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Make Music hits the streets

Gastown and Yaletown come alive with the sound of live music

More than 150 bands and musicians will take over the streets of Gastown and Yaletown, rain or shine, for the third edition of Make Music Vancouver, Friday, June 21.

With more than 25,000 people attending last years free street festival, organizers hope to see even more at this years event, which runs from 5 to 10 p.m., with parts of Water Street closed to traffic to create a public square.

Professional and newbie bands will perform alongside one another on sidewalk stages and makeshift dance floors, playing everything from rock, metal and punk to classical, jazz, reggae and R&B.

Local musicians playing this year include the Surfrajets, a four-piece band that plays vintage and contemporary surf; the Twitch, a five-piece rock act signed to Australian record label Blue Pie Records; jazz group Quintessential, which has played more than 250 gigs since forming in 2003; and We, The Sheeple, a four piece indie-pop rock outfit, which cites Arctic Monkeys, Two Door Cinema Club and the Ramones as influences.

We feel that since this festival is at very convenient locations Gastown, Yaletown and downtown Vancouver that everyone can come see us and the other bands performing that night. Practically anyone can be exposed to our music, said Joey Slithers, vocalist for the Twitch.

Make Music Vancouver was inspired by Fête de la Musique, an initiative launched by the French Ministry of Culture in 1982. Since then, similar Make Music events have expanded to more than 460 cities in more than 100 countries around the world.

The event is run entirely by volunteers, with organizers and musicians donating their time and skills in order fulfill the festivals mandate of celebrating musical diversity for all.

I have been an audience member of previous Make Music Vancouver festivals in the past, said Duncan Lee, guitarist and vocalist for We, The Sheeple. And the thing that I like about it the most is the fact there is music for everybody. There are hundreds if not thousands of people walking around [so] someones musicality is bound to catch the ear of someone.

More details at makemusicvancouver.ca.