Live music lovers will want to shake a leg down to Laketown Ranch this Canada Day long weekend as the annual Laketown Shakedown music festival once again serves up a mix of genres and artists from across North America who will join superstar Gwen Stefani.
Get those TGIF feels as the festival opens on June 28 with a great mix of music on the horizon. Get whisked away by an incredible line up of talent including Metchosin born and raised blues-man Jesse Roper, who among other songs from his repertoire, will be playing music from his most recent and third album Horizons. Some other rising Canadian talents that one will want to get a feel for include The Bankes Brothers who just debuted their EP In Waves this past March and B.C.'s own pop-rock virtuoso and multi-instrumentalist Darrian Gerrard who dropped her most recent EP Basement Stadium in February 2023. Gerrard's pop-rock anthems have drawn inspiration from the likes of artists like Blink 182, and fellow Canadian Avril Lavigne.
The one act that is sure to be as strong as T-Rex is Los Angeles native DJ Nu Mark of the legendary hip-hop group Jurassic 5. Nu-Mark first catapulted his career when he released Kanye West's debut production while simultaneously producing the Jurassic 5 EP circa 1996, he also received much praise for his cover of John Lennon's 'Imagine' — a timeless classic.
It will be a Satur-slay of good times and music on day two with more classic Canadian talent on the roster including Saskatoon's The Steadies known for their explosive fusion of funk, pop-rock, and reggae. Catch that disco vibe as T-Dot's The Free Label fuses '70s disco and '90s R&B for a Saturday set one soon won't forget. Then there are the grand sounds of Grandson, the American-Canadian singer/songwriter and rapper who released his second album I Love You, I'm Trying in May 2023. Grandson, who was born in the U.S. but grew up in Toronto, is best known for his blends of alternative rock, rap rock, and political hip hop.
True fans of the rap genre will want to 'Get Out' to see American hip hop royalty and actor Busta Rhymes, who will be the main draw for Saturday night. The moniker Busta Rhymes was given to him by fellow rapper Chuck D of Public Enemy after both NFL and CFL wide-receiver George 'Buster' Rhymes. This music mogul, who was an original member of the rap group Leaders of the New School, has released 11 solo albums to date, and has received 12 Grammy Nominations.
The talent continues to shine on Sunday. Get down and funky with the band The New Groovement, which features a full horn section, as well as congas, timbales, guitar, bass and drums. There will be no sitting still once they take the stage. BBNO$, who is based in Vancouver, and has gained worldwide fame will be bringing his brand of humour and blends of rap and pop to the final day of the festival with his hits like 'Lalala' and 'Edamame' which instantly went viral.
Other confirmed artists for this weekend's fabulous music festival include The Bright Side, Trophy Dad, Neon Steve, Miina, Murge, Illvis Freshly, Downtown Mischief, Burchill, Mt Doyle, Blase Blase, Base Collective, and so many more.
While there will be so much music to experience, there is no doubt that the biggest draw will be pop-sensation Gwen Stefani, who will wind up the show on Sunday as fans get caught up in the 'sweet escape' of her classic tracks like 'spiderwebs' and will certainly have them up on, and moving their feet.
What you waiting for?
Full weekend, single day tickets and camping passes start at $69, and are on sale now. Check out the full lineup and purchase your tickets at laketownshakedown.com. Keep updated by following @laketownshakedown on Facebook and Instagram and be sure to use #laketownshakedown when posting on social media