BOYLE — Calling all Athabasca and area music lovers: this August long weekend is your chance to catch up-and-coming Alberta-based talent at the second annual Whiskey Flatts Music Festival.
From Aug. 2 to 5, Boyle Rodeo Grounds will play host to the electronic dance music (EDM) festival — an event that organizer and DJ Steve Janz hopes will become a staple of the region.
“This is the first year that we’re actually in Boyle,” said Janz in a July 17 interview. “Last year we did it out of a buddy’s acreage just north of Athabasca.”
The local disc jockey said during his 17-some years in the electronic music scene, he’s noticed the focus of live shows shift towards big centres and even bigger audiences.
“I’ve seen over the last couple of years kind of a decline in the smaller festivals, which I always found to be a better environment than something with 10 or 20,000 people. There’s certainly a lack of that in this general area, so I figured, why not start one?”
Though the pulsing beats and reverberating bass of EDM might be a foray into new territory for lovers of Metallica or Morgan Wallen, Janz said the festival and the talent performing will have something for everyone.
“Me personally, and I know a bunch of the other artists, what we like to play is quality remixes of classic rock, country, that kind of stuff.
“I love being able to take people that aren’t necessarily a huge fan and introduce them to it in a way that they’ve never seen or heard, that get them into it,” he added.
Janz — also known in the EDM world as Dirty Steve — has been a DJ and a production crew member for shows and festivals for almost two decades. He was introduced to the disc jockey deck at a young age, and a love of the genre has stayed with him since.
“I think I was twelve and happened to be at a small festival, and one of the guys putting it on just dragged me into the DJ booth and let me play with his light rig,” said Janz.
“That’s why we want to have something small and intimate and open to all ages, so we hit a broad audience and hopefully pique some interest in some of the young’uns.”
‘24 Remix
In its first year, the three-day festival saw around 50 attendees, though Janz said Whiskey Flatts Stage Management is hoping to see double the number of festival-goers from the first time around.
“We’re going to 100 ticket sales, we’re opening it up to the public just to have a small start so that we can keep a cap on quality,” said Janz. Though he and the crew are excited for growth, Janz stressed the importance of keeping scalability in mind.
“I’ve seen a lot of the smaller (festivals) have to cancel this year, whether it be guys just starting out, or guys that have been around for a while. I think a lot of it is they try to go too big, too fast,” he said.
Tickets are $60 for three days of bumping subwoofers, upbeat tempos, and dynamic light shows, and admission costs also cover camping on the grounds for three nights. In addition to showcasing the natural beauty of Northern Alberta, the festival will also feature talent from all corners of the province.
Performers and artists including Bad Acid, Glitter&Grime, DJ Digital Daddy and 16 other names will be taking the stage at this year’s festival. A number of performers, such as Freeda Funk, PandaBwoy, and Skootzy are returning for their second Whiskey Flatts appearance, thanks to connections with Janz.
Tickets for the festival can be purchased by messaging Whiskey Flatts Stage Management on Facebook.
