On The Road To the Tall Tree Music Festival

On the Road To the Tall Tree Music Festival

We began hearing about an Island band named Quoia in November of 2011.  It seemed everywhere we went, and met anyone who had heard of Quoia they recommended we meet each other and play some rad shows together.

After a rocking night at The Griz Bar in Fernie, a mutual friend of ours and Quoia approached us and reiterated this to us. The next morning I woke up and emailed them a proposition. A two week tour, in our area (The Kootenay’s) and their area (Vancouver Island) where we could all rock out to our respective friends and fans.

Quoia was keen, and so began the planning for The Road To Tall Tree Music Festival tour. A two-week tour with the final hurrah in Port Renfrew BC at The Tall Tree Music Festival of which Quoia members Mike Hann and Mike Roma are two of the organizers.

After many an email, we finally met them in Victoria at the Upstairs Cabaret and immediately fell in love.  To all 6 of them, their music, their Island spirit and uplifting tunes. After two weeks of plenty of driving, music, dancing, debauchery, and run-ins with the law, we parted ways, with tears in our eyes.  

Finally we met up with them again at the much anticipated TALL TREE MUSIC FESTIVAL. This was such a magical festival. We arrived to a rainstorm and a mud pit, and were frightened that our 6:00 time slot could be rained out. But as we got the go ahead to take the stage, the rain stopped and the clouds parted and we rocked out to some of the happiest, muddiest people we’ve ever seen. They weathered the storm and embraced the mud and danced their hearts out. A few hours later, Quoia took the stage and although we’ve seen them rock out before, we’d never seen them rock like this. This was them in their absolute prime. All of their hard work of putting the festival together, working their asses off, finally paid off in one phenomenal stage show, and our highlight of the weekend. All of us Shreddies stood embraced at the front of the stage, singing along like proud parents. And as the sun came up, our buddy and keyboardist phenomenon Hugh drove our muddy, stumbly selves to a warm bed… or was it a cold floor…..?