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Guerrilla Gigs

Guerrilla Gigs was a 2020-2021 summer concert series of Canadian artists performing intimate shows in iconic outdoor locations around Revelstoke. Styles include folk, bluegrass, rock, blues, alt-country and more.

All Guerrilla Gigs can be found on our YouTube channel.

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2021 Guerrilla Gigs

Guerrilla Gig #1

Partial to Pie – Nestled in a gorgeous backyard amongst the trees on airport way, the local rock outfit, Partial to Pie, kicked the season off with a high energy performance. The wind was blowing a storm through town that somehow missed us entirely. Excitement for the resuming of live music was apparent, both on stage and in the crowd!

Guerrilla Gig #2

Shoestring Necktie – We heard rumours of a gorgeous backyard on the Illecillewaet river with homeowners excited to see live music. The sun was out in full force, along with one of the neighbour’s dogs. The natural grassy amphitheatre was a beautiful spot to sit and watch a show.

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Guerrilla Gig #3

Scenic Route to Alaska – Although the view from the stage wasn’t particularly Alaskan, it was certainly scenic! The Edmonton indie rock band played on Eagle Pass’ heli pad, sandwiched between the setting sun behind the Kootenays and the thick forest behind them. The band performed a wide range of sounds, from high-energy danceable beats to downtempo dreamy melodies.

Guerrilla Gig #4

Myra Morrison & Denis Severino – The first band without a drummer of the season performed at First Light Farms – a fitting venue for the local old-time band. The threat of rain had long-since disappeared, and instead the sky rained charred pine needles – which the band at one point mistook for mouse droppings. Plenty of heartfelt storytelling and stringed instrument mastery kept the crowd engaged the whole night!

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Guerrilla Gig #5

May Davis Trio – Fresh off her recent album release, local blues songwriter May Davis performed with a full band at the Revelstoke Railway Museum – the same location where her most recent music video was filmed! The musicianship and lyricism was sharp-witted and vulnerable, and everyone in the crowd could be seen tapping their toes to the rhythm.

Guerrilla Gig #6

Pharis & Jason Romero – The Mulvehill Chapel offered an unexpected and much-welcomed sanctuary from the smoky skies surrounding Revelstoke. The quaint venue fit the warm and rich stylings of Pharis & Jason Romero. The effortless harmonies tucked the audience into bed, and the gentle intertwined strumming was like a kiss on the forehead.

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Guerrilla Gig #7

Shred Kelly – To the joy of countless concertgoers, we got the go-ahead from the province and the city to host larger gatherings. Shred Kelly was the first of the five bands to perform a free show at Queen Elizabeth Park. While it was a little less intimate, it was no less special. That feeling of intimacy was replaced with pure joy, both on and off stage. The lead singer could be seen tearing up on stage as the world felt temporarily and strangely normal.

Guerrilla Gig #8

Wyatt C. Louis – Performing for his first time in Revelstoke, Wyatt C. Louis took a detour down a road of understated soul tunes. His velvety-smooth vocals sat comfortably amidst the wickedly but subtly talented 5-piece band. Although the mountains were covered by a thick blanket of smoke, the Illecillewaet River cut through the background like the tenor saxophone cut through the mix.

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Guerrilla Gig #9

Harry Manx – The genre-blending legend Harry Manx played for an attentive and mystified audience at Queen Elizabeth Park. The enchanting mix of traditional Indian and blues music complimented his charmingly silly on-stage quips. With fascinating ease, the seasoned musical veteran held the crowd lovingly in the palm of his hand the entire night.

Guerrilla Gig #10

Chicken-Like Birds – The weather was significantly drier on our second visit to Revelstoke Mountain Resort - the hazy skies revealed only a silhouette of the mountain range across the valley. The Salmon Arm duo played a mix of americana, folk, old time, blues, and everything in between for an enthralled crowd. Their subtle tongue-in-cheek sense of humour came through in their playing as much as their stage banter.

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Guerrilla Gig #11

Celeigh Cardinal – A returning favourite from last year, Celeigh Cardinal played for a relaxed picnic blanket-dwelling crowd at Queen Elizabeth Park. The weather was as moody as the Edmontonian’s smooth but powerful voice. With a loving but sharp attention to detail, Celeigh and her band serenaded an awe-struck crowd with beautifully written originals – along with a couple carefully curated covers.

Guerrilla Gig #12

Small Town Artillery – When we first scouted the lonely, decommissioned flatbed truck sitting at the Revelstoke Forestry Museum, we began dreaming of ways to turn it into a stage. Small Town Artillery seemed to breathe life into the museum, as they turned the stationary truck into the centre of the party. The Kaslo 7-piece (accompanied by local rocker Aza Nabuko) had nearly the whole crowd bouncing on their feet all night.

