Under the Volcano Goes Over the Top

Under the Volcano's claim to fame is that it's "BC's largest arts and activism festival." That it is, though most attendees probably would dub it simply "a music festival." Forty artists and five stages of spoken word, dance, and no shortage of music. Vibe-wise, it was everything that the Vancouver Folkfest wanted to be. 1) Folkfest charged a gruesome $50 per day, whereas UTV had the audacity to charge entrance by donation. Which led to 2) more families, freaks, and regular joes. And 3) way more eclectic, happy, enthused crowds.

Warning: though UTV claimed to be "political," I hope you didn't think it would echo your right wing party's platform 'cause you'd surely haved have been disappointed. But if you were after a different scene... like people meandering from stage to stage to beach, reggae bands groovin', dancers bustin', hip hoppers hoppin'... marijuana smoke wafting about pleasantly... Even people who hate heavy metal couldn't resist the guys shrieking out their lungs. The dj stage pumped out plenty of trance, which I admit was a little passe, if not inaccessible/dull to the majority of festival-goers, but that's life when you stick to your roots perhaps. Regardless, people on the whole dug it.

UTV provided a much-needed platform for a wide spectrum of under-represented artists, all of whom had a political slant which was more apparent in some than in others. But hey, when the music's bumpin' can't we all just like dance? C'mon people, it's good enough for me!