The Wonderland That Was WayHome 2017 (Recap)

Credit: Karis Malszecki (Instagram)

When the lineup for the WayHome Music and Arts festival was first announced, there were two artists at the top of my list: Justice and Mura Masa. By the time the festival actually rolled around I had added a significant number of names to my list of must see acts (see here and here), but still there were two tracks from those first two artists that I essentially hung all my anticipation on: my #1 track of 2016 "Randy" (read here) and "Helpline" (read here). Unfortunately neither track was played, but that didn't stop this past weekend from being perhaps THE BEST WEEKEND EVER.

This being both my first WayHome, and my first overnight camping festival, I went in with very few expectations or even ideas about what I was getting myself into. I was also flying solo for the most part (bouncing between groups of friends, as I'm apt to do), which allowed for full freedom and discovery. I had a strong schedule of who I wanted to see, but that was more of guideline rather than a strict itinerary. And this is part of what I love about being a blogger/reviewer as opposed to a photographer/videographer/etc, it allows me to experience the festival as a whole, while still focusing on the music. From the camping, food, staff, fellow WayHomies and everything in between, WayHome was pure perfection. If you're reading for the music only, jump ahead to the break below.

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Weather
Mother nature set the mood for the weekend right off the bat, clearing out the clouds, turning up the temperature and letting the sun shine full blast from Friday morning through Sunday evening. Even the grass was green, which I'm told was not the case in previous years. Check out the Friday night sunset.

Camping
The seemingly endless rows of camping played host to hundreds of little parties. It was absolutely mind-blowing walking from one corner to another, passing thousands of people all here for the same thing. Saturday morning I met up with 404, and we literally went back and forth between a half dozen different groups of people getting ready another full day of fun. This was tiring walking so far, but inspiring in that it brought so many people together. However the highlight of my camping came when I met Kyle (left) and his group from Barrie. Just take a look at this character (RIP those sunglasses, which fell into a porta-potty minutes after this picture).

Food
No matter your dietary restrictions or desires there was something for you. Poutines aplenty placated, staples like Pizza Pizza and Beaver Tails satisfied, while dozens of other delicacies tickled your taste buds. I had a wicked good (but ultimately bad choice due to time spent in the porta-potties afterwards) spicy chorizo burrito. However the most talked about foodstuff was The Colossal Onion, but beware it's not for the faint of heart, I barely made a dent in mine even though it was sinfully scrumptious.

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5 Reasons Why I Can't Wait For WayHome

We're getting really close (just over two weeks) until, arguably, Ontario's biggest music festival returns for its third iteration. WayHome Music & Arts Festival brings dozens of artists to Burl's Creek Event Grounds in Oro-Medonte July 28th-30th, and it's about time to get the excitement and anticipation in full effect. Whether it's star studded headliners like Flume or Frank Ocean, or incredible undercard acts like Mura Masa, Danny Brown or Rag'n'Bone Man, there's something for everyone.

With the rest of this post, I'll highlight a number of the acts I'm most excited to see and why. But first a little refresher of the lineup, which just got bolstered today through the announcement of the Perrier Greenhouse lineup. Expect it to be the go-to chill out spot with selections from several of the country's best DJs. WayHome has also made the weekend easier to plan out with their custom schedule, here.

Main Lineup

#1: Justice
It's been just over a year since French electro duo Justice released their first track from Woman, "Safe And Sound." Now that the studio portion of the album has been delivered, their focus has shifted to touring with their live set. The promise of seeing these icons live and in person ought to be enough to entice whether you're a die hard fan of their old stuff or a new, casual fan. Finding out what they're going to play is half the fun, but there's no doubt they'll bring the energy and have the crowd immediately in hand. My only hope is that we get to hear "Randy," but they can do no wrong with any of their catalog.
If somehow you are unfamiliar with Justice, get to know them with the playlist below.

#2: Pat Lok
I've written about and played out Pat Lok several times here and on Radio Humber. Fresh off his debut album Hold On Let Go, I'm incredibly excited to spend my Friday afternoon dancing to the disco vibes of Pat Lok. It's artists like Pat that make WayHome so special. For some reason I've never had the opportunity to see him spin, maybe because he doesn't fit into the pop EDM sphere, but WayHome's eclectic, art first approach, allows for more indie acts. Get a taste of what to expect with his album.

#3: Mura Masa
Whether its "Lotus Eater," "Firefly," or "What If I Go?" there's no way you've missed Mura Masa. In the last year he's absolutely exploded, and he's just about to do it again with the release of his debut album, this Friday. We've already heard his collabs with Charli XCX and Desiigner "1 Night" and "All Around The World," respectively, but there's been one track that's been front and centre for me since he debuted it at Coachella. "Helpline" with Tom Tripp is the ultimate energizing party track, every time I hear it I can't help but get up and shake my tail-feather. The studio version just got released this past weekend, and although it's unquestionable quality, the energy of the live version is untouchable, making Mura Masa's Saturday night set can't miss. It and my other favourites are compiled below.

#4: Rag'n'Bone Man
This blog deals almost exclusively with electronic music, but of course that's not all I like, take for example Rag'n'Bone Man. Ever since I stumbled upon his song "Bitter End" a couple years ago, I've been waiting for the right opportunity to get to see him in person, and now it seems to have arrived. He's got a great soulful approach, oozing with emotion, which has led him to be remixed several times, but there's no taking away from the quality of his originals. I have a feeling his Sunday afternoon set will feel a lot like church, and that's probably something we'll need after the first two days.

#5: The Perrier Greenhouse
Looking at this lineup makes me think I'll be spending the majority of my time at WayHome inside the cool confines of the Perrier Greenhouse. Of course my love for both RYME and Ryan Hemsworth is well documented, but I've also written about Tommy Kruise and Falcons here before. Then there's local legends 4Korners, Jayemkayem, and Derek Wise. Not only are these names enough to allure, the extended length of the sets is sure to satisfy. Why retreat to your campsite to seek shade or catch your breath when you can stay in amongst the action, complete with air conditioning?

Of course I didn't address all of the acts at WayHome, or even any of the other amenities, otherwise I'd be writing all the way up to its start July 28th. But if you want to know more before you break out the cash to come along, the WayHome website has just about everything you need to know. There's also an app you can download, or if all else fails, I've seen them very diligently answer questions on twitter.

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