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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A WayHome Wedding

Credit: Morgan Hotston (here)

This weekend I took to Burl's Creek Event Grounds for the third edition of the WayHome Music and Arts festival. Perhaps you followed my exploits Friday (live blogged here) or throughout the weekend via Twitter. While I'm working a large scale recap for this blog, and perhaps more elsewhere, I first wanted to share one of the more unique experiences from the truly magical weekend.

One of the undeniable characteristics of WayHome is love, and there was perhaps no better example of that then the nuptials of WayHomie couple, Chayla and Almir. The wedding, which was performed by my friend, and fellow Radio Humber alumnus Kenan (now of 106.9 FM The Wolf), showcased both the incredible community feeling and energy of WayHome, as well as the aforementioned love.

In terms of energy and fun, the above video has it all. But if you're looking for a little more love, or just some more wit and humour from Kenan, enjoy the full ceremony below, complete with The Big Lebowski and Waiting... references. Apologies for the low quality, I'm but a blogger, not a photographer.

WayHome Day 2 Live Blog

Also live tweeting at @OggieJames

8:15 - the world is awake. At least some people are. Some are still partying from last night.

8:45 - I guess I should get upright. The promise of a coffee makes it worth it.

9:00 - I know there were tons of people and tents and parties, but the light of day really puts it in perspective.

10:15 - walk from one site to another, and back and forth all over again. Lots of people raving about last night's acts (Flume, Justice, Danny Brown, Cage The Elephant), others can't stop talking about tonight's acts (Mura Masa, Schoolboy Q, and Jazz Cartier).

10:30 - impromptu trip to Orillia and the LCBO. So many nice looking summer drinks. Pretty colours.

11:15 - portapotties are death traps. The worst sauna you've ever been in.

12:00 - seems like every other site is doing funnels. The drinking is back in full force.

12:30 - my buddy's friend is getting married just outside the entrance. That should be interesting. Last two years at Bestival I witnessed weddings so why not here too?

WayHome Day 1 Live Blog

I'm also live tweeting at @OggieJames

8:20 - wake up before my alarm. To excited.

9:30 - after repacking my bag a dozen times I'm on the way to the subway and the shuttle bus.

10:50 - arrive at the shuttle bus. It's full, but they're sending another.

11:10 - we board second bus. Driver really wants us to know his name is Ed.

11:20 - we depart. I'm beside a guy named Harry. He has an indeterminate English accent. Nice.

11:30 - turn onto the Gardiner and the first billboard in sight is for WayHome. Couple cheers.

11:35 - bus is quiet. Most people keeping to themselves, listening to music. Couple of conversations.

11:55 - Harry and his boys crack a beer.

11:57 - I get a whiff of weed. Don't think anyone's smoking it. That'd be massively sketch.

12:05 - now that the beers are flowing (thank Harry and his boys for breaking the ice) the conversations have really sparked up. THE PARTY HAS STARTED!

12:55 - traffic is bad. We were supposed to be there by now, and we're probably an hour away still. Sad.

1:40 - we stop for a quick pee and leg stretch in Barrie. Nearly there.

1:55 - everyone is more warm and cordial than before. We've become wayhomies. Mere minutes away from the grounds.

2:10 - Ed makes a reckless turns onto the camp road and an OPP follows us. Everyone is excited but scared at the same time

3:10 - I finish setting up my tent. This village of tents is awesome. Ended up right beside Mikey Palermo. Sweet.

3:45 - imma die tonight, I hope that's cool with you. Nah I'm kidding no deaths just fun times. Off to get my media pass, looking like the unique goof.

4:25 - waited 10 minutes to get redirected to in turn get redirected. No help in getting a media pass here. It's a hella disaster. Not anyone specific fault just an overall thing.

4:35 - guy comes to help he also knows nothing. They're sending someone else.

4:45 - Ally comes to help me. We drive to get a pass and she does me off at the media gate (couple of autograph seekers). Walk to catch up with RYME.

5:00 - Meech is DJing inside the greenhouse.  Ry arrives late, as usual.

5:15 - tons of porta-potties, lots of room to chill and smoke, and the bouncer remembers me as I go back in the greenhouse. Excellent.

5:35 - Mikey says the track I like so much is Drake - Get It Together.

5:46 - I tweeted "somebody sober me up" (since deleted)

6:54 - I write the previous update hoping the spelling and grammar is right.

6:55- I wonder where Harry and my Irish boys are.

7:03 - I forgot about 6:46, and am plotting my next move, amongst hundreds here to see Flume, Danny Brown, and Justice.

7:07 - apparently I was going to write something here but I forgot. Sorry.

8:10 - it doesn't take an hour to walk from site to stage but it's close if you stop at all. And I used the VIP entrance, GA was rammed

8:33 - crowd runs to the stage to hear "Pumped Up Kicks"

8:43 - enough wandering around I asked someone and I ended up being right next door to the wristband refill station.

8:50 - Cage The Elephant absolutely rocking. Singer doing his best Mick Jagger. Loving every minute of it

1:43 - apparently I've got some explaining to do. Home and asleep.

