~Photos by Trish Cassling, Beck, Bruno Mars, Darcys, festival, Frank Ocean, Imagine Dragons, Not Country, Royal Blood, Tegan and Sara, U2, wayhome Music
With WayHome just days away, we're getting geared up for a whole lot of live music and fun... and The Darcys are too.
We caught up with Wes on the phone to talk about festival highlights and tips - drinks - palm trees - flamingos - and more in the lead up to Oro-Medonte's biggest multi-genre party of the summer season.
One listen to The Darcys' newest release, Centerfold and it's clear that there's a new vibe, direction, and vision from Wes and Jason as they push forward with the band that they started together a decade ago. The art-pop-synth-neon-dancy-palm tree-party sound that peppers the album from front to back is a lot of fun, and they know it. They've also seen fans of the band turn the corner to party with the new music, and they're excited about that result.
Wes told me that it's exciting to see the fans more engaged than ever before at live shows. "So fun," he says, and adds that there have been multiple sightings of inflatables in the crowd, including palm trees and parrots. And while parrots may be Jimmy Buffet's thing, the guys are happy to steal it and see more of them at their shows in every city, every night. Every one of those cities and tour stops is also an opportunity for fans of The Darcys to pick up exclusive merch, and it's flying off the shelves.
Wes talked about the merch changing from flat black shirts with the band's' name in a scripty font to the more colourful pink, seafoam pastels we're seeing now... at first, fans weren't sure about the new look and direction - and then, all of a sudden, the boys couldn't keep the new gear in stock. In fact, there's a rush merch order right now so WayHome will be fully stocked with brand new merch from The Darcys.
I asked Wes what his personal favourite pieces of merch is right now and he told me that the movie poster sits at the top of the list... but that the new merch that will drop later this summer is ready to take over that top spot.
We also talked a bunch about festival life, with Wes telling me that the Elora Riverfest and WayHome are his two favourites, with both affording him a chance to walk around and truly experience the music and feel of the event. He gave props to the fans who say hi, but are respectful of the fact that he's there for a good time, just like they are.
I asked which acts he's most looking forward to checking out at WayHome 2017 and he gave me an awesome list of talent that includes Frank Ocean, Tegan and Sara, Royal Blood, PUP, Justice, and Imagine Dragons among others. And with a list like that, there's a strong chance we're going to run into him from time to time on the festival grounds.
I also asked Wes which acts he'd buy tickets to see if he was given the chance, and learned that Beck still sits at the top of his list, with REM, U2, and Bruno Mars all taking spots on the list. His #1 criteria for live shows is: Entertainment... and we can't argue with that.
Before we finished on the phone I asked Wes a few more questions, starting with some percentages/odds on a bunch of things, including:
* Chances we'll see at least 1 palm tree on stage at WayHome - Wes says: 100%
* Chance there will be a Toronto show before the end of the year - Wes says: 90%
* Chance there will be a Christmas Cover in 2017 to follow up 2016's All I Want For Christmas Is You - Wes says: 50%
* Chance the band is working on new stuff right now - Wes says: 100%
AND, I was told that there's a strong chance we'll see a rather large inflatable... stay tuned for more.
I also asked what drink he recommends when listening to The Darcys, and he gave two answers:
1) A cold Palm Bay, maybe something with coconut or pineapple.
2) A nice crisp, refreshing summer beer.
And finally, as we've been asking a lot of people this year, what is your #1 festival tip... and Wes offered this.
Thanks again to Wes for the chat, we're looking forward to seeing The Darcys hit the WayBright Stage at 3pm on Saturday afternoon at WayHome - and we invite you to be there too, because it should be awesome.
Stay tuned for more interviews, photos, reviews, and more - we've got it coming in hot!
Oh, and check out the new video for Arizona Hwy from The Darcy's Centerfold. Right here, right now, just press play!
