GARDEN CITY GROOVES FESTIVAL (Night 1) ft. CADENCE WEAPON, APEX BREAKS, CURTIS CLEARSKY & THE CONSTELLATIONZ, HOT POT, AND STAX & BENNY THE JETT

Fri Mar 28 2025 - Sun Mar 30 2025

7:30 PM (Doors 7:30 PM)

First Metropolitan United Church

932 Balmoral Road Victoria, BC V8T 1A8

First Metropolitan United Church

932 Balmoral Road Victoria, BC V8T 1A8

$22.50 - $29.95 advance

All Ages

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Kick off the Garden City Grooves Festival weekend with an electrifying night of music featuring headliner Cadence Weapon and an all-star lineup of talent at First Met Hall. This is an all ages show with a bar for 19yrs+ w/ID. Kids 10 and under are free with adult. 

Canadian rap trailblazer Cadence Weapon, winner of the 2021 Polaris Music Prize, will take the stage for a performance that blends cutting-edge beats, sharp lyricism, and a bold creative vision. Known for pushing boundaries and delivering unforgettable live shows, Cadence Weapon is a headliner you don’t want to miss.

Supporting the night is Victoria’s own Apex Breaks, a funk-forward collective known for their tight grooves and high-energy jams. Also joining the lineup is Hot Pot, serving up a sizzling blend of soul, R&B, and dance beats that will get the crowd moving.

Rounding out the night is Curtis Clearsky and the Constellationz, a dynamic group that fuses hip-hop, reggae, and funk with thought-provoking lyrics and contagious rhythms.

Don't miss this free night of genre-blending performances and good vibes in the heart of Downtown Victoria!

GARDEN CITY GROOVES FESTIVAL (Night 1) ft. CADENCE WEAPON, APEX BREAKS, CURTIS CLEARSKY & THE CONSTELLATIONZ, HOT POT, AND STAX & BENNY THE JETT

  • On sale soon
  • Fri Jan 31 2025
  • 10:00AM PST
  • Cadence Weapon

    Cadence Weapon

    Urban

    Cadence Weapon is Edmonton-born, Hamilton-based rapper, producer, writer and poet Rollie
    Pemberton. His 2021 album Parallel World won Canada’s Polaris Music Prize.
    The son of a pioneering hip-hop radio DJ, Pemberton grew up around a diverse library of music.
    Splitting his time between Edmonton’s experimental electronic and underground rap scenes as a
    teenager, Pemberton eventually developed a hybrid of both styles. Cadence Weapon has released six
    albums, five of which have been nominated for the Polaris Music Prize, with Breaking Kayfabe (2006)
    and Hope In Dirt City (2012) and Parallel World (2021) being shortlist nominees. Pemberton has
    toured extensively following the success of these albums, playing festivals like Glastonbury,
    Lollapalooza, Pitchfork Music Festival, Roskilde and Primavera Sound and performing shows with
    artists such as Public Enemy, Diplo, Questlove, De La Soul and many more.

    Pemberton’s music is known for pairing groundbreaking production with incisive, socially conscious
    lyricism. Pemberton served as Poet Laureate of Edmonton from 2009 to 2011, making him the literary
    ambassador of his hometown. His poem “The Garden” was incorporated into a bronze sculpture at the
    Alberta Legislature Grounds in Edmonton in 2018. Pemberton was the narrator and a writer for the
    VICELAND television series PAYDAY and Mister Tachyon and he has hosted lectures and conducted
    live interviews for CBC q and Red Bull Music Academy. Pemberton’s memoir called Bedroom Rapper
    was published by McClelland & Stewart in May 2022 and his newest album ROLLERCOASTER was
    released on April 19, 2024.
  • Apex Breaks

    Apex Breaks

    Free Funk

  • Curtis Clear Sky & The Constellationz

    Curtis Clear Sky & The Constellationz

    Funk

    Indigenous-led Curtis Clear Sky & The Constellationz, based out of Vancouver, BC, has been on a tear
    since their inception, lighting up audiences wherever they go with their insanely funky, hip-hop grooves
    and conscious message. The band released their debut album Indigifunk in 2019 to acclaim from
    audiences. The albums first single, “Turtle Island” features Juno Award-winning Mohawk bluesman
    Murray Porter – a true bridge between generations. Curtis Clear Sky himself was recognized as a
    Messenger of Truth by the United Nations (2006), a sign of his commitment to social change through art.
    With the Constellationz beside him, the band creates a truly unifying experience with their funky rhythms,
    soulful harmonies and upliftingly powerful lyrics. They're set to make a big splash this summer as they
    debut on the Victoria Ska & Reggae Fest main stage.
  • Hot Pot

    Hot Pot

    Free Funk

    Hailing from Victoria Hot Pot brings a mixture of jazz, reggae, funk, soul, hip hop, and other schools of music with roots in West Africa, the Caribbean, and Turtle Island.

