Olio Festival promotes bar hopping and “No Fun City”
by Chantelle Belle ~ September 26th, 2010. Filed under: Uncategorized.A small crowd huddled under the overhang of a pizza shop. Men puffing on cigarettes. Cars swishing by. An empty bike lane.
A sign hanging from the side of the brick building reads “Railway Club.”
Behind the discreet wooden doors is a staircase plastered with show posters. Flash a festival wristband for free entry or pay $10 at the door.
Five bands. One night.
The second Olio Festival.
Music. Art. Film. Comedy. The festival showcased a heavy dose of Vancouver talent mixed with international artists from Sept.23-26.
The Railway Club was one of 41 venues listed in this year’s festival guide. Sponsored by CBC Radio 3, Saturday’s line-up drew a healthy crowd of music enthusiasts.
By 9 p.m. the entrance was packed. Arriving patrons took off their coats as the doorman collected cash and checked ID. The audio engineer adjusted sliders on the soundboard.
A small group of men played darts as they waited for the first band to begin.
Musicians huddled around tables in the back bar. A framed picture of K.D. Lang hangs with a crowd of random art.
Interviews conducted over beers. A flannel-clad journalist passed a portable recording device around the table as members of Vancouver band Pineapple answered his questions.
“Make sure you vandalize something tonight,” said flannel-clad as the interview ended.
Young scenesters crowded in front of the small stage. People strategized how to catch bands at The Media Club without missing Hard Drugs.
Buzz around the film “No Fun City” filled the bar. The synopsis describes Vancouver as “a city that seems hell-bent on shutting down all the fun.”
The film was screened at The Rio on Saturday night. At the same time, young music lovers bar-hopped across the city taking full advantage of their festival wristbands.
