Sappyfest is tonight, and this year it’s all online and all-night long.
The 26-hour variety show live stream starts tonight at 8pm, featuring all kinds of local musical talent, artists, and pets.
Sappyfest’s creative director Steve Lambke is ready to get the ball rolling after weeks of painting backdrops, organizing talent, and technological maneuvering.
“I’ve been asked a few times today, ‘How are you feeling?’ and I don’t even know how to answer that,” says Lambke. “My brain is sort of a mess of details, but the energy is really cohering and feeling really great. So it’s exciting.”
Lambke says that while the variety show is different from Sappyfest’s gone by, there is a similar spirit as previous festivals.
“We decided to do this model because it’s still bringing people together. We’re not necessarily all going to be at Struts Gallery at the same time, but a bunch of us will be going there throughout the weekend to do performances, and presentations and stuff. So there’s a shared experience of putting an event together.”
The show won’t have an official schedule, but Lambke says there are plenty of amazing performances to watch throughout the 26 hours.
Some talents include Wolf Castle, Julie Doiron, Jon McKiel, Ryan Suter, and Theo Crocker.
There will also be pets parading through the gallery, yoga instruction, a DIY terrarium lesson, a cooking show, and a poetry reading by Geordie Miller and Marilyn Lerch.
The variety show be livestreamed from Struts Gallery and Faucet Media Centre, starting at 8PM and going for at least 26 hours.
Lambke says it was not at all difficult to schedule the wee hours of the morning, because many artists requested to perform overnight.
“A bunch of artists and a bunch of young performers really expressed interest in that time. I think that there’s a certain freedom in those hours.”
The link to watch the show will be available on Sappyfest’s and Struts’ social media pages. There won’t be a tape of the performance to watch after it’s gone, so be sure to tune in if you want to catch the show.
