For nineteen years now, practically a lifetime in terms of music festivals, Evolve has been the benchmark for east coast music festivals. Long perceived as having one of the best music lineups in Eastern Canada, Evolve is the big one that gets everybody all starry-eyed. This three-day long party always leaves festival-goers transformed, or at least much happier than when they arrived.
This was the third year that the village of Beersville, New Brunswick has opened their arms to the festival. 2018 saw Evolve rallying from last year’s setbacks, at least from an infrastructural standpoint. The hot button issues that plagued last year’s event, both the non-potable water and the contentious wall, were resolved. Those Evolving were able to stay hydrated with plenty of fresh water, both cold and hot, nor were not faced with any boundaries of class division. Viva la revolución, eh comrades?
Those first arriving at the farm on Friday were immediately welcomed by loud and heavy bass beats.
“The Mothership!,” we instinctively thought, “she has landed!”
To our surprise it wasn’t Evolve’s main stage beckoning to us, but the beats born of the festival’s new Laser Yurt stage. We would come to know it well over the weekend, as it would become the tiny pocket universe to host many of the talented DJs the festival was hosting.
Of our favourite DJs to play the Laser Yurt was Jules Bangsworth from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Nine years into the game, Bangsworth is regularly packing dance floors and winning awards for her beats. Her sound is a shockwave designed to test the very limits of our capacity to dance.
Among the other Yurt inhabitants was Troy Power of Newfoundland. The energy he brings to his performances as he spins bottomless filthy beats really helps him live up to his name. Also, K-Lab and Mizz Maxine both left us funked up from their sets. K-Lab‘s mix of funk and electronica made for a perfect dance beat recipe and left our souls resonating. Meanwhile, Mizz Maxine’s diverse style, mainly based in house, was always changing. From deep house to funky breakbeat to 70’s funk, this powerful lady knows how to move the crowd.
While most music festivals find their draw in big bands, Evolve’s charm is largely founded on the people themselves and the friendships formed and maintained there. Those endorphin-fuelled connections leave you feeling like you’ve found your family, and the relationships are unbreakable, if somewhat difficult to remember outside the context of the festival.
For much of the festival’s three-day span the farm turned into a no-phone zone; folks were genuinely present. They eschewed their 2018 lifestyle for this brief chance to live in the moment and enjoy each other’s company.
During the day, people recharge their energy; chittering away high up in the trees, swinging in hammocks and exchanging fish stories of the night before. But when the sun goes down, the forest comes alive and creatures of all types come out to dance and play. There’s something remarkable about the spirit of Evolve and the way it thrives at night.
When everyone comes out of their tents and into the crowds, you never know who you may meet, or what will come of it. This year, we’re pretty sure we met Santa Claus, who appeared out of nowhere and then disappeared just as quickly. It must have been Christmas in July.
When the festival had to switch locations three years ago, from Antigonish to the comparative isolation of Beersville, the festival was met with an inherent hardship. It felt as though it had lost something. This year, the Evolve “vibe” that every attendee lives for felt like it had finally returned. The energy of the hill was back and it felt like we were coming home.
