A LABOUR OF LOVE: FROM OSHEAGA TO โ77 MONTREAL
A CONVERSATION WITH NICK FARKAS OF EVENKO
Behind every great festival there is a mastermind, and Nick Farkas is one of Canadaโs most committed. As VIP of booking for Canadian event giant evenko, he has contributed to the success of many festivals across the country. This summerโs offerings include Osheaga, FEQ, รlesoniq, Heavy Montreal and โ77 Montrealโฆ and thatโs just in Quรฉbec.
Farkasโ work ethic has its foundation in a place some might find surprising. He started by booking local punk shows in the โ80s, and attributes some of his success to his roots:
โI loved reggae, loved punk rock, loved ska at the time, loved rock roll, loved everything in betweenโฆ so Iโve always sought out what isnโt necessarily mainstream โ thereโs a lot of good mainstream music donโt get me wrong โ but some of my influences have been trying to find music that Iโve found compelling and interesting, and as a resultโฆ what I do, and what I do with my team, is very broad.โ
He has carried that mentality through to his festivals with great success. Voted Billboardโs most successful Canadian live event in 2017, the attitude behind Osheaga originated in that diversification of genres, as well as realizing the importance of local talent. When Osheaga started, โthe idea was really an opportunity for local bands, Canadian bands, Quรฉbec bands, to play on the same stage โ or during the same festival โ as some of their idols.โ
Despite barriers such as smaller capacity, fewer resources, and the rate of the Canadian dollar, Osheaga is often mentioned with larger festivals around the world. Farkas says he is humbled by it: โIt was a labour of love in the beginning, and it continues to be.โ
Diversity has been key for these festivals: โFrom the beginning of Osheaga, we went from Sonic Youth to Ben Harper and everything in betweenโฆ no one can ever say weโre not doing what we set out to do in the beginning.โ He praises his booking team, joking โif Osheaga was me just booking what I wanted to book, no one would go.โ
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VICE-PRESIDENT OF CONCERTS & EVENTS AT EVENKO & FOUNDER OF THE OSHEAGA MUSIC FESTIVAL NICK FARKAS
Farkasโ latest labour of love is a one-day punk rock festival, โ77 Montreal. In itโs second year, its inspiration comes from a simpler time:
โBefore the worldwide web, you had to find music, and it was a lot more difficult. When I was a teenager and local radio stations played nothing but Van Halen and stuff I wasnโt that fond of I had to go out and find music that I likedโฆ so that meant travelling to Toronto and New York and all over, trying to find records.โ
Although the exact inception of punk rock is impossible to pinpoint, and is constantly debated by punk purists, the name of the festival is an homage to Farkasโ beginnings as a booker and promoter. โ1977 is the year for me that The Clash, the Sex Pistols, put out the biggest records,โ he says, โthat influenced me and my entourage, and I think, the worldโฆ Itโs going back to my roots, itโs going back to what got me interested in the business in the first place.โ
โ77 is an outlet for Farkasโ love of punk music, but also an answer to Montreal and Canadaโs alternative scenes, and he hopes one day it will be as well-known as Osheaga. This yearโs lineup offers a wide range of punk artists from the โ80s to today. โWeโre trying to bridge that gap,โ Farkas says, โseeing people that are 18 connecting with people that are 55, over their love of punk rock, is amazing.โ
The bill is impressively diverse: From The Exploited and Cro-Mags, to Bad Religion and Pennywise, to newer Canadian acts like The Dirty Nil and Anti-Queens. โWith โ77 โ giving myself and my team 40 years of punk rock โ itโs still very broad,โ Farkas says, โbut it allows you a giant canvas of music to work with.โ
He and his team have a giant canvas indeed. Aside from Osheaga and โ77, evenko books everything from sporting events to Celine Dion concerts to metal festival Heavy Montreal to local street festivals. โWeโve never lost our focus as Osheaga has grown, weโve always wanted the local aspect to be a part of it, and Heavy as well, โ77 as well.โ
Farkas says they knew early on that they needed to treat the fans and bands well. He and his team know what festival-goers want in addition to a diverse range of musical artists. Food vendors, family activities, and emerging local art exhibits are just a few of the offerings at Osheaga.
The artists wonโt go hungry either. No cold hot dogs in the green room, evenkoโs festivals boast renowned local chefs Chuck Hughes and Danny Smiles, who cook for the artists to order. โYou see like, the Black Keys shucking oysters, and Charles Bradley shucking oysters. I love food, I love music, I love sportsโฆ and when you unite all of those things into one, itโs phenomenal.โ