On the first weekend in June, the annual Field Trip festival returns to Fort York in downtown Toronto. The event, primarily featuring acts on the Toronto-based label Arts and Crafts, is running over two days (June 4th and 5th) and has an interesting lineup – not to mention other attractions. Let’s skip the preambles and dig in, shall we?
Saturday
There are 14 acts scheduled for Saturday. The day’s headliners are The National, who just curated a Grateful Dead tribute set for 4AD Records, and a group you’re probably familiar with already. Like Drake, let’s start from the bottom because the lower tier acts are also interesting and range from electro-pop to experimental rock to earworm-catchy indie rock.
The first day opens with Kilmanjaro, a Toronto-based quartet who mix electronic beats, waves of noise and vocals, and live drums (lots of them; there’s two drummers) in their music. They’ve yet to release a full-length record, but their single 15 b/w 48 is streaming on Bandcamp and gives a good indication of their sound. Next is Heartstreet, a duo whose slow jams evoke old R&B grooves, with maybe a smattering of 90s dance music; tracks like “Crawling South” build up slowly into a compelling groove. They’ve also yet to release a full length record, but have several songs streaming on their Soundcloud.
Also playing on the first day are Brave Shores, who you may remember from a breakout set at last summer’s WayHome (or for their hit single “Never Come Down” which was featured in a Coke ad last year), the Toronto-based duo Most People, and Tor Miller, a New Yorker who makes catchy, 80s inspired pop music: check out his single “Carter & Cash.” There’s also the driving, bluesy rock of Toronto five-piece July Talk. On songs like “Summer Dress,” Peter Dreimanis yelps with a Howlin’ Wolf-like growl, while Leah Fay responds as the band crashes around behind them.
There are also several electro acts at Field Trip. Tei Shi’s electronic grooves, especially on singles like “Bassically,” hit a musical sweet spot between the deeply individual music of Grimes or Lowell and mainstream pop. Arts & Crafts released her debut EP Verde last spring and it’s worth hunting down. At the same time, Holy Fuck’s set is likely to be a blast of experimental drones and textures, blasts of noise working themselves into a groove; what else would you expect from a band who use a film synchronizer during their live sets? And, near the end of the day, pop sensation Santigold is playing a set, an artist I expect you’re already familiar with, from solo records like 99¢ or collaborations with The Lonely Island, Beastie Boys and ASAP Rocky.
Sunday
The second day of Field Trip opens with some new Canadian faces. There’s Kalle Mattson, an Ottawa-based performer whose 2014 record Someday, The Moon Will Be Gold, was on the Polaris Prize longlist, and Charlotte Day Wilson, a Toronto-based multi-instrumentalist who writes, performs and produces her slow-jam tunes. She’s still working on a debut record, but has a couple of singles out and is playing with musicians like Badbadnotgood and Thundercat.
Also playing early on Sunday is Eliot Sumner, whose music evokes all kinds of indie pop from the last few decades, but stands out with it’s driving rhythms, husky voice and sprinkles of keyboards. Sumner’s second album, Information, was released earlier this year; we didn’t get around to reviewing it, but songs like “After Dark” are bangers.
The day continues with sets by Vancouver band Dear Rouge, whose single “Tongues” mixes sharp guitar riffs with pop hooks, by the sometimes Broken Social Scene collaborator and generally rad roots rocker Jason Collett, and by Basia Bulat, who’s supporting her latest record, Good Advice, which was a nice slice of folk pop. Check out her lead single “Fool,” for a taste.
Also performing are Charles Bradley, a soul singer played all over the world and is touring his third record, Changes, Brooklyn indie rockers Ra Ra Riot, and Plants and Animals, a long-running Montreal indie band currently touring their fourth record Waltzed in the from the Rumbling.
But the day’s most compelling acts come near the end of the day. Indie stars Of Montreal are slated to play later on Sunday, a set likely filled with music from their 13th record Aureate Gloom. Even for a group that’s been around as long as Kevin Barnes’ has – he’s in his 20th year of performing as Of Montreal – they’ve been remarkable consistent. In his positive review of Aureate Gloom, Michael White said: “Aureate Gloom is a testament to someone who does care about figuring out the answer to his own existential questions.”
Controversial rockers DIIV are also set to play late on Sunday. The staff here at Bearded Gentlemen Music has many opinions on their history and their latest record Is the Is Are and earlier this year, several of our writers discussed them on the BGM Podcast.
Field Trip’s biggest draw is the festival’s closing act: Swedish pop superstar Robyn. Two years ago, she released a collaborative record with Royksopp through Arts & Crafts – hence her ties to this festival – and over the years, she’s positioned herself as one of the top performers in pop music.
Besides the two days of music, the Field Trip festival has other attractions: a comedy tent, marketplace, photography exhibition and a day camp for the kids. The event is housed at Fort York, just down the street from Toronto’s Exhibition Place, and it easily accessed via car, streetcar or public transit. It runs June 4th and 5th.