Sled Island 2025 Day 4: Eighty Eight Brewing hosted local indie rock and punk bands to put on an exhilarating show
By Hannah Caparino, June 25 2025—
Sled Island day four hosted a number of musicians at the outdoor parking lot of Eighty Eight Brewing. All the performers played through the wind and rain to put on a notable show filled with head bangers, jumping and an improvised mosh pit. From indie to math rock, all the bands brought an electric energy to the beginning of night three of Sled Island.
Beginning the set at Eighty Eight Brew was Cassia Hardy with her dreamy and powerful voice. Audience members gathered under the tents to avoid the rain to listen to Hardy’s indie rock songs and continued to stick around after the rest of her set.
The following act was a duo from Vancouver called Maneater. They began their set with an indie rock song that was a bit more boppy with relatable lyrics. Maneater sprinkled their songs with riffs on the higher side of the fretboard which added a nice layer that paired nicely with the drums and strummed chords. The pair traded verses in different songs, both of which showed off their vocal prowess through their songs about what it means to be human. Their set list was riddled with songs about relationships, moving away, growth and more. Maneater also included a cover of “Sometimes’ by Britney Spears and incorporated their own indie sound.
The six-person band, Big Evil Rat was on next and began their performance with their garage and rock inspired tunes. The band was able to seamlessly transition between songs by changing tempo through the drums. Their overall set up was interesting as they included two drummers, and despite their presence, there was no sense of overstimulation — instead both drummers provided the base support for the songs.
The drums would indicate where the songs would build up and highlight where the energy of the song would be at its peak. The lead singer of the band had a clear but nasally tone which added character to each of the songs.
One of the elements that stood out was the clarity of the bass lines and how the notes were seen being played on the electric guitar whereas the bass was mainly used to support the chorus and bridges. Another aspect of Big Evil Rat’s performance was their use of mic effects and how they were employed to add vocal layers in the song or used to deepen the singer’s voice for an unnerving effect in the song.
Oranje played a noteworthy show by utilizing interactivity as an integral part of their performance. The emo rock band based in Calgary began their set list with a soft guitar riff introduction with a slow build up to the chorus. Sofia, one of the lead singers, had a low voice that enticed viewers to come closer to the stage to hear.
Their second song called “Recess” was a high energy song and the guitar would include riffs. Some of the songs that were played were also inspired by spoken word with the verses being spoken in a low tone. The last two songs were emo and moody with the chorus and majority of build up being purely instrumental. The final song of their set list was a cover of “FCP Remix” by The Fall of Troy and featured two audience members to sing the song.
The crowd brought the energy as a mosh pit formed at the base of the stage where dancing took place to the beat of the drums. All the performers put on a thrilling show and the audiences endured the rain to see local favourites.
Sled Island 2025 will wrap up on June 22, and the night will still continue with the guest curator Otoboke Beaver performing at The Palace Theatre. Information can be found on the Sled Island webpage.