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Guerrilla Gig #13

Moontricks – Although Queen Elizabeth Park saw many elated Revelstokian music fans over the summer, there was no denying the all-time high excitement for Moontricks. The turbulent sea of dancers was active all night, as the band played for 2 straight hours – electing not to take a break by popular request. The duo served up a perfectly crafted cocktail of electrified dance beats, tasteful banjo and guitar stylings, and topped off with a pinch of searing hot harmonica licks.

Guerrilla Gig #14

Under The Rocks – As the smoke cleared up, the threat of rain resumed and we took shelter inside one of our favourite barns from last year. Under The Rocks performed with meticulous attention to detail, their harmonies hanging in the barn next to the gorgeous chandeliers. The bluegrass 4-piece captivated the audience, with no shortage of clapping, toe-tapping, and singalongs.

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Guerrilla Gig #15

Leila Neverland – Due to forces beyond our control, our final Queen Elizabeth Park show was significantly downsized and moved to a large clearing at the Revelstoke Forestry Museum. Leila Neverland and her band showed no bother, and ticket holders certainly did not mind receiving a more intimate performance. The level of musicianship was high, as Leila’s signature commanding voice left everyone in awe.

Guerrilla Gig #16

Jill Barber – Jill Barber wrapped up the series at a secluded backyard overlooking the Columbia River, neighbouring the location of our first gig of the season. Barber’s first set of freshly baked new songs had everyone tuned in, and her second set of favourites even drew a few dancers out of their cozy blanketed cocoons. As the sun set behind the mountains and the air turned cool, Barber’s intimate and vulnerable performance offered warmth and comfort to all in attendance.

2020 Guerrilla Gigs

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Guerrilla Gigs #1

Jared Wayne feat. Nik Winnitowy – The first gig had a steep learning curve, including rain and recent bear sightings during setup. Randy did countless trips on the ATV to cart all the sound gear to and from our stage nestled in the forest. Aside from 2 or 3 drops of rain, the show went off without a hitch. Our optimism was showing.

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Guerrilla Gigs #2

Practically Bros – We heard rumours of a gorgeous backyard on the Illecillewaet river with homeowners excited to see live music. The sun was out in full force, along with one of the neighbour’s dogs. The natural grassy amphitheatre was a beautiful spot to sit and watch a show.

Guerrilla Gigs #3

Myra Morrison and Denis Severino – This gig was originally planned to be inside the barn, but a last-minute decision (as we were setting up) to move the show to the back porch of the barn proved to be a smart move. Somehow the sky decided to cooperate and we were given a picture-perfect sunset behind the mountains as the bluegrass music inspired a couple pairs to go barefoot dancing in the meadow.

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Guerrilla Gigs #4

The New Dignitaries – Without a doubt, this was the most ambitious location of the series. Our crew and volunteers diligently carried heavy/expensive/awkward sound gear to be perched on the edge of a cliff up on waterworld (don’t worry, we ensured nothing/nobody was anywhere near in danger of falling off the edge). A couple of climbers and paddleboarders happened to get a free show that night

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Guerrilla Gigs #5

Celeigh Cardinal – This was our first full band of the series, so we thought we’d pick a less ambitious location this time around. The band set up in front of an old train car at the Railway Museum and got a warm Revelstoke welcome from the hot August sun, which also super-heated said train car (sorry, drummer!). For better or worse, halfway through the set they were cooled off by a malfunctioning sprinkler system. This prompted a quick acoustic number while the sound team scrambled to make sure all the electronics were unharmed. Ultimately, this gig would win the prize of the most “guerrilla” Guerrilla Gig, and Celeigh and her band somehow graciously rolled with the punches through everything.

Guerrilla Gigs #6

Shred Kelly – With their lineup almost halved due to unavoidable health concerns, the band took the opportunity to provide a rare intimate performance of their much-loved songs. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky that evening, as guests watched the band silhouetted in the sunset on the patio at the Revelstoke Mountain Resort midstation lodge. The toe-tapping was contagious and everyone had a big grin on their sunlit faces.

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Guerrilla Gigs #7

Mariel Buckley – Taking a break from the sun-saturated hot early-August gigs, we found sanctuary in a large undeveloped parcel of land in Johnson Heights. If you looked closely, you could see the backyard where we had the second Guerrilla Gig – an opportunity to look back on the early gigs that felt like years ago. The weather was as cool and moody as the guitar playing, but the crackling fire and Mariel’s knack for storytelling provided plenty of warmth.

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Guerrilla Gigs #8

Old Soul Rebel – The water from the dam had finally gone down enough to utilize Revelstoke’s sprawling flats. It seemed we were not the only ones with the idea, and had to change our location that very afternoon to not disrupt the several families having a nice evening in our original location. The backup location turned out to be arguably better, with the still water reflecting the setting August sun behind the familiar mountains. The band rocked the house and was a high-energy finale to the series.

Past Gigs