Local promotion team Vive Music celebrated its second birthday this past Saturday with ViveFest 2, a Sask/Alberta-centric indie rock festival.

The event went down at the Saskatoon German Concordia Club's temporary home at the corner of Main St. and Dufferin. The venue lent itself well to the festival, featuring two floors of music, with performances bouncing back and forth, so there was never a real lull in the action. Even while bands played on downstairs, the main stage was occupied by entertainers such as slam poet Charles Hamilton, fiddler Ryan Spracklin and flautist Sam Mitchell.

The basement stage featured Saskatoon's Sexy Mathematics, Jeanette Stewart & the Brodeo and We Were Lovers, with Halifax's Paper Beat Scissors, Edmonton's Eamon McGrath, Saskatoon's Feral Children and Calgary's Women taking the upstairs main stage duties.

Staying true to form, Eamon McGrath formed his stage band the day before the show, with local musicians Tyson McShane and Barrett Ross sitting in. Not one to pass up a chance to record, McGrath and band cut a five-song limited edition live ep before the festival. There might be some left, but you'll have to ask Vive.

The highlight of the evening was Feral Children, whose mind-melting set of psychedelic rock n' roll solidified their spot as one of Saskatoon's best bands.

Check the photos below:

Eamon McGrath





Feral Children









Women









Posted by: Jay Allen, Program Director.

All photos (c) 2010 Jason Allen