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Edge Fest 2008 By: Stephen Links July 12 2008: I awake at 8:30, drowsy but fully alert with the anticipation of the long day ahead. By 8:45 I have jumped out of bed and checked the web for the list of what is considered contraband and prohibited on festival grounds. I sort my gear, ready to report on the days events. Making the executive decision in leaving out my Digital SLR and umbrella as per the websites demands. I later find out that I had made the right choice on the camera but would have been better off with a smuggled umbrella. 9:15 – I dress for the forecasted 31 degree scorcher and pack for the promise of rain (minus the umbrella). 9:38 - in my excitement I almost left without the ticket and my girlfriend. That would have been funny… for a short while. My bag is packed and after double-checking, I now had my Edgefest 2008 ticket and I’m good to go! All I had to do was wake my date. She did present me with a ticket as a gift and she has been just as excited as I have over the past few weeks for the event so it seems only fair to do so. While I sit and wait I decide to check out the chronology of the lineup to plan for the ideal back and forth rotation to maximize the day’s experience. Once again I click onto the official website and check out the bands and the one definite guarantee is that the set lists are absolutely ridiculous. Linkin Park promoting their latest album Minutes to Midnight and Stone Temple Pilots making their highly anticipated debut return is enough to excite the ear drums of the deaf, but that is only the beginning. The Bravery will be bringing their Brit-rock style and local band USS is ready to deliver serious Placebo meets Marley beats and put on a show full of random antics to entertain the massive crowd. Not failing to mention with the chilled alt-rock sounds of Sam Roberts and the melodic tones of Ashes Divide and the countless other bands this day is promising to be a good one. 10:00 - Walk my very desperate dog who I swear was at the point of crossing her legs. 10:15-10:45 – as country star, Brad Paisley sings, still "waiting in a woman" I’m wondering what it is exactly that m’lady is doing. 10:46 – Finally we are out the door and already I feel like battling the crowds will take a lot of effort that may make us miss the first set at 12:20...change of plan. Checking my trusty iPhone it shows 29 degrees and thunderstorms. Looking up at the dark clouds rolling in it looks like the phone is right again and the chance of a dry day is getting increasingly less promising, but we hope for the best as we make our way to the spacious and convenient Downsview Park. The park has been transformed from being a military airfield to a recreational complex, however with Bombardier’s new acquisition who knows the direction the mid-town airfield will go. Thinking to myself that the various airports around the city could be used a little more efficiently in connecting the local regions, I am reminded of cheap European inter-city flights. However, for now, the plans for the park are to transform it into a huge entertainment complex. Already home to activities such as paintball, go-karting, sports leagues etc. it only seems fitting that concert venue should be added to the list. Today however, all thoughts of flight are grounded and we have tickets to see the massive event that never disappoints. This is Edgefest 2008 baby! This years packed lineup includes bands: Linkin Park Stone Temple Pilots Sam Roberts Band The Bravery Ashes Divide Attack in black USS And The Arkells on the main stage. While: The Flatliners Hostage Life The Coast Sweet Thing Creature Modern Boys Modern Girls Stereohoax And Alpha Galatis Control the side stage. On our way, I tentatively map our listening route between the two stages. Already I know this is going to resemble trying to ride all the coasters at Wonderland on a holiday weekend. The festival works on the preface of non stop music, staggering shows between the two stages. With the growing numbers of people and so much to see, any variance in the time slots would make it too hard to run back and forth to view them all, a relief on our legs but a downer on our audio taste buds. With enough music jammed into both venues we decide to ditch the game plan and agree to make camp as close to the main stage as safely possible. 11:00 rolls around and I think I see some sun but this could just be the angels sneaking a peek from their front row seats, emphasizing the fact that this is not one to miss. 11:20 - We stopped on the way for a much needed, purely Canadian, Tim Hortons breakfast. 11:32 - We arrive and manage the parking lot at Downsview welcomed by the constant thump of the sound checks resonating across the grounds and echoing of the surrounding buildings. 11:40 - Between the clouds of smoke and the waves of exposed flesh and extreme heat, nausea is slowly setting in but toughing it out. Making us aware that airport security at the field is not grounded, we drudge towards bag check, where a pile of unopened water bottles, umbrellas and a shoe are piling up: a shoe? I think that one was a mistake but still I get a chuckle. By 12:00 we have successfully moved 6 steps since our introduction to the line outside the grounds and already we are subject to viewing more body art than the AGO and more metal accessories than the nearest scrap yard. At this point I wish I had a magnet and a magic eraser, I hope they are not wanding people up there we could be here a while, making this te perfect time for the history of Edgefest filler. Currently the longest running show in Canada, Edgefest officially began July 1st 1987 after years of deliberation. Over the last 20 years the festival has brought 300 plus bands to over 500,000 fans at 4 different locations. The event was initially seen as a financial risk to invest in a festival of new, lesser know bands in the shadow of larger festivals with known headliners however, Edgefest has turned into a major event and showcase for the biggest talents in the industry and can be credited for the boosting of numerous artists careers. The original Edgefest was held at Molson Park in Barrie then moved to Ontario place, then to the Molson Ampetheatre and has currently been held in Downsview Park. Originally the festival started with one show on Canada day then because of its success and demand it grew to a two-day event. With more demand than ever before the event exploded and a whole Canadian tour of eight dates was planned. Today, Canada day is a mere memory of a week and a half ago but I still am a proud Canadian to be here. Back to the action, surprisingly enough, due to efficient security checks and willing concert goers we did burst through the