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Rifflandia has its share of distinguished alumni who appeared at the festival long before fame arrived — we’re looking at you, Post Malone — so there’s always a sense of discovery afoot.

Here, we dive into five must-see acts at this year’s festival — all of which will deliver a big return on your Rifflandia investment. Take that to the bank.

REZZ (Main Stage, Friday, 10:50 p.m.)

The DJ/producer born Isabelle Rezazadeh is headlining Friday night, so it’s not like the Niagara Falls native hasn’t moved the needle in her career. But a large portion of the music-listening public has yet to discover her neo noir soundscapes, which provide a cranium-rattling soundtrack to her visually arresting live show. Fresh from a sold-out Aug. 30 performance at Denver’s iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre, which drew 10,000 diehards, it wouldn’t be a shock to see her reach much higher levels in 2025. See her now while you can.

SOPHIE ELLIS-BEXTOR (Phillips Stage, Saturday, 8:05 p.m.)

Ellis-Bextor’s breakout hit, Murder On the Dancefloor, is the the type of smash that puts her in position to draw one of the biggest crowds of the weekend. Originally released in 2001, the nuevo disco anthem (co-written by You Get What You Give hitmaker Gregg Alexander of the New Radicals) found new life in 2024, thanks to TikTok and the film Saltburn, and she was back on the charts. Don’t be surprised if the genre-blending Brit — a mother to five sons — steals the festival away from her competition with her performance.

SKRATCH BASTID (Phillips Stage, Saturday, 8:40 p.m.)

Not only is DJ Skratch Bastid practically in a league of his own — only the groundbreaking Jazzy Jeff has a similar skillset — the Toronto turntablist born Paul Murphy keeps expanding his repertoire, mixing and matching a dizzying amount of musical genres. His preferred style of hip-hop leans old-school, but what he does with music by everyone from David Bowie to Smokey Robinson is sheer artistry. He rarely performs in Victoria — don’t miss the opportunity to see a master at work.

SYML (Main Stage, Sunday, 4:50 p.m.)

Washington State singer-songwriter Brian Fennell mines a strain of indie folk that leans into orch-pop on occasion, not unlike some of the quieter moments by The Lumineers or Bon Iver. Fennell (who performs under the stage moniker, SYML) is much lesser-known, though he scored a triumph in 2023 with his Lana Del Rey collaboration, Paris, Texas. Previous editions of Rifflandia regularly featured artists of Fennell’s ilk, but his presence on the bill is more than a mere throwback. SYML will provide the perfect Sunday afternoon salve after a weekend of activity.

L7 (Phillips Stage, Sunday, 6:55 p.m.)

The alternative nation is represented at Rifflandia this year by rock pioneers L7, who combine attitude and amperage like few others today. The ferocious foursome knows its way around a hook-laden rock song, from Sh-tlist to Shove and Pretend We’re Dead, and continues to be a force in concert long after its formation in 1985. The quartet from Los Angeles features all original members, which provides a nice victory lap for a band long undervalued in terms of its impact on the early days of grunge.

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