REAL LOVE SUMMER FESTIVAL

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In just a few short years, Real Love Winnipeg has gone from a DIY recording project to a major force in Manitoba music. From their humble beginnings in 2012 as the creators of the Beach Station Blues series of compilation albums, RLW spun off into the Real Love Summer Fest. Festival organizer Gilad Carroll says that last year’s inaugural festival grew naturally from the community of artists created around BSB.

“[Musician] Micah Erenberg, who was on the first BSB album, approached us about doing a music festival in Matlock on his parents’ property in Matlock in early June,” Carroll explains. “We thought that sounded awesome. We ended up having to move it to Gimli, but that was a blessing in disguise. The community has been so supportive.”

From that initial lark, the festival of indie rock, folk and experimental music has grown immensely.

“This year we had over a hundredapplications for the fest, and we have 27 bands,” Carroll says. “So it was a difficult process figuring out the lineup. Other than the music itself, we have an artists’ village with vendors, all sorts of arts and crafts, and food. Plus, there’s free camping, so everything that comes with a camping environment as well.”

Part of the series: The 7th Annual Summer Festival Guide

Published in Volume 69, Number 27 of The Uniter (June 3, 2015)

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