Smaller stages, big moments. Those daring to wake and make 10:30 a.m. workshops got to the see full-blown hangovers, impromptu jams and one-time only moments. Howe Gelb one-upped Gord Downie Saturday, plunking out a grab bag of musical eccentricity. Giant Sand’s ringleader played two stages, doting each one with a folk implosion of loops, odd… Continue reading "Would anyone like to come up and play?"
Month: August 2001
The fiddler on the mainstage
By Nicole Kobie
Folk Fest finished the weekend in fine fashion. Everywhere from mainstage, to workshops and to off-stage events, you could see people in facepaint, wearing long-dresses and walking without shoes. It was the perfect atmosphere for a folk music festival. Though most people stayed in their newly-bought folk fest folding chairs during the performances, some got… Continue reading The fiddler on the mainstage
A cure for the grey-sky blues
The third day of the festival opened under dubious grey skies, which may have accounted for the melancholy mood of the morning crowds. High-energy acts such as Jenny Allen and the Rheostatics failed to elicit more than scattered applause and weak, watered-down cheers from the crowd. The closing number of the first set on the… Continue reading A cure for the grey-sky blues
G-8 debate arrives early
By David Kenney
Pure drool. Friday’s set was jam-packed with three headliners and one giddy, witty emcee. Fifties style country bumpkin and quick-witted Carolyn Mark hosted, and made in-between band banter more than just filler. Fresh out of their van from Vancouver, The Be Good Tanyas’ breezy bluegrass pop entertained a larger folk fest crowd than Thursday. The… Continue reading G-8 debate arrives early