Real Love Summer Fest shares the good vibrations

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This article was published 26/07/2019 (2267 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

As a concert promotion company, Real Love Winnipeg works year-round to make Winnipeg a more frequent tour stop for indie bands from all over the world, a mandate it’s carried over into its festival programming for Real Love Summer Fest.

This year, the three main headliners are all out-of-town acts: pop-punk band Remo Drive from Minnesota; singer-songwriter Molly Burch from Austin, Texas; and 1970s-lovin’ Los Angeles-based Drugdealer, led by songwriter Michael Collins.

“I think there are a lot of festivals that are booking strictly local bands, which is awesome, but we try to expand it and bring other people into Manitoba so they can see the local bands and so that local bands can play with touring acts,” says Adam Soloway, the festival’s co-director and artistic director.

That doesn’t mean Real Love is forsaking local talent, though; Soloway says an effort is made to keep the lineup 50 per cent local — this year, it includes notable acts such as Begonia, Dill the Giant, Mulligrub, Jaywood and nearly a dozen others.

The sixth edition of Real Love Summer Fest kicks off tonight in Teulon.

This is the third year Real Love has set up at Ignite Retreats, a space Soloway describes as a “dreamy forest landscape that’s perfectly laid out for a music festival.”

“There’s two different campgrounds with completely different vibes and you kind of meet in the middle for the music and the food. It just creates such a fun and easy vibe,” Soloway says.

The space is big enough to comfortably house 500 pass holders, as well as volunteers and musicians, and Soloway says they’ve added a few new touches to the site this year, including art installations and other “colourful things,” along with new lighting he says will add to the music-listening experience.

As always, Red Tent services will be available on site for those who need a safe space and Real Love’s “Be Nice” policy will be in full effect, with a zero-tolerance stance on discrimination of any kind.

Organizers want to remind people to stay hydrated and be mindful of the sun, as temperatures are expected to hover around 30 C Saturday and Sunday.

In addition, Real Love Summer Fest is entirely cash-only, so stop at an ATM before heading to the festival site.

erin.lebar@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @NireRabel