Stoke Fest makes its return to Fernie on March 22 and 23, with a fantastic mix of Western Canadian musical talent.
Big-name artists like Miesha & The Spanks, Mariel Buckley and Thomas Thomas like will hit the stage, and they’ll be joined by local home-grown Fernie talent like Topo, DJ Cona, Birdhaus, Max Thomson and Electric Blanket Band Club.
For years, the festival has supported local artists and infused the arts scene with an eclectic mix of music. Saem House Creative and local band Shred Kelly are putting the event together this year.
“It’s an event that celebrates the music in our hometown, creating a music culture,” said organizer Sage McBride
“I think the Fernie community has lots to offer,” she added.
McBride is the singer and keyboardist for Shred Kelly and is a Saem House team member.
The festival begins on Fri. March 22 at 7:30 p.m. at Knox on 2nd, with performances from Mariel Buckley and Charles Benjamin.
It continues on Sat. March 23 at the Fernie Community Centre, with an earlier show that runs from 4:30 to 7 p.m., and a late show from 7:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. Miesha & The Spanks, Electric Blanket Band Club, Birdhaus, Max Thomson and DJ Cona take the stage at the late show, while Shred Kelly, Topo and Thomas Thomas perform at both.
The afternoon performance is open to all ages, but the evening performances are only for those of legal drinking age.
Residents may recognize folk musician Topo as the host of Griz competitions and karaoke nights, DJ Cona as an opening act from Wapiti Music Festival, and Birdhaus as the energetic DJ duo from the annual Mogul Smoker.
Pop-punk band Electric Blanket Band Club has reached the realms of Spotify with 2019 EP album Don’t Ruin It and recently-released single Planet of the Vapes, while hip-hop artist Max Thomson has six full albums under his belt since his debut in 2018.
Higher-profile artists will stop at the festival as part of a larger tour route.
Mariel Buckley is a country-folk songwriter from Calgary, whose most recent album Everywhere I Used To Be (2022) was a contender for the 2023 Polaris Music Prize. She nostalgically relives old memories and revisits some of the more important moments in her life through the collection, which was produced in conjunction with Arcade Fire collaborator Marcus Paquin.
Indie band Thomas Thomas has made a splash in Calgary with smooth melodies and artfully-produced music videos like “Gracious Host” and “Right Place Wrong Time,”. They were nominated for the YYC Music Awards and have performed with American indie pop band Japanese Breakfast.
Miesha & The Spanks was nominated for Rock Artist of the Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards in 2021, and has played with big-name bands like Queens of the Stone Age and Death from Above 1979.
Their 2018 album Girls Girls Girls won three Calgary-based music awards and topped the charts on Earshot!’s National Loud Charts and Indigenous Music Countdown.
Singer Miesha Louie is of mixed Secwépemc heritage, and her cultural background was the inspiration for songs like “Dig Me Out,” about residential schools, and “Mixed Blood Girls,” addressing conflicts that come from being multi-ethnic.
As for Shred Kelly, their latest album Blurry Vision (2023) is all about the pandemic. The song “Lost Without You,” recounts days when everyone had to live simpler lives and “Nothing for A While,” talks about the need to disconnect from the constant barrage of online information.
“[Without You] was written during the pandemic when we were forced to stay at home and appreciate the small little life that we had to lead for those couple of years, without travel or extra people in our lives,” said McBride
For more information on the festival visit www.ferniestokefest.com