Fireside: Behind the Music
From Basement Jams to Main Stage Glory, Fireside Festival ignites the soul of Kelowna with community and culture: one setlist at a time.
With an emphasis on culture and community, the spirited Fireside festival is gearing up for its 9th year, and thanks to vibrant and intentional preparation, this may just be Fireside’s most exhilarating year to date.With three days of diverse music genres set to seamlessly light up the city at Kelowna’s beloved Redbird Brewing and BNA, we sat down with Fireside’s creator and the mind behind the music, Aaron Desilva, alongside the core Fireside team. They gave us the ins and outs of what exactly goes into curating Kelowna’s favorite winter event and more specifically, how what began as a small event fueled by a love for music in a small living room is now making waves as the event that bridging the gap between cultural deserts and electrified unity in the heart of the Okanagan.
Captivating the Senses:
Part of what makes Fireside so captivating to the eyes of attendees is undoubtedly the creative vision that brings Kelowna’s winter scenery to life. In a town that endures low skies and minimal sunlight in the winter months, walking into Fireside, you simply would not know it. From striking banners to art installations, Wolfette pulls the warmth of summer into February, making the dance-laden landscape a truly eye-catching event – invigorated by her admiration for Fireside’s deep sense of community and devoted team members. “Fireside is a very unique event in general. For Kelowna, yes, on a Canadian scale, also very unique. Fireside has such a strong sense of community to it, and that's what really keeps me tied to this festival year after year. It's basically just like a three-day, all-day hangout with my friends and family.” - Wolfette
From Basement to Main Stage:
With big names like Snotty Nose Rez Kids and Moontricks on the bill this year, long-time talent recruiter Kelly knows better than anyone the impressive growth that can come from humble beginnings. Witnessing some of Kelowna’s biggest events lose the ability to survive the town’s steep demands, the team emphasizes the importance of maintaining the event’s initial vision as well as the strong bones of the community surrounding it, to keep Fireside not only on its feet but thriving.“Fireside started in Aaron and, you know, Wild Son's living room, and now it's expanded into two of Kelowna's best venues. And so there's this type of community sustainability behind it. Sometimes you won't know all the names on the lineup, but we guarantee you their live performance will blow your boots off.” - Kelly
Inclusivity in Diversity:
What pulls individuals from all walks of life into Fireside's arms is the unwavering inclusivity that goes into curating Fireside’s artist lineup. Understanding that small towns are naturally more susceptible to cultural deserts, the team goes above and beyond each year to satisfy attendees with new and exciting musical experiences. The multi-sensory event not only caters to a multitude of music but utilizes other mediums such as dancers, visual artists, and other creative minds to bring the whole event to life.“I think we've always had sort of the same foundation when it comes to booking. If you like a little Country, you're going to get that. If you like your hip-hop, you're going to get that. If you want your French-Canadian artists or emerging artists, you’re going to get that. Like, for me, I don't listen to just one genre of music. I like to listen to lots of different types of music. And so it's kind of nice to go to an event and see so much variety in one place.” - Kelly
Building Community:
With loyalty to the Fireside mission, we can see familiar faces around the venues every year. The creative team behind the festival is committed to watching Fireside grow and prosper, in such a way that many of the team members have been dedicating their efforts continuously over the years — including Heather, a high-spirited MC and volunteer coordinator who knows very well the importance of bringing high-energy to the event, especially during one of the lowest times of the year.“You don’t have to be any kind of person in order to enjoy Fireside. You just will. That’s kind of been our selling point over the last few years, and Aaron and I have definitely talked about this a lot. Fireside is like this gleaming ball of sunshine in this bleak time of year, that everyone can look forward to. It definitely will lift your spirits. It's such a beautiful testament to this community.” - Heather
The Heart of Fireside:
