Early Hillside Festival Rumblings

[AdamH]

This is from their messageboard. The Hillside festival in Guelph is kind of like Morimoto on Iron Chef, in that it usually reigns supreme:

The Arcade Fire

The Be Good Tanyas

Buck 65

Stars

Sam Roberts

Xavier Rudd

The Weakerthans

The Hidden Cameras

The whole thing will be confirmed in June most likely.

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

How I love Hillside. Had some pretty sublime musical moments there over the past many years.

[timouse]

How I love Hillside. Had some pretty sublime musical moments there over the past many years.

the country band paired with autorickshaw sticks in my mind as a "hillside moment..." what was it that they called it...Cowboys and Indians?

that was great...each band was off to one side of the stage, by the end of teh first tune they were scooching closer together, and by the end of the hour they were one big happy freaky musical family...can't wait for this year!

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

I liked the one name option they threw out - "Country and Eastern." That's one of my favourite memories - and stories - for sure.

[Paan]

I have not made it to this one yet... will have to give it a try this year.

[DevO]

So far Pollstar has these acts listed for Hillside 2005:

Ember Swift

Kelly Joe Phelps

Po' Girl

The Be Good Tanyas

The Hidden Cameras

Xavier Rudd

[ReDD]

I've never been to Hillside. Sounds groovy. I'd really love to see the Arcade Fire...

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

Hillside's such a nice vibe all around. It is getting a bit big - I've had issues around that in the past - but it's a very respectful place where lots and lots of people of all stripes do get drawn together every year for the sole purpose of hearing top shelf music with other people who only want to hear that calibre of music themselves. And the venue is hard to beat, as well - a presqu'ile, surrounded by this huge belt of provincial camping full of, again, people you'd otherwise want to be around anyway.

[paisley]

haven't seen Ember Swift in a few years now, like to see where her show has evolved to... Kelly Joe Phelps kicks ass, caught him at a small show and was blown away

also like to check out Xaviar and Be Good Tanyas as I really like what I've heard of them

haven't made a Hillside fest yet either, though I've meant to 3 or 4 times now (summer gets so busy so fast)

[Absolute_Route]

Hillside is great, however ever year it gets a little bigger and a little more restrictive. Last year they started searching bags for booze on the way in. I don't mind buying a few in the tents but if you want to sit out at the main stage its nice to have a cold one. There had always been an unwritten rule that as long as you weren't stupid and kept your bevy in a mug out of sight, no big deal. It's not like its hard to beat the system but I dislike feeling like a sneak. In the early 90's before "official" volunteer camping I remember driving on to the island and just setting up my tent.

All that being said its still a great festival in an awesome location. Be Good Tanyas are sweet.

Oh ya one more grip. Every year a big group of us reserve campsites. Last year we were beside overflow. The conservation guys were on us at 11;30 to turn off our music. They are like this every year. It didn't matter that everyone that was anywhere close to us was at our fire. (We had six sites in a row). We are not a rowdy or particularily loud group, most of us are in our late 30's & 40's. This year the conservation area designated the very best areas to camp as 100% radio free, No music what so ever. At a music festival. I suppose I won't mind this if this gets them to leave us alone.

Still a great festival.

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

It is important to dissociate the GRCA people from Hillside. Of course, some of the funniest stories I've heard over the years have been from heads running from security in the course of some chemically-propelled story at 2 or 3 in the morning. Part of the fun, near as I figure.

[Paan]

Last year it was on the same weekend as MusiChaos I think... hope that's not the case this year too.

[Snail]

One of my most vivid memories of Hillside is the GRCA police rudely interrupting a quiet moment of few of us were having by the lake (none of us were in any mood to hurt a fly) ,pouring out our beers and telling us that we were not allowed off our campsites after 11:00PM. They caught us again a couple of hours later as we were standing on the roof of some out-building watching the swirling lights in our heads . One of the "gang" decided to give them some fun and tore off through the woods with the GRCA cops giving chase like he'd just robbed a bank.

Dam strange for sure....

Good music, bad security.

[mark tonin]

An awesome family music festival, in my opinion, with a nice variety of musical acts, tasty food, and cool workshops. Plus I love it when they have musical workshops where they combine different acts and musicians ... it doesn't always work, but when it does, it's magical. And the drum circle to start each day in front of this stage is HUGE.

Having said the above, the festival is a bit too big and restrictive for my liking, and trying to book a campsite is an exercise in "guess what the booking rules will be this year" ... they change the rules yearly, without telling anybody.

Peace, Mark

Hey Snail, I meant to say this before ... it's nice to see you posting on this board!

[Tungsten Gruvsten]

...Of course, some of the funniest stories I've heard over the years have been from heads running from security in the course of some chemically-propelled story at 2 or 3 in the morning. Part of the fun, near as I figure.

please god tell me that's a Mark Tonin story!!! hehehe

I have a definite love/hate relationship with hillside, this will be my 12th year, been going since about '91...and it's definitely changed, not in any sort of linear downhill slope or something but for every good thing they do there is a 'dumb' rule being enforced somewhere else. I'm pretty sure it metaphysically keeps Guelph Island afloat.

[mark tonin]

...Of course' date=' some of the funniest stories I've heard over the years have been from heads running from security in the course of some chemically-propelled story at 2 or 3 in the morning. Part of the fun, near as I figure.

[/quote']

please god tell me that's a Mark Tonin story!!! hehehe

Sorry to disappoint you Eric, it's not ... but it sure sounds like one! Thanks for the belly laugh, my friend!

Peace, Mark

[AdamH]

This will be my sixth year, and it has grown in that time but I don't get a sense that the values of the festival have been compromised. It is still family-oriented and with that comes some restriction and self-control that you wouldn't have at a come together. In exchange there's a broad mix of like-minded individuals, music, workshops both musical and instructive, and flat out the best festival food ever.

As for the GRCA thing I hear the complaints loud and clear...making people pay for overflow camping that is nothing more than mowed lawn is pretty bunk. That's why we booked reserved sites on the Sunday of last year's festival...look for a huge van and a pig in a smoker and you'll know who's there.

[Absolute_Route]

I didn't mean to get too down on Hillside. I critize it because I love it. The music & workshops & overall vibe are fantastic. I just get annoyed with needless hassel.

[DevO]

An ad for this year's Hillside in the brand new Exclaim has these acts listed on it:

The Arcade Fire

The Stars

The Weakerthans

... so I guess we could consider them confirmed!

[AdamH]

Pollstar listed the above (KevO) plus Buck 65 and Sam Roberts. Should be more to come hopefully

[secret-tantra-ninja]

Heya kiddies a couple of us come toghther regulars well be playing our first public set toghther at hillside on the sun stage, I'm excited and well share more details later-most likley sun morn set.....

jenni

[elemeno]

the only way i'd pay to see buck 65 and sam roberts is if it was celebrity boxing.

[Del]

the only way i'd pay to see buck 65 and sam roberts is if it was celebrity boxing.

Even then...