Harris (my partner, bandmate and so much more) and I started a music events company called Psychedelifax (find on Instagram under @psychedelifax). We just had our first show in September – called “Creative Night.”
One day in August, after a summer of attending/working/gigging at various music events, we talked about how awesome it would be to run our own shows and host events. Not just as artists but also as those who connect a community of people together based on a certain attitude around creativity, collaboration and unity.
There were a few experiences that helped build our world view around how an event should feel – both as organizers and as patrons. We had the privilege of working with Kyle and Allie at Future Forest – and the rest of the Artist Relations team and, boy, what an experience. Shout out to Kyle and Allie, you guys rock! The Artistic Direction of Future Forest was a major influence in our approach. We have been privileged enough to observe on various levels what it takes to create more than just an event – but an experience.
So Much good shit can happen when you put the art first.
We’ve identified certain aspects that foster “good vibes” – like feeling included and connected. It may sound obvious, but creating a space where people can participate and interact in the activity/event taking place allows you to feel like you are part of something greater than yourself.
On our drive home from Future Forest Harris was friggin’ around throwing out ideas on names for stuff. He likes puns and just kind of blurted out “Psychedelifax.”
The other experiences that helped shape our attitude towards the management and professionalism of our event included working at various events for Sonic Concerts. Sonic knows hows to produce a show. Harris had an experience with one of the tour managers for one of the biggest acts of the summer; the Tour Manager said “I know when we show up to play everything will be done right. I trust Sonic. You know what you’re going to get when you show up.” What a testament to the consistency of their productions. Everyone knows their role and everyones head is on a swivel.
I can’t say that we achieved the scale or complexity of those productions at our event – far from it. However, these experiences helped inform our decision making along the way, and helped give us the confidence to put on our own production. Thus, we created Psychedelifax and proceeded to plan our first event ever: Creative Night.
Creative Night was headlined by the one and only Mueres En El Mar – a Chilean-Canadian dream pop band. Mueres debuted in 2020 and has since then been releasing more music that continues to define their unique sound and captivate their growing audience. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing them several times, and each is a new, warm experience where I feel enriched by their community spirit. Already having been nominated and receiving awards for their songwriting, this artist group is one worth watching to see what is next!
Ghost Tongue was an amazing opening act – their music channeled an ethereal post-rock psych pop vibe that had the entire room in a trance. With plenty of improvisational sounds and important messaging behind their songs that provoke self-introspection, Ghost Tongue brings a dynamic blend of creativity and sonic energy that I believe is necessary in order to truly appreciate humanity. It was a vulnerable and awakening experience for me, personally!
And for my band – Wilson & Whitney – this was our debut performance! I couldn’t have asked for a better experience at our band’s first show. While we are developing our sound, our music is centred around a psych art-rock style and approach that incorporates groovy rhythms with catchy hooks and riffs that will stick in your head for days! Harris and I are lucky to have been supported by a group of pro-players (and exceptional people!).
All in all, this was a good learning experience that helped us gain more understanding of what we want to achieve on this path and in what ways we can give back to our community and scene. We certainly have more growing to do, and have lots of notes on what we will improve for next time, but we are stoked and motivated to host more events in the near future; and before you know it you’ll be hearing about the next big festival in Atlantic Canada hosted by Psychedelifax!
Special ‘thank you’ to 2 Crows Brewing for providing their space and support to us and the local music/art scene. And thank you all attendees – especially those who left having created beautiful art using the supplies we provided. You rock! 🙂
