Date Posted: July 4, 2011
Print Edition: June 24, 2011
By Chelsea Thornton (The Cascade) – Email
While many UFV students look forward to spring and summer road trips to music festivals on the distant horizon, Abbotsford is preparing to launch a musical series of its own, the seventh annual Jam in Jubilee, held at the Jubilee Park in Old Abbotsford. The series will run from July 7 to August 11, on Thursday evenings from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Admission is by donation, and seating is whatever you bring, so don’t forget your lawn chair or blanket.
Jam in Jubilee’s mission is to “promote awareness of Abbotsford’s local arts community by providing an outdoor performance venue for musicians and artists to perform and grow.” The line up of performers this year truly reflects this goal; the stage will host many young Abbotsford artists, as well as more established acts. The performers also represent a wide range of musical genres, from folk to rock, jazz to pop.
Last year’s Jam in Jubilee featured future CIVL Stage guests Oh No! Yoko, and former Dis-O performers You Say Party! The line-up this year further reflects UFV’s growing link to the Fraser Valley musical community: CIVL Radio is presenting the concert on July 21.
My experience of outdoor concerts in the Fraser Valley in the past has largely centered on the big band or children’s music variety – offensive to no one, but not necessarily appealing to everyone. Jam in Jubilee has re-imagined “family-friendly” by creating a concert series that goes beyond being universally appropriate, instead creating an event that promises to be universally enjoyable, for kids, teens, adults, and seniors.
Jam in Jubilee features more than music: there will also be booths marketing the wares of many Fraser Valley and Canadian artisans, and for the first time, the Jam will also host a busking tent. This tent is dedicated to non-musical acts like dancers, jugglers, and magicians, and will stage performances in between the musical features.
The concert on August 4 will close with the Jam in Jubilee’s foray into another facet of Abbotsford’s art life, film making. The event organizers are looking for short films from local filmmakers. The films will be shown on a big screen after the sun sets and the musical acts are finished for the evening. The deadline for short film submissions is July 1.
In keeping with the event’s local focus, the Jam in Jubilee committee is running a button design contest, asking local artists of all ages to submit their own design. These buttons will be handed out at each concert to the first 200 people who arrive with a two dollar donation. The deadline for button design submissions is June 30.
The complete line-up for the 2011 Jam in Jubilee:
July 7th – Abbotsford Entertainment Centre presents:
Josh Hyslop (folk rock)
Harma White (classic rock)
July 14 – Bikram Yoga Abbotsford presents:
Casino Jazz Trio (jazz)
Jonathan Inc. (acoustic rock)
All My Friends (electro synth-pop)
July 21 – CIVL Radio 101.7 fm presents:
Teapot Hill (folk)
Familia (indie rock)
Real Boys (indie rock)
July 28 – LadyFern Living Ecologically presents:
The Hot Moonbeams (pop rock)
Sheree Plett & Jeremy Eisenhauer (folk)
August 4 – Atangard Community Project presents:
Cinnamon Toast Funk (funk)
Rags to Radio (pop rock)
Local Independent Short Films
August 11 – Long & McQuade presents:
Cale Stanage (folk)
The Kodiak Nightlife (pop rock)
We Are The City (indie rock)
