A week ago, Toronto art collective Wavelength held their second annual Camp Wavelength over on the Island at Artscape Gibraltar Point. From Friday evening to Sunday night, it was a kaleidoscope of music, art installations and witty banter and puns from the MCs Kurt Marble and Pun DMC.
Kurt Marble and Pun DMC
Friday started the festival with a wide variety of different artists, from the French jazz-rock band M. A. Beat!, to the electro-rock band Operators, made up of members from Wolf Parade and Divine Fits. Local band For Esmé rocked the stage, getting everyone up and dancing with original songs, and a fantastic cover of Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ song “Gold Lion”, accompanied by fellow festival performer Wolf Saga.
Saturday started off with some great rock by punk band Hex, and rock band Casper Skulls. Both bands woke everyone up with belting vocals and awesome instrumentation. Hex was surprised everyone due to the fact that they are teenagers, especially the lead singer who has a rough, booming singing voice. Casper Skulls just went all out, jamming out their blend of post-punk and grunge.
Saturday continued with Toronto-based noise-rock trio Odonis Odonis. Before this show, I had only seen them in smaller venues, such as the Smiling Buddha, so I did not know how they would sound on a stage outside. They were fantastic; they kept the intimacy of their shows and rocked out hard with everyone who was present.
Sunday was a lot calmer, with more electronic and folk acts performing. Up first was Castle If, whose airy electronics helped wake everyone up from their hangovers and get them in the mood for a day of music and fun. Canadian folk legend Michelle McAdorey kept the slow vibes going, expertly playing the electric guitar. Her voice is so strong and her storytelling through song is so enthralling that most people were captivated by her performance. The folk jams continued on with Bruce Peninsula, one of my personal favourite bands. Their blend of folk, gospel, rock and blues is superb and the energy each member brings to the stage is unparalleled. By far, my favourite performance of the festival.
Electronic music closed the festival out, with Lydia Ainsworth taking the crowd into a dreamscape. Accompanied by three dancers, Lydia put on a great performance, bringing the energy down after Bruce Peninsula. The final performance was Young Galaxy, the Montreal electronic-rock band. They brought the energy back up and finished the festival off on a high note.
The Indie Blender 