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Wayhome Preview

The inaugural Wayhome Music and Arts Festival is less than a week away, and we here at Live in Limbo are so excited to go and see all the amazing acts. With headlining performances from Neil Young and Promise of the Real, Kendrick Lamar and Sam Smith, the three days in Oro-Medonte will be one to remember. Now open up our Rdio Playlist and get caught up on all that you need to know!

To catch you up on some important details Wayhome will be in Oro-Medonte, just outside of Barrie, Ontario (which is just outside of Toronto) for three days from July 24th to the 26th. There will be four stages plus a silent disco and art installations, which means that there will be no shortage of things to do. This is the biggest music festival in Ontario that also features camping, a first in the area. The shows take place in Burl’s Creek the same venue as the newly relocated Boots and Hearts festival. 

For people that have never been to a camping festival like Bonnaroo (Wayhome is being co-produced by AC Entertainment who puts on Roo and Forecastle), you get to experience a party that does not stop. While the shows end in the main venue area at 2am on Friday and Saturday, you can always keep the fun going with your friends and new neighbours. 

For a first year festival, the people of Republic Live (WH’s producers and creators) have plenty in store for us with well over 70 acts playing and a minimum of two shows going on at all times. There will be plenty of food and drinks to go around and if you download their app you can see what Food Trucks will be present. 

I have made no problem telling people that as much as I love the lineup and everything WH is doing, I feel like their lineup could have a bit more diversity. At a festival like Bonnaroo (one I have gone to three times) there is an assortment of legacy or veteran acts. Some that I have seen include Billy Joel, Elton John, The Beach Boys, Earth, Wind and Fire, Tears for Fears and Alice Cooper. Outside of Neil Young, who was a late addition, there is not a single band that was popular before the 2000’s with Sloan and Modest Mouse being the most veteran of acts. It is minor, but it helps bring people of older demographics out and while I wouldn’t have paid to see Tears for Fears on my own it was amazing to see them live and hear them play a great cover of Creep. 

Outside of wishing there was more legacy acts, the lineup is a bit indie rock heavy, which is great but for fans of hip-hop you really only have half a dozen acts. The same thing goes for fans of Electronica/EDM where there are only a handful of acts but several of them are at the exact same time, with the biggest issue being Odesza and Bassnectar at the same time. 

That all said, unlike a festival like Osheaga that closes down after the headliners play, WH will keep the party going later with some great acts well after midnight. Between Girl Talk, Fucked Up, Bassnectar and B.I.G. Krit you will have no shortage of rager acts. If there ever is a time where you aren’t feeling any of the acts playing on the first two days, you owe it to yourself to go to the silent disco, which for those who have never been to one is quite the treat. You walk by the tent and it looks like a bunch of fools dancing to nothing with a DJ bobbing his head around like a crazy person, except every person is given a pair of wireless headphones that is hearing exactly what the DJ is playing! 

Live in Limbo is sending four (4!!!) of their best contributors to document as much of the action as they possible can, while also providing exclusive content like interviews and behind the scenes photos! Make sure you are following us on all social media platforms Twitter @LiveinLimbo, Instagram @LiveinLimbo, Facebook @LiveinLimbo and of course check this site daily for full reviews and pictures. We’ll put posting a “Survival tips” podcast on Tuesday, so stay tuned!

We also asked the four people who will be working as hard as they will be playing to recommend some shows and let people know which their most anticipated ones are too.

Sean Chin- Publisher and Chief Editor

Top 3 Most Anticipated Bands I Have Not Seen Before

  1. Kendrick Lamar
  2. Courtney Barnett
  3. Future Islands

Top 3 Acts I Have Seen and Guarantee Will Be a Great Time

  1. Sam Smith
  2. Brandon Flowers (by way of The Killers)
  3. St. Vincent

Sarah Rix- Music Editor

Top 3 Most Anticipated Bands I Have Not Seen Before

  1. Neil Young and Promise of the Real
  2. The Growlers
  3. Tobias Jesso Jr.

Top 3 Acts I Have Seen and Guarantee Will Be a Great Time

  1. Kendrick Lamar
  2. Sylvan Esso
  3. Django Django

Dakota Arsenault- Associate Editor

Top 3 Most Anticipated Bands I Have Not Seen Before

  1. St. Vincent
  2. METZ
  3. Alvvays

Top 3 Acts I Have Seen and Guarantee Will Be a Great Time

  1. Girl Talk
  2. Run the Jewels
  3. The Lone Bellow

Andreas Babiolakis- Film Editor

Top 3 Most Anticipated Bands I Have Not Seen Before

  1. Kendrick Lamar
  2. Future Islands
  3. How To Dress Well

Top 3 Acts I Have Seen and Guarantee Will Be a Great Time

  1. Danny Brown
  2. Fucked Up
  3. St. Vincent

Now let us know what acts you are most excited for and if you see us, come say hi! 

About author

Music Editor at Live in Limbo and Host of Contra Zoom podcast. Dakota is a graduate of Humber College's Acting for Film and Television. He now specializes in knowing all random trivia. He writes about music, sports and film. Dakota's life goal is visit all baseball stadiums, he's at 7.