After the rains settled, we headed back to Deer Lake Park for the second installment of the Vancouver Virgin Music Festival. Still disappointed from missing out on the previous night’s headliners, The Roots, the glorious beaming sunshine gave the warm forebodings of a good festival still ahead…
The SPIN earth team took Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros down to the river for a chat after their energized, folk-rock performance on the stage. Smokin’ cigarettes on the dock, the band talked about what it’s like to live like a band of gypsies, sharing everything with their bandmates except for “dirty underwear.”
Later that afternoon, we hooked up with Emily Haines, singer extraordinaire from Metric. They blazed the Festival stage with an tiger-like fierceness, shredding it up with hits such as “Dead Disco” and “Monster Hospital.” Haines discussed the successes of their latest album Fantasies, which has sold more records than their previous one over four years. Metric’s got a solid base of zealous, loyal devotees that makes them hugely entertaining to watch.
The final set, Ben Harper and the Relentless 7, graced the stage while every woman let out an “oooohhh” and an “ahhhhh” and for good reason — Harper is a beautiful man. Harper howled out some of his classic tunes, sedating everyone through his intoxicating smoothness. The sun was setting in a pink lemonade sky while he lovingly stroked his lap steel guitar. It was a glorious weekend.