Osheaga, here I am!

After the longest and most congested bus ride down avenue du Parc in history (thanks, St-Laurent being closed and the football game), I arrived at Parc Jean-Drapeau to meet up with Marilis, explore the lay of the land, eat some breakfast, and hear some fantastic music! Day two of the festival (well, day one-and-only for me, as I spent yesterday resting up from the snifflies) has officially begun. As I sit here in the Internet Café, looking out to the Brand New Heavies playing on the main stage and festivalgoers adding a little extra dance in their steps, I feel at home.

I am a big fan of outdoor music festivals. Had I been alive, I would have been first in line for tickets to the original (and in my opinion, the only) Woodstock. I love the mix of musical stylings, art markets, and the camaraderie I always find among attendees. Need some advice? Or a desperate sip of beer? Or, at the end of the day, some much-coveted toilet paper? At all the outdoor festivals I have attended in the past, no request was ever refused. Meeting people and hanging out — even if only for the day — is one of my absolute favourite parts of festivals. (I think seeing adorable little kids accompanied by their older siblings or parents tops the list… well, after the music.)

Though we parted before I sat down to blog, Marilis walked with me around the Osheaga site and put up with me as I dissected every tent in the art market and scrutinized each piece in the sculpture garden. I simply can not attend a festival without first exploring the site and knowing where to go when I want to do whatever.

Thankfully, here at Osheaga, I could explore to my heart’s content without missing a moment of music! I’ve only been here for about 45 minutes, but so far I am impressed by the layout. Even as I blog, I can hear — and see! — the Brand New Heavies funkify the festival and cheerfully proclaim that it is currently a pretend midnight (as they said, playing this early in the day is a bit unusual for them). Ah, we children of the ’80s can still enjoy the music of our formative years and enjoy the bonus of present-day covers like the White Stripes! Let’s hear it for the Seven Nation Army. The Heavies are rocking loud and clear. I can’t imagine buying an album and listening to them recording studio-style. No, this band needs to be heard live. There’s simply no other way to feel their (long-lasting) energy!

The sound, the projection — it’s all brilliantly engineered. Ever go to a festival and find you can’t actually hear the lyrics? Not here! This makes me a happy girl.