By organizing jams in people's living rooms to concerts on rooftops and everywhere in between, Phil Greer and Rich Taylor hope to inject even more life into Saskatoon's music scene. Their show promotion and band management organization, vive, aims to nurture the city's musical community through unique events.

vive is in its fourth year of operations, which includes its annual festival, vivefest. vive also opened its own micro-venue, jale, in July 2010. "Teens have been particularly grateful for the support we lend to the all-ages music community," says Greer. "There is a shortage of inexpensive and available all-ages performance space in Saskatoon, and vive is helping to fix that."

Two-thirds of performers at vivefest were Saskatchewan artists, with the bulk from Saskatoon. "One of our goals for vivefest4 is to bring in more Saskatchewan talent from outside our city." Musicians from other parts of Canada look forward to playing the festival as well. "Often, performers tell vive that Saskatoon is an oasis of cool and that our city is the highlight of their tour," Greer says.

For more on vive, visit www.vivemusic.ca.

vive Music receives grants from the SaskFestivals program, which is funded in part through the financial assistance of SaskCulture Inc., with funding from the Saskatchewan Lotteries Trust Fund for Sport, Culture and Recreation.

Front page: Regina band Rah Rah performs at vivefest3. Photo: Danielle Stasiuk

Above: Zachary Lucky and his Prairie Pals opening for the Songwriters Circle at vivefest3. Photo: Lydia Webber