In Photos: Virgin Festival Ontario 2009
Posted August 31, 2009 2:04 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The rain stayed away, but so did a lot of fans.
The embattled 2009 edition of Virgin Festival Ontario went off at the Molson Amphitheatre Saturday and Sunday, finding its final destination after shifts from Toronto Island to Burl’s Creek Park near Barrie and then back downtown.
Day 1 highlights included a high energy set from Scot rockers Franz Ferdinand and indie grandparents The Pixies, but headliner Ben Harper & Relentless7 bore the brunt of sagging ticket sales, playing to a lot of empty blue seats as they shut it down Saturday night.
The buzz on Day 2 centred around what’s alleged to have been Nine Inch Nails’ final Canadian show, and Trent Reznor’s industrial name brand didn’t disappoint (heck, a guitar was smashed on the second song).
The Devo-esqe stage antics of Pet Shop Boys and flashy fan footwork that accompanied N.E.R.D. also resulted in entertaining efforts on the main stage, though credit should definitely go to Detroit’s Von Bondies, who drew a massive crowd to the tiny “Boardwalk” side stage and created an almost SXSW feel with one of the most intense sets of either day.
Other notables included locals D’Urbervilles and Down With Webster (both of which did their best with limited crowds on annexed stages) and Long Beach indie outfit Cold War Kids, who despite playing early Sunday evening on the main stage still seemed to convince a few folks that their songs were among the best played at the festival.
Take a look:
Paolo Nutini
Down With Webster
Franz Ferdinand
The Pixies
Ben Harper & Relentless7
Day 2
Cold War Kids
N.E.R.D.
Our Lady Peace
The D’Urbervilles
The Von Bondies
During Pet Shop Boys (no photos allowed)
