Words & Photos by: Brendan Lee
A couple weeks ago we embarked on a journey to Vancouver island with a van packed full of a good crew of people ready to experience the “modest” music festival known as Tall Tree. The use of the word modest here, of course, is in reference to its smaller crowd draw compared to other major BC festivals like Pemberton, Shambhala, and Squamish, but make no mistake, Tall Tree is a unique, welcoming festival with infinite good vibrations for its adoring attendees. In fact, its smaller size makes it more accessible and gives it that homegrown style that more commercial festivals fail to deliver.
This year’s lineup included many local Vancouver and Island favourites with a very special headlining act in Vancouver’s own Funk Hunters with Chali 2na of the legendary Cali hip hop group Jurassic 5. The weekend boasted a wealth of performances ranging from the electronic scene, indie rock/ folk, hip hop, and even a splash of comedy. Located on the beautiful Bown’s Mountain in Port Renfrew, the views were phenomenal and played the perfect backdrop for a weekend of partying, relaxing, and basking in the love for sunshine and good music.
Highlights of the weekend included: a pop-up dance party with Neon Steve at the comedy stage, which was unexpected and had the feel of a backyard pool party with your best homies; an entrancing performance by Delhi 2 Dublin on Saturday night; and, of course, The Funk Hunters w/ Chali 2na’s headlining set on Sunday night, which featured an elaborate stage setup/ visuals and Chali performing some classic J-5 material. Don’t forget to check out the interactive gallery below and if you missed out this year, there’s always next year.
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”10″ gal_title=”Tall Tree 2015″]