The first day of the Paléo Festival was a scorcher, with temperatures set to rise these next few days. This didn’t seem to bother the artists nor the crowd, and the first few concerts of the festival were just as explosive and joyful as usual, turning the heat up (which didn’t really seem possible).
This year’s Village du Monde celebrates Quebec, and the lineup showcases the incredible vitality of their music scene, from traditional music to cutting-edge pop and hip-hop (don’t miss Hubert Lenoir tomorrow night!).
Tasked with opening the festivities under the Dôme, Bodhaktan delivered their brand of punk, rock and traditional music (with a good amount of Celtic tunes) to a packed out tent. Playing that early during the day is always tricky, as most people tend to come up later, or start off by having a drink and something to eat in some of the many food stalls across the grounds. But Bodhaktan’s energy and good vibes made people flock to the stage to dance and sing.
The band started playing in 2011, and the seven musicians on stage offer an array of instruments, from bagpipes to guitars, a fiddle, and an accordion. To any of our readers planning on heading up tomorrow, you’ll have the chance to watch them play again, twice! Their main concert will take place under the Dôme at 17:30, but they will be playing a more intimate set in the Escale at 21:00, one of the main bars in the Village du Monde, set this year in a “cabane à sucre” (sugar shack). L’Escale is the host to a series of small sets by the artists playing under the Dôme, and usually a perfect way of getting closer to some of the bands you really enjoyed on stage. You can find the whole programme for the Escale here.
Craft beer-finally at Paleo!
On a much more serious note, if you’re tired of drinking the same old industrial lager at Paleo, and wish to support a smaller, local(ish) craft brewery, you can find some of La Nebuleuse’s beer on the grounds! Founded in 2013 in Lausanne, they now operate a brewery in Renens and produce a series of exciting beers. The Festival de la Cité in Lausanne decided to use them as their beer producer for the festival, taking a stand for local businesses and better beer, and it was a huge success! We’re probably far from the day where we will see only craft beer at Paleo, but the fact that some craft beer has made onto the grounds is encouraging. If you want to swap your cardinal for some nicer beer, head to the Bar du Jura. (you can find all the useful information for an enjoyable time at the festival on Paleo’s app, including a map of the grounds and all the bars and food stalls!)
