AUGUST 1-3 2025
S,DÁYES (Pender Island, BC)
2025 ARTISTS
After Dark
Friday and Saturday at 9:30pm
Enjoy the late night vibes from GÖERTZ / LOPATECKI with live electronics, followed by DJ Denny spinning ambient/ star gazing records on Friday night. Saturday night DJ Denny will be back spinning a dance set following our evening performances.
Clanna Morna
Sunday at 3pm.
Hailing from the occupied territories of the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSÁNEĆ nations (Victoria, BC in Canada), Clanna Morna breathes life into their unique take on the Celtic Folk genre. Their sound is rooted in the traditional Irish, Scottish and English music that many love, and features carefully crafted arrangements, rhythmic spirited energy and captivating storytelling. Clanna Morna focuses on telling the stories of those less fortunate throughout history; the rebels, underdogs, women, and queer people whose voices were silenced. Comprised of an ensemble of multi-instrumentalists, their collective musicianship and attention to detail contribute to a unique audience experience featuring both familiar and lesser known folk ballads and tunes.
Members of Clanna Morna have been arranging and performing traditional Celtic and original music for decades, sharing their melodic arrangements and stories both locally and internationally. Since their formation in the fall of 2020 Clanna Morna has toured the North-Western USA, British Columbia and Alberta unceasingly. They have appeared at many music festivals, concert series, contra dances and pubs, playing a plethora of sold out shows.
Garret T. Willie
Friday at 8pm
Garret T. Willie is an old soul masquerading as an uncommonly wise, weathered, witty and world-weary 25-year-old and he's about to give rock 'n' roll a formidable 21st-century kick in the ass. Garret T. Willie hails from Kingcome Inlet, off the coast of British Columbia but while Willie’s Indigenous back story also gives him more right than most to sing the blues – and at heart, Garret T. Willie is a rock ‘n’ roller – he’d rather that not be the whole story.
Willie is the personification of an open book in the lyric sheet to his debut record Same Pain. What he offers the world is something it has genuinely been missing for awhile: a contemporary take on hardscrabble blues and the purest and rawest rock 'n' roll to follow its teachings thereafter.
He’s studiously schooled in all the right source material, from Howlin’ Wolf, Albert King and Muddy Waters to Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis to The Rolling Stones, Ten Years After, AC/DC, Stevie Ray Vaughan, George Thorogood and everyone else who’s carried the torch into the present, with a little Johnny Cash and Hank Williams thrown in for some outlaw-country flavour on the side.
And that’s why, on Same Pain, Garret T. Willie can not only really rip it up on the guitar, but also with the gut-busting honesty of someone who understands that if you ain’t lived it, you shouldn’t sing it. At least that’s the way it is for him.
Garret T. Willie has absolutely no interest in emulating the musical past, emulating his heroes. His interest is only in channeling every ounce of the classic blues and rock 'n' roll he venerates so deeply into something new. Bringing it into the now, hustling it towards the future and maybe leaving his signature on the wall for a few of the bored kids to follow in his footsteps.
Jemma & the Good Thing
Saturday at 3pm, Sunday Songwriter’s Circle
Known for her unique voice and heartfelt performances, Cortes Island-based Jemma Hicken (Jemma & the Good Thing) weaves together tender lyrics, funny storytelling, and catchy sing-a-longs to create a feel-good Canadiana-folk show. In 2024 she can be found touring around BC and Alberta, most notably debuting at festivals such as Vancouver Island Music Fest, Filberg Fest, Love Fest, and Woodstove Festival. Jemma released her debut album, Get It Together, in July 2023. Jemma & the Good Thing is a project of many iterations; the Good Thing is often other musicians, or sometimes it’s just Jemma’s tenor guitar. The common denominator is always Jemma and her songs.
Madame B Musique
Saturday at 10am, Sunday at 11am
Ahoy me hearties! Join Madame B as she meets a rowdy group of musical pirates that will have the whole family dancing and singing along! This all-star band of bilingual buccaneers features trombone, trumpet, bass, ukulele, voices and drums. Come walk the plank and enjoy a show full of surprises, dance moves, monsters and sunshine. Arrrr you ready to rock and roll mateys?!
Mercedes Papalia
Saturday at 4pm, Sunday Songwriter’s Circle
Mercedes Papalia is a singer-songwriter known for her powerhouse vocals and intimate storytelling. After over a decade immersed in the arts as a film and TV actor and multi-disciplinary creative in Toronto, Mercedes planted roots on Pender Island and has since reconnected with her first and deepest love: music.
