Edgefest Website Lets You Be Part Of The Action

Canada Day won't be an all-Canuck affair at Toronto's Molson Amphitheatre, but that's no reason not to check out some great Edgefest music and enjoy some nice Lake Ontario breezes before the fireworks show later that night.

Edgefest 1, not to be confused with July 16's Edgefest 2, will feature 12 bands on two stages. Dearly Beloved will start the day and Our Lady Peace will close things off, with Pedestrian, The Illuminati, Jets Overhead, Die Mannequin, Magneta Lane, Evans Blue, Mobile, Neverending White Lights, Hot Hot Heat and Keane providing the entertainment in between.

Chart will have a presence at the all-day festival, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary. We'll be selling discounted subscriptions and there will be specials on collectable and sought-after back issues of the magazine. A limited number of copies of the book Hot Canadian Bands (which includes chapters on OLP and Hot Hot Heat) will also be available. Come by the Chart booth and introduce yourself.

Before the big day, we're spreading the word with profiles of all the groups on our Edgefest site. The site also provides directions to and information about the venue and, perhaps best of all, gives you a chance to be part of everything.

We're holding daily random draws where all you have to do is send an email with "Edgefest Tickets" in the subject heading, and your name, age, phone number and email address in the body of the message, to chart@chartattack.com for a chance to win. You'll be required to pick up your tickets at the Chart office by 6 p.m. on Friday.

If you're feeling more creative, send an email with the same information to the same address, but this time you must put "VIP Contest" in the subject heading and also include a 50-word essay describing your favourite summer festival memory. Four winners, who can bring three friends each, will watch all of the performances from a special VIP side stage area and get the chance to meet some of the Edgefest artists. Winners will be notified by email on Thursday.

Technically savvy music fans will have a chance to be a reporter for the day. You'll get backstage access and have a chance to interview the artists and people in the crowd to provide a detailed, firsthand account of your Edgefest experience. The reports will be posted on the Edgefest website. To be eligible, you must submit a short video of yourself telling us why you should be chosen as Edgefest's reporter for the day. The winner will be notified by telephone on Thursday.

Even if you don't win the reporter contest, you can still submit videos and pictures instantly to the Edgefest V Blog. Video clips from OLP, Neverending White Lights, Jets Overhead and Dearly Beloved can already be viewed on the V Blog.

After the concert, the Edgefest site will also feature photos and reviews of all the performances. Keep checking for updates.