Hillside Inside 2025: More Than Music – A Celebration of Community, Learning, and Performance

Written by Hillside

This year, Hillside Inside is emphasizing a “more than music” theme, where community-building is encouraged through participation in our rich array of workshops. Of course, this doesn’t mean the festival isn’t presenting three days of performances by top-tier musicians.

Photo credits: Vaudevillan

Our headlining artists reflect an array of eclectic musical styles, both familiar yet original, and each are poised to soon play even larger venues than the intimate confines of Guelph’s Royal City Mission (50 Quebec St.).

On Friday, January 31, be sure to attend the Logan Staats and Katie Tupper double-bill. Mohawk rocker turned folk and soul musician Logan Staats began as a diamond in the rough on the streets of Brantford, Ontario. He had no formal musical training, no connections, just a good ear and raw lyrical talent, and always a guitar in hand. He played the local circuit for years before his 2015 debut release Goodbye Goldia, an unvarnished yet hard-hitting solo acoustic album, which led him to enter and win CTV’s The Launch in 2018, gaining commercial success and touring across North America and Europe. He tells us we’ll be hearing brand new songs he’s been working on in a Nashville studio.

Image courtesy of Hillside Inside

Beneath the painted hues and infinite prairie skies of Saskatoon lies a soulful, creative spirit that proves there’s much more to the so-called ‘fly-over states’ than grassland and grain silos. A Western Canadian Music Award winner and JUNO nominee, Arts & Crafts artist Katie Tupper embodies that spirit and is determined to show there’s an entire world of boundary-pushing, genre-defying artists at work within the often-overlooked region.

On Saturday, February 1, catch Golden Feather and The Vaudevillian. Hamilton’s Golden Feather is a group that shares a love of music that takes its listeners on a journey. Seeing the band live is where you get to really see what they’re all about. It’s very much a two-way transfer of energy between the crowd and the band. Golden Feather shows are full of dancing, singalongs, and good vibes—something that has to be experienced for yourself to believe.

Hailing from the Saugeen Shores in Ontario, The Vaudevillian consists of the old-fashioned gentleman, Jitterbug James and sweet and sassy Norah Spades. Washboard, resonator guitar, banjo and musical spoons are among the instruments they use in their jug-band tunes to get the crowd going. This ragtime duo brings you dancing numbers from the prohibition period. They also host audience-interactive Washboard Workshops and interactive Musical Spoon Workshops at Festivals, which they’ll be doing at Hillside Inside as well (washboards and wooden musical spoons are provided).

Image courtesy of Hillside Inside

This brings us to why we’re “more than music” this year. A survey of our workshop offerings demonstrates how much practical and fulfilling knowledge-sharing we’re keen to provide to Hillside Inside 2025 patrons and our friends in Guelph.

Engage in an introduction to lino block printmaking, where each participant gets the chance to carve a lino block and print on a variety of gorgeous papers! Learn the essentials of anatomy and techniques to deliver an exquisite neck and shoulder massage to ease stress and tension! Explore the magic of fermentation! Learn how to ferment from Chef Leah Steduto as she performs a live demo to cover the basics of fermentation. Join Kelewele African Dance Camp—a fun, energetic experience that will allow participants to learn various forms of West African dance fusing many traditional movements with urban street styles.

And much more (than music)! Hillside Inside 2025’s expanded, affordable, and accessible music and workshop schedules has something for everyone, with educational insights that are potentially life changing. So, join these gatherings, rich with fulfilling songs and learning.

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