Sinead leaves gap at folk fest
Isaak, Ryder, John Doe to perform
The Calgary Folk Music Festival is scrambling after Sinead O’connor cancelled an appearance so she could deal with mental health issues. As the Herald’s Mike Bell reports, the festival acknowledges it is “a big loss,” but is confident an exciting lineup remains.
No, nothing compares. But Kerry Clarke is certainly going to try.
The artistic director of the Calgary Folk Music Festival is in something of a scramble mode, thanks to this week’s cancellation by arguably its biggest headliner Sinead O’connor, as a result of the musician needing time to deal with her mental unwellness. This, of course, comes as the fest was set to announce its complete lineup, putting something of a slight damper on the occasion, but not one that will derail the event or even the anticipation over what Clarke feels is an incredibly solid festival.
“It is a big loss,” she acknowledges. “It was an exciting one. We have other exciting artists, but she was certainly among the most exciting artists that we had. So it is unfortunate.”
Clarke admits she’s in the early stages of trying to fill that Saturday headlining hole and notes that it will take some time, but she will put all of her resources into it over the next few weeks and announce it as soon as it’s done.
Besides, she’s hoping that those acts she does have firmly booked will cause enough excitement so everyone can forget about who isn’t coming and focus on who is.
Among those acts announced Wednesday are: American rock star Chris Isaak; Canadian roots trio Blackie and the Rodeo Kings; punk icon John Doe; country artist Mary Chapin Carpenter; rock vocalist Serena Ryder; soul singer Bettye Lavette; alt rock veteran Jon Langford with his band, Skull Orchard; ex-calgary electro folk artist Rae Spoon; R&B and soul revivalists Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires; singer-songwriter Lindi Ortega; Toronto indie pop act The Rural Alberta Advantage; Scottish electronic act Shooglenifty; and longtime Tom Waits collaborator Marc Ribot y Los Postizos Cubanos.
There’s also another healthy local contingent in the mix, with Lorrie Matheson, Eve Hell and the Razors, and The Magnetic North among those Calgary acts who will hit the stages over the July 2629 Prince’s Island event.
They’ll join previously announced headliners such as Randy Newman, Iron and Wine, Beirut, Dan Mangan, Justin Townes Earle, Junior Brown and the Barr Brothers to make, what Clarke thinks, is a typically eclectic and balanced folk fest crew.
“I think it’s the usual, there’s some really fresh, new artists that are cutting their chops that people are excited about but also some people that have been around for a really long time,” she says. “I think that’s really important.”
Also important, she says is there be that “element of discovery,” with festival-goers finding someone new to latch onto, someone whom they’ve never heard of but are suitably blown away by.
An early front-runner has to be Jeff Mangum, the songwriter behind the project Neutral Milk Hotel, and someone whose agent actually reached out to Clarke, because Mangum was wanting to perform more and enter the folk fest world.
“He’s quite reclusive and shy,” Clarke says of the acclaimed performer, who used this year’s Coachella as something of a first step out. “So it’s good that he’s coming, that someone who’s reclusive and shy will make our stage.”
The full lineup so far for this year’s Calgary Folk Music Festival is available at calgaryfolkfest.com, with early bird passes going on sale today from the site or by calling 403-233-0904.