Wave 2 Lineup Announcement!

Wave 2 Lineup Announcement!

Yellowknife – The second wave of artists for 2023’s Folk On The Rocks (FOTR) music festival, July 14-16, is here!

We got so excited about the main headliner this year that we’ve decided to announce them a little bit early, as part of the second wave of our lineup announcements. FOTR 2023 will be welcoming Broken Social Scene to the main stage! Requiring no introduction, Broken Social Scene is a Canadian indie rock musical collective that set the gold standard for indie rock in the 21st century, and we can’t wait to watch them perform this summer!

If you want a chance to bump into some of this year’s artists, then the best tickets in town are the Owl passes, formerly known as our VIP passes. The ultimate FOTR pass, they give you access to the hospitality area where you can meet the artists. They also get you 10 free drink tickets, free Owl meals, and the ability to skip the line at the beer garden all weekend long.  With only three Owl Passes left, buy yours now before it’s too late.

Early bird tickets, available until May 14, and Owl passes can be purchased here: https://www.folkontherocks.com/tickets

Second Wave of the Lineup for 2023 Folk On The Rocks:

Headliner Broken Social Scene: Once a two-person basement recording project, Broken Social Scene came to life onstage as a shadowy improvisational entity with a revolving-door roster, each concert a wholly unique experience dependent on the room, the weather, what they ate for dinner that night, and who was dropping in to play.

Throughout their two-decade run, Broken Social Scene have achieved all the markers of modern indie success—rave reviews from Pitchfork, invites to play Coachella and Lollapalooza, multiple Juno Awards and Letterman appearances, and name-drops in Lorde songs. But their greatest accomplishment is their mere existence, as a conglomerate that continues to defy all logistical convention and musical expectations. They’re living proof that underdogs are most effective when travelling in a pack, that mass audiences can be led into uncharted waters through collective enthusiasm, and that the better world we all dream of begins with community.

In both sound and personnel, Broken Social Scene has changed a lot since their 2001 inception. But one thing has remained constant—at the end of every show, Kevin Drew bids the crowd adieu by telling everyone to “enjoy your lives.” More than just a simple farewell, those words are a call to action—to put down your goddamn phone, get outside, and be part of a social scene of your own.

Jasmyn: Jasmyn is the new solo project created by Jasmyn Burke, former singer-songwriter and frontwoman of the critically acclaimed band Weaves, who played at FOTR in 2018. Having received two Polaris Music Prize shortlists, two JUNO nominations for Alternative Album of the Year and two SOCAN Songwriting Prize nominations, Jasmyn has established herself as one of Canada’s most exciting and fresh voices. Jasmyn’s debut solo album In The Wild encourages the art of reshaping, shifting and grounding with an open-hearted vigor.

Pantayo: Pantayo is an all-women kulintang ensemble based in Toronto. They combine percussive metallophones and drums from kulintang traditions of Southern Philippines with electronic and synth-based grooves. They also offer music and cultural workshops to teach kulintang. Pantayo explores the possibility of kulintang through their experiences as queer diasporic Filipinas.

Megan Nash: Megan Nash is a songwriter who lives on Treaty 4 Territory. She has won and been nominated for numerous awards including a 2022 Saskatchewan Music Award for Rock/Pop Artist of the Year, 2021 Saskatchewan Music Award for Alternative Artist of the Year, and a 2019 JUNO Award nomination for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year for the album Seeker. The recognition back home is in no small part due to her long and winding history of hitting the road, where she’s done international showcases in the United States, the UK, Germany, and Estonia on top of countless gigs in Canada’s small towns and sprawling metropolises.

Wayfinding: With his mix of matter-of-fact narratives and off-kilter vocals, which generally float above a rubbery mix of synthesized tones, electronic blips, and dreamy guitars, songwriter multi-instrumentalist Ryan Beattie is genuinely hypnotic and alluring, as Wayfinding. Brushed with reverb, Beattie sings emotively with witty intention but articulate and direct; his lyrics are unsettling and mysterious, occasionally replete with wry jokes that elicit nervous laughter and bewildered surprise. And yet, Wayfinding is uniquely haunting in its honesty, demanding listeners revisit these strange and lovely songs again and again.

TE KAAHU: TE KAAHU honours the craft and skill of Māori songwriting and storytelling and is the brainchild of critically acclaimed Aotearoa singer and songwriter Theia (Waikato-Tainui, Ngaati Tiipa). Theia is a fierce proponent of the revitalization of Māori language and culture, and through TE KAAHU she pays tribute to her tūpuna wāhine (female ancestors).

Diamond Dino: Steeped in the melancholia of teen summer days, Diamond Dino is the breakout solo act of multi-talented musician Patrick Hamilton. Born and raised in Whitehorse, Yukon – where summers themselves burn short and bright – Patrick channels influences like Electric Light Orchestra, George Harrison, and (obviously) T-Rex into performances that are themselves both intricate and light. 

Tanya Snow: Tanya Snow is an Inuk originally from Rankin Inlet, Nunavut and now residing in Yellowknife. She began throat-singing in her late teens and has continued into adulthood.

La légende de Calamity Jane: The music of La légende de Calamity Jane conjures up all the dust, fervour and survival instincts of the glorious days of whisky and saloons as the band members tip their hats to the infamous woman that inspired their band name. Halfway between gangster country and outlaw alternative western, La légende de Calamity Jane relies on rusty guitars and quick draw vocal harmonies. For more than thirty years, Saskatchewan born sisters Michelle and Annette Campagne have shared a musical bond and deployed a unique vocal harmony style with groups Folle Avoine and Hart Rouge, as well as in their respective solo careers. The pair has expanded their musical family with the addition of guitarist and music producer André Lavergne, an outstanding musical sharp shooter. This performance is presented in partnership with Association franco-culturelle de Yellowknife.

PARTS: PARTS was created as an acoustic instrumental project in 2016 between two long-time friends. Their sound started at an intimate level to showcase a small set of original work at open mic events in Yellowknife. By 2019 PARTS branched into a more electric and rock sound, eventually leading to the addition of drums and bass and opening up the opportunity to broaden their unique mixture of alternative, progressive, and experimental rock.

Captain Mel: Captain Mel will be doing children’s performances.

Pronoia: Northern boy moves south and becomes a DJ. He then falls into a wild world of electronic music festivals as a sound and light tech who played many early morning sunrise sets. After moving back home he falls into family life and decides that 2023 should be the year he attempts another shot at making people dance. Pronoia has shared the stage with many artists from across western Canada and the world.

Glam on the Rocks: A burlesque dance show.

Northern Lights Pow Wow Dancers: a Pow Wow Group from Northern Alberta.

The final wave of artists will be announced on May 19!

Special thanks to Folk On The Rocks’ dedicated title sponsor: Canadian North Airlines.

Further thanks to our dedicated sponsors and funders: Cabin Radio; CANNOR; Capital

Suites; City of Yellowknife; RioTinto Diavik; DT Electric; 62 Degrees North; 100.1 True North FM; Media Tenois; Government of Northwest Territories Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Department of Education Culture and Employment, and Department of Municipal and Community Affairs; Heritage Canada; and NWT Arts Council.

 

MEDIA CONTACT FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, OR INTERVIEW REQUESTS

Agata Gutkowska, Marketing Manager | 

agata@folkontherocks.com

Carly McFadden, Executive & Artistic Director | 

carly@folkontherocks.com | 778-990-6257