Victoria Pop-Up
It’s a pop up summer baby! On Friday Kyle and I hit the road for Victoria, dreading the concept of being in a BC Ferry line all day but coming out victoriaous (see what I did there?) as we boarded the 11am with no wait time. We picked up generators on the way into town, stopped for coffee, and started driving up the coast line scoping out spots for this pop up.
I can’t stress how much of a “pop up” these truly are since by 2PM we still weren’t sure where we were doing the damn thing. The beach spots were beautiful, all of Victoria is, but the wind was gnarly. And Victoria’s beaches are all quite rocky. Rocks and dancing, as far as I’m concerned, are not a great combination. And don’t even get me started on the stairs… another hurdle we try to avoid when we have to lug two generators and 8 speakers to the location.
By about 4PM we found Cattle Point. I guess I would describe this as a bluff. It was in a bit of a nook that we figured would protect us from noise complaints. So we locked this in, sent out the mass text to those who responded to the tiktok, and went to grab the rest of the gear.
By 8PM the crowd started to show up. By 8:15 the music started and by 9PM I knew it was a success. Not to get too sentimental but there’s a realness to these pop-ups that stoke a fire inside me. It’s a combination of the randomness of it all. Will people show up? Will the sound work properly? Will we get shut down? Will people enjoy it? But I think uncertainty is the point. I want to live there*. At the end of the night I took some photos and chatted with everyone who attended. Some people said it was the best night of their lives. I’m flattered, I’m humbled. I consider myself a creative person, so I want to stay creative and create moments that feel fresh. After doing this for so many years, sometimes the “why” starts to blur a bit. I think these pop ups have helped me find it again. So thank you.
Photo by Kyle Lee / Cattle Point, Victoria
-felix
*I like this quote. So much that I put it in an interlude on my latest album.