Both the Fireside team as well as recurring attendees can attest to the many reasons the event holds a special place in the hearts of Kelowna residents, but what might be less outwardly known is what really put the Fire in Fireside — that being an old band house united by an admiration for music and house parties that would unknowingly put Fireside on the map in some years to come. “It started as a bunch of friends just throwing a party together, and it still is that, essentially just bigger.” - Aaron
Aaron, the creator behind Fireside Festival, may be a witness to something minimal taking on substantial growth, but everything else? Well, based on what I, among all other attendees, have been blessed to experience — everything else has remained the same.“I never wanted to dilute that initial purpose and change that energy because that really is where you get the most comfortable place to arrive. You get to see all your friends, you get to meet new people, you get to have cool music, meet the artists. It's this really organic kind of feeling, as opposed to, "Here's a show, you can come but stay over there." I just have really tried to grow it and maintain that feeling.” - Aaron
It’s not everyday you get to sit around a fire and hang out with your new favourite artists as they socialize around the venue grounds, but at Fireside festival that is one of the many highlights. The warm and inviting environment has new friendships and meaningful connections sprouting each year like a well-fed garden, and it's never just one type of crowd either.“In the winter you're probably doing the same things every weekend, so let’s switch it up a little bit and get crazy and get your friends out, even get your family out. Maybe Grandma wants to come, especially on Sunday, there's really chill bands. It's people’s favourite thing all winter long. You just find the love and hug it out, it's a great place to see people in their element. I've always tried to create it so that there's a lot of freedom for people to express themselves however they want to.” - Aaron
Listen Before you Go:
With so much hype and anticipation placed on the lineup this year, we couldn’t help but delve into who the team is most excited to see this year, of which the answers did not fail to impress, with one consensus standing proud and strong: the acts we can look forward to this year are endless. Better yet, you can listen to this year’s artists and be ready to sing along well before the event, thanks to Fireside’s beautifully-curated Spotify playlists that showcase all of Fireside’s 2024 artists, down to the day they’re playing! Check them out:Friday:
Saturday:
Sunday:
“I'm really excited for Moontricks. I do feel like Moontricks has that bassy vibe to it, but it's also, like, indie-folk-y. So that's kind of the perfect pairing for Fireside, you know, especially between the few days that we have at Red Bird and then you come over to BNA, and it is more of that indie vibe. Red Bird is a little more energetic, so I think that Moontricks really encapsulates all of it.”- Wolfette
“This year's lineup really came together so nicely. We do have some returning artists, both Moontricks and Snotty Nose Rez Kids, who've played here in the past, but both of them have seen substantial growth since they were here at the festival last. So I'm excited to see how that plays out. There are so many other favorites on the lineup. Like, I love Rumpus' set, Danny's Such a Beauty, and the Femme Fatale girls just take my breath away every year. And Ricky Diamonds if you have never seen that show before, that will also be very exciting for people.” - Kelly
“I am truly excited for this year's lineup. I've got my boys from 538th Street that are going to be playing, and I'm always excited to see Naduh. They are my favourite nasty Spice Girls in the world.” - Heather
“Snotty Nose Rez Kids, obviously those guys have been one of my favorite Canadian artists since I saw them at Breakout West, I think it was like 2014 or 2015, something like that. I saw them play in a cafe and I was like, what the hell are these guys doing in a cafe? There were probably 60 people and I thought the floors were going to cave in, it was so rowdy.” - Aaron
A Place for Everyone:
No matter the degree of weather, nor your flavour in music, Fireside is a place where you can come make new friends, show up in your snazziest winter outfits, and be reminded of the abundant culture that Kelowna holds when you’re in the right place. It’s an event you will not want to miss."I get messages from people all the time saying, “I want to play Fireside” even before we bring the lineup out. And that is solely because of the amazing venues, the teams of people that helped, all the core team for Fireside, how organized everybody is. It's just such an inclusive, safe space for people to come and enjoy music. And I think that's always been the foundation of it and why I think it's grown and been such a beloved event in Kelowna.” - Aaron
