Those headed to Burl’s Creek this weekend are on their feet, on the floor and good to go. Now all they need is just to hear a song they know.
And to bring their friends.
All Your Friends Fest takes place Aug. 23 and Aug. 24 at Burl’s Creek Event Grounds in Oro-Medonte, welcoming Billy Talent, Fall Out Boy, Jimmy Eat World, Gob and scores of other third wave emo and pop punk bands.
Upward of 15,000 music lovers are expected to attend and the folks at Republic Live are ready for them.
“It’ll be really exciting to bring in a new genre and a new community to the grounds,” said Brooke Dunford, director of booking and business development for Republic Live, in an interview five days out from when the bands take the stage. “The venue is such a special place to gather fans and really celebrate a festival atmosphere.”
It’s not the first time a rock festival has taken over the grounds at Burl’s Creek. While Boots and Hearts was Republic Live’s first foray into a camping festival, its tenure in Oro-Medonte began with the Wayhome Music and Arts Festival, which took place in the lead-up to Boots between 2015 and 2017.
Since Republic Live put the festival on pause, “Wayhomies” have clamoured for it to return, and if you were talking to the right people at Boots and Hearts 2023, it seemed like that might be imminent. Rumours were swirling around the park that weekend that Wayhome was on the way back.
Ultimately, that didn’t materialize. But what did is an opportunity for those of a certain age to get together and re-live the music of their high school and post-secondary days.
“You’ve seen it really happen all across the U.S., with the genre, the nostalgia, being more popular than ever,” Dunford said. “Conceptualizing more for Burl’s Creek has always been our goal and we were able to do that this year.”
The nostalgia train has been at full speed for millennials since at least the COVID-19 pandemic, if not sooner. On Monday alone in Toronto, depending on your musical taste, you could relive your youth with sets from either Bush and Jerry Cantrell (of Alice in Chains) or Missy Elliot and Busta Rhymes.
Festivals devoted to emo — short for emotional — have also sprung up throughout North America, with Best Friends Festival in Las Vegas being among the most popular.
Planning for All Your Friends Fest came together quickly around the holidays, Dunford said, looking at the availability of the bands in comparison to the conclusion of Boots and Hearts. As important as getting the right musicians would be, being able to do so when the park is already set up for a festival was imperative.
“We never want to put on a show where we’re trying to put on a show out of nothing; it’s always dependent on the artists,” Dunford said. “We’ll just continue to look for the artists’ availability and new experiences — and new artists — that fans love and ask to have. You never know each year, but certainly this year it felt right, and it was the time to go, because these bands needed a home and we’re really thankful to have them at Burl’s Creek.”
As a fan, Dunford is excited for bands such as the All American Rejects and Plain White T’s, artists whose songs surrounded her while growing up, and to experience Fall Out Boy’s set, as the band is bringing its full headlining production to the park for the festival. She’s also keen to support the Canadian acts on the bill, including Gob and Fefe Dobson.
As an executive, she’s excited to showcase the flexibility of Burl’s Creek.
“It won’t be the crowded, four-day show that we’re used to,” she said, which will be welcome, especially for those who bring their kids. But creating intimacy in a 600-acre space is a daunting task.
“I think the beautiful thing is that the venue is scalable,” she said. “It just allows it to be more of a park and intimate experience. You can lay out with your family, picnic-style and just have that more intimate experience outdoors with bands. You have your space there.”
With no overlap between the acts on the two stages, you won’t have to miss a minute of the music over the weekend. There’ll also be lots of food and activations throughout the park, plus a full VIP section for those who want a little more space and perks to celebrate their punk roots.
And hopefully, celebrate their friendships.
“As our name says: you can come with all your friends, there’s something for everyone,” Dunford said. “I think it’s going to be a special, unique experience for fans and artists that in a festival you don’t get anywhere else. I think there’s going to be a lot of magic that happens this weekend.”
Weekend and daily passes are still available.
Patrick’s Picks
Here’s who the author will not miss this weekend:
- Jimmy Eat World – I saw them the night before my 40th birthday and believe me when I tell you that you may never see a happier bunch of middle-aged dudes in your life when they play Sweetness on Saturday.
- Billy Talent – Last time I talked to a member of Billy Talent, I asked them to play Beach Balls that night. I was laughed at. That was 20 years ago, and I hope I get to ask one of them again this weekend.
- Dashboard Confessional – A Wayhome alumni, if you have never seen a Dashboard Confessional set, be sure to warm up for an hour of sing-a-longs
- Gob – I saw Gob play Paint It Black at an Edge Fest at Molson Park. It still might be my favourite Rolling Stones cover.
- Fefe Dobson – We didn’t give Fefe Dobson her flowers when she first hit the scene in 2003. That was our fault. Let’s make it up to her this weekend.
