Last weekend, I ventured to Oro-Medonte, Ontario, a small town a few hours from Toronto, for the sophomore edition of WayHome Music & Arts Festival.
This festival, operated by Republic Live, in conjunction with AC Entertainment (the brains behind mega festival Bonnaroo), was my first ever camping festival. Whereas most members of the media were placed in a special media camping area, I was instead camped out with the GA attendees. Though at times inconvenient, it was nice that my first ever festival camping experience was legitimate, and done without the comforts afforded to the media folks.
WayHome has a beautiful ambiance. The camping aspect of the festival creates a community atmosphere amongst its attendees. Furthermore, the site itself, Burl's Creek Event Grounds, is a great open space, in which you rarely feel claustrophobic and cramped.
Four stages graced the event grounds:
1. WayHome - the aptly named mainstage where the weekend's headliners performed
2. WayBold - a covered mid-size stage with more intricate lighting that the other side stages, and - absolutely key during the blazing hot weekend - AIR CONDITIONING.
3. WayBright - the second largest stage of the event
4. WayAway - the smallest stage of the four, where many up and coming artists were discovered and enjoyed by many
Best of all (at least from a photography perspective) the stages were a 5 minute walk apart from each other, and most sets had 15 minute intervals between them - more than enough time for me to shoot the first three songs from the photo pit, and then scurry off to the next set. As such, I kept very busy over the course of the Friday + Saturday, capturing images from 38 different sets.
My full coverage can be seen over at FUXWITHIT, but here are a few of my favourite captures from the festival.
I was a bit sad that the band Parachute played a headline show in Toronto the weekend of WayHome rather than joining the festival. Though the band was not present at WayHome, a real parachute was.
Metric
Arkells. It was my 10th time seeing them... and I swear I love them more and more each time.
White Lung
Savages
Foals. These guys were so much fun to photograph. Whereas most artists allow photographers into the pit for the first three songs of their set, we were given pit access for the band's last three songs. Foals not only sounded great, but were a ton of fun to photograph! Their set culminated in frontman, Yannis Philippakis climbing into the photo pit, and jumping into the crowd. Such a fun set.
Showers may have been $9 each, but Yannis Philippakis of Foals doled them out absolutely free ;)
Lindsay Stirling is a talented and incredibly engaging performer. Her moves and music are wondeful.
A Tribe Called Red
BADBADNOTGOOD
CHVRCHES
Tory Lanez
My full coverage can be seen over at FUXWITHIT.
#concertphotography