RIFFLANDIA 2011
Tickets just went on sale for this mammoth Victoria event & we are super excited to see Rifflandia stretch its legs a little bit. This year, the 4 day event will include Royal Athletic Park, a massive addition that is sure to really hammer home the true spirit of a festival.
This year’s lineup *isn’t finished yet*, but already it’s a fantastic cross section of all genres & styles. Mother Mother, Broken Social Scene, Cold War Kids, Daniel Wesley, City & Colour, Awolnation, De La Soul, Cave Singers, J Mascis, Nosaj Thing, Besnard Lakes, AraabMuzik, Blackalicious, Machinedrum, Sage Francis, Tokimonsta, Ra Ra Riot & MOOOOORE will pack Athletic Park & the regular Rifflandia night time venues over four days/nights of amazing music.
This year there are more ticket options than previous years – we strongly encourage you to visit the Rifflandia website’s ticket page to help decide which option best suits you. Couple of points of note:
- individual day passes for Fri/Sat/Sun are only available via Rifflandia.com. These passes will get you into Royal Athletic Park for one day only.
- There is a limited amount of SUPERPASSES. The Rifflandia Super Pass gets you into the park during the day AND all of the evening events as well – these passes are going quick, so have a good look at THIS PAGE: if there bands playing during the day AND night that you really want to see (ie/ you REEEEAALLY want to see both Sage Francis & Mother Mother), then we strongly advise you snatch up a Super Pass pronto to save you the hassle down the line. Honestly, it’s an amazing $165 value.
Mother Mother
This BC group is no stranger to Victoria crowds. A huge hilight of Rifflandia 2009, they’re one of the biggest acts & most promising draws to the festival. Live they’re energetic & pull off their amazing rock/indie/folk hybrid with style.
Broken Social Scene
Canada’s favourite indie super-group will roll through for Rifflandia & we couldn’t be more excited. Their ecstatic, wall-of-sound performances are always a revelry – seeing them at Royal Athletic Park will be nothing short of amazing.
Cave Singers
A longtime Ditch Records fave, Cave Singers hail from Seattle & bring a brilliant mix of psych-folk & classic lo-fi indie songwriting. Their latest album No Witch is a killer record packed with intimate tunes & killer acoustic jams.
City & Colour
City & Colour is the mellow solo project of Alexisonfire’s Dallas Green. While maintaining the intensity & volume with his post-hardcore outfit, Green has managed to easily carve a melodic, soul-bearing niche for himself out of the Canadian music landscape.
Cold War Kids
These guys are a huge staple on The Zone & are sure to pull a massive amount of peeps to Rifflandia 2011. Their melodic, anthemic sound is built for outdoor stages – one to catch for sure.
De La Soul
Hip-hop icons De La Soul are no stranger to festivals like Rifflandia. Unlike many hip-hop acts, De La are amazing live, tapping their deep catalog of classic hip-hop anthems for a crowd-rocking live show that is not to be missed.
Nosaj Thing
Nosaj is loosely part of Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder collective & brings a similar brand of post-hip-hop, psychedelic beats to Rifflandia. BONUS: he’ll be playing with his full visual show which you should check below. It’s a fantastic large-scale set of visuals that syncs with Nosaj’s glacial bass music.
Besnard Lakes
Another Ditch fave, these Montreallers have long been underrated within Canada’s indie community. Their recent album The Roaring Night is a masterfully produced slab of dynamic psych-rock. Live, they dial in the classic rock & really recall the classic vibe of much of what we love about the 70s.
Awolnation
Another huge Zone band, Awolnation bring a sound not too unlike a heavy version of Beck’s hybridized rock style. Electronic elements, dance influences & volume all combine here for a heavy sound that will sound BIG on Rifflandia’s main stage.
J Mascis
The Dinosaur Jr. frontman is nothing if not iconic at this point – he’s a fantastic addition to Rifflandia 2011’s lineup, bringing his paired down, often acoustic tunes, as well as his amazing guitar virtuosity.
Machinedrum
Brooklyn’s Machinedrum is one of North America’s shining lights in the world of underground dance music. With his latest album Room(s), he synthesizes grime, dubstep, house & hip-hop into a cohesive mess of gritty club tunes. Live, he bangs out his own rhythms on his controller, remixing on the fly, bringing a sweaty dance party.