Back in the summer of 2011, Vancouver hosted “Summer Live” as part of Vancouver’s 125th anniversary. It was a free 3-day festival that took place in Stanley Park. It started on July 8th and ended on July 10th. And I was lucky enough to be able to attend the second day with my brother and one of his friends. So here’s the experience I had at the event.
Leading up to the event, I didn’t know a lot of the acts that were going to be playing at the event itself. The only band I had been somewhat familiar with was “The New Pornographers”. That’s mainly because they had their song “Electric Version” in the video game “Rock Band” as well as the song “Moves”, which was played a lot on the radio from what I can recall. Though it later popped up in a Hyundai commercial after the festival. Regardless, I wasn’t sure what to expect.
When we arrive, I was surprised to see as many people as I did. The main stage was filled with people. Either sitting on the grass or standing by the stage. It was also a gorgeous day. Wasn’t too hot and the sun was nice and bright. The first act we ended up seeing was Hannah Georgas.
I remember being very impressed with her performance. Especially considering I hadn’t heard any of her music up until that point. I enjoyed listening to her voice. It wasn’t anything over the top and it was very easy to listen to. When she performed “The Deep End” that’s when I remember being the most impressed with her. I also remember her appearance standing out. It was probably because of the sunglasses she wore, which I thought looked cool at the time.
After roughly an hour or Hannah Georgas, Neko Case took the stage. And just like Hannah Georgas, I did enjoy listening to Neko Case’s voice. It’s just as easy to listen to. Especially when she performed “Things That Scare Me”. I also remember there randomly being a moment where someone from the crowd yelled, “Marry me Neko!” Good times were definitely had at that show.
As the day started to wind down. The New Pornographers were the final band to play. I remember this one the most just because it was a longer set, as well as it is the band I was most familiar with. They played their hit songs; such as “Moves”, “Challengers” and “All the Showstoppers”. What was also really cool about that particular performance was during the show these big beach balls, that were being hit around. And they would also change colours at random. It made for a very nice atmosphere for the whole show.
And that was it. Three very enjoyable acts that I saw. It would be great to have this happen again in the future, but only time will tell when everything will go back to normal. Fingers crossed it’s sooner rather than later.
Though I’m curious to know, were you at the same show too? If so, leave a comment below and let me know what you thought of it.