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CN Tower Watching Over

New Space – Smaller But More Intimate

One of the key reasons why Toronto was selected for Bestival’s international expansion was the picturesque Toronto island location where the event took place in 2015. In theory it was perfect, right across from the city but still out there on its own, surrounded by water, giving it a deeper feeling of escape. I say in theory because although the space was incredible it also proved to be a bit of a logistical nightmare with many patrons stuck waiting 1-2 hours to get off the island. This year it was decided the best way to deal with the issue was to eliminate it altogether, heading east to Woodbine Park.

After a quick tour of the grounds it was clear to see that the event had definitely gotten smaller. Big Top wasn’t quite as big and the distance between stages was decreased. As it turned out this wasn’t a bad thing. Closer stages meant it was easy to jump between stages midway through sets or dash from stage to stage to catch your favourite acts while missing as little as possible. It also added to the intimate, almost “boutique” feel of the festival. Even with the reduced space it never felt overly crowded. Although at times I missed the island, I certainly enjoyed being able to enter and exit with virtually no wait time whatsoever.

The Stages & The Talent

Main Stage

There isn’t much need to describe the main stage. As the name suggests it’s the event’s biggest in size and in star power. Headliners included The Cure, Tame Impala, Odesza, Grimes and more. Considering our focus is more in the electronic realm I spent the least time at main stage but was able to thoroughly enjoy Jamie XX’s evening set. His eclectic mix or wordly sounds, personal productions and mainstream hits fused together perfectly for a huge DJ set that appealed to a wide array of festival goers. His knack for pulling out hits and mixing them into the original of which they sampled went over especially well (see Drake’s ‘One Dance’ blended into Paleface ft. Kyla’s ‘Do You Mind?’

The Cure

Jamie XX

Big Top

Big Top served as my home base with a unique blend of dance/electronic music ranging from Trap and Bass, to a wide array of House, Electro, EDM and whatever it is that Porter Robinson has been making as of late. Despite kicking things off before 3:00pm, Thugli had Big Top packed and turnt as ever; delivering their signature mix of hip-hop and trap, centred around their stellar remix catalogue. Although Thugli’s Tom Wrecks wasn’t able to perform due to illness, Pat Drastik held things down with ease.

One of the biggest takeways from Big Top was the affirmation that House is killing it right now. French DJ’s Malaa and Tchami delivered two of the strongest sets of the whole weekend. Malaa destroyed with a slew of his own G-House anthems but Tchami truly took things to the next level. His sermon of Bass, Future and Deep House brought the house down and served as the perfect climax. That said, perhaps the biggest draw of all of the Big Top performances was Porter Robinson’s live set. Fans came in droves packing the tent to the max and spilling out the back and sides to catch his performance. It was captivating and interesting but I still longed to hear ‘100% in the Bitch’.

Thugli

Tchami

Bollywood

The biggest surprise of the weekend for me was the Bollywood stage and how truly incredible it was. From the moment you entered the area the mood changed. During the day it was a wavy, free-love vibe but as the darkness descended upon it things truly heated up. From its glowing aura to the animalistic intensity and the fire…oh the fire – after dark it came alive. I had the pleasure of catching Maya Jane Coles and Art Department and the experience they created was incredible. Their sets aren’t about epic drops, yelling on the mic, or sing-along anthems. They’re about evoking a feeling; one that is part cathartic and part hypnotic – a stream of vibes so deep that you become lost within them and all of their glory. I approached the Bollywood stage with minimal expectations and left with a new appreciation.

Bollywood After Dark – Taken From Bestival.ca

Beyond The Music

Further diverisfying the festival experience is Bestival’s commitment to crafting an event that goes beyond the line-up. From the handcrafted flags that towered over the grounds, to the wild Cosmic Commune, Inflatable Church and more. It’s a controlled chaos that’s hard not love. Arguably the most unforgettable feature was the wild costume parade that completely took the grounds by storm anchored by the fan favourite ZeusMobile which had people jumping into to join the drumming from across the grounds.

