Ottawa's CityFolk Music Festival

[Deleted member 133]

I've been having way too much fun lately to do as much posting, as Ottawa's CityFolk music festival is now on, right through the weekend.

It used to be called FolkFest, but with a move to a new locale (TD Place) came the new name.

Basically there's a "great lawn" with the main stage, and a second indoor stage in a 600 person standing-only venue. My week-long pass ($99 in advance) gets me into everything. Day tickets cost ~$59 all in. There's also a free venue where local bands are playing indoors - along with a craft beer festival and merchandise sales.

So far the weather has been superb. Don't know when I've been able to be lounging outdoors, listening to great tunes, in but shorts, sandals and a golf shirt, in the middle of September in Ottawa.

The first night was The Tubes and UB40. The former was nothing to write home about, but the version of UB40 was tight and a lot of fun to listen to. (There's two competing UB40s right now; this one has Astro in it.)

Last night started incredibly well with Canadian duo Scarlet Jane. They only have two CDs out so far; I highly recommend that you check them out. Other than The Pierces, I can't think of another female duo that comes even close to their amazing voices. I was front row for their performance and posted a couple of pics below. I'm uploading a video of their song "Broken Open" that I shot, to YouTube, and will post it once it's up.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQo2srdxTi0[/youtube]

Next up (over on the main stage) was Walk Off The Earth (pic below - video to be uploaded as well). Highly entertaining and a great show that gets everyone participating. They did a wonderful group medley of 4-5 songs all played simultaneously on a single guitar! The evening ended with The Avett Brothers (pic below). Great songs and musicianship. Have never seen anyone play a cello like that!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WlxAx0nEsg[/youtube]

Tonight it's Van Morrison. Many other great acts to follow through the weekend.

Oh and the craft beers are pretty darn good. Discovered a couple of IPAs from local microbreweries that I'd not had before. At one of them the server was more drunk than me and kept refilling my glass without asking for a ticket. My version of heaven!

Jeff

 

[heeman]

Sounds like an AWESOME TIME!

:music-rockout: :music-rockout:

 

[mcad64]

Fuck me. If I leave now I can be there by about 11PM depending on traffic through Toronto!!! Damn, I would have loved to see Avett Brothers, Van the Man, Of Monsters and Men and fucking Wilco!!! Lucky bastige!! Enjoy!!
Mike

 

[Barney]

Looks like alot of fun. Hows the crowd, meaning, well behaved & into the music ?

 

[Deleted member 133]

Videos posted in OP as promised.

Barney,

It's Ottawa, the crowds are always well behaved!

Mike,

If you want to plan on coming next year, either by yourself or with the whole family, you know you would be welcome to stay at our place.

Jeff

 

[Deleted member 133]

So last night, Friday, was day three of CityFolk.

With the weather being fantastic again, I pitched my lawn chair outdoors and skipped the indoor stage altogether. Although I must confess that I started off with a handful of tickets for the craft beer festival and sampled a half dozen excellent pale ales. Discovered that one of the microbreweries is located five (5!) minutes from my house and sells growlers!!!

I'm now sorry that I avoided the smaller indoor venue, missing Jenn Grant and Elle King. Of the three outdoor acts that I saw, only one was worth the time. Patrick Watson just did not fit. His music was too ethereal for that event, and that time of day. Maybe if I was looking to chill very late at night (and was back in my university days). Likewise headliner Van Morrison was a real disappointment. Sure he played most of his hits, and he and the band played them really well. But there was zero engagement with the audience. I might as well have been spinning his CDs. I know that's his MO, but that didn't make it any more palatable. Plus the PA level was set way too low. I spent half the time 15 deep from the stage and dead centre and it sounded merely ok, but when I moved back to get a beer, by the time I was 1/3 of the way back through the (huge) crowd, the sound of people talking amongst themselves was as loud as the PA, and by the time I was 2/3 back the crowd talking was drowning it out!

But sandwiched in between the two was the amazing and supremely talented Amy Helm - daughter of Levon (of The Band.) Her short set was bang-on and most touchingly, was a beautiful acknowledgement of her roots. Her rendition of "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" brought a tear to the eye. I'm uploading a partial video of it that I shot and will post it later. In the meantime here's a couple of pics.

Jeff

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKyh5X2a8MQ[/youtube]

 

[Deleted member 133]

To say that today was a full day would be an understatement. I was awake at 0600 in order to be at Meech Lake for a swim workout at 0730. Then it was two hours of basketball and lunch with my buddies. And just when I felt it was time for a nap... it was off to today's offering of CityFolk.

Two highlights: the second The Sheepdogs took to the stage the clouds opened up and it poured. A fierce driving rain that pelted the crowd and the band. I've never seen a band play for over an hour in those conditions, and did not know that guitars, drums and keyboards were built to be essentially soaked. But the wetter it got the hotter the band played. A phenomenal set! Did not get any pics because, well, I was happy to stay hunkered down in my lawn chair, at least partially shielded from the rain. The rain gear helped but by the end Gen and I were soaked. So I took her home and did a quick change into dry clothes and headed back to the show. By then the temp had dropped, but the clouds rolled on and clear skies were overhead.

I got back just in time to catch the last hour of Of Monsters and Men's set. This is an outstanding group with a deeply infectious vibe. Here's a pic. Once again video will follow when the upload is completed.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIaNKAxrzo8[/youtube]

Last day tomorrow and weather looks great. Highlights will include Passenger and Wilco.

Jeff

 

[Deleted member 133]

Well CityFolk wrapped up yesterday under clear skies, and much cooler temperature - so much so that I needed to by a show souvenir hoodie when the sun went down!

Lucinda Williams was slow to warm up, but once she did her and her band belted out some blistering tunes.

The show closer, Wilco, did not impress me all that much. Maybe it was the recent-album-heavy first-half of their show, but it was more likely their complete self-absorption / non-engagement that left me cold. The tunes were good - as was the sound. But I coulda got that by spinning their CD at home. It was a live show gosh darn; I expect performers to behave like it is!

On the other hand Passenger, sandwiched between the two, was one of the highlights of the festival. Imagine Ricky Gervais with a beard, a guitar, and a great singing voice, and that's Passenger. Hilarious banter, self-deprecation, and story telling throughout his set easily won over the audience. He lit it up! Here's a couple of videos that I shot.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pre3miFgg_I[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sY9iVMskHd0[/youtube]

That's it until next year.

Jeff