Vancouver's Music Waste Festival Returns


If you’re anything like us, you are STARVED for live music. To feel the pound of a kick drum in your chest, to discover that new favourite who played in the opening slot, to wake the next morning with ringing ears… It’s safe to say that fans of Canada’s independent music scenes are dying to rekindle their love of live music.

(I even find myself scrolling through the history on my phone to find old, 30-60 seconds clips I recorded from gigs of years gone past… just to get that tiny reminder of what live music means to me.)

If you can relate, we are very excited to announce that starting tomorrow you can take-in Vancouver’s legendary Music Waste Festival from the comfort of your own home.

Running from June 17th-20th, this year’s festival is 100% virtual, giving the rest of Canada the opportunity to take-in, and learn about Vancouver’s independent music scene. The festival is adapting to the times, while sticking to it’s DIY roots, with exclusive pre-recorded performances and digital offerings from a characteristically eclectic lineup that focusses on inventive, emerging Vancouver acts. For the 27 years that Music Waste has existed, it’s been a 100% volunteer-run festival, with profits evenly shared by artists. Although this years festival is free, there is an option to donate or to purchase commemorative festival passes and/or merchandise through the festival’s Bandcamp store where you can also find this year’s edition of the annual lineup mixtape series—Big Wasted Tunes 2021.

The full lineup for Music Waste 2021 features: Adewolf, Big Rig, birdboy, Devours (a recent Cups N Cakes “Pick Of The Week”), Dim Wit, Emma Lee Toyoda, Francis Baptiste, Funny Death & Radish (Feat. Meatless Deluxe), Future Star (a former “Pick Of The Week”), Kylie V (whom we recently interviewed), Lil_Babeee_4EVA, Little Sprout (a recent “Quick Pick”), Max Boonch, NIVRAM, Oblomov, Peach Pyramid (whose last release came in at #3 on our list of the “Best EPs of 2019”), Rainbows End, redress, schnüdlbug, Small Orbit, Soft Fossil, The This, Tonk (a 2020 “Pick Of The Week”), Transistor Riot, and Yawn.

The full schedule is below, all shows can be viewed at: musicwaste.ca