gates to be welcomed by the first set and at 12:20 it has begun! Kicking off, The Toronto based band, Alpha Galatis, formerly the Hollow, came out swinging with a lively four song set list encouraging the growing crowd that had gathered at the foot of the stage. For the five member band (3 man 2 women) the showcasing of their new album, A Stimulus for Reason was a hit in which they included their new single Standing. After the set they could be seen at the main stage viewing the other bands, fans like the rest of us. Next on the bill, the Hamilton born Arkelles drew a crowd and blew it away with a flawless open on the main stage. As their song, The Boss is Coming dictates, they “punched in and punched the F.. out” but not before giving the Edge crowd a rush to kick off the day and a taste of excitement that was to come. Back on the second stage Streohoax yielded a short set to USS (Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker) whose quirky antics and crazy music sent the crowds into a frenzy. The duo DJ-guitarist combination brought on chants of “USS” with their poetic lyrics and unsystematic acts of randomness. Lead singer Ashley Boo-Schultz made a smoothie onstage, while the DJ used everything from Ashley’s feet to a cardboard cutout of Albert Einstein to spin the beats on the turntables and hype the crowd. According to their Myspace page they sound like “Buddy Holly playing at a campfire in the middle of a drum n' bass rave at the Science Center.” Makes sense to me! No explanation needed. Attack in Black, introduced as a band to look out for, played an excellent set switching rolls between bassist drummer and singer a tactic that will impress even the unimpressable. With contagious energy and catchy tunes they lived up to their introduction and exceeded it significantly. By the end of their set cold winds rolled in, indicating the rain is on its way. At 2:58 – The rain is here and it may not dampening spirits but is severely dampening everyone and everything that is not sheltered. A refreshing change from the stifling heat but sickening once the cold air blows through out rain drenched bodies, the wait for the headliners gets increasingly longer but with people playing Rockstar in the Playstation booth, the Batmobile and bike on display, the large beer tent and the countless food vendors and merchandise tents the action never ceased on the day. Te rain brought more and more excitement to the sets as everyone was in carefree mode, enjoying the music to its fullest extent. Eight years ago Billy Howerdel headlined with his band Tool and due to the weather played a very short set and left angering the sodden crowds. However this time he returned as the Ashes Divide front man for the next band and they not only played trough the rain, but took bets on who would fall first. With promises not to bust ass on the wet stage, the set was electrifying enough to send the rain into remission for a little while but the break was just long enough for us to dry off a little before we were assaulted by gallons more. Raining through the whole Bravery set the torrential downpour ended again, ironically with their promises of a never-ending, fun filled summer in the ballad “Swollen Summer”. 4:39 – I am soaked through to the skin, people are looking for refuge under anything from Edge102 banners to Dark Night posters, but the rain seemed to come from every direction as the jumping crowds sloshed, slipped and slid their way through the remaining sets. The small hills in the park became a slippery slope that claimed numerous victims, forcing the crowds closer to the stages and away from the muddy inclines. Finally the longest wait of the night. The wait for Stone Temple Pilots warranted chants of “WTF” and “STP” echoing throughout the park. Being fashionably late, the manner to which the true rock stars are accustomed to, the time had finally arrived. Commenting on the tardiness, STP’s Wailand in his poetic banter informed us of their wait for the plane as well as our wait for the rain. With a cig in his mouth Scott delivered on promises made through their cover of Queens, “we will rock you”. Even though this was the first show of their reunion post Velvet Revolver, it was as if the four of them never skipped a beat playing their flawless classics, the music of my teenage years. Even at this stage in the day there were people lined up outside the park to catch the historic return. People were pouring in as the rain was pouring down and regardless of being soaked to the skin, nothing could keep the crowd down and mid-set Wailand’s un-answered calling out of Chester to help him sing was something that sent the crowd alight, a duet that I’m sure everyone would have loved to see. To top off the day and make it worthwhile standing in the inch deep mud, Linkin Park took the stage at around 9:30 and even with technical lighting difficulties through their encore, playing in the dark, the band managed to blow the crowd away. The masses of fist pumping fans packed shoulder to shoulder, showed the band much love with screams for more. Staring the set with a two man acoustic version of a few of their new songs the crowd exploded when Trevor, Pheonix Brad and Hahn took the stage. This being my second time seeing the band I was still not disappointed with the performance. From the crazy set design, to the insane energy of the band and fans the final set of the evening made the four seasons we suffered all day very worthwhile. Drenched, Edgefest claimed both my iPhone and my camera so I was shooting blind, but Jen came through again with her small digital Finepix. Glad I prepared and neglected to bring my SLR the casualty was not as worrisome as expected. Edgefest has seen its share of difficulty over the years including various bad weather days like we experienced today, rumored venue issues and of course SARS, but rain or shine the show must go on and over the past 20 years, the hardships were surpassed and Edgefest previously played host to numerous band like: Finger 11, Billy Talent, Our Lady Peace, Big Wreck, I Mother Earth, Silverchair, Alexisonfire, The Tragically Hip, Sloan, Foo Fighters, Creed, Nickleback, 3 Doors Down, Simple Plan, Good Charlotte, Rise Against, and hundreds more. With such historic events like this years Stone Temple Pilots’s reunion tour, Sloan’s final show before their first breakup and the first ever appearance by Radiohead in Canada Edgefest has become the largest one day concert event in Canada. At the end of the day my shoes are ruined my bag could be mistaken for a large water cooler, my camera is a paperweight and my phone is a mute but thanks to my lovely girlfriend for the tickets and Edge102 for the event, I had a day that will not quickly be forgotten. |