The Surrey vibe was high Saturday (March 15) during the one-off Let’s Hear It BC JUNOS Plaza Party, which served as a pre-JUNO Awards celebration of local music talent.
At Surrey Civic Plaza, admission was free for a day of concerts featuring 30 bands and solo musicians of multiple genres including rock, pop, country, South Asian and other sounds, on six stages from 2 to 10 p.m.
The festival's main stage was set up under a large tent on the plaza, due to a threat of cold rain. Other stages were located at Centre Stage (the converted city council chambers), at Dominion Bar + Kitchen (in the Civic Hotel lobby) and elsewhere.
Many of the featured musicians and DJs have Surrey roots including country headliner Tyler Joe Miller, South Asian Music Recording of the Year nominees Chani Nattan & Inderpal Moga, prog-funkers Brass Camel, the twin sisters of Fionn, Filipino-Canadian pop singer Glisha, Celtic-rocker Pat Chessell and more.
Fionn with a “femine rage” song, their newest, in Surrey.
— Tom Zillich (@TomZillich) March 16, 2025
Called “Blow” @fionnband @604Records @SurreyNowLeader @JonathanSimkin pic.twitter.com/M8mIKtMJfB
On the main stage, Fionn's twin Finn-Morris sisters — Brianne on guitar, Alanna on bass, both on sweet vocals – shouted-out their White Rock roots and Catholic schooling at Holy Cross in North Surrey.
Likewise, Brass Camel's singer-guitarist Daniel Sveinson and Rickenbacker-picking bass man Curtis Arsenault acknowledged their Surrey roots during a set of songs that challenge time signatures and can't be any tighter.
The mighty Brass Camel rocking Surrey’s pre-JUNOS party. pic.twitter.com/15QSJcNarO
— Tom Zillich (@TomZillich) March 16, 2025
At Dominion, Cloverdale's Colin Sankey turned heads with his bass-playing skills, following a set of acoustic songs by Surrey-raised members of indie-rock band Sleepy Gonzales. It was a busy day for Sankey, who also played with Sami Ghawi's The Apartment on the city hall stage.
Crowds weren't huge at Saturday's Plaza Party (an estimated 10,000 for the day), but people seemed to enjoy the wide variety of music. Other attractions included a Music City Centre Open Jam, 5X Art Party, family shows, food trucks and beer garden.
By 6 p.m., local politicians gathered in a VIP area and later hit the stage for speeches, prior to country tunes performed by Newton-raised Tyler Joe Miller and a collaboration involving Chani Nattan & Inderpal Moga with headliner Sarbjit Cheema.
Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke said Saturday's festival "marked an important milestone for Surrey, reinforcing our commitment to fostering homegrown talent and showcasing our city as a shining example of unity and creativity. We are committed to supporting local artists, hosting cultural events, and making Surrey a premier destination for live music.”
On March 30 in Vancouver, following several days of music-focused events, Burnaby-raised pop crooner Michael Bublé will host and perform at the 2025 JUNO Awards show at Rogers Arena, with Surrey-based artists among nominees.
Finalists for the inaugural South Asian Music Recording of the Year Award include the Surrey trio of Chani Nattan, Inderpal Moga and Jazzy B for "Coolin," along with Karan Aujla ("Tauba Tauba," from “Bad Newz”) and others.
In the Country Album of the Year category, Miller is JUNO-nominated for "Going Home" along with Dallas Smith, Josh Ross, Brett Kissel and MacKenzie Porter.
