The last one standing always wins, and the victory is even greater when it’s the underdog that comes out on top.

Music Waste got started as a protest event. Once upon a time, before the entire music industry collapsed in a pile of smoking rubble, Vancouver hosted a big and shiny annual event called Music West, where bands had to apply to be included in the various live showcases. One year, those left on the outside looking in got pissed and created their own festival, titled Music Waste. Guess which one endures today?

Music Waste rears its proudly underground head this weekend, from Thursday to Sunday (June 4 to 7), with a lineup that covers everything from call-the-cops hardcore to dirty back-alley jazz to whisky-slurred country. And if you haven’t heard of Pickles & Cheese, Glad Rags, Still Creek Murder, the Blessed Pisser, or Psychic Pollution, don’t worry. They probably wouldn’t have made it past the first cut at Music West, which is exactly the point.