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DANIEL CAESAR REDEFINES THE R&B CROONER
Oshawa born, Toronto based artist DANIEL CAESAR was on our radar after he released Praise Break in 2014. We were instantly hooked, by his lulling falsetto and his range, as much gospel and soul as contemporary R&B. We saw him perform live in Vancouver, and the album came alive under the bright lights of the Biltmore Cabaret as he began to sing Violet, backed by a live band.
Last year, DANIEL CAESAR followed up Praise break by releasing Pilgrim’s paradise, in which the cover art depicts him free falling into nothingness. The existential tone of the cover carries over into the material, as Danny explores coming of age and questions the religious overtones of his upbringing.
Daniel Caesar performs with the animated prescience of an artist who’s already released two platinum albums, won a Grammy, married an actress and divorced her in a very public way. Perhaps his confidence stems from his realization of his gift and the emotions that his powerful voice can elicit. Whatever it is, it was palpable in the room, as we watched him command a packed room, in his his olive green jumpsuit.
Catch a review of his performance on Episode 36 of TSG:OA
PENCIL FINGERZ PRESENTS HIS PORTRAITS IN “ALL MY CREATIONS”
Pencil Fingerz first caught our attention with his renderings of celebrated rappers and influential figures of our time. He’s been working hard, building up a roster of rapper clients, who are fans of his drawings, done by Wacom tablet. He put on his exhibit “All My Creations” at Fortune Sound Club, and we were treated to an up close look at his art over the past few years.
Yelawolf is one of PENCIL FINGERZ longest collaborators. The pair have worked on the Slumadian and Slumerican Made your posters, and merchandise. A drawing of Yelawolf, his middle finger prominently on display during Pencil Fingerz art show in Vancouver.
It’s been less than a year since Pencil Fingerz moved from rural Chilliwack, to Vancouver, and he’s been busy making moves since. His first art show in the city, marked his presence as a Vancouver artist, and it was touchingly well attended by friends and family who came out to show love for their hometown boy.
Check out review of his debut Vancouver show on Episode 36 of TSG:OA
Day 2 of Osheaga Music Festival
By the second day of Osheaga, a certain familiarity with the lay of the park had kicked in, but there was still so much to be seen. Osheaga prides itself on offering quality in both music and art, and exploring the various installations set along the woods was a welcome retreat from the sun and music that still faintly echoed from the stages. Osheaga doesn’t quite belong to any age group, and there were many families with small children, who were provided their own play area, and interactive experiences throughout the park. Whether it’s a mature French attitude towards life, or just the nature of Osheaga, there weren’t too many of the stereotypes that are associated with music festivals – the lingerie clad teenagers and intoxicated festival goers were far and few in between.
The art during Osheaga was crossed with offerings by commercial brands, but it was a delicate balance, and it didn’t feel pushy or overt, and there was representation from all different markets, like Schick Razor, NYX Makeup, H&M and Virgin Mobile.
For those seeking an escape from the sun, Osheaga offers a chill zone, where hammocks were hung from trees, and people were free to lay and have a moment to reflect on all of their favourite music moments.
Osheaga is spread out among six stages (River, Mountain, Green, Valley, Zone Piknik Electronique , across the park.

Osheaga’s Happy mascots were a hit.

These Osheaga mascots were appreciated by kids and adults alike.

The Green Stage ( Scene Verte) featured a swing ride that put you above all the action.

A festival goer tries their hand at rock climbing during Osheaga.

BE WATER is an installation that serves as a cool, waterpark for festivalgoers.

Osheaga was a very family friendly festival. While children were scarcely seen in the crowded pits, they were happily frolicking around the park, especially in the Kids Zone.

The Kids Zone was a retreat for kids and parents during Osheaga.

This David Bowie statue memorialized the late singer, whose death was a shock to the music community this year.

Art is just as integral as music to the Osheaga experience.

Osheaga balanced between art and commercial vendors, and Sonnet.ca got the vibe of the festival right, with their marketing.

Interactive exhibits sprung up throughout the park.

Whether you wanted to snap a photo or just admire, there was lots of art to see.

The Green Stage was an interactive to the brim at all hours of the festival.

The NYX touch up stand at Osheaga featured complimentary touch ups and makeup artists meet and greets with celeb artists like Sonjdra Deluxe.

H&M is a presence on the music festival circuit worldwide, and they always have supporters lined up for giveaways.

Perrier is known for their Greenhouses, which features their own DJ and assortment of cocktails made with Perrier.

Scene Piknic Electronique is where many of the electro acts play, the name is a nod to Parc Jean-Drapeau’s summer long, weekly fest which takes places on Sundays.

Scene De La Vallee featured a mix of electronic acts and some rap acts with Post Malone and Jazz Cartier.

The event was completely sold out, and nearly 50,000 people attended each day.
Day 2 Osheaga artist highlight: Lana Del Rey
It’s nearly been a year since Lana Del Rey released her last album Honeymoon, which was a return to the dreamy, retro sound that made her a pop darling. As Lana took to the River stage at Osheaga, as the headliner for Saturday night, she delivered a performance that felt like it was from another era. A neon sign blared the words “del Rey” behind her, and Lana and her gang of backup singer/dancers delivered hits like “Yayo” and “Born to Die” from her first album and “Music to Watch Boys to” from Honeymoon. Lana chose to skip some of her bigger songs like the radio friendly “Summertime Sadness” and “Young and Beautiful” from The Great Gatsby soundtrack, her setlist was more for people who’d been there from the beginning. Fireworks rang out mid-performance, and the entire crowd of 40,000 was illuminated in their light. It was one of those “I’ll never forget this” moments that Osheaga provided throughout the weekend.
The second night of Osheaga belonged to Lana Del Rey, who enchanted The River Stage with her performance.
Black and white visuals from the ’50s and ’60s flashed across the screen as Lana belted out her verses.
Lana appeared larger than life, as she headlined the second night of Osheaga music festival.
The choreography was cutesy, as Lana’s background singer’s synched their moves to Lana’s music.
Fans lined up for hours, for the chance to take in her performance from the front.
Lana was not a big talker, save for a few polite “thank yous” in between songs.
Fireworks went off as Lana performed her breakout track “Born to Die”. It was nothing short of majestic.

Photo by Eva Bleu
Kaytranada was a major highlight from Day 2 at Osheaga. He’s pretty much homegrown talent, born in Haiti and then crowd was absolutely packed as he performed songs from his album 99.9% at the Piknik Electronique stage (Scene Piknik Electronique).

Photo by: Emily Lopez
Kaytranada held it down for his city and took the stage for nearly two hours and spinning tracks from his latest album as well as throwbacks by Craig David and Janet Jackson.