TLC. Ja Rule. Feist. REZZ. Oliver Tree.
These are just a few of the artists set to play Rifflandia Festival in Victoria at Matullia Lands from Sept. 13-15.
The lineup, on-trend with Rifflandia's brand, has a little something for everyone, as cliche as the saying is.
But two acts, in particular, have had a lot of buzz about how great of a live show they put on in the past year.
Canadian indie pop singer-songwriter and guitarist Feist will be an act to watch, headlining Sunday's lineup. Feist, now 48, launched her solo music career in 1999 and is at a high point in her career. Just last year, The Guardian hailed her Multitudes album release tour as 'one of the best live shows of the year' for its utilization of 'crowd work, a live video feed, minimalist staging' and 'good old-fashioned charisma'. One of her more recent performance highlights in 2024, include a performance on Jimmy Kimmel.
In a different vein, Oliver Tree, American singer and record producer, is another big Rifflandia lineup name, performing Saturday night before headliner TLC. He's quirky and comedic (to really get a sense of what he's about, look up on YouTube the song Oliver Tree & Robin Schulz - Miss You) and known for his live shows. Just look into Reddit forums about his performances and you'll quickly come across comments such as "life changing", "best show I've ever been to in my life" and "awesome experience". His signature look is a dark bowl-cut wig and he's known to pull antics at his shows, including singing from a large life-size fake cow.
These two artists, though wildly different, hint at the calibre of this year's festival. There will be a range of genres and acts that span generations, including Crash Test Dummies, K-OS, L7, Cro-Mags, SYML, MEMBA, Bensley, No Thanks, Bad Snacks, ATYYA, La Force, Wooden Horsemen, Loose Bones, SHARON, The Choirs YYJ, and more.
It will also be interesting to see how the audience responds to this year's markedly different set-up, changing from a two-weekend, two-venue festival into a one-site, one-weekend model.
"For the past 17 years, Rifflandia has served a diverse and creative music-forward community, and throughout that time, we have always maintained a spirit of reinvention. Innovation is what drives us as we continue to present the best live music experiences in Victoria,” said founder, president and CEO Nick Blasko in a press release.
Visit rifflandia.com for more information.
