Skip to content

Tlellagraph: Iqaluit’s The Jerry Cans to headline Edge of the World

By Janet Rigg
10863320_web1_Tlellagraph
Mihirangi plays at Edge of the World 2013. (Jason Shafto/Edge of the World Music Festival)

By Janet Rigg

Spring is in the air and Easter is nearly here. I know this because I just put away my Christmas lights, and the Jehovah’s Witnesses came by to deliver their invitation. It’s a great time of year, especially with the river looking spectacular — like it does in my byline photo.

Did you notice it changed? My faithful readers will have, of course. But only those true to the spirit of detail would have noticed the previous photo had nothing to do with Tlell at all. I think it was somewhere in the B.C. interior.

All of that has been fixed now, and “Tlellagraph” proudly stands in front of a picture that is actually the Tlell River. We can all rest easy.

And to celebrate this fidelity to place identity, I’m going to write a column that is actually about Tlell. I haven’t done that in a while, musing instead about the Olympics and such. In my defence, not too much has been happening in Tlell, except for this little story of my family marching out on the East Beach tidal flats last night to watch the nearly full moon rise.

We nearly gave up, thinking I’d miscalculated the time, but then it came, quick over the horizon, a golden red ball of celestial magnificence! My children cheered, I hollered, my daughter ran deliriously towards the moon, as far as the huge tide would allow, wanting to get just that much closer. My husband smiled, saying, “Nice work, Mummy.”

That happened. But not much else. At least for us.

So I’ll write about something exciting that is going to happen. The Edge of the World Music Festival is slated the fill heart of Tlell with incredible music August 10, 11, and 12 this year. We’re ready to roll out our line up and it’s going to be an amazing one!

The Jerry Cans are headlining — they are a distinctly Northern folk-rock group, inspired by their hometown of Iqaluit, Nunavut. They are nominated for two Junos in 2018. Watch CBC on Sunday, March 25 to see if they win Breakthrough Group of the Year and Contemporary Roots Album of the Year for their album, Inuusiq. Then come see their captivating live performance on Haida Gwaii in August.

The Indigenous hip-hop duo Snotty Nose Rez Kids is coming too, with original tracks that tell a unique story through the hip-hop beat. Their songs are about the empowerment and resiliency of the First Nations people, and their style of music has been described as medicinal.

Also joining us is folk singer-songwriter Mark Perry, father of Marie Perry of the MIP Power Trio. MIP is returning to EOTW, after introducing us to their edgy power pop rock ’n roots music in 2013. Another 2013 alumnus is also returning — the fabulous Mihirangi is coming all the way from New Zealand. Playing as Mihi & the Māreikura, she’s bringing dancers with her to share the Maori culture.

I don’t want to jinx it, but there’s a plan afoot to get Chini Har back on stage. Keep your fingers crossed that you’ll be able to rock out to this Haida Gwaii blues legend.

Kimmortal, DJ Denise, Ashleigh Ball, Twin Peaks, This Way North, Jesse Roper, and Downtown Mischief round out this diverse line-up. You know you want to come, you know it’s not going to rain like last year. You know it’s going to be amazing.

Excited? Wait! It gets better. Not only are we bringing you this incredible array of quality music, we are bringing it to you for our lowest gate price ever!

In a radical move intended to keep this family-friendly festival an accessible event, we have reduced our weekend ticket price to just $45 for adults and $40 for seniors or students. As always, children 12 and under are free.

Yes, for the price of what used to be just a one-night pass, you can enjoy the whole weekend. This will be the only pass offered, as a result, so you can come and go as much as you please. One wristband makes security much easier, to be perfectly honest. But it also makes EOTW an affordable weekend experience for everyone.

Tickets are on sale, so visit www.edgefestival.ca to purchase them now. Help support music on Haida Gwaii! If you wish to be a vendor, good news there too. Vendor pricing has also been rolled way back, to just $150 per booth with two free passes provided. Vendors make the festival as much as the music, so we hope to see many old favourites offering up their wares on the Tlell Fall Fairgrounds.

Let me know what you think of the EOTW 2018 retro pricing at sewnart@haidagwaii.net. I’m excited for the biggest event of Tlell! Are you?