Bar, Burlesque & Basslines At SHAZAMSERIES Tomorrow

During the COVID-affected summer, live happenings have been in pretty short supply BUT behind the scenes, the organizers at ShazamFest-Quebec's quirkiest outdoor showcase of music and performing arts-have been hard at work to offer culture-thirsty crowds a twist on their beloved summer gathering (...safely, with thoroughly-washed hands, and at the requisite social distances of course!!)

While a number of organizations have gone online with digital editions, Shazam opened its country carnival gates to the main stage on July 25, kicking off a summer series that runs until September 5 featuring 12 live acts over 6 uniquely-themed weekly performances. Shows will be streamed simultaneously online HERE.

With recent announcements that Quebecers can attend public gatherings in crowds of up to 250 and that festivals can resume their activities, the ShazamSeries has come a long way since opening up in July to a minimal crowd of 50 and incrementally increasing its capacity to 100 for its second instalment and up to 120 at the third show in the series, which also had the famous Shazam campsite open up to 40 spaces and saw the return of the fest's beloved Oink&Moo food stand.

The upcoming fourth instalment on August 22 further extends it all with a 150 in-person audience, 50 overnight visitors at the campground, and the much-anticipated opening of the festival bar serving local home-brew provided by Coaticook's Pub Hop Station alongside other refreshments!

"Now that we'll be serving Train Hopper IPA and Draisine Blonde Ale from our friends at Pub Hop Station, it made sense to increase our overnight camping capacity so fans can sleep off their big night! The beer is brewed and bottled just down the road, underlining our commitment to supporting independent local businesses," noted Ziv Przytyk, ShazamFest Founder/Director. "After another safe & successful night of live music, we're once again increasing our in-person capacity so more music lovers can get their summer fix of great tunes and good vibes - with such great outdoor entertainment, camping, onsite local fare and now drinks, it's starting to feel more like the ShazamFest we all know and love!"

PROGRAM

July 25 | Knockdown the Lockdown!
• Daniel Cowman presents "Too Much Medicine"
• DéKorà

August 8 | Folk Focus
• Brett Nelson
• Nikolai Kush

August 15 | Psych-Rock Spectacular
• Birthday Suit Special (an ode to psychedelia by 2/3 of The Firing Squad)
• Hoodooed
August 22 | Burlesque & Basslines
• Les Burlesqueries de Miss Eva
• Charley Cliff Trio

August 29 | Brass Euphoria
• FERDZ
• Ze Radcliffe Fanfare

September 5 | Rockabilly Soul Series Finale
• Bloodshot Bill
• Perfect Strangers

**Campsite opens at 4 p.m. EDT / Gates open at 6 p.m. EDT / Shows start at 7 p.m. EDT**

The newly socially-distanced setup at the ShazamFest main stage-with allocated safe dancing spaces!

In collaboration with the Estrie Public Health Department, all the necessary safety measures have been put in place including assigned socially-distanced seating & dance spots, traffic corridors, and hand-sanitizing stations. Plus don't forget to bring your masks. Though tweaked for everyone's safety, this is still Shazam-so expect a micro-dose of your favourite vaudevillian carnival down in the valley come rain or shine!

With the exception of this year's special series, ShazamFest is a 4-day outdoor extravaganza featuring live music, circus, burlesque, dance, and other performance arts, as well as wrestling, skateboarding, activities for kids, an artisan market, and locally-sourced food vendors, with free on-site camping on a pristine multi-generational organic family farm about an hour-and-a-half away from Montreal in Quebec's picturesque Eastern Townships.

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