NEWS RELEASES - 2006 | 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SNEAK PREVIEW RELEASED OF 2007 TELUS WORLD SKI & SNOWBOARD FESTIVAL FREE CONCERT SERIES

Line-Up Hailed As Best in Twelve Year History of Festival

Whistler, BC - February 13, 2007

The team behind the TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival is embarrassed to admit that they can’t keep a secret – at least not when it comes to the concert line-up for the biggest free concert series in North America, coming to Whistler BC for April 12-22 2007.

“This is by far the best line-up we’ve ever had,” said Festival Managing Director Sue Eckersley, admitting that they’re releasing the details earlier than ever because they can’t trust themselves to sit on the news for 2 months.

Featuring the ultimate mix of hip-hop, funk, rock, reggae and indie acts, the Festival’s main stage in Skier’s Plaza at the base of Whistler Mountain is set to be ground zero for the ultimate wrap-party to the ultimate winter.

Canadian indie rock-star Sam Roberts will open the Festival on April 13, with Zilla and Bassnectar on April 14 sound-staging the first weekend’s Big Air. Stephen Marley sets the vibe on April 15, and Finger 11 will amp up the party on April 19, with the founders of ska and reggae Toots and the Maytals taking the stage the next day.

North America’s largest free outdoor concert series anchors the Festival from April 13-22, pumping out live music that reverberates throughout the Village and up onto the slopes, turning the mountains into the ultimate ampitheatre.

Artists’ bios and specific performance details follow:


SAM ROBERTS (13 April, 2:30pm-5:30pm) Montreal no-BS rock-purists deliver passionate power-pop, mystical folk and wildly uninhibited psychedelic rock. Their latest (and third) album since Robert’s 2002 debut ( The Inhuman Condition was one of the bestselling indie albums in Canadian history), Chemical City , was recorded in an old church outside Byron Bay after surf sessions each morning, inspiring energetic organ riffs and a laid-back edge. Nominated for five Juno awards, and 8 MuchMusic video awards since 2003, Sam Roberts will open the TWSSF12 Concert Series.

ZILLA (14 April 2:30-5:30pm) Colorado trio ZILLA promise a 100% organic, improvised and inspired performance of live electronic dance music. A rare breed of beats, bass and uncontrollable musical fury makes their performance the perfect pre-cursor for the first weekend’s Big Air - a plethora of grooves, beats, and highly percussive breaks will engulf listeners in a sonic vortex. The ultimate live experience.

BASSNECTAR (14 April 2:30-5:30pm) A pioneer of the North American underground dance music scene and a Burning Man staple, Bassnectar’s (aka Lorin Ashton) remixing creates a mutant mash-up of multiple styles, smooshing heaving basslines, old school hiphop beats, and glitchy tones together with cut up dancehall/ragga vocals, samples of political speeches (from Noam Chomsky, Martin Luther King and Michael Franti), all pumped through with blood-beating tempos. Geared to move the listener – to consciousness, and the dancefloor - A-list DJ Bassnectar was rated number 3 in Nitevibe.com’s DJ Dreamteam contest.

Stephen MARLEY - (15 April 2:30pm-5:30pm) The five-time Grammy award winning artist/producer and son of the legendary Bob Marley released his long awaited debut solo album “ Mind Control” on February 6 2007, revealing the genius-blend of his production chops and old soul voice with hiphop beats, smoky bass and winding keyboard runs. His album debut features guest appearances from Mos Def and Ben Harper, while his TWSSF debut will guest star Damian “Jr Gong” Marley and K’naan. Marley’s songs range from conscious critiques of society and politics to the sweet and open-hearted to rocking good fun. He’s currently in South Africa with the rest of the Marley family on the “Africa Unite 2007” benefit tour. He says, “I aspire to be a reckoning force, when you hear my name, you know quality comes with that: good music, good message, good vibe."

K’NAAN (15 April 2:30 -5:30) Somali-born spoken word master, K’naan’s brand of folk-protest-infused hiphop has dubbed him a “conscientious rapper”. He’s taken the UN to task for its failed relief mission in Somalia, with a performance piece that earned him a standing ovation and an invitation to record with Youssou N’Dour. His first full length album is the Dusty Foot Philosopher . He’ll open for the brothers Marley on stage – with a music-for-the-world performance.

FINGER ELEVEN (19 April 2:30-5:30) Post-grunge alt-rockers have got the pop-culture integration move dialed. After finding commercial success with their self-titled album in 2003, the band recorded songs which would feature on soundtracks for the movies Elektra and The Punisher. Five of their songs have also been featured in video-games. Their new album, Them Vs You Vs Me, will be released March 6 2007.

TOOTS AND THE MAYTALS (20 April 2:30-5:30) Legendary architects of reggae, Toots and the Maytals have opened for the Rolling Stones, and their 1968 hit “Do the Reggay” is credited with naming the genre. A retooled Maytals in the 90s enjoyed a renaissance, culminating in 2004 with the album True Love , featuring a host of special guests including Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, No Doubt, Jeff Beck, Ben Harper, Willie Nelson and Phish’s Trey Anastasio. Thrice-Grammy nominees, ska and reggae legends Toots and the Maytals won a Grammy in 2004 for best reggae album.
 
For more details on the line-up, visit www.whistler2007.com/2007/ocs


The TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival is produced by Watermark Communications, a Whistler sports & entertainment marketing company, and presented in partnership with Tourism Whistler and Whistler Blackcomb. Founded by W1’s Doug Perry twelve years ago, and now the largest annual winter sports and music festival in North America, the TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival is a high-octane 10 day and night showcase of the best of snowsports, music, arts and mountain life. Featuring major professional ski and snowboarding competitions, the largest free outdoor concert series in Canada, the legendary Pro Photographer and Filmmaker Showdowns, and many more unique art and cultural showcases, the Festival is the ultimate wrap party. For information on the 2007 TELUS World Ski and Snowboard Festival , this year from April 13-22, visit whistler2007.com < http://www.whistler2006.com/ >

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Contact:
Lilli Clark
Production Coordinator (Indoor Events)
Tel: 604.938-3399 x 27
Email: lclark@watermarkinc.ca



Lisa Richardson
Communications Manager
Tel: 604 938 3399 x21
Email: lrichardson@watermarkinc.ca