My WayHome Plan Of Attack

As I'm sure you know by now, I'm headed to Burl's Creek for WayHome Music and Arts Festival. I had mentioned that you can make your own schedule on the WayHome site here. Unfortunately that custom schedule doesn't allow you to include the Perrier Greenhouse, where I'll be spending multiple hours each day. So I decided to make my own custom schedule. See each day below, make note of the/my start times, and the conflicts in red on Friday. I'll be live tweeting much of the weekend, and hope to do a bit of a live blog each day, here. Follow me @OggieJames and if you're there feel free to reach out.

Bump In The Hump Sneak Peek: WayHome Special

As I mentioned last week, I'm going to WayHome and have decided to celebrate that on this episode of Bump In The Hump. I've selected tracks from 15 artists set to perform at Burl's Creek this weekend. Of course we're all Canadian on Radio Humber, so those artists not from the motherland are either feature or are remixed by a Canuck. Not only has this special episode given me the opportunity to revisit some of my favourite tracks from the past, but some that I may have missed and/or that didn't fit the only new music ethos of Bump In The Hump. Aside from the obvious (those at WayHome), some of the other artists represented include Jacques Greene, CRi, Chromeo and Mathematic, whose remix of Justice (as premiered on Bump In The Hump) is now lost in the ether. Enjoy the following 3 tracks, yet to air.While this episode of Bump In The Hump is intended to excite for WayHome, by no means am I claiming that any of these tracks actually get played there. That's what the fun of a festival and a live performance entails: you have to be there to truly experience it. Tickets are still available all over the place, I see them at the official site, the Facebook event page, and Toronto Rave Community. Join me and Bump In The Hump tonight for the Canadian electronic take on WayHome, live on Radio Humber from 6-7 PM EDT.

Mura Masa - Helpline (ft. Tom Tripp)

If you've taken in my twitter feed at all in the last few months, no doubt you've seen me drool over Mura Masa's track with Tom Tripp, "Helpline." Of course the first time we heard it was during his Coachella set, listen and watch here. The whole 40 minute set is absolutely overflowing with energy, in large part to it playing host to a number of new tracks, including "Nuggets" the A-side of "Helpline" pictured above.

It was that explosion of freeing, funky fun energy that initially drew me to "Helpline." As soon as I heard it I thought, man this is some kind of super cool track. Right from the get go the drum beat brings you in, before the bassline begs you shake your tail feather. Then comes those incredibly intoxicating keys. All this paired underneath Tom Tripp's feverish vocals, speaking to the most human needs.

There's no questioning the track's construction: the sound design, progression and lyrical themes are as fun as can be, but for me there's no comparing the studio version with the live version. The key to "Helpline" is its raw, organic and human nature, but that gets lost in the almost stagnant studio mix. At times I have trouble making out the lyrics, and for some reason the mixing of elements seems muddy. Of course this is in comparison to the stripped back live version, which is more easily mixed.
Now I don't mean for this to come across as me knocking Mura Masa or anyone else involved on "Helpline," I just think it's better suited to a live performance. There are plenty of examples of this elsewhere, of which Haim is perhaps the best. I first came across them when they played Jimmy Kimmel Live! (here). I absolutely loved their live performance (in part because of Este's Bass Face), but when I listened to the album cuts I felt a little underwhelmed. Of course live and studio are not going to be exactly the same, live allows for more experimentation and playfulness whereas studio recordings serve a different purpose. Regardless, the vast disparity can be frustrating to some. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I still love "Helpline" and consider it one of my favourite productions of the year, I just see the live version as the more true to itself depiction. It's without a doubt the one track I'm most excited to see at WayHome. If you're like me, and need to have that live version on repeat, I've uploaded it for download via mediafire here.

FOLLOW MURA MASA: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER
FOLLOW TOM TRIPP: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

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.

FOLLOW WAYHOME: FACEBOOK HOMEPAGE TWITTER

Bump In The Hump: WWRD Interview

Today's the day! Bump In The Hump returns for its fourth season on 96.9 FM Radio Humber. As promised, I've got three tracks to get your hyped for this groundbreaking, episode. Two weeks ago I had WWRD in studio for an interview, in which we chatted about her connection to Anna Lunoe, who she would most like collab with, how she got signed to BADLQQK, and her forthcoming track "Blitzen," among other things. Below is a quick snippet of what you can expect from our laidback conversation. I'll also be uploading a behind-the-scenes, uncut version of the interview later tonight.  As I have been doing all week, I've once again uploaded another Kenan Habibovic produced promo, the third and final for the fourth season. This one showcases something I'll be focusing more heavily on this season, festivals, and with it a new weekly feature replacing the Fire Finale. That new feature is called the Weekend Warm-up. Always ending Bump In The Hump with a track from a Canadian artist that will be performing at a festival or club night that weekend, in the immediate area, whether it's Ever After in Kitchener, Wayhome in Oro-Medonte, Osheaga in Montreal or Bestival right here in Toronto. As a final teaser for tonight's season premiere, you can listen to this week's Weekend Warm-up, Rezz's remix of Kill The Noise "Without A Trace." You can catch Rezz at Ever After this Sunday, and you can pick up her remix free, now. Don't miss the fourth season premiere of Bump In The Hump live tonight from 6-7 EST on 96.9 FM Radio Humber, alongside the Weekend Warm-up, WWRD interview and mix, as well as the best new Canadian electronic dance music. Get it all, follow along as I live tweet, and listen live here.