The Dudes

Royal Athletic Park Side Stage, Victoria, BC, September 15

BY Ashley HampsonPublished Sep 16, 2012

The epic beard of Dan Vacon made its presence known on the side stage at Royal Athletic Park, followed closely by Dan himself and the rest of Calgary's the Dudes. If a band's set success can be measured by the ratio of crowd surfers to actual people in attendance, the Dudes would likely take top spot for their Saturday afternoon show. With their masterful mixture of intimate lyrics laid next to their tongue-in-cheek variety, coupled with their energetic spirit and ability to continuously engage the crowd, the band owned that stage. With beach balls abounding, Vacon managed to keep one airborne using his feet at the close of "Mr. Someone Else." After a rousing bout of clapping to close out "Girl Police," Vacon rhetorically asked the crowd, "Do you ever get excited for a date and party for two days straight?" The crowd's energy alone was a resounding yes.

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