The Decemberists couldn't have chosen a better song to cap off the Live at Squamish event on Sunday (Sept. 5).
The folk rock band concluded the festival with a new song, which was titled “June Hymn”.
Lead singer Colin Meloy described the song as “an ode to summer” and it certainly was a long summer of planning for organizers and a summer of waiting for fans but those in attendance seemed to think it was well worth the wait.
Punk rock pioneers Bad Religion were the second last band to play and they electrified the crowd with their loud and powerful brand of music.
“It's so awesome to be able to see these guys live,” said Ryan Kirkpatrick, who made the trek from Chilliwack to see the band perform. “They are true legends and they really ripped it up tonight.”
His friend, Chad Poole, was one of the many concert goers who purchased a 30th anniversary Bad Religion t-shirt and he was wowed by the Southern Californian rockers.
“They were the main reason why we came tonight,” he said. “And they totally delivered. Did you see this place? It was insane in here.”
Bad Religion played for about an hour, playing hits such as “21st Century Digital Boy” and “Sorrow” and turned the crowd into a frenzy with plenty of moshing and crowd surfing going on.
The Decemberists followed and started off with a number of mellow songs, before breaking into their more heavy material. Playing for well over an hour, they took the crowd on a unique journey to close off the festival.
The festival truly offered something for everyone, as another busy section was the Clubzone stage, which featured a number of dance and electronica artists.
The variety of acts seemed to go over well.
“The thing I like about it is that if I don't like a band on one stage, me and my friends can come here,” said Michelle Taylor of Vancouver of the Clubzone stage.
Saturday (Sept. 4) saw Dirty Vegas perform at the Clubzone stage, which Taylor cited as her highlight of the festival
Punk rockers Devo closed out the Stawamus stage on Saturday with local icon Matthew Good also performing.
Thousands upon thousands of fans attended the festival and all indications are it won't be the last, with even the artists mentioning how the Live at Squamish festival could be continuing for at least another four more years.
For more scenes from Live at Squamish check out The Chief's online gallery.
