Rock Out at the Whistler Music Festival

With two weeks to go until the much-hyped you-know-what, the Whistler Music Festival has managed to escape under the radar. It's happening next weekend, and with it's stellar line-up and great location, this festival deserves a lot more attention. The full list of artists is up on the website, but highlights include Thievery Corporation, Broken Social Scene, Bedouin Soundclash, Allen Toussaint Band and Mr. Elvis Costello and the Imposters.

One of the things that this festival seems to be doing right is providing you with a manageable number of artists to check out. With ambitious but scattered schedules at festivals such as New Music West, Music Waste, and Sled, great artists were playing to semi-empty venues. At Whistler, where all the action will be happening in two days on the side of Blackcomb Mountain, it will be easier to see everyone you want to. Perhaps the most obvious gap in the line-up is the lack of local talent, but I'm hoping that this will be fixed as soon as more artists are added, as the website promises.

You have until tomorrow to get the cheaper early bird tickets. The easiest way is to call 877-855-4TIX or order online here. Single day passes are at a very reasonable $57 right now, while the two days will run you $100. In terms of accommodations, a lot of hostels seem to be booked, but there are still some camping options. And with exorbitant gas prices affecting tourism, I hear that hotels have lowered their summer rates, so your best bet is to call around and find a deal. In any case, Ami and I will both be there, so we'll have some reviews and photos for you as soon as we can.

The Whistler Music Festival will be happening on July 19th and 20th at Blackcomb Tube Park on Base II. Information about lodging and transportation can be found on the festival's website.
Image taken from Elvis Costello's website.