ShazamFest is a family-friendly, music-and-lots-more festival that will present its tenth edition from July 9-12, 2015, on an organic farm in Barnston West, in the Eastern Townships.
My first reaction to the locale was “Too far, no car,” but after attending a press conference and meeting some of the incredibly friendly, dedicated, passionate people involved in ShazamFest, including its founder, Ziv Przytyk, I’m hoping I can convince one of my friends with a car to take me there, even if only for one day.
Since we’re talking about “one day,” this is a good time to mention that admission to the festival is free on Sunday, July 12.
Musical acts at ShazamFest include Buck 65, Socalled, Bob Log III, The Damn Truth and the Lemon Bucket Orkestra. (In an interview with La Tribune last year, ShazamFest founder Ziv Przytyk said that the vocalist for The Damn Truth has a voice like Janis Joplin’s. Sounds good!) The band Kyriaki will present the Greek music known as Rebetika. See the full lineup and ShazamFest schedule here.
In addition to music, there will be wrestlers and wrestling workshops, circus workshops, a tie-dye workshop, forging with knife maker and blacksmith David MacDonald, yoga on the beach, skateboarding and the Canadian Extreme Laughter Championship. The “ShazamFest Olympics” will include a tug-of-war and stone skipping. People are urged to wear costumes. There will be prizes for the best ones.
Two kitchens will sell tasty, locally sourced meals, with choices suitable for vegans and carnivores; a third kitchen will sell delicious desserts.
The Blue Mushroom Sirkus Psyshow, which has revived the concept of the circus sideshow, will present, among many things, a strongman, sword-swallowing, fire-eating and a burlesque performance by Miss BonBon Bombay that involves flames in, um, surprising and unexpected ways. This was a big hit at the press conference, let me tell you.
Miss BonBon Bombay explained that her fire act was a tribute to veteran burlesque performer Satan’s Angel (The Devil’s Own Mistress, Queen of the Fire Tassels), and that it’s done with her permission and blessing.
The Blue Mushroom Sirkus Psyshow has an amazing web site at bluemushroompsyshow.org; there are clever biographies of troupe members, that suggest possible supernatural connections, and great photos, too. There’s a Facebook page for the Blue Mushroom Sirkus Psyshow, as well.
So, what about those people I met? The first one was Ziv Przytyk, the founder of ShazamFest. He was as enthusiastic as all get out, and wearing a bright yellow jumpsuit that he had made himself! Talented guy! He explained that he sees the festival, and its rural location, as a “space to bring people together, to create a community.” The first year 400 people came; these days attendance is around 2,000 people. Those people make networks and build friendships there. The festival is now old enough that sometimes three generations of a family will come. There has never been any kind of trouble at ShazamFest. Ziv has a theory that people behave well at the festival because children are there; they are a civilizing influence.
I talked to Miss BonBon Bombay, as mentioned above, and to her colleagues, strongman The Mighty Leviticus, and powerful vocalist Angela Solo. I listened to the singing-and-guitar playing duo Les Deuxluxes, and watched some antics from the Eastern Townships Wrestling Association, who challenged Ziv Przytyk to a showdown at the festival.
As for ShazamFest tickets, there are many options. Children who are 12 years old or younger get in free. A full weekend pass, for one person, which includes camping and parking, will be $90 at the gate, but it was available back in February for only $55. Keep this in mind for next year! The price for Friday is $45, Saturday is $50. A family pass (two adults and two teens) will be $200 at the gate. (As I write this, that pass is available for $175 if bought online.)
People who buy a day pass can stay untill the following morning. In keeping with ShazamFest’s environmentally conscious ethos, people who arrive on a bicycle will get a 20-per-cent discount on their tickets.
And remember that Sunday is free! Visit ShazamFest’s ticket page for complete details.
Mostlymovies.ca 