The Parade

The Parade

Food & Drink

Food options were vast with food trucks and tents extending all over the Festival grounds with everything from Hot dogs and Hamburgers, to Burritios and Tacos, Poutine, Wraps, BBQ, Wood Oven Pizza and more. For a sweets lover such as myself, the food highlight was easily the sugar-coated-baked-dough-apples-and-ice-cream-topped-masterpiece that is Eva’s Original Chimney’s. For drinks, the Sugar Skulls Cocktail Bus served up custom cocktails and the bars packed mixed drinks and beers. The selection was decent though I could have definitely gone for a Craft beer option. It was nice to at least have the option of Corona as opposed to strictly just Budwieser and Bud Light though. Bacardi also served up some custom cocktails including Mojito’s with fresh mint. The event also featured free water stations throughout to help ensure guests stayed hydrated; a key for all events of this nature.

Apple Pie Chimney Dessert

Bestival Is The Best

The final dimension that made Bestival so special was the people. From attendees in their late teens to those in their 50’s, hypebeasts and hippies, freaks and geeks, weirdos and bros, everyone came together to enjoy the vibe – and boy was it a vibe. In its second year Bestival Toronto proved why it deserves to be a mainstay in the city, truly living up to its name as the best festival. If you attended this year let us know your favourite parts in the comments below. If you missed out, there’s always next year. Thank you Bestival!

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This past weekend (June 12 and 13) Bestival held its first international event, taking place on Toronto Island. With an eclectic mix of impressive acts, the knowledge from past events in the UK and the drive to create a festival experience that goes beyond the music, Bestival Toronto brought the fun back to the festival experience and truly lived up to its name. What made it stand out? Simply put, everything. From the music to the atmosphere, the people and even the food vendors and drink selection. Below we’ve highlighted what made Bestival so unforgettable.

The Music

Easily the most important aspect of at any music festival is, you guessed it, the music. The city has never seen a festival that packs such a diverse and impressive line-up in its history. From Florence and the Machine and Nas serving as headliners, to ZHU’s Canadian debut and Canadian legends like Grandtheft and Keys N Krates, it was impossible to leave unsatisfied. We’ve highlighted a few of the most notable performances below.

Grandtheft

One of Canada’s finest producer/DJs, Grandtheft never disappoints and Friday evening was no different. His high energy performance jumped across genres with ease moving from Sam Smith to RL Grime, Kendrick Lamar into LOUDPVCK, hard hitting Valentino Khan anthems and a ton of his own reworks including his ‘0 to 100’ remix and the fittingly massive Florence featured ‘Sweet Nothing’ rework. Grandtheft “Kept it 100” from start to finish.

Grandtheft shot by Hector Vasquez

Flosstradamus

On Friday night the HDYBYZ took the Big Top deep into the trap. With a ton of their own works including ‘TTU’, ‘Prison Riot’, ‘SoundClash’, the duo had the tent ready to explode. In addition to their own works they effortlessly blended big rap tunes (‘Flicka Da Wrist, ‘Know Yourself’, ‘Collard Greens’ and even ‘Rough Riders Anthem’) into hard hitting trap drops. They even delved into a little bit of future bass dropping their ‘God’s Whisper’ remix and a couple of high energy hardstyle hits to get the crowd jumping. As always they did an incredible job getting the crowd hyped with J2K spending a good portion of the set on the table getting the crowd PLURNT. Bringing things to a close, they prepared to get crazy one last time as they unleashed ‘Mosh Pit’.

Flosstradamus shot by Hector Vasquez

Hoxton Afterparty

To cap off the wild day on the Island we headed over to the Hoxton for the official after party. With no line-up and guests TBA the anticipation was high as everyone was wondering who might show up. As we entered the venue local favourite Pusher was rocking the stage with his signature blend of dark trap, bangers and future bass. He rinsed out a ton of huge trap anthems including ‘Dum Dee Dum’, ‘Chimes’, ‘Chinchilla’ and more. It was awesome to see the crowd going off to his latest original ‘Basic’ as well as losing it to his rework of ‘Take U There’. As it drifted deeper into the night ½ of Smalltown Djs (Pete Emes) took the stage and blew the doors off the spot. The set was routed in deep house with a ton tunes from LA’s bass house movement including AC Slater, JAUZ and SNBRN. Rumours began to fly that Flosstradamus would take the stage as the homies were in the house. Though it never came to fruition, no one left disappointed as Smalltown DJs amazed with the performance and even took the time to shake hands and talk to fans after the show.

