Ahead of the Front Republic, we sat down with Anthony D’Urbano, founder of
FrontRite, to talk about the core values of the festival, what to bring & more!
Where and when is this festival happening?
September 6-7-8 in Danford Lake, Quebec, which is an hour north of Ottawa. It starts at 6pm on Friday evening. Its designed to tell a story so we suggest you be there from start to finish to get the full experience. The drive to get there doesn’t have bumpy roads, so smaller city cars are fine.
About the music, what are we expecting?
Musically we have international talent coming from all over the world as well as Canadian DJs from Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto, playing all things House. From melodic to afro to indie dance to melodic techno, its a very broad range that has its limits. We’re not gonna showcase harder techno, but i might play a psy-trance track.
What are the core values of the republic?
6 essential maxims are the governing laws of the Republic, and every person needs to do a citizenship oath at the door to then abide by said values. Within these six essential maxims that are governing the republic, the currency is self-expression. People are giving and receiving. Different people bring fourth different contributions. If you’re good at doing banana bread, bring banana bread. If you’re really good at live painting, make live painting. show people your art.
I believe that most people in society practice an Art and this is a platform where you can come and grow; its a community catalyst.
One thing i love about this sort event, is that i really feel like people have no judgement.
Right. This event aims to leave people energized, not drained. its not about escaping, its about expressing your truth. You only have to go as deep as you’re ready to go. This is not a spiritual festival trying to heal everybody, its just a safe space for people to explore their creative inner child. Also, we have a team of Angels ensuring that if people are not feeling great, there’s space for them.
You’ve experienced lots of festival around the world?
I’ve been to many music festivals around the world and what I noticed is that some have a draining effect and others have an energizing effect. The more I became a professional festival attendee, the more i seek out what they call transformative festivals. Not just parties, but gatherings that are allowing people to live more profound and meaningful experiences, forming new communities, inspiring new ideas.
There is a profoundly mushroom-relatedness to it. The power of this community mimics the fungal world of mushrooms, which are like the creation an infinite web under the ground.
This all sounds a bit polarizing.
I’m aware of that and i’m trying to stay away from that. Everyone’s looking for meaning, wether they find it from god, the universe, magic mushroom or a burrito. I dont provide the meaning, my goal is to provide a canvas for exploring meaning.
What are you planning to make sure people feel good?
There’s an entire workshop program that involves wellness. Conversations about intimacy, connection, etc. There’s yoga, breathwork, activities that invite people to feel good. Those things happen during the day and is a very good icebreaker. When you’re sharing a camping, sharing a meal, it pushes people to meet others and not be afraid. There’s no segregation.
If this is my first time, what gear should I bring?
Anything you’d need for a camping festival; tent, towels, a headlamp, a food cooler, drinks. There’s no cellphone reception. We have showers and basic food vendors on site in case you need anything.
Collective abundance is one of our essential maxims and the idea is, if you really make the best chicken sandwich and want to make yourself a chicken sandwich for everyday of the festival, make one extra.
Here’s a packing list if you need a checklist before leaving.
Where do you see this festival going in the next five years?
We want to have a broader range of sounds and experiences because this is about the community. Music is the medium through which we catalyze connection. Its about people. The main guiding phrase in my career as a promoter is that a party is only as good as its crowd.
We want to push the boundaries of audio-visual entertainment, but our focus is that people understand the maxims so that you feel you are part of something more than an event or a show. its less of a transaction, more like going to a chalet with friends, creating that feeling of belonging. That goes way further than buying a ticket.
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