*Cecile Believe - Photo Credit: Michael Grondin*

If you live in Calgary (or anywhere near Alberta), once June 1st hits - the talk of the town is Sled Island Music Festival. For weeks, the community is buzzing around which acts they are going to see with old friends and new friends in hand.

This year, the festival was curated by Washington, DC-based indie rocker (with an adjacent emo-edge), Bartees Strange. The curator has the pleasure of selecting a few of their favourite performers to put their unique stamp on the history of Sled Island. Selections included Brooklyn avant-garde rappers Maassai and JWords of H3IR, Montreal math rockers Gulfer, the genre-defying artist Helado Negro who was coined by Lido Pimienta as “the most prolific artist ever”, and more.

It’s little to no surprise with Reverie being based in Calgary, Sled Island is part of who we are. The festival is a critical part of the city’s identity and a hub where passionate people alike are free to express their individuality, while also inspiring collective growth. Whether it’s wanting to experience the best of the best that Calgary has to offer from local acts, new venues like Modern Love and Loophole Coffee bar, or taking part of the communal celebration that the festival cultivates - there’s something for everyone at Sled Island.

Reverie attended the festival, running from venue to venue, with our favourite highlighter-marked and graffitied programming guides glued to our chest. We caught as many shows as we could without collapsing and with five days of non-stop music, there’s a lot to cover - so continue on to hear some of our favourite moments.

Cecile Believe

I can count on one hand the number of hyperpop acts that have performed in Calgary, but I’m grateful to add one of the genre’s pioneers to the list: Cecile Believe. Here to take the reigns and christen the city’s new venue Modern Love at the start of the festival on Wednesday (formerly-known as Broken City, a main-stay venue throughout Sled Island’s time), Cecile served ethereal vocals and emotional range. Performing the hits like “Bitch Bites Dog” and crowd-favourite “Show Me What” featured on A. G. Cook’s debut album, Cecile packed the dancefloor with euphoric ease. The artist also shared a new unreleased song, re-worked some old ones like “Made in Heaven” - taking it from a ballad to a saccharine-injected, sped-up banger, which supplied fans with an exclusive look for what’s to come for the Montreal-now-LA-based artist.

Marlaena Moore

The week of Sled can be emotional: social and physical fatigue, all while balancing the exhilarating waves of joy as you take in the music that is waiting to be discovered at the festival. These feelings are unimaginably amplified for an artist. Marlaena Moore’s show at the Palomino will be remembered for years to come, with the artist showcasing her vulnerable side that we know and love in between croons. It was a reminder of how we all experience a range of emotions during Sled Island that can easily bubble to the surface: it’s what make us human and the festival so special.

Gloin

On Friday, Toronto post-punk/noise band, Gloin, brought a mind-melting performance, keeping the energy high with it reaching its climax during show closer “Work Patrol” from their 2022 album We Found This. The band set the perfect chaotic tone for the night to come, opening for the Osees at the Palace Theatre. What started as a competition to get the best spot in the house for the headliner, turned into a full moshpit frenzy thanks to Gloin.

OSEES

Following Gloin, we were swept away with the crowd, with a never ending stream of stage divers and headbangers at the OSEES show. From John Dwyer eating the microphone with his mic-in-mouth screams to the wails of fuzz and distortion that riled the crowd up even more, their long awaited return was a lesson in possession worth experiencing.

*Crowd @ the Palace Theatre - Photo Credit: Sebastian Buzzalino*

Gulfer

Emo night at the Ship and Anchor was a success thanks to Gulfer and the stacked lineup that preceded them: local instrumental new-comers Oranje and St. Johns’ twinkly-tap-guitar favourites Swimming. Hailing from Montreal, the band masterfully blends math rock with midwestern emo, transporting me to the days of the sweaty DIY basement shows where we leave the fear of adulthood that looms in the background right in the pit where it belongs.

Water From Your Eyes

One of the most anticipated acts on the lineup after the release of their avant-pop LP Everyone’s Crushed, the band proved worthy of the title with many audience members leaving the show having found their newest favourite band. Lead vocalist, Rachel Brown, had a charming level of witty banter and captivated the audience from the moment they mentioned “Sonic the Hedgehog” and then jumped into the squelching chords for “Barley”. Water From Your Eyes represents the essence of Sled: seeing a band like that in an intimate venue before they blow up. You will, one day, have bragging rights, so keep that in your pocket for later.

Sled Island 2023: Better Than Ever