Sled Island 2018 first-wave announcement filled with welcome surprises

By Matty Hume, February 13 2018 — 

Sled Island, an annual music festival hosted in a plethora of venues in downtown Calgary, has become a Canadian staple that ignites unparalleled local excitement. The festival’s Feb. 13 first-wave announcement at Commonwealth Bar and Stage met the bar set by previous years, and then some.

Twenty bands were announced, including seven selections from 2018 guest artist curator Deerhoof. Standout headliners include indie-rock favourites Dirty Projectors and California dream-punks Cherry Glazerr.

The announcement also included some unexpected heavyweights like ambient star Grouper, an act that Sled Island artistic director Maud Salvi says has been a long-time goal for the festival.

Other significant announcements include Phil Elverum’s Mount Eerie, Polaris Prize winner Lido Pimienta, Italian sludge powerhouses Ufomammut and the return of Sub-Pop’s hip-hop legends Shabazz Palaces.

The 20 artists announced are only a portion of the over 250 bands that will grace the Sled Island 2018 program. The festival runs June 20-24. See the full Feb. 13 announcement, purchase passes and stay up to date on future announcements at sledisland.com.