Whistler Presents: Summer Concert Series returns this year with a stacked lineup of renowned Canadian and international musical performances to suit many ages and tastes.

 

Taking place over six weekends between July and September, the free outdoor concert series has confirmed the following artists (in order of appearance): Sloan; Whitehorse; The Harpoonist & the Axe Murderer; The Sheepdogs; Broken Social Scene; Nahko and Medicine for the People; Quinta Kalavera; Buffy Sainte-Marie; Choir! Choir! Choir!; The Family Stone featuring Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and original founding member of Sly & The Family Stone, Jerry Martini and also featuring Phunne Stone; and Famous Players.

 

All the concerts are free to attend and will take place in the evenings at Whistler Olympic Plaza. Come early, bring a blanket or chair and a picnic to enjoy on the Great Lawn.

 

“I am thrilled at this fantastic lineup of excellent musicians and performers from the Canadian music scene and beyond,” said Whistler Mayor Jack Crompton. “There is certainly something for everyone here – and listening to live music from the Great Lawn at Whistler Olympic Plaza with the mountains in the background is a really unique experience. A huge thank you to the Province of British Columbia for helping make this possible.”

 

Whistler Presents is produced by the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) and funded by the Municipal and Regional District Tax (hotel tax) revenues collected in Whistler and allocated by Province of British Columbia in support of tourism initiatives in Whistler.

 

The RMOW works with the Association of Whistler Area Residents for the Environment (AWARE) before, during and after the concerts to minimize waste.  AWARE runs a Zero Waste Station at Whistler Olympic Plaza to divert waste and help people recycle correctly.

 

To encourage people to use active travel to get to and from the concerts, a bike valet is operational each concert night from 6 to 10 p.m. and free transit is offered on Saturdays.

 

The concerts from August 1 to 3 are in partnership with Wanderlust Whistler: a festival with yoga, meditation, music, speakers, artists and chefs. The final concert on September 7, coincides with the RBC GranFondo Whistler: a 122-kilometre bike ride from Vancouver to Whistler along the Sea-to-Sky Highway.

 

Friday, July 12 – Sloan, 7:30 p.m.

Famed Halifax-turned-Toronto rockers Sloan have built a legacy since the quartet started writing and playing rock music in 1992. With 12 full-length albums, two EPs, a live album, a greatest hits album and more than 30 singles, the JUNO-winning band is a staple of the Canadian music scene.

 

Saturday, July 13 – Whitehorse, 7:30 p.m.

Ethereal folk, space cowboy twang, psychedelic spaghetti western, intergalactic blues grooves, popnoir: these are just some of the descriptions for the JUNO Award winning duo of Whitehorse. Since their debut in 2011, Whitehorse has evolved from magnetic folk duo to full-blown rock band. Their latest album Northern South Vol. 2 was released in January.

 

Friday, July 19 – The Harpoonist & the Axe Murderer, 7:30 p.m.

Armed with an arsenal of harmonicas, a mess of foot percussion, and a road-worn Telecaster, acclaimed Vancouver duo behind The Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer kick out raw and primal blues infused with a jolt of renewed energy. Their latest album Apocalipstick is out now.

 

Saturday, July 20 – The Sheepdogs, 7:30 p.m.

Proud purveyors of guitar-driven modern-day retro rock, The Sheepdogs are a triple JUNO Award-winning quintet based out of Saskatoon. Their latest album Changing Colours expands the group’s sound to encompass more styles and hues, enhancing their trademark beef-and-boogie twin-axe riffs, hooks, shuffles and long-haired aesthetic.

 

Friday, August 2 – Wanderlust: Broken Social Scene, 7 p.m.

As much a creative collective as an indie rock band, Broken Social Scene is a Toronto-based ensemble whose flexible lineup has included some of the best and best-known musicians in the city’s left-of-centre music community. Since emerging in 2001, the group’s membership has been as small as two and as large as 15, with associated artists and acts including Feist, Metric, Stars and more.

 

Saturday, August 3 – Wanderlust: Nahko and Medicine for the People, 7 p.m.

A music collective with a mission to motive and inspire their global tribe, Nahko and Medicine for the People is a six-member group headed by frontman Nakho Bear. Their music incorporates a variety of sounds, ranging from alternative roots to acoustic roots, while promoting social change. Their albums have debuted on the Billboard charts, including the 2017 release, My Name is Bear.

 

Friday, August 23 – Quinta Kalavera, 7:30 p.m.

Originating from Guadalajara, Quinta Kalavera delivers reggae, ska, gozadera and Mexican Latin fusion with urban sounds. The band merges genres such as rock, urban music, Latin rhythms, reggae and dubstep, with unique brushstrokes from other influences. Their latest release is De la Gente.

 

Saturday, August 24- Buffy Sainte-Marie, 7:30 p.m.

Buffy Sainte-Marie is touring constantly, and coming off her critically acclaimed, Polaris Music Prize-winning album Power in the Blood, nobody could ever accuse the Academy Award-winning songwriter of taking it easy. Since her ground-breaking debut, 1964’s It’s My Way!, all the way to her 2017 JUNO Award-winning album Medicine Songs, the Cree singer-songwriter has been a trailblazer and a tireless advocate, an innovative artist, and a disruptor of the status quo.

 

Friday, August 30 – Choir! Choir! Choir!, 7:30 p.m.

Daveed Goldman and Nobu Adilman (also known as “DaBu”) started Choir! Choir! Choir! as a weekly drop-in singing event in February 2011. Equal parts singing, comedy, and community-building, the night unfolds like a dream: you get a lyric sheet at the door, DaBu teaches you the vocal arrangement, a video is recorded, and everyone goes home feeling great. Now touring internationally, Choir! Choir! Choir! boasts a dedicated and passionate membership of inspired singers. They have performed in holes, on hills, and in Carnegie Hall, and they’ve collaborated with guest singers like Brandi Carlile, David Byrne, Rick Astley, Patti Smith and more.

 

Saturday, August 31 – The Family Stone featuring Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and original founding member of Sly & The Family Stone, Jerry Martini and also featuring Phunne Stone, 7:30 p.m.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and original founding member of Sly & The Family Stone, Jerry Martini joins Phunne Stone (the multi-talented daughter of Sly Stone and the late great Cynthia Robinson) to bring the music of the first inter-racial, inter-gender, mainstream major band in rock history.

 

Saturday, September 7 – RBC GranFondo Whistler: Famous Players, in the afternoon

Vancouver’s own Famous Players is one of the most in-demand event and party bands worldwide. They have performed for audiences as far-reaching as Beijing, Barcelona, and Cabo San Lucas, as well as coast to coast in Canada and the U.S.A. From Top 40 to rap, Motown to disco, R&B to rock ‘n’ roll, there is something for everyone at a Famous Players show.