To say Festival d’été de Quebéc is just another music expo is sort of lame, a lot like saying French cuisine is mere food. If anything, the 45th iteration of the Québec City bash is better than ever. Evidence? How’ bout the performers?
Book a seat to this star-struck festival and you’ll see and hear the likes of Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, LMFAO, Beirut and a bunch more. Things kickoff July 5 and the music doesn’t stop till the 15th, ten days later.
Top international stars share some of their luster, lighting up the stage for some of the best artists in the realms of world music, indie-rock, and reemergent folk music.
Not to be clichéd about all this, but “There will be something for everyone,” insists festival manager Daniel Gélinas. “The Festival is like a snapshot of the latest hits, of the next big thing and of legendary talent that we can never get enough of.”
The festival opens up in French, the language than animates this Canadian province – its people, its customs, and its identity. “This was a perfect opportunity to celebrate the language that both unites and defines us,” says festival board member Marie-France Poulin.
The evening of the 5th begins with music from Marième. It’s quintessentially sunny and delivered with a reggae/pop rhythm. She’ll perform at the Hydro-Québec stage at Place Metro in Place d’Youville starting at six in the evening.
After that, look for lots of eclectic selection – and not just in terms of performances. If the music is diverse, so too the nonstop air routes to Quebec City. Consider: United Express offers flights from Chicago O’Hare, Delta Connection from Detroit, United Express from Newark, and US Airways Express from Philadelphia. All these routes are flown by twin-engine regional jets.
Story by Jerry Chandler
