Sled Island Announces "Lemonade Stand"
What do you do when a nasty virus hands you a giant bag of lemons?
Sled Island Music Festival decided to make lemonade. That’s right, Alberta’s premier music festival is doing everything in their power to bring some sunshine into your life. From Monday, June 22 until Sunday, June 28, Sled will be hosting, or highlighting a series of free (or accessibly-priced) livestreams, film screenings, comedy and DJ sets and varied activities taking place both online and in-person. The festival isn’t trying to make “Lemonade Stand” a festival replacement, but rather an attempt to reinforce the pillars of the Sled Island experience over the years: fun, discovery, community and the celebration of thoughtful and vital music and art.
At the top of the excite-o-meter is a special free livestream concert and Q&A from 2020 guest curator, Sudan Archives.
Equally amazing is the upcoming release of two digital compilations: The Sled Island Lemonade Stand Vol. 1 & 2, comprising over 40 previously unreleased songs from every genre written and recorded by Calgary artists in or just before quarantine. Featured artists include The Shiverettes, DRI HIEV, Sinzere, Samantha Savage Smith, Astral Swans, Teafannie, Chron Goblin, Selci and many more! The compilation drops Monday, June 22 as a "pay what you can" release.
In an attempt to capture the “word of mouth” hype that exists during the festival. Today, the Sled Island Mixtape Exchange is going live. Sign up now to create and receive a personalized mixtape or playlist from other festival lovers, and maybe, just maybe make a new friend in the process?
If film is your thing, Sled Island has partnered with the Calgary Underground Film Festival to present a special drive-in screening of Uncle Peckerhead at the Big Rock Brewery, and online screenings of This Film Should Not Exist, a documentary about The Oblivians & The Country Teasers, and Five Bucks At The Door, a brand new documentary about a legendary Thunder Bay music venue, complete with pre-show Sled-curated music video packages.
Also in today’s announcement is Virtual Laugh-con 2020, a streaming comedy program featuring Telefilm New Voices award winner Brandon Ash-Mohammed, Tallboyz and Baroness von Sketch Show writer Meg MacKay and adept comic scene stealer Jackie Pirico!
Well what about that art?… Sled has you covered there too with Simone Saunders' TUF(t) LOVE, an exhibition of colourful hand-tufted textiles exploring identity, culture and a Black heritage. The festival will also be helping to promote the launch of The National Music Centre's newly launched Speak Up, an online exhibition in recognition of National Indigenous People Day.
So yeah… Add a little sugar to the sour and you have something completely refreshing in the Sled Island Lemonade Stand. Get all necessary details at the Sled Island website.