Preview: Field Trip 2022: Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Peach Pit, Kurt Vile & The Violators, Lucy Dacus, The Halluci Nation, Valley, Busty and The Bass, Rheostatics, The Rural Alberta Advantage, Pierre Kwenders and many more

Field Trip is back for the first time since 2018! Field Trip is a fixture of the Toronto music festival season and it's good to see the festival back in action for 2022. They had taken a hiatus for 2019 and of course couldn't come back in 2020 or 2021 due to covid. 

Field Trip returns for 2022 with a one-day festival, taking place on July 9 at Fort York Garrison Commons. I'm looking forward to the full Field Trip experience including a beautiful downtown Toronto venue, a great crowd, good food, lots to experience when not taking in live music, activities for the whole family, including the little ones, and, of course, some of the best artists from Canada and beyond.

It’s a pretty stacked line up with:

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats

Peach Pit

Kurt Vile & The Violators

Lucy Dacus

The Halluci Nation

Valley

Busty and The Bass

Rheostatics

The Rural Alberta Advantage

Pierre Kwenders

Daisy the Great

Georgia Harmer

Ombilgizi

Get all your ticket information and other details about the festival at the Field Trip official web site. It's sure to be a great return for a Toronto-favourite festival. Grab your tickets, see you there, and watch this space for coverage after the festival.

Here's this year's schedule:

I’ve covered a few of this year's Field Trip artists in the past. Click through on the artist or venue names to check out those shots.

I caught an opening set by now-headliner Nathaniel Rateliff at The Horseshoe Tavern back in 2014.

The Halluci Nation, formerly A Tribe Called Red, performed at Riverfest Elora, Hillside and Field Trip.

Busty and The Bass brought the funk to Hillside and Riverfest Elora.

The Rural Alberta Advantage performed at Riverfest Elora and The Wolf Island Winter Ball.

I've captured intense sets from Haviah Mighty at Royal Mountain Records and Riverfest Elora.

Pierre Kwenders was at Field Trip 2018.

I've also covered Field Trip for several years. Links to all my coverage at the following links:

2018

2017 Day 1

2017 Day 2

2016 Day 1

2016 Day 2

Purity Ring at The Phoenix Concert Theatre - Concert Photos

Purity Ring performed a show at Toronto's Phoenix Concert Theatre that sounded and looked absolutely stunning. From the music, which of course is the main reason we were all there, to the elaborate wardrobe, to the projected visuals, it was all so, so beautiful.

Purity Ring have tried to mount this tour a few times now, and are very cautious about covid since if they get it, that means cancelled shows, disappointed fans, and lost money. Their request was for everyone to wear masks, and most complied.

We heard uplifting, intimate and enchanting music from their latest release, graves, 2020's womb, 2015's Another Eternity, and their 2012 debut, Shrines. It was magical. All my favourites were included. Check out the full setlist here.

It was a gorgeous night of music and visuals. Check out some Purity Ring music below.

Ekkstacy opened up the show. My shots of their set are here.

"stardew"

"begin again"

Ekkstacy at The Phoenix Concert Theatre - Concert Photos

Vancouver's Ekkstacy took to the stage at Toronto's Phoenix Concert Theatre opening for Purity Ring. My photos of Purity Ring's set are here.

Ekkstacy delivered solid indie rock with glimpses of punk attitude and shoegaze guitar lines. Check out some of their music:

"it only gets worse, i promise"

"I Gave You Everything"

Sunflower Bean at Lee's Palace - Concert Photos

I love Sunflower Bean. Their tunes are highly original with many, many sonic touchpoints and influences. It was "Easier Said" from their 2016 album Human Ceremony that first caught my ear. Since then, I've caught live shows at The Horseshoe Tavern for a headlining show and at Rebel when they opened for Interpol.

This show was awesome too. The band's latest album is Headful of Sugar and we got to hear almost the entire album. The band's setlist also included "Easier Said", "Twentytwo" from Twentytwo in Blue plus a few other tunes. Their encore song, "Somebody Call a Doctor", is from all the way back to 2015's Show Me Your Seven Secrets.

Another solid show from one of my favourite bands! 

Check out my photos of openers Jackie Hayes and Rachel Bobbitt at the links here and here.

And here's some music from Sunflower Bean's latest:

"In Flight"

"I Don't Have Control Sometimes"

Jackie Hayes at Lee's Palace - Concert Photos

Chicago-based Jackie Hayes and her band performed their set right between headliners Sunflower Bean and openers Rachel Bobbitt. 

She put on a very high-energy show; barely standing still for more than a brief moment. 

She's got an album coming out later this year. If the tunes we heard live are any indication, we'll get a fun, high-energy collection of tunes.

Check out my pics of Sunflower Bean and Rachel Bobbitt at links here and here.

And here's some of Jackie Hayes' music:

"omg"