Making waves

DIANA performs on the Sandbanks: New Waves stage in last year’s inaugural event.

Fall music festival grows

When Ryan Noth first came across the amphitheatre at Sandbanks provincial park, he could imagine what a great venue it would be for a music festival. When he discovered how seldom the space was used, that festival became a mission.

“First year, the idea was just to try and make use of this space again,” says Noth. “You can see that there’s nothing going on here 95 per cent of the time. It was built wired for sound. It could use some upgrades, but it’s still in really good shape. It’s got built-in seating like this, it has great views down the slope here. It has lighting—it’s just a shame that you can’t have more programming here year-round that attracts more than 20 people.”

Last year, Noth and his friend, musician and record label owner Dave Ullrich, launched Sandbanks: New Waves. The fall festival celebrated the new and the weird in Canadian music with five bands along with harvest-time food and drink.

Now New Waves is in its sophomore year, and is growing. This year, the event boasts seven artists,

including Canadian darling Sarah Harmer along with lesser-known bands Apostle of Hustle, Suuns and Jerusalem in my Heart, Thus Owls, AroarA, Miracle Fortress and Folly & The Hunter.

Ryan Noth on the Outlet beach at Sandbanks.

With a year of festival planning under their belts, Noth and Ullrich were able to expand the lineup and reduce the price, adding more sponsors to make the event more accessible. Once again, children under 12 are free, with the Athol Recreation Committee—of which Noth is a member—sponsoring activities for kids like face painting and puppet building workshops.

And for the adults, planning early also made it possible for the New Waves organizers to offer what they call a beverage wedge, an area that will offer local wine and cider to concertgoers.

And next year, Noth and Ullrich will add something else. The idea is to grow the festival slowly each year, making enough of a profit to benefit a local organization. This year, for the second time, it will be the Friends of Sandbanks, who work to keep the beaches and dunes healthy.

Noth says the reception has been very good so far this year, with advance tickets going quickly and a month to go. Locals are eager for an excuse to visit Sandbanks after tourist season has quieted down.

“There’s sometimes animosity between the locals and the tourists in the summer,” says Noth. “Originally, we wanted it in September because it’s better for the park. After Labour Day they start to lose visitors, obviously. So it worked out better for them that we’re not doing it in the height of their busy season and for us it made sense too.”

Noth feels New Waves can stand out, despite summer being the season for music festivals, and several mega-festivals that take place in August and September.

“You can’t do much about that other than try to have interesting programming,” says Noth. “I think that our lineup is pretty eclectic, like Sarah headlining, but then a lot of the other bands are from electronic to soundscapes. And we want to keep expanding that element.”

Sandbanks: New Waves will take place at the amphitheatre at Sandbanks provincial park on Saturday, September 19. You can learn more at www.sandbanksnewwaves.com