Login / RegisterKhatsahlano! Music + Arts Festival announces killer lineup
Last July, between Burrard and MacDonald streets, West 4th Avenue in Kits swelled with some 50,000 visitors for the first Khatsahlano! Music + Arts Festival—even though the event wasn’t as well-publicized as some of its organizers would have liked. “It was so late being announced last year that a lot of people didn’t know about it until after the fact,” says Zulu Records founder Grant McDonough with a sigh. “So this year we’re getting the news out a couple of months early.”
Besides being early, the news is also good. At a May 16 launch on Zulu’s rooftop patio, McDonough revealed that an incredible 30 local bands will be playing at this year’s festival, including the Zolas, Kathryn Calder, Ladyhawk, Blackout Beach, the Dead Ghosts, Shearing Pinx, Weed, the High Drops, the Ballantynes, and Capitol 6. Obviously, the fest’s music curator has an ear for variety.
“You should be able to walk from one end of the street to the other, and you’re going to be hit by an array of sounds,” McDonough explains. “The idea is about flow. People can take in a lot if they’re willing to walk a few blocks, and I can pretty much guarantee that they’re going to hear something great that’ll catch them off guard. Some of the talent of these artists is quite amazing.”
Taking place on July 21, Khatsahlano! will also offer work for sale by local artisans and good food along with the one-stop education on what’s making the city swing these days.
