MUSIC
In 2020 due to Covid-19, the festival was delivered completely online and free, with an opening live stream and a closing live stream, with a week between to watch the films. Mark Malibu and the Wasagas helped bring some fun musical messages to the sofa surfing event during those live streams.
Mark Malibu and the Wasagas
They are more fun than a barrel of monkeys! They are outrageous performance artists! They are Canada's original Surf Punks.
Considered a touchstone of the Toronto surf music scene, they first existed from 1979-1982 playing with many new-wave and punk bands confusing audiences everywhere. They reunited in 2014 for several shows with all original members. After a quick eastern Canadian tour, the band was re-tooled and signed with UK’s Sharawaji Records. They have put out an LP every year since 2017 and charted well around the globe. Surfs Up again!
Visit their website.
In 2017 Great Lakes Surf Film Festival brought music and film together to celebrate the season. Since then, the festival has been mainly focused on the films. Here are the musicians who helped celebrate the inauguaral year of the event.
Nick Zubeck
Nick Zubeck is a songwriter, guitarist, singer, teacher and recording artist from Toronto, and is currently living and working in Guelph, Ontario. He has recorded and released five full length albums under his own name, and has been involved with many other artists and projects over the last 15+ years.
As a guitarist and sideman, Nick has contributed to many projects including Polmo Polpo, Barzin, Great Lake Swimmers, Old Maps, and Western Terrestrial. Nick was hired to play with Sun Kil Moon in 2014, and has since toured Europe, Asia and the U.S. multiple times, playing Pitchfork Festival, Newport Folk Festival, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, La Route De Rock, and many other festivals and concert halls.
Nick works out of his Guelph studio, Arthur North, and has done recording and production work for Sandro Perri, Barzin, Tyler Wagler, Rich Burnett, Jenny Omnichord, Joni Nehrita, Jude Vadala, Magnolius, LEO37, Dave Ulrich, Ben Bowen, Brenda McMorrow and others. http://www.nickzubeck.com/
Ry and Jess
Ry and Jess unite their passion for surfing with their love of music to create an eclectic mix of songs that take the listener from the water to the studio. The duo met surfing Lake Ontario and began collaborating on music soon after. Ry and Jess released their first EP back in February of 2016. Titled, In the Moment, the album is a mix of surf-inspired songs ranging in genre from folk acoustic to alternative and reggae. The album blends a mix of traditional surf-style with modern flavour. Their first single was Hatchbacks with Roof Racks, depicting kooky surf and catchy melodies. Relatable to any surfer who braves the elements, this project connects the Great Lakes Surf scene with a much bigger global surf community through the pure and simple joys of surfing. Give "In the Moment" a listen on iTunes at https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/in-the-moment-ep/id1094831035
A little taste of their work: