Folk Fest: Days 1 & 2
July 29th, 2008 at 5.21pm (Concert reviews, Festivals)
The four days are over and I have the most killer tan. This would probably be more useful if I wasn’t brown to begin with, but you know how it is.
Thursday
Things got rolling with the Master Musicians of Jajouka, at best an unconventional way to start the festival. The group hails from northern Morocco and have collaborated with the likes of the Rolling Stones and Maceo Parker. As revered as they are, I still couldn’t get into what they were doing; rather cacophonous and repetitive, I guess they just weren’t my bag.
Following them, however, were Canadian darlings The Weakerthans, who were just delightful. Somehow this was my first time experiencing their joyful live performance, and it did not disappoint; soft-spoken and gracious, John K. Samson and his crew delivered a bucketload of well-crafted songs that fit perfectly with the sunny weather. Their set felt far too short. I’m definitely seeing them again.
Third up was clever and quirky Aimee Mann. Shamefully, the only experiences I’ve had with her music are “Humpty Dumpty” and “It’s Not Safe,” the latter with Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford from Squeeze. I know. So I was quite taken by surprise when I found out just how much I enjoyed her stuff. Her between-song banter was hilarious and delivered in a completely deadpan manner (which just made it so much better). Her performance was really enjoyable – she has a great voice and her easygoing manner made everyone relax and get into it. I am definitely looking forward to seeing her again in about a month when she opens for Squeeze in Toronto (!!).
Sam Roberts closed the night out with some seriously happy rock & roll, throwing in old favourites like “Brother Down” and “Hard Road” alongside some choice tunes from Love at the End of the World, including the title track, “Lions of the Kalahari” and “Detroit ‘67″. It got a little jammy towards the end, but the energy never failed; Roberts and his band blasted the singing and dancing crowd with some joyful rock and things ended Thursday night on a beautifully high note. Man, I love Sam Roberts.
Friday
Off to a hollerin’, boot-stompin’, banjo-pickin’ start with the Carolina Chocolate Drops, a young African-American string band formed in North Carolina and working under the tutelage of Joe Thompson. They were an excellent way to kick off the afternoon, playing a whole lot of rollicking, uptempo string band tunes and getting everybody’s toes tapping early on. Some great jug playing was featured, too (what a treat!). These guys were a real party, and I purchased their CD from the official festival record tent. Definitely a favourite of my musical discoveries from the festival.
I took off and missed the blues harmonica stylings of Charlie Musselwhite to run to the Twilight Stage instead, taking in a set by indie favourites Great Lake Swimmers. It was just what I had hoped for – quiet and beautifully intricate songs floating over the crowd flopped in the grass in front of the stage, with the sunset blazing behind us. Tony Dekker’s voice is ethereal at times, and other times just country enough. I hope to have a few more opportunities to see them in Toronto in the coming years; they were fabulous and quite a lovely treat on a beautiful night.
I booked the heck back to the mainstage afterwards; next up were Vancouver’s darlings the Be Good Tanyas, who I have been dying to see for a few years now. Their delicious blend of folk, country and bluegrass gives them a unique sound that lends itself perfectly to the Calgary folk festival. They didn’t play my favourite song of theirs (“The Littlest Birds,” from 2001’s Blue Horse), but they did treat us to a very energetic “Reuben”, as well as a host of other favourites from their three records, including “Human Thing”. Lead vocalist Frazey Ford has one of the most interesting voices I’ve heard in a while, and all three of them sing beautifully, making every song a study in lush vocal harmony. I can’t wait for them to release something else – I really love this group and I bet you would too.
After that, oh, what a treat – Andrew Bird, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, songwriter, whistler extraordinaire. I don’t really know how to describe him other than “a wonder”. Bird layers track after track of violin, voice and otherworldly whistling until he sounds like an entire orchestra, and his songs are complex and beautiful. Seeing him live is a totally different experience and one that I am completely willing to repeat. What a guy.
Calexico took the stage next, and boy was I really in for a surprise. I’ve only ever heard one Calexico song, and it was on a mix CD I got in a trade called The Country Hour. Thus, I was expecting a country band. However, Calexico – named for the city on the border between California and Mexico, counterpart of Mexicali – takes much of its influence from mariachi bands and other sounds from Mexico and the American southwest. Their horn section is absolutely fantastic, and vocalist Joey Burns’ style – gritty and wistful – conjures images of campfires in the desert at sunset. And, in fact, during their set the sun was going down; perfect imagery for a really enjoyable set.
And finally, the headliner: Kingston (Ontario, not Jamaica)’s Bedouin Soundclash. They were energetic and fun for the first half, but by the end I was more than ready for them to get offstage. I did have a good time to start off, though – they were really pumping up the crowd, playing reggae-heavy danceable tunes for all the whippersnappers up front, and at one point offering up a tribute to Joe Strummer of the Clash. However, reggae beats get repetitive after a while, and the Soundclash did little to offer any variety; a somewhat shorter set would probably have been a better idea, and I was sick of them by the end. Still, a pretty fun way to end the Friday.
More stuff to come, including a series of excellent Saturday and Sunday workshop sessions. In the meantime, Folk Festival Mini-Sampler, Pt. 1!
The Weakerthans – Civil Twilight
Carolina Chocolate Drops – Starry Crown
Bedouin Soundclash – Living in Jungles
The Be Good Tanyas – Reuben