Sled started off much like last year: wet outside, and rocking in the Commonwealth. An ever-growing crowd took in the first night, centered around the double-billed venue.
36? opens Sled Island on Tuesday night at Commonwealth
Highlights included local acts 36? and Tigerwing, for fairly different and distinct reasons. 36? was given what might be seen as the unenviable task of batting leadoff for the whole festival, but they knocked it out of the park, and had the audience swaying to their easy melodic sound that is quintessentially ‘indie’, in all the best ways. Those who missed their brief introduction can get a second chance for a first impression when they play the ‘Legion on Friday – those who got out early enough will vouch for how good this local band sounds.
Tigerwing (Sarah Kelly) finishes her set downstairs at Commonwealth on the first night of Sled Island
Tigerwing started things off downstairs with an example of the diversity and discovery that comes with a festival as large and wide as Sled. Putting smart, tight vocals to smooth electronic music in a way that was simultaneously weird, wonderful and intimate, Sarah Kelly held the small crowd’s full attention for the whole of her short set. Tigerwing is part musical experimentation, part performance art, and utterly and refreshingly different for “traditional” music fans. She performs again on Wednesday at Wine-Ohs and Thursday at Broken City – go if you want a palate refresher to your rock tastebuds, but only if you like new, odd and bold musical flavours.
Upstairs, Slow Down Molasses was the first out-of-towner act of the festival, mostly because they just can’t say no, apparently. The band was scheduled for a red-eye flight out of Calgary eight hours from the time they took to the stage, but you wouldn’t know it by their energy. These guys (and one gal) put the “tune” in Saskatoon, and although they’ve been described as “shoegaze”, the musicians weren’t exactly standing awkwardly, and neither were the audience. There was plenty of hopping and bopping on both sides of the mic, as the band brought the party early.
What did we miss? The Mandates, The Slabs, Ayoo Angie, Witchstone, and Wild Rose Soul Club DJs. Hey, it’s a week night, with a heckuva lot of music still to come in the next few days. Thankfully, all of them have at least one more set scheduled this week – if you didn’t get out to see them on the opening night, you’ve got another chance. Check out the Sled Island schedule for details.
But there’s one thing you have to remember about a festival as vast, yet short as Sled Island: you can’t be everywhere, no matter how much you wish you could be!
