FOLK FEST FOOT RACES
Diverse lineup thrills crowd
Brenna Donaldson, left, and Lisa Smith take part in the traditional tarp race on the opening day of the Calgary Folk Music Festival at Prince’s Island Park on Thursday, as festival-goers hustled for prime, stage-front space. The festival runs until Sunday.
As one of Calgary’s most anticipated summer events, the Calgary Folk Music Festival has a lot to live up to every year.
The opening night of the 2017 edition proved once again how well artistic director Kerry Clarke answers that challenge time and again.
From the sophisticated folk-pop sounds of a Quebecois chanteuse to the seasoned voices of two roots legends, it was a superb kickoff to a weekend full of diverse musical talent.
More than 10,000 people gathered under mostly sunny skies on Prince’s Island Park on Thursday evening. A good-sized crowd was there to witness California roots band Dawes launch this year’s festival with an energizing set of ’70s AM radio-style country rock and straightforward, harmony-laden folk songs.
The quartet’s hour-long set featured tracks from throughout their eight-year career, including a couple from their fifth and latest album, We’re All Gonna Die.
Audience participation was the name of the game for the few short minutes Ontario-based Daveed Goldman and Nobu