Canada Day is a great day for Canadians all over this great nation. But for the tech house and techno fans of Toronto, Canada Day held something even more special in store. Electric Island returned to Toronto for the second edition of the summer picnic and concert series this year. And with a stellar lineup of names like Marcel Dettmann, Sasha, Dennis Ferrer, & Lee Foss, this looked to be quite a promising day.
Taking place at Hanlanβs point on Toronto Island, Electric Island switched venues from Centre Island to itβs current location, which is just a 40 minute walk from itβs prior location. Overlooking the Toronto Skyline with the surrounding water body all over, the venue set the mood for a great evening, with plenty of open space for the fans to move around. And as if the techno gods themselves wanted the fans to have the greatest time possible they could, the weather played in perfectly with a nice sunny day with a cool breeze. Not too hot, not too cold, just perfect.
To set up the mood for the crowd, we got to experience local artists Greg Gow, Jonathan Rosa and Jeff Button (names that arenβt unheard of in Toronto) deliver some beautifully curated sets that got the crowd on their feet before Dennis Ferrer could come on. The second the crowd saw Dennis Ferrer hit the decks, the dance area increased tenfold. And this kept happening every time a new artist appeared on stage. As Dennis Ferrer, Lee Foss, Sasha and Marcel Dettmann got on stage, more and more people ran up to get a closer look and feel of the electric vibe going down on the island. But the Sherp would not do justice to this review without giving a special mention to Marcel Dettmann and his set. Closing the night perfectly with his set, Marcel got everyone drawn to the stage like light to flies. With great versatility in his set, the crowd was left guessing what his next track would be, and would then dance their feet away as Marcel threw down one track after the other.
But Electric Island isnβt just about the great music. Itβs about encompassing the entire experience and delivering it to the fans in a well-organized fashion. That being said, if you needed to grab a quick bite to eat, there were an abundance of food trucks around you, serving the wildest creations, like a bacon wrapped grilled cheese which we highly recommend. If you feel like you needed to take a break and maybe get a little competitive, there were Ping Pong tables placed around all areas, provided by Spin Toronto. Electric Island even set up a small section above the Bacardi Bar and allowed access to 10 people at a time to enjoy the view from higher ground. We even managed to catch a wedding that happened at the festival, champagne included. All that coupled with all the space available for people to lay down their blankets and just chill on the grass, made Electric Island the favourite concert series Torontonians come to enjoy every year.
Come 10:30, it was time to leave, and no one was happy about it. But Electric Island left a little behind to have people look forward to the next edition returning on August 3. The third edition of the summer features an impressive line up consisting of Art Department, Green Velvet, Robert Babicz, Shiba San, DJ Three, The Junkies, Mike Gibbs & Koki. We are most definitely excited for the next edition of Electric Island and are counting the day away till it approaches. For more information, visit www.electricisland.to