First timers, emerging artists, youthful exuberance - there is plenty new to celebrate at this yearB次元官网网址檚 Vancouver Island MusicFest.

There are artists who are new to the festival. Some are new to the industry. And some are relatively new to the world.

All of them can be seen, along with a multitude of festival favourites, national, and international talent, as Black Press streams the entire 25 hours of programming, July 9-11.

B次元官网网址淧oeple think the term B次元官网网址榚merging artistB次元官网网址� means young, but thatB次元官网网址檚 just not true,B次元官网网址� said MusicFest executive producer Doug Cox. B次元官网网址淭here are so many people, from baby boomers on down, that decided later in life that they wanted to start performing, and there are a lot of them that are quite good. So B次元官网网址榚mergingB次元官网网址� doesnB次元官网网址檛 mean young, necessarily.B次元官网网址�

Angel Forrest, while not new to the industry, is new to the Comox Valley. The Montreal blues singer ended up on Hornby Island throughout the entire pandemic, and was just nominated for a Juno Award - her first such nomination in her three-decade-long career.

B次元官网网址淪heB次元官网网址檚 sort of a Janis Joplin-type singer - just a powerhouse,B次元官网网址� said Cox. B次元官网网址淪heB次元官网网址檚 new to the festival.B次元官网网址�

Jeff Plankenhorn is another big name with newly local roots.

After 20 years in Austin, Texas, Plankenhorn recently moved to Campbell River. Cox is thrilled to have him at the festival.

B次元官网网址淗e has played the festival before as a side man, but this will be his first B次元官网网址榝eatureB次元官网网址� performance. He is one of the finest musicians to come out of Austin.B次元官网网址�

Some other festival first-timers include the Quadra folk roots band Willow - an all-female quartet; L鈭濸S, a duo out of Kamloops; and Kentucky Eileen, another group from the Interior.

B次元官网网址淜entucky Eileen are a phenomenal bluegrass band out of the Okanagan,B次元官网网址� said Cox. B次元官网网址淭hey will be playing with Dirt Road Opera, which is kind of a harmony-strong group, remi niscent to me of Crosby, Stills & Nash.B次元官网网址�

Caley Watts, a young singer/songwriter from Bella Coola, will be performing as part of the Indigenous Showcase curated by Leonard Sumner.

B次元官网网址淚 really think she will be making some waves in the world, once people know about her. SheB次元官网网址檚 pretty special,B次元官网网址� said Cox.

A Comox Valley gem, Easy Street, will make their MusicFest debut. Annie Handley and Dave Devindisch are well-known local artists who traditionally spend the MusicFest weekend on the production side. In past years, Devindisch has been too busy as the monitor mixer at the Grierson Stage to get a chance to perform. Their jazzy takes on hits from the past 50 years, mixed with some fantastic original cuts, make for an entertaining show, wherever they play.

B次元官网网址淲e shot them out at 40 Knots Winery, and it was beautiful,B次元官网网址� said Cox.

Another local duo performing is Sweet Santa Fe, who made their MusicFest debut in 2018.

B次元官网网址淭hey are one of the best kept secret in some ways of the Comox Valley, in regards to musicians,B次元官网网址� Cox said of Christine Baxter and Michael Rivero. B次元官网网址淢ichaelB次元官网网址檚 musicianship is extraordinary as a Cuban guitar player, and their songwriting is really interesting. IB次元官网网址檓 really excited that they are part of the show.B次元官网网址�

From the B次元官网网址測oung to this worldB次元官网网址� perspective, Parksville blues phenom, 14-year-old Liam Docherty will, in CoxB次元官网网址檚 words, B次元官网网址渂low peopleB次元官网网址檚 minds.B次元官网网址�

The self-proclaimed B次元官网网址榬ed-headed blues boyB次元官网网址� has been performing publicly since the age of seven, recorded his debut CD at 13, and has shared the stage with such Canadian blues masters as David Gogo, Ken Hamm, and five-time Maple Blues Award winner for Piano Player of the Year, David Vest (who is also in the line-up this year).

B次元官网网址淚 canB次元官网网址檛 wait until people can actually see him in person,B次元官网网址� said Cox. B次元官网网址淗e is part of the song circle segment that was recorded at the Tidemark Theatre (Campbell River). Getting up on a big stage like that in such a weird situationB次元官网网址� having no audience, and seven cameras in your face, is not an easy thing to do, even for experienced artists. He did really well with it.B次元官网网址�

Cox said DochertyB次元官网网址檚 talents are many.

B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 not just a blues guitar player; heB次元官网网址檚 a great songwriter, and heB次元官网网址檚 playing pieces of music by people like Tommy Emmanuel, and Tony McManus, who are two of the finest players in the world, and he is just nailing it. HeB次元官网网址檚 also a phenomenal Celtic guitar player. He blows me away; just a super talented kid.

B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 not a show-biz kid. HeB次元官网网址檚 a musician. ThatB次元官网网址檚 one of the things I really love about him. No one is pushing him into this. HeB次元官网网址檚 just doing it because he really, really loves to play, and thatB次元官网网址檚 pretty cool.B次元官网网址�

The youthful talent is not limited to the front of the camera at the festival.

DougB次元官网网址檚 son, 16-year-old Devon Cox, has been integral to the production of the online event, taking care of the bulk of the film editing.

B次元官网网址淗e has been a huge part of this,B次元官网网址� said Doug. B次元官网网址淒evon has saved our butts numerous times. Mike Sutcliffe has been doing the sound for the whole weekend and myself and Devon have been the main team for filming, along with Cresslynn (Brodhagen), our location manager. Mike and I are almost lining up to ask Devon questions at this point in time as we are going through the editing phase. We have problems and I tell you, he just knocks me out with his problem-solving ability; he is extraordinary, when it comes to anything with computers. Honestly, we couldnB次元官网网址檛 have done this weekend without him.B次元官网网址�

So does Devon has a future as a festival producer?

B次元官网网址淚 think heB次元官网网址檚 too smart for that,B次元官网网址� laughs Doug. B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檇 actually be wasted as a festival producer. He has a lot more talent than that.B次元官网网址�

Vancouver Island MusicFest - The Virtual Edition runs Friday, July 9, 7-11 p.m.; Saturday, July 10, noon-11 p.m.; and Sunday, June 11, noon-9 p.m.

For a fuull list of performers, go to