Whistler has been spoiled by an array of free concerts this summer.
Keeping the economic fun rolling, Crankworx is delivering six shows in exchange for your enthusiastic cheers this weekend in celebration of its 10-year anniversary.
Pique took a closer look at the generous offerings that will take place at Whistler Olympic Plaza.
Friday
Rich Hope & His Evil Doers, 7:45 p.m.
Staples of the Vancouver music scene, the blues-rock group will kick off the string of shows with a set well honed from relentless touring. They've been compared to stalwarts like The Black Keys and Gary Clark Jr., but they also possess a swagger all their own.
Matt Mays, 8:45 p.m.
Just in case you're the kind of music fan who is impressed by awards, we'll lay out all of Matt Mays accolades. The east coast rocker has earned four Juno nods with five albums, along with so many East Coast Music Awards his bio doesn't even bother to quantify them. His rock radio breakthrough "Cocaine Cowgirl" hit the airwaves back in 2005, but Mays proved his staying power with last year's Coyote.
Saturday
Daniel Wesley, 7:45 p.m.
White Rock musician Daniel Wesley kicks off Saturday's set with his blend of reggae-folk-rock. With his freshly released Ocean Wide in tow, his set is poised to be a high-energy affair you won't want to miss.
Mother Mother, 8:45 p.m.
Vancouver rockers Mother Mother are an in-demand bunch. Since debuting locally in 2005, endless touring has put them on the map across Canada. Their most recent album, The Sticks, came out in 2012 and built on the momentum of their last three records, according to an interview with Pique last summer. "(It's about) not getting in the way of the song or what the creative spark is asking," frontman Ryan Guldemond said. "That's the way to do it. You don't want to pre-ordain your outcome. You just want to be so open to the transmittance of creativity that when it happens, you can just follow it, not even take ownership, just chase it around and see where it goes."
Sunday
Nightbox, 7:45 p.m.
This dance-punk band from Toronto-by-way-of-Ireland has worked with an impressive roster of Canadian musicians, including members of electronic duo MSTRKRFT and heavy-hitters Death From Above 1979. The five-piece released their self-titled debut EP in 2011 and since then they've put out a pair of singles, remixed a track for Canadian electro-pop singer Lights and licensed their music to a whackload of MTV shows.
HUMANS, 8:45 p.m.
East Vancouver duo Humans is made up of marketing guru Robbie Slade and visual artist Peter Ricq who, together, create electro-pop jams for fans of groups like LCD Soundsystem, Junior Boys and the xx. The uninitiated might recognize their tracks from spots in TV shows like Entourage, CSI and on MTV. Earlier this year, the pair put out an EP of revamped classics by artists like Chris Isaak and Bruce Springsteen.
