IN CONCERT
What: Phillips Backyard Weekender, featuring Danny Brown, the Dirty Projectors, Steel Pulse, Shad, Merkules and many more
When: Friday (4 p.m.-10 p.m.), Saturday (3 p.m.-10 p.m.) and Sunday (3 p.m.-9:30 p.m.), July 26-28
Where: Phillips Brewing & Malting Co., 2010 Government St.
Tickets: $39.50 daily ($99.50 for a weekend pass) at
One of the most popular summer festivals on the Island kicks off Friday in the back lot of the Island鈥檚 largest brewer. The Phillips Backyard Weekender music festival 鈥� picture a three-day barbecue in your yard with great music and 4,000 of your closest friends 鈥� returns this weekend with another eclectic musical lineup that organizers expect will open and blow minds in equal measure.
鈥淚鈥檓 very proud of the lineup we have booked every year for this event,鈥� said Dimitri Demers, co-founder of Atomique Productions. 鈥淭his year, I鈥檓 kind of excited about all of it, to be honest.鈥�
As it has throughout its seven-year history, the Backyard Weekender lineup features a broad spectrum of talent, touching on a number of genres.
鈥淲e like to mix things up, but there is also continuity throughout the lineup,鈥� Demers said. 鈥淚t has some range, but I think the acts relate well to each other, as well.鈥�
But he said there鈥檚 no one theme running through the three days of performance.
鈥淚f anything, the theme is just quality,鈥� he said.
The Weekender kicks off Friday night with headliners Steel Pulse, a reggae band from England that has been in the business since 1975 and has been driven by a philosophy of a better world through music for more than four decades.
鈥淸They] haven鈥檛 been to Victoria since the early 1980s, and they are one of the last truly great reggae acts that still tours,鈥� Demers said.
Steel Pulse takes the stage at 8:30 p.m. after sets from DJ Z-trip, Random Recipe, the Brass and Jennay Badger.
On Saturday night, hip-hop great Danny Brown steps into the headliners slot.
鈥淒anny Brown is one of the most exciting hip-hop artists right now,鈥� said Demers, noting Brown wowed the crowd with a vibrant set at the Rifflandia festival in 2014.
鈥淛udging by ticket sales, people are excited he鈥檚 returning.鈥�
Brown wraps up the evening after a set from up-and-coming 91原创 rapper Merkules, 91原创 hip-hop pioneer K-OS, Toronto rapper Haviah Mighty, rapper Just John and DJ Dom Dias and DJ Yeezy Yee.
Indie rock band Dirty Projectors headline the final day of the festival, wrapping up a day featuring 91原创 rapper Shad, the heavy, wild and theatrical rock band Yamantaka//Sonic Titan, the Mariachi Ghost from Winnipeg, the Gulf Islands鈥� Art d鈥橢cco and local band Peach Pyramid.
鈥淏asically, this is an international festival with international acts and a local vibe 鈥� it鈥檚 not a cookie-cutter lineup,鈥� Demers said. 鈥淲e try and do something unique every year.鈥�
The festival is likely to open the eyes of a few people with what for some will be hidden gems such as Yamantaka//Sonic Titan and the Mariachi Ghost.
鈥淎t the end of the day, it鈥檚 all a really good time. We like to book unexpected acts that maybe people haven鈥檛 thought about,鈥� Demers said.
Tickets have been selling steadily, though there are still some available for all three days for a festival that likes to think it has found a sweet spot in the marketplace 鈥� accessible to all in big bites or small nibbles, and featuring a wide swath of talent.