Her songwriting blends soulful pop and jazz influences, weaving emotionally rich lyrics with melodies that linger long after the last note. Mercedes is currently crafting her second album, Sorella—a stirring collection of songs exploring the layered truths of motherhood, the call of the wild feminine, and the shadows we face in pursuit of self-reclamation.
Mercedes will be joined by the incomparable Ben McConchie and other beloved local musicians to share a set featuring soulful original songs and reimagined bluesy classics.
Pony Gold
Sunday at 6:30pm
Pony Gold crafts timeless, tender-hearted songs that resonate deeply. Canadian Singer-songwriter Theresa Bromley blends folk, bluegrass and soul with an alt-country attitude, performing live with a full band featuring husband Matt Bromley on slide guitar; she is known for raw, personal lyricism, and a distinctive vocal style. Bromley debuted as Pony Gold in 2023 with Take Me Somewhere, which charted in the top 5 on college radio, and earned a BCCMA Group of the Year nomination. She is currently releasing singles from her first full-length album, produced by Leeroy Stagger, ahead of its anticipated fall 2025 launch.
Star Captains
Friday at 6:30pm
Hailing from Vancouver, BC, Star Captains deliver captivating grooves, inspiring musicality, and unforgettable live performances. For nearly two decades, they have been composing and performing on the unceded territories of the Squamish, Musqueam, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. Their sound blends rock, jazz, hip-hop, and R&B into a polished pop style. The band has performed at TEDx Vancouver, the Vancouver Jazz Fest, and headlined Surrey Fusion Fest. In 2024, they came together to create Tidal Waves—their third album—a personal exploration of joy, grief, and self-discovery. Co-producer Dan Klenner helped shape the project with his engineering and percussion expertise. Recorded mostly “off the floor” at The Space studios, Tidal Waves balances raw energy with refined production and standout performances. The album reflects the band’s growth, both musically and emotionally, and highlights their commitment to creating honest, dynamic music. Tidal Waves is set for release in spring 2025.
The Brooks
Sunday at 8pm
From their first performances in the velvety ambiance of the Dièse Onze to the big stages of prestigious festivals, from one side of the Atlantic to the other, The Brooks have built a reputation as an undeniable groove machine. At the heart of the project’s musical supergroup which formed in the early 2010s is the pure joy of playing, true artistic freedom, and equitable creativity. Electrifying on record as much as on stage, The Brooks’ sound is carried by bouncy rhythms, flamboyant brasses, inventive keys, and captivating guitar passages. Swimming between funk, soul, r’n’b, afrobeat, and jazz, The Brooks reunites four core members; the co-founder, leader, and bassist Alexandre Lapointe; the veteran singer and trombonist Alan Prater; guitarist and co-founder Philippe Look; and percussionist Philippe Beaudin; all four accomplished musicians with the careers to prove it. Today, the collective has birthed five studio albums, with their most recent Soon As I Can (2024) pushing their groove to new summits. The Brooks is much more than the sum of its parts: the group celebrates over 50 years of Afro-American music history and evolution, at once respective of its roots while remaining anchored in the present.
The Infinite Atom
Saturday at 8pm
The Infinite Atom is a cosmic-disco collective blending psychedelia, world, folk, funk, reggae, rap and rock to create anthemic, high-energy original dance music while exploring themes of consciousness, spirituality, and the multi-dimensionality of life through highly danceable melodies and rhythms, and powerful lyrics.
Since forming in 2022, the all-original big band has performed at over 100 venues, festivals, and events across BC and Canada. Their unique sound and ability to move crowds brought them into the spotlight, headlining the 2024 Islands Folk Festival on Vancouver Island and performing at the ever-popular Khatsahlano Street Festival in Vancouver. Gaining traction quickly, their songs can now be heard on several Canadian and UK radio stations.
Tio Chorinho with Flavia Nascimento
Saturday at 6:30pm
Tio Chorinho is the first ensemble in Canada dedicated to performing choro music, the “New Orleans jazz of Brazil.” Exciting, intimate, nostalgic, and virtuosic, choro is an infectious urban folk style whose universal appeal belies its musical complexity. Tio Chorinho embraces and extends the authentic spirit of choro, thrilling audiences of all backgrounds with astonishing musicianship and easy-going charm on stage.
Flávia Nascimento joins Tio Chorinho, Canada’s first ensemble dedicated to performing Brazilian choro music. Flávia is a favourite at street parties, famous events, major festivals, and concert halls. Whenever a show needs to burst with excitement, it is time to call Flávia. Best known for her expertise in Northeastern Brazilian styles such as forró and maracatù, this collaboration with Canada’s leading choro ensemble allows listeners to discover Flávia in a completely different repertoire.
Tweeners
Don’t miss the amazing local artists playing between our mainstage acts! Tweener artists will be announced soon.