Pandemonium prevails at Pemberton Festival

After months of anticipation, a pile of planning and a whole lotta’ hype, Pemberton Festival (affectionately known as Pembie Fest), is now a moment in music history. However, before the memories fade like Pharrell Williams hair-do, let’s cover off some highlights shall we?

Due to the inevitable (and demoralizing) traffic congestion that nearly pushed me to the brink of suicide – sounds dramatic I know – I unfortunately missed out on a few acts. I did manage to catch all of the heavy hitters which are, after all, the reason I and 39,999 others spent 3 days intoxicated and covered in dirt…just to catch a glimpse of some rock legends lighting it up in our very own backyard.

Serj Tankian, lead singer of political metal band System of a Down and now a soloist, was my first taste of the events that would continue to rock my world throughout the weekend. What a set of pipes on this man! Sporting a linen suit and top hat to match, one might not have expected Tankian to get the crowd chanting ‘Praise the lord, pass the ammunition’…but he surely did. This fella is clever and a far cry from your status quo artists shouting ‘Bush sucks’ just to get the crowd going. Nothing makes me hotter than a rock star who can authentically and accurately speak about politics.

Interpol…shall we call them Inter-snore? What a bunch of suit-clad zombies. I quite like their music, but as far as stage presence goes, they should enroll in Jack Black’s school of rock ‘cuz these boys just don’t have it in them. Or they absolutely despise one another? Either way, you have one member resembling Lyle Lovett, another who could pass for a Boy George look-a-like. And when they finally spoke, I was shocked to discover that these lads are actually American? I got a Brit vibe for sure, given their outfits. Perfect time for a trip to the beer garden I suppose.

Nine Inch Nails did not disappoint, which was no surprise - Trent Reznor is a force to be reckoned with. The man is intense…and hot. I was perhaps guilty of a few groupie-esque ‘woo-hoos’ during his set, but rightly so. The multi-talented/multi-instrumentalist closed the first day of the festival with a bang, sporting a massive light board behind him and his band, creating quite the spectacle. Now that’s a rock show.

The Tragically Hip brought out the biggest, and definitely the rowdiest, crowd of all the acts during the festival. I guess you have to be Canadian to truly get it (as an aussie friend of mine put it) but no matter where these boys play, the crowds will follow. Gord Downie threw down his usual bizarre stage antics pretending his mic stand was a car at one point whilst he thrust himself upon it. Right. Whatever floats your boat Gordie. At one point, Downie glimpsed over to the lead guitarist (you know, the one that looks like Alanis with a beard?), and flashed this smile that quite obviously meant ‘woe man, we’re still pulling this off after all these years…life is good’. This completed the patriotic portion of the show.

Bring on Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers- all American boys and rock legends. This was perhaps one of the most diverse sing-a-long sessions I’ve seen in terms of ages, which ranged from 18 to a brave 60+ year old man surfing the crowd. Petty played all the hits while swaggering about the stage having most certainly enjoyed a dance with Mary Jane moments before the show. Atta boy. He couldn’t have played in BC without sampling some of our…ahem, local produce. I called my dad and sang when Petty belted out Free Fallin’. It was a fine moment.

Day 3 = still standing and stoked to see N.E.R.D. No sooner did my crew and I situate our selves for the show, when I was whisked away with a media pass in my hot little hand, to ogle the band from backstage. Yes! This is the stuff of dreams for an Urban Cowgirl such as moi. I’ve been a fan for years and couldn’t help but bust a move and scream like a teenager to hits such as ‘Lap dance’ and Everyone Nose’ until someone gave me the heads up to ‘tone it down’ as I was media…not a super fan. Right. I’ll have to work on that.

Next up are Bellingham boys Death Cab for Cutie, which was just what I needed to mellow myself after my star struck encounter with Pharrell Williams. The perfect band to snuggle up on a blanket to, whilst sipping some vino from your ultra-classy wine tetra pack which you smuggled in hours earlier. When lead singer Ben Gibbard belted out his romantical gem ‘Soul Meets Body’ my heart melted…a little.

Just when I thought things couldn’t get better, Jigga man himself hopped on stage, smokin’ a stogie, and brought down the house. I knew Jay Z was talented, but his street cred has been somewhat buried underneath the likes of Beyonce and Rihanna so I nearly fell to my knees when he started free styling. I was blown away and continued to shake my cracker ass (excuse the expression) throughout his entire set. Nigga what? Nigga please.

At this point I’ve reached a level of musical stimulation unmatched by any other concert I’ve attended, when Chris Martin and the boys hit the stage to close the festival. Having seen Coldplay live twice before, I knew what to expect but am always pleasantly surprised by the bands sense of humor, energy and downright talent. At one point, the 4 English lads jumped off the stage and booked it through the crowd, perching themselves on a platform approximately 20 feet away from my crew and I. Magic. The entire crowd joined in for ‘Yellow’ and ‘Fix You’…and then just like that, the festival was over. It’s like the feeling you get after Christmas. I wonder what bands Santa will bring for Pemberton Festival next year?

Photo credits - Urban Cowgirl