Music, Sunshine, Family Fun at Rock the Shores

Summer is real sweet when you’ve got live music, sunshine and good company. Rock the Shores 2016 could check all of those off on their festival resume.

The line-up was decidedly less “rock” or heritage bands than it’s been in the past, but that didn’t harm the festival groove.

Sunday night’s headliner Metric was a great finish from a dynamic and powerful band. Metric singer Emily Haines was very dramatic on stage and had fans of all ages, from little ones wearing ear protection to their moms all wrapped up in her performance.

Dallas Green and his band City and Colour had an impeccable performance featuring his song Sleeping Sickness that was recorded as a duet with The Tragically Hip’s Gord Downie that brought tears back from Friday’s Hip performance in Victoria.

New Pornographers Kathryn Calder, from Victoria takes the stage in Colwood.

You likely have heard of the band Eagles of Death Metal — but not heard their music. This weekend, festival-goers heard their music and were not lost on the fact that THIS is the band whose audience were targeted by terrorists in Paris last year. You’d never know it from their performance — it was a fun concert and these guys have a great way of making the audience relax and have good time. It was tight security backstage in and the photo pit, like we’ve never seen — but we were thrilled to get a new place-mark for this band that many of us have only heard of in a shocking news story.

More photos from the Rock the Shores 2016 festival — Featuring Metric, City and Colour, The Cat Empire, New Pornographers, and Big Wreck.

Oh, yeah…If you’re headed to Rock the Shores next year, don’t forget your hat. It’s a real hat parade.

Mel Z – Midday Show 10am – 3pm Ocean 98.5