Grown-Up Punks Mini Festival

Are you a 90s punk all grown-up? They say punk is dead, but we beg to differ. In this punk-nostalgia spirit, we are throwing this Mini Festival as a spirit-raiser and fundraiser for our friend, Shawn Eddie. For seven years, Shawn has been suffering from chronic health issues relating to Lyme Disease, including an extremely expensive specialized diet, and all the pricey bills associated with healing/treating this type of complex illness.  Shawn's condition affects his entire being, including joint pain, brain fog, debilitating digestive dramas, and chronic fatigue. Funds raised will also help him with the daily costs of living, as he is am unable to work whilst waiting to get on disability (the process of apply for government assistance has currently taken 6 months).

Against all odds, Shawn is taking the opportunity to suffer through the pain to actually perform, in the band Father Figure, for the purpose of spirit-lifting in this difficult time for Shawn. Like the good ol' days! Long before Shawn's Lyme-related health condition, Shawn was a network hub in the Okanagan music scene, especially in the realm of punk, folk punk, and gypsy punk. One of Shawn's bands back in the day included the likes of Firehall Brewery founders, Sid & Marie-Eve Ruhland (that's actually how Sid & Marie-Eve met!). Sid will also be playing in one of the bands, The Archivists.

Father Figure: You are sitting on your flaccid chesterfield, tangled in the nebulous tendrils of depression of disconnection. The metaphorical 7 tonne elephant of another year has gone by, swift, savage and surreal….. (Subterranean Truth: You have a lot of love to give, and you are beautiful! How do you connect with this feeling?) Perhaps you get up, dust yourself off, leisurely drink a coffee or slurp and smoothie and go see Father Figure: Butt-Gusting, Mace-Felting, “Pop-Punk sorta Prog-Punk band that is also sort of emo,” from Victoria, BC, and also from the minds and extremities of three very nice, aforementioned humans, who love each other very much. Playing songs about mental-health, disconnection, love, trauma, healing and body fluids in between impromptu Harry Belafonte covers and songs about the last silly thing someone just said.  This bio was a collaboration... Father Figure will play an improv anthem for the first person at each gig who can identify which member of the band contributed the gift of “Butt Gusting, Mace Felting” to the bio.  Contest rules: 1 guess per applicant… 

The Flannel Contract: A group of local oddballs playing groovy originals and a few covers with a TFC twist! They've dubbed their sound as "Okanagan punk"; very in-your-face music and energy, reminiscent of old school punk slathered with alternative rock.

The Archivists: Nothing drives up the need to rock out MORE than mandated socially-distancing. The Archivists, are rocketing from the depths of this fuckin' pandemic with a timeless collection of 90's punk rock favourites, for the purely hedonistic purpose of throwing down with the gang!

Skumshine: Smoking cigarettes in bed. Eating Kraft Dinner out of the pot. Writing words on cardboard and holding it so people have to read it. Picking up instruments. Putting down instruments. Relentless existential anxiety. Brown rice... in other words: Skumshine is a high-octane, acoustic show down!

Good Time Charlies: Dawn Deezy & Skidley Bones dynamic duo coming at ya with some folky kinda ska maybe ish vibes.

Rob Mclaren: Rob is a singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist from the Okanagan Valley, he was a founding member of the folk/punk act "Crowd the Joanna" and the bluegrass group "The Sunday Mornin String Band" and has been a supporting musician (Banjo & Accordion) for Leila Neverland. Rob takes a modern spin on old time, folk and bluegrass traditions, he writes personal ballads and jigs as well as repurposing old folk/country songs. His sound is reminiscent of the devil makes three or Conor Oberst.