver Biennale residency artists, who have spent six weeks working at Quest University in Squamish, are unveiling their projects at the Watershed Grill on Saturday, July 4, at 6:30 p.m.

Tamman Azzam (Syria), Rathin Barman (India), Jonathan Luckhurst (Canada) and Kristin McIver (Australia/U.S.) will also talk about their projects and time in Squamish.