Squamish Cheat Sheet: 5 Acts You Need To See

Let us help you maximize your festival potential.

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It’s go time. As Squamish Valley Music Festival approaches, it’s time to start strategizing, so you can maximize your festival potential. Road trip playlist? Check. Camping supplies? Check. Sunscreen? 60 SPF. What about your schedule? That’s where we can help.

The Squamish lineup has something for everyone. If you’re into hip-hop, you’ve got Drake and A$AP Rocky in your corner. If electronic vibes are more your thing, Hot Chip and Odesza are a safe bet. Are you rock’n’roll to the core? Don’t worry, Arkells and Alabama Shakes have your back. 

The headliners are a no-brainer, but what about some of the festival’s best kept secrets? We’ve hand picked a few of our favourites from the lineup, so you can fit them in between headliners, impromptu dance parties, and trips to the beer garden. Speaking of the beer garden, make sure you check it out at 11:00PM on Friday for a secret set presented by Budweiser. Seriously. Don’t miss it.

Here are 5 acts you need to see at the Squamish Valley Music Festival. Check out the full lineup here, and if you haven’t copped passes yet, you can do so here.

Rook Milo

@rookmilo

Thursday, August 6th. 6:00PM @ Perrier Greenhouse

Vancouver-based producer Rook Milo makes sinister bass music with an ambient hip-hop bent. He mixes booming 808s, triplet hi-hats, and twisted samples with finesse, which should make for a killer start to Squamish in the festival’s most intimate venue, the Perrier Greenhouse.

w.soundcloud.com

 

Tei Shi

@TeiShi

Friday, August 7th. 6:00PM @ Garibaldi Stage

Argentina-born, Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter Tei Shi has been making her rounds on the festival circuit this summer, and for good reason—her dream-like vocals sound amazing floating through a massive outdoor venue. Tei Shi found the sweet spot in the Venn diagram where R&B and shoegaze overlap, and oh, how sweet it is. See for yourself on Friday evening at Squamish.

w.soundcloud.com

 

Alessia Cara

@alessiacara

Saturday, August 8th. 6:00PM @ Garibaldi Stage

Alessia Cara is a 19-year-old phenom from Brampton. She’s only officially released one song to date, but “Here” the certified anti-social pop anthem of the summer. She’ll fill out the rest of her set the same way she caught Def Jam’s attention—with a few on point covers of The Neighbourhood, Lorde, and Taylor Swift.

 

Jazz Cartier

@JazzCartier

Saturday, August 8th. 7:15PM @ Garibaldi Stage

It seems like every rapper in Toronto is in the middle of a heated race to be the first to pop off on a global scale without an assist from Drake, and if anyone has a shot at this title, it’s Jazz Cartier. Jazz has been doing just fine on his own, dropping one of the strongest projects of the year (Marauding In Paradise), and earning a Polaris Prize nomination along the way.

Kaytranada

@KAYTRANADA

Sunday, August 9th. 7:00PM @ Blueprint Arena

No music festival experience is complete without a full-blown dance-a-thon, and a Sunday evening turn-up with Kaytranada is your best bet. The Montreal powerhouse’s live sets leave no rhythm behind, turning chill vibes into explosive build-ups with a flick of the wrist.

w.soundcloud.com

 

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