I say this every year, but the first day of RTL is always something special. 

It marks a reunion between long-time attendees and sparks the creation of new friendships as first-timers are welcomed into the little family that has been created over the years. 

There is nothing quite like the feeling you get upon walking through the gates for the first time, a mix of wonder, excitement and relief knowing that you’ve finally made it. 

It’s not just groups like the Rock the Lake Crew who stand out, it is all of the attendees that make Rock the Lake so inviting.

From Sue and Al to Deb, Kim, Gary, Jody and Chris, these attendees serve as a testament to the barrier-breaking ability that rock and roll has in order to forge powerful friendships.

Pat Travers, one of Canada’s most influential guitar players, was in Kelowna and better yet he played to us!

In fact, he tore the weekend wide open.

I truly had no idea his music covered such a broad spectrum, the dude could play any and every style of guitar, and he proved it! 

To be frank, I had never really given Wilcox and his library a strong listen prior to RTL and boy, do I regret it. 

He was hilarious and so undeniably talented. 

The only thing better than his marvelous guitar skills were his unworldly facial expressions and the fact that he took us back to the roots of where rock and roll started. 

Whenever I am at my happiest and just need to belt out a power-ballad, I can always count on Honeymoon Suite.

That quality alone makes them headliner worthy in my books, but they were so much more than that. 

They never stopped trying, they never took a break, they were always giving 110% throughout their set’s entirety and we gave it right back to them!

I was quite taken aback upon entering the grounds on Saturday, it seemed as though attendance had doubled — and it nearly had, as day two was completely and utterly sold out. 

Greeting each other like family, with hugs and celebratory “cheers,”  attendees ushered in what was the biggest day of the weekend.

New frontman, Paul McNair (you may know him from Harlequin) did a remarkable job at filling in for Shields and defibrillating the decade-old songs with his unwavering register.

During their rousing set, there were some pretty heart-warming moments we got to be a part of, one of which even brought tears to my eyes. 

“This one is for my boss,” said McNair. “You know who he is, sing it loud so he can hear you,” and out shot the opening notes of “What Kind Of Love Is This.”

A lot of us stood still for a moment in awe while others around us sang loudly and proudly with their arms in the air. The whole thing still gives me goosebumps.

Helping to reel in the emotions, The Romantics took to the stage giving us a really lively and fun set.

Regardless of some technical difficulties, the band kept us entertained with their punk-inspired sound that was unique to this year’s roster and had us jumping along with them the whole time.

As one of the youngest bands to hit the stage, their 90s alt-rock had us dancing the whole time. It was pretty unreal in that they sounded just as good, if not better than they do whenever you hear them on the radio.

The energy that swept through the crowd was almost indescribable, listening to “Ocean Pearl” in the sunshine, alongside hundreds of others singing at the top of their lungs was something out of a movie.

The poster-child for why Canadian music matters, Cochrane and his performance mustered up a feeling like no other and one that was unmatched by any other performance throughout the weekend. 

Known for breaking the rules, Cochrane played until the plug on his amp was pulled (which makes him a certified badass in my books) and even after that, the thundering applause and eruption of cheers from his fans echoed through the night.

What made his addition to the bill really special was the fact that he was joined on stage by his Red Rider bandmates and you could tell the group was riddled with glee to be performing together.

Regularly coming together during solos, each taking their own time in the spotlight and goofing off, their energy was infectious and the whole crowd caught on.

As I look out to see the sunshine sweeping over the valley this morning, I can’t help but feel a little disappointed that it wasn’t around yesterday — but then again, I don’t think the final day of RTL would have been as memorable without the constant flow of rain that showered us. 

Frontman and last original member of the first Prism line up, Al Harlow radiated positive energy from the moment he hit the stage. 

His smile, signature moves and sparkling stage presence had our spirit flyin’ from the very first note. He even managed to get everyone to have the time of their lives dancing in the puddles and splashing around during “Armageddon.”

Returning for the band’s third time and frontwoman Kat Lawrence’s second, The Headpins took our energy to new heights with a high octane set backed by the prowess of Lawrence’s register. 

Despite it being a bit of a boys club line up wise, Lawrence delivered one of the most polished performances of the weekend, her grueling vocals bellowing through the speakers to the point of blowing our hair back.

The fact that she is from Kelowna made for an even better reaction from the crowd and added more fuel to the already raging fire within her. 

Amidst a performance stricken with wailing guitars, villainous vocals and ferocious energy, the band managed to muster up a bit of an umbrella mosh pit for some attendees while others ditched their shelter all together to headbang in the rain.

Not long after that, I stumbled upon a father and son who were headbanging in the rain together — a moment I just had to document, and one that brought a huge smile to my face.

It took no time at all for them to serve us some of our favourite songs on a platter starting things off with “Here For A Good Time,” which seemed ironic considering it is mostly about sunshine, the poignant lyrics “every now and then it’s gotta rain” really resonated with fans as they jumped along to the beat seemingly worry-free.

A reminder of the uniting force music has to bring people of all demographics together, the kindness that can be found within a stranger and the ability live shows have to keep people happy, laughing and smiling even in the middle of a downpour — Rock the Lake has once proven that rock and roll is alive and thriving, especially here in Canada.