GARDEN CITY GROOVES FESTIVAL (Night 1) ft. CADENCE WEAPON, APEX BREAKS, CURTIS CLEARSKY & THE CONSTELLATIONZ, HOT POT, AND STAX & BENNY THE JETT

Fri Mar 28 2025 7:30 PM - Sun Mar 30 2025

(Doors 7:30 PM)

First Metropolitan United Church Victoria BC
GARDEN CITY GROOVES FESTIVAL (Night 1) ft. CADENCE WEAPON, APEX BREAKS, CURTIS CLEARSKY & THE CONSTELLATIONZ, HOT POT, AND STAX & BENNY THE JETT
  • On sale soon
  • Fri Jan 31 2025
  • 10:00AM PST

$22.50 - $29.95 advance All Ages

Kick off the Garden City Grooves Festival weekend with an electrifying night of music featuring headliner Cadence Weapon and an all-star lineup of talent at First Met Hall. This is an all ages show with a bar for 19yrs+ w/ID. Kids 10 and under are free with adult. 

Canadian rap trailblazer Cadence Weapon, winner of the 2021 Polaris Music Prize, will take the stage for a performance that blends cutting-edge beats, sharp lyricism, and a bold creative vision. Known for pushing boundaries and delivering unforgettable live shows, Cadence Weapon is a headliner you don’t want to miss.

Supporting the night is Victoria’s own Apex Breaks, a funk-forward collective known for their tight grooves and high-energy jams. Also joining the lineup is Hot Pot, serving up a sizzling blend of soul, R&B, and dance beats that will get the crowd moving.

Rounding out the night is Curtis Clearsky and the Constellationz, a dynamic group that fuses hip-hop, reggae, and funk with thought-provoking lyrics and contagious rhythms.

Don't miss this free night of genre-blending performances and good vibes in the heart of Downtown Victoria!

Cadence Weapon is Edmonton-born, Hamilton-based rapper, producer, writer and poet Rollie
Pemberton. His 2021 album Parallel World won Canada’s Polaris Music Prize.
The son of a pioneering hip-hop radio DJ, Pemberton grew up around a diverse library of music.
Splitting his time between Edmonton’s experimental electronic and underground rap scenes as a
teenager, Pemberton eventually developed a hybrid of both styles. Cadence Weapon has released six
albums, five of which have been nominated for the Polaris Music Prize, with Breaking Kayfabe (2006)
and Hope In Dirt City (2012) and Parallel World (2021) being shortlist nominees. Pemberton has
toured extensively following the success of these albums, playing festivals like Glastonbury,
Lollapalooza, Pitchfork Music Festival, Roskilde and Primavera Sound and performing shows with
artists such as Public Enemy, Diplo, Questlove, De La Soul and many more.

Pemberton’s music is known for pairing groundbreaking production with incisive, socially conscious
lyricism. Pemberton served as Poet Laureate of Edmonton from 2009 to 2011, making him the literary
ambassador of his hometown. His poem “The Garden” was incorporated into a bronze sculpture at the
Alberta Legislature Grounds in Edmonton in 2018. Pemberton was the narrator and a writer for the
VICELAND television series PAYDAY and Mister Tachyon and he has hosted lectures and conducted
live interviews for CBC q and Red Bull Music Academy. Pemberton’s memoir called Bedroom Rapper
was published by McClelland & Stewart in May 2022 and his newest album ROLLERCOASTER was
released on April 19, 2024.
Indigenous-led Curtis Clear Sky & The Constellationz, based out of Vancouver, BC, has been on a tear
since their inception, lighting up audiences wherever they go with their insanely funky, hip-hop grooves
and conscious message. The band released their debut album Indigifunk in 2019 to acclaim from
audiences. The albums first single, “Turtle Island” features Juno Award-winning Mohawk bluesman
Murray Porter – a true bridge between generations. Curtis Clear Sky himself was recognized as a
Messenger of Truth by the United Nations (2006), a sign of his commitment to social change through art.
With the Constellationz beside him, the band creates a truly unifying experience with their funky rhythms,
soulful harmonies and upliftingly powerful lyrics. They're set to make a big splash this summer as they
debut on the Victoria Ska & Reggae Fest main stage.
Hailing from Victoria Hot Pot brings a mixture of jazz, reggae, funk, soul, hip hop, and other schools of music with roots in West Africa, the Caribbean, and Turtle Island.