Music Waste is an annual music festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia. The festival celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2024. In previous years, the festival has featured artists such as Mac DeMarco, Black Mountain, and Japandroids.
History
Music Waste was founded in 1994 as a protest against the corporate-sponsored New Music West festival. The festival grew substantially from its inception to the early 2010s, eventually featuring comedy and arts performances in addition to the musical acts.
From 2004 to 2008, Music Waste was organized by Only, who also printed a festival guide featuring write-ups about the bands performing. Alternative music magazine Discorder later took over printing the festival guide.
Since 2008, Music Waste has operated as a non-profit and has been entirely volunteer-run. Music Waste 2012 took place from 7 to 10 June 2012. It featured over 100 comedy and musical acts at 24 different venues.
In 2020 and 2021, the festival was replaced by online adaptations due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2022, Music Waste included several shows in the parking lot of Kingsgate Mall.
The 30th iteration of Music Waste took place from 6 to 9 June 2024, featuring over 70 acts across four venues: Red Gate, The Lido, Green Auto, and 648 Kingsway. In 2026, the festival took place on a smaller scale than previous years, featuring six acts at the Wise Hall in East Vancouver. The organizers stated that they had decided to "take this year to restructure and to fundraise".
2012
Musical Lineup
Wednesday, 6 June
Joseph Blood The Abraham Singers Gord Grdina Trio
Thursday, 7 June
Dirty Spells White Poppy Greenback High Capitol 6 B-Lines Aunts and Uncles The Godspot Peace New Krime Telefoam Vincent Parker Koko Movieland Bad Channels Inherent Vices
Friday, 8 June
Violet Age Bummer High Aquanaut The Shilohs Teledrome Hierarchies WATERS Woolworm Thee Ahs Sleuth Bleating Hearts lié Spider Legs Hole in My Head Sex Church Trail of Broken Treaties Spring Break Thin Gaze Gang Signs Evy Jane Gal Gracen Johnny de Courcy (Solo) Nam Shub Cloudsplitter Hermetic The Courtneys Apollo Ghosts Spell Trimesters Good Night Buffalo Hemogoblin
Saturday, 9 June
Johnny Koban Cascadia Watermelon Real Boys NEEDS The High Drops Cowards Jay Arner Bleach Babes Sightlines Fieldhead Hallow Moon Kellarissa Slight Birching Bertha Cool Previous Tenants Slim Fathers Crystal Swells Yung Mums Newport Beach Victories Phoenix Thunderbird Korean Gut B. A. Johnston Ketamines Weathered Pines The Lost Lovers Brigade Reverter Johnny Payne (The Shilos) L.A. Lights Konner Whitney (KoKo) Crystal Dorval (White Poppy) Big Nothing Nurse juvenile hall The New Values World Club Eeek! Brazilian Money Slam Dunk //Zoo Chris-a-Riffic Freak Heat Waves Menopause Isotopes Babysitter Too High Crew
Sunday, 10 June
Horse Girls Weed Twin River Village Pleasure Cruise The Ballantynes
References
External links Music Waste