Tame Impala and More at Bestival Toronto

Second year festivals, by nature, aim to work out the kinks that arose from their debut editions. Bestival Toronto - the only international outpost of the UK’s renowned gathering - saw vast improvement in its sophomoric effort, even following a successful launch in 2015. For 2016, the event changed sites without losing any of the top shelf production credentials or lineup ingenuity that make Bestival so enjoyable. On a Saturday that had long been forecast as rain-soaked and humid, the sun came out along with 15,000 party people for a breezy and unforgettable bash.

While the bass-heavy sounds of trap beats converging with textbook EDM drops rocked the Big Top Tent, a choice selection of DJs kept expert watch over Bestival’s signature Bollywood Stage - a fluorescent behemoth adorned with elephants and emitting towers of flames into the clear sky. Dutch tech-house vet Joris Voorn laid a lively foundation for local hero Art Department’s sunset throw down, before Maya Jane Coles closed out with a clinic in consistent, body-shaking deep house.

Meanwhile, a varied triple bill of crowd-pleasers kept watch over the main stage while day folded into night. Jamie xx - a welcome return act from the 2015 card - moved smoothly from hypnotic soul to tropical disco and beyond until a power issue sadly cut his time short. Seattle’s Odesza was up next, heavy on the button-pushing and knob-twisting but equally generous in the provision of mesmerizing vibes. All this set the table for the festival’s centrepiece: a headlining triumph for Tame Impala.

Kevin Parker and his fellow Aussie psych wizards were well equipped for Bestival’s dance-friendly focus in light of 2015’s “Currents” LP - Tame Impala’s recent foray into a more electronic headspace. Leaning heavily on this latest material and taking full advantage of their backing video screens, the band unleashed dreamy, keyboard-driven grooves for the bulk of their 90 minute performance. Lead single “Let It Happen” cast a blissful spell over the audience and the melodically-splendid “Eventually” rang throughout the grounds with calming ease.

Seasoned tunes like “Elephant” and radio hit “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards” harkened back to Parker’s guitar-minded origin and left fans enraptured in singalong, capping a glorious day in spirited fashion. Bestival organizers have already announced plans to return to Toronto in 2017. The only question is how they’ll manage to up the ante once again.