Cashmere Cat

Norwegian musical visionary Cashmere Cat played an early evening set on Saturday. The DJ’s ability to breakdown tracks, draw them out and make them seem unfamiliar before smoothly bringing them back, always makes for an incredible set. The mixture of technical skills with his incredible catalogue of originals/remixes and productions is difficult to top. His forward thinking future bass filled the crowd with joyous vibrations while popular tracks like ‘Party Girls’, ‘Adore’ and ‘Wolves’ had fans singing along. Balancing some of the more poppy songs, Cashmere Cat dropped in some gritty Jersey club tunes and had everyone bouncing along to ‘Ice Rink’. I don’t think a single fan left without a smile on their face.

Cashmere Cat shot by Hector Vasquez

Keys N Krates

Hometown favourites Key N Krates destroyed the big top tent with a wide array of weird rap beats. Every time the 3 piece electronic trio grace the stage they deliver a memorable set. Their originals were easily the highlight, with tracks like ‘Are We Faded’ ‘Keep It 100’ and ‘Dum Dee Dum’ eliciting major reactions. It’s awe inspiring to see them perform these tracks live and just as interesting to take in live renditions of huge trap favourites. The addition of instruments allows for a completely different performance experience and opens up a new realm of mixing. With the ability to play the keys/synths and drums live KNK can really mix things up. Whether it’s drawing out a melody, switching out some kicks or snares, or completely reworking a song all together, as they did with the classic ‘Bittersweet Symphony’. The group did take a break from behind the instruments to stand side by side as they unleashed their brand new track ‘Save Me’. Despite the fact that the track just went up for stream a few days prior the bulk of the crowd was singing along nearly word-for-word; a true testament to the group’s die hard fan base.

Keys N Krates shot by Hector Vasquez

ZHU

With the mysterious producer set to make his Toronto debut, the anticipation was immense. After a 15 minute changeover, the music and lights began to rise. Not your average set, the stage was completely covered with a translucent screen that allowed for provocative imagery to overlay the set, while masking the performer’s identity. The opening built massive anticipation and when ‘Stay Closer’ hit the place was set on fire. As he ran through his catalagoue the crowd vibed out hard. His mixing was on point, perfectly demonstrated as he brought in ‘Superfriends’; stripping the instrumentation and bending the vocals to give the cheery track an eerie, haunting feel before bringing it into the funk filled bass. Throughout the set the visuals and lighting allowed gaps to give fans brief peeks of the artist’s silhouette, which only added to the performer’s mystique. The biggest surprises came as ZHU played out The Weekend and then moved into a mash-up of T-Pain’s ‘Bartender’. Unsurprisingly ZHU’s mega-smash ‘Faded’ made the place errupt. The combination of incredible visuals, stellar music and overall excitement made this one of the Weekend’s best sets.

Nas

Closing time. Nas was set to take the Bestival stage on Day 2 at 9:45pm. As the crowds from different stages rushed to the main stage, the excitement began to build at a fever pitch. The crowd cheered for Nas and soon after the legend took the stage. Supported by DJ Green Lantern, Nas ran through his extensive catalogue with the crowd singing along with every word. The setlist resembled his Illmatic 20th Anniversary show that took place last year in April at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre following a screening of the Illmatic documentary. Nas introduced himself with ‘Nas is Like’ followed by the ‘N.Y. State of Mind’ from his classic debut. The Queens native who is no stranger to the festival crowd displayed excellent performance skill as he and DJ Green Lantern weaved ‘Got Yourself a Gun’ with Dr. Dre’s ‘Deep Cover’. As a true master of ceremony would, Nas thoroughly entertained the Bestival crowd and it’s true to say the little things count. Ever so often Nas would swap out lyrics and throw in some love for Canada, Toronto and Bestival. Songs like ‘Hate Me Now’ with a large flame backdrop and powerful and emotionally charged songs like ‘One Mic’ were huge crowd pleasers. It’s safe to say, he’s still got it.

Nas shot by Hector Vasquez

The Stages

Another key piece of what made this festival so unique was the variety of stages and vibes. Well-spaced throughout the island, there was no sound leakage or bleed-over from one stage to another and each offered a very distinct mix of sounds, festival goers and decor.

