IN CONCERT: Laketown Shakedown
Featuring Wu-Tang Clan, Arkells, the Glorious Sons, Sugar Ray and more
Where: Laketown Ranch Music and Recreation Park, 8811-2 Youbou Rd., Lake Cowichan
When: Thursday through Saturday
Tickets: $97.71-$657.89 from laketownshakedown.com
The pandemic did not spell the end of large-scale festivals on Vancouver Island, which some had predicted it would.
In fact, audience totals for recent events — such as the Cook Street Block Party, which drew 25,000 people, or the Victoria Ska and Reggae Festival, which had its best year ever last week — are pointing to a banner year for multi-day events.
Laketown Shakedown, the Lake Cowichan festival that opens June 30, with sets by eight-time Juno Award winners Arkells, Lights, and Felix Cartal, among others, is poised to continue that trend.
According to organizers, tickets sales are on pace to exceed the 2019 edition headlined by Snoop Dogg. If the stars align as they should, there could be 10,000 fans on site at the Laketown Ranch Music and Recreation Park for the Saturday programming highlighted by the first Vancouver Island appearance from Wu-Tang Clan.
“People are really excited about Wu-Tang Clan, I know that much,” festival manager Mike Hann said with a laugh. “You can see now that with the good weather, ticket sales are ramping up.”
The hip-hop, rock, pop and electronic music festival boasts 47 performances over four stages over three days, with 20 main stage sets by the aforementioned acts, in addition to ones by the Glorious Sons, Sugar Ray, Haviah Mighty, JJ Wilde, Goldfish, Halluci Nation. Quw’utsun’ Z’inquaw dancers will open the main stage on Canada Day.
Nothing in the festival world goes entirely as planned, and true to form, Hann was forced to adjust on the fly several weeks ago. Main stage performer Big Boi from OuKast cancelled his planned appearance, and just days ago his replacement, Everlast of House of Pain, did the same. Hann shuffled the line-up to accommodate the cancellations, adding Vanouver’s Five Alarm Funk to the roster.
To accommodate the increased audience, Hann and his team spent time during the provincial lockdown to renovate the the 172-acre site near Youbou. Two additional stages — the Lakenight Stage, which is one of the biggest permanent amphitheatres on Vancouver Island — and the Hanner Stage were built, with the latter offering daytime programming. The former runs into the late evening and early morning of each day.
“Because we have so many different genres to offer, we’ve tried to program it so people not into rock music can see hip-hop or dance music somewhere else,” Hann said. “The guests can really curate their own experience.”
Structural improvements were also made. Additional flush toilets were added, and the zipline over the concert bowl has been improved. The upper campground has been landscaped, Hann said, and hiking trails have been established. Recycled asphalt now covers Main Street, the main entrance to the site, which was done to keep airborne dust to a minimum for campers.
“We definitely didn’t sit idle during the pandemic,” Hann said. “That’s one of the benefits of having a permanent site. We utilized that time to move things along, with the goal of enhancing the guest experience. The grounds have never looked better, we have more amenities for people, and the overall experience is going to be much more comfortable and enjoyable for people.”
A 180-unit RV resort, currently under construction, will be completed next year, which will bring the grand vision for the site clearer into view, Hann said. “Obviously, the concerts are the focal point, but we want people to experience so much more when they are here. We’re getting closer to that goal of having this be a multi-dimensional experience.”
In most years, the weather is one of the top areas of interest (or cornern) for staff at the festival. Keeping fans prepared for and hydrated during a potential heat wave remains a top priority, but site improvements were also an area that received considerable attention. Hann and festival owners Wideglide Entertainment wanted to leave nothing to chance, especially during the first year back from a two-year layoff brought on by a global pandemic.
“There’s no reason for us not to do well,” Hann said. “We’ve got the star power, we’ve got the venue, the weather is looking good. I can’t see why we wouldn’t do well. For those who came in 2019, it’s going to be improved on a bunch of different levels.”
mdevlin@timescolonist.com
