SummerSet’s rocks into its innaugural weekend

Set on the grounds of the Fort Langley National Historic Site, the aptly named SummerSet Music Festival kicks off the Labor Day weekend with a rockin send off to warmer days and outdoor shows for the season.

BC blues/rock musician Jesse Roper will forever have the honor of being the first ever artist to play the SummerSet festival … and may be the only one that hits the stage barefoot for quite some time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He spent the entire time during the set changeover and was heading into The Trews set time to make sure he said hello to every. single. fan. he had waiting for him and every one got his big eye squinting smile for the photos.

 

 

The Trews took to the stage next and while most performers might change up their look by removing a jacket or glasses, lead singer Colin MacDonald found a way to seemingly transform himself into a different person as the set progressed as the next 2 photos attest.

 

 

Regardless of the costume changes, the music and the energy from the set electrified the crowd and those that thought they could park it in their festival lawn chairs up near the barrier gave in and tossed them aside to get up and make room for more to join in on the fun up front.

 

John-Angus MacDonald was pretty much everywhere on stage, the speakers, jumping off the drums, running off stage and along the crowd barrier to the back part of the grounds, and yes, kneeled down and played his guitar behind his head!

 

 

 

The Rival Sons closed out the first ever Day 1 of the festival in grand style!  The crowd started screaming at the first notes of the intro music to The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly and then it just got louder when the band came on stage!

 

Guitarist Scott Holiday had far too many guitars to count … each and everyone as distinctive as his stage presence.  From the more common Gibson, Fender, and Gretsch to the lesser known Fano and Kauer, it seemed like he was switching out every song of the set … and the pedal board, ney boards – as in what looked like 3?! strung together help play out what has turned into a sound and style that should at this point forgoes comparison and has developed into something all their own over their decade together as a band.

 

 

About mid way through the set you couldn’t see much of the stage because people were getting lifted onto shoulders almost seemingly for sport … women, men, and children were riding high for photos, a better view, and just to offer up their appreciation of a performance from a band that clearly has finely tuned their stage presence as much as their sound.

 

If you’re in the Lower Mainland of BC, there’s still time – a few tickets – to catch the rest of the weekend … be sure to check out www.SummerSetFestival.ca for lineup info and to get in on the newsletter so you don’t miss out on next year … because if just Day 1 is any indication after only 2 months of promo, there WILL be a next year and it will be bigger!