Main Stage

Harboring the biggest acts, loudest system and most space, the main stage was exactly what you would expect. The sound quality was great and it never seemed like you had to stand too far away. Conveniently located by the exits also allowed for quick getaway for those trying to skip out a few moments early to beat the rush.

Big Top presented by Bacardi

The massive tent was home to the weekend’s biggest electronic acts. It was a great place to get a break from the rain on Friday and offered shade on sunny Saturday. The stage was solid and the sound knocked.

Big Top shot by Stevie Gedge for Bestival

The Bollywood Temple

Easily the wildest and most interesting stage of the event. Bollywood offered flame throwers, exotic dancers, psychedelic lights, trippy elephants and more. It was the spot to truly let your inhibitions go and get lost in the feels. The fact that they put so much time and effort into creating a stage this unique is just one of many examples of why Bestival stood tall against the less inventive festivals our city has seen.

The Bollywood Temple shot by Hector Vasquez

The Perrier Greenhouse

I’m not a fan of corporate branding at festivals. It’s a generally a necessary evil for financial backing but it seldom provides any tangible benefit to fans and often takes away from the experience. That said, it is possible to do it right and Perrier’s Greenhouse is a perfect example of this. The Green House was, as the name indicates a real green house equipped with a green turf floor, a small stage with crisp sound and a massive bar exclusively serving Perrier based cocktails. The end result was a great spot that had an upscale but outdoor loungey feel.

Sunday Best Balearic Beach Club

Last but not least the Balearic Beach Club took the festival to another level. Located at the far end of the grounds concertgoers traveled down a short but winding path that opened up to a sandy beach oasis complete with bars, Muskoka chairs, a DJ booth and a large cabana. It was the perfect spot to relax in the shade, drink in the sun or chat with friends. Despite the large gate surrounding the water it still felt more like a relaxing spot up in the Muskokas than a major music festival.

Sundays Best Balearic Beach Club shot by Stevie Gedge for Bestival

Food & Drink

Though you don’t attend music festivals for 5 star meals or their remarkable craft beer/wine selections, there’s nothing worse than spending an entire weekend stuck choosing between 3 varieties of Bud Light while eating poorly made pizza slices. Once again Bestival got it right and saved attendees from this fate. The beverage selection included a few different beer types, champagne, coolers, and a number of cocktails from the Perrier Greenhouse and Day of the Dead Cocktail bus. The food selection was excellent with over a dozen food trucks and stands, with options ranging from T.O. favorites like 416 Snack Bar and Rock Lobster, to Fit to Grill and even Tiny Tom’s donuts. There was truly something for all.

The People

The final dimension which can’t be planned or accounted for is the people in attendance. Though many of Toronto’s festival’s have become over run with bros and girls more concerned with rounding out there Instagram profile than actually listening to the music; Bestival was different. Everyone seemed to have the common goal to enjoy the music and to have a good time. I met a ton of strangers throughout the weekend and everyone was friendly and in great spirits (even while standing ankle deep in mud).

Almost Perfect

The only complaint about the weekend is one which has been highlighted by many; the ferries. Due to the fact that the event was held on an island ferries and water taxi’s proved to be the only means to get to and from the festivities. Word has it some people were stuck on the Island for hours, a time which is completely unacceptable. My worst wait was about an hour and although it was frustrating, considering how epic the event was it is easily forgotten. Next year the festival needs to run far more Ferries (GA and VIP) especially during peak travel times (at the end of the night). If they can recapture what they did last weekend with that slight tweak, they may be able to create the perfect experience.

We’d like to give Bestival and all of its organizers a huge thank you! You truly showed Toronto what the festival experience should be. We’ll be counting down the days till next year.

For more pics of the event check out our gallery on Facebook.

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One of the UK’s biggest and most eclectic music festivals is set to make its debut in Toronto. Taking place on Toronto Island on June 12 and 13, Bestival’s stacked line-up boasts a wide array of artists, from big name Indie acts, to turn-up kings, future bass originators and one of the greatest rappers of all time. With so many great performers it’s hard to decide who to see. To help you out, we’ve put together a list of can’t miss acts below.

Flosstradamus

Chitown based duo Flosstradamus are the kings of the turn up. As originators within the trap genre, Flosstradamus have been pushing the sound forward since its inception; fusing electronic and rap tunes into their sets at festivals around the world. Recently the duo has moved to a new format that sees Autobot handling the responsibilities on the decks while J2K rocks the mic and gets the crowd amped up. At first glance this may seem less than ideal but the MC and DJ style is undeniably hype. If you’re looking to get wild there’s probably no better set to attend, just don’t be surprised when they turn the crowd into a mosh pit.

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Cashmere Cat

Cashmere Cat shot by Hector Vasquez for FUXWITHIT.

One of the most inventive producers in electronic music, Cashmere Cat is another DJ you can’t afford to miss. The combination of the former DMC competitor’s turntablist skills with his forward thinking production and stellar song selection are like nothing you’ve ever heard. In his sets tracks are dissected live to highlight and reduce instrumentation. Instead of drop after drop, the tracks are drawn out, reworked live and slowly blended into one and other, creating truly seamless transitions. His sets take you on an audio journey with just enough hard hitting Jersey Club to keep the energy up and the crowd dancing. This is guaranteed to be one of the most unique and memorable sets of the weekend.

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ZHU

Anything that ZHU does seems to be surrounded in an air of mystique. From his genius debut, to his live sets, he always has fans gushing for more. ‘Faded’ was arguably the biggest song of 2014 and his Nightday EP was chalked full of irresistible hits. His combination of deep basslines and falsetto vocals are the perfect blend. It’s difficult to predict what ZHU will bring to his Canadian debut. Will the stage remain covered to retain his anonymity? Will he drop some unreleased music? Will his set include live vocals? There’s only one way to find out…

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Grandtheft

There’s nothing like turning an entire island into your playground. Canada’s own Grandtheft is slated for what is destined to be a great set on Day 1 of the two day fun filled festival. Grandtheft has been heating up in the game for a few years now. With notable tracks like ‘Keep it 100’ with Keys N Krates to working with Diplo on the most recent ‘BBHMM’ remix, Grandheft has solidified himself as one of the most amazing DJ’s/producers in the game. On June 12th you can expect a stellar set from him that may even steal the show.

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Flume

Looking to escape the party vibe but still want to take in some electronic music? Australian producer Flume has you covered. His sets take a more turned down approach focusing on delivering feels and packing emotion. That’s not to say he won’t slip in a banger here or there, but you’re more likely to be vibin’ out than fist pumping or jumping. Expect a smooth mix of future sounds ranging from bass to R&B and beyond.

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Nas

“Nasty Nas in your area, about to cause mass hysteria”. I don’t know if any of the current hip-hop and rap fans understand this but Nas is a living legend. The don dada Mr. Nasir Jones will grace the Bestival stage in Toronto on June 12th. If you’re a hip hop head, imagine seeing Nastradamus headline day two of one of the largest festivals in Canada. Now picture the God drop his classic records from his impressive catalog. If you’re getting excited reading this, then you need to be there to witness it for yourself. I mean, it’s Nas!

Keys N Krates

Easily one of the most interesting and exciting live acts in electronic music, Key N Krates are another hometown favourite who have achieved global success. The 3 man group consists of David Matisse (Synth/Keyboard), Adam Tune (Drums), and Jr. Flo (DJ/Turtablist). The trio are renowned for their “weird rap beats” that combine infectious loops with hard hitting drums and irresistible melodies. Their live shows are a mixture of their own productions with a number of well known trap, rap and electronic tunes reworked live. Most notable is their ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ routine which is awe inspiring. For those looking for something different than your average DJ set, but still looking to party, this is your dream come true.

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Pusher

Pusher shot by Hector Vasquez for FUXWITHIT.

Pusher is one of Toronto’s brightest new stars. The producer/DJ has been making major waves online with his future bass originals and remixes. His remix for Jack U has clocked nearly half million plays to date. As a DJ he’s been killing it in Toronto opening for some of the biggest names in the game including Thugli, Grandtheft and Cashmere Cat. His sets are a blend of dark trap, hard hitting bangers and video game inspired future bass. If you’re wondering who’s the next big thing coming out of the city, look no further.

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For more info and to buy tickets check out Bestival.ca. For live coverage of the event follow us out on Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and Periscope @fuxwithitblog.

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