Hillside Festival: July 26-27, 2008

There were many Hillside Festival goers who were largely pissed at the lack of weekend passes available for the 2008 Hillside Festival. Stores in Toronto had only a handful (literally) of ticket available, with passes selling out online/telephone in <20 mins. They’ve got a reason to be mad, since in previous years “early birds” went in 20 mins, but weekend passes were available at least for a couple of days.

What happened? Did popularity double vs. last year? Are they offering less $90 weekend passes this year, in favour of making more $$ selling regular tickets?

Given the calibre of the Guelph music and community arts festival each year, one can’t complain at the regular price tickets. Although you’d miss out on Friday night, full day saturday and sunday tix would cut a $120 hole in your pocket. Most weekend festivals usually start at $200, and at this festival you great locally produced food, water stations, minimal brand-invasion, recycling stations and dishwashing stations.

There is a blind faith Hillside concert goers have with this festival, given the panic to get weekend passes without knowing more than 5 (of >30) artists that will be performing. As a volunteer-enabled concert, Hillside is all about enjoying the music and community; not just to make a profit and a mass event for corporations to sell their brands.

This year’s preliminary line up is shaping up to be excellent:

• The Acorn
• Joseph Arthur
• Akron/Family
• Bell Orchestre (Sunday)
• Black Cabbage
• Elliott Brood
• David Celia
• Jason Collett
• Born Ruffians
• The Bourbon Tabernacle Choir (Saturday Evening)
• The Burning Hell
• Cowboy Junkies (Friday)
• Jaymay
• Jenn Grant
• Hayden (Sunday Evening)
• Land of Talk
• Harry Manx
• Danny Michel
• Moshav
• Po’Girl
• Plants & Animals
• Kelly Joe Phelps
• Justin Rutledge
• The Sadies
• The Speakeasies
• The Vinyl Cafe with Stuart McLean (early Sunday evening)
  
• Hawksley Workman (Friday)

Get your tickets at Ticketpro via the Hillside website. Tickets will sell out so get them fast!

Add comment May 28th, 2008