Vancouver Folk Music Festival

July 14 to 16, 2023

Rich Hope | BC

It’s said around town that seeing Rich Hope is an essential rite of passage. Hope’s explosive rock ’n’ soul man revue has proved as enduring as anything this young city has to offer. For over two decades, he’s filled and sanctified an impressive string of beloved venues, many now gone but not forgotten – like the storied Railway Club, where bar-receipts records were smashed during one of his sets. And he’s still going strong!

Rich was born and raised in Edmonton, where his first band was the Taxicrabs, named by none other than the late, great Country Dick Montana of the Beat Farmers. Relocating to Vancouver, he released his first full-length album, Good To Go, in 1998. Soon afterward, he joined the band John Ford, recording two albums and touring extensively with them.

Eventually, he left the group, and over the next few years, he’d be the opening act of choice for a long list of distinguished rabble rousers including The Flamin’ Groovies, Black Crowes, and others. He’s released four albums in total, the latest in 2018.

Throughout his long, notorious career Rich Hope has been exploding on stages big and small, from downtown booze cans in Madrid to Vancouver’s Rogers Arena. We’re thinking maybe Jericho Beach Park is in for a dose of some high energy rockin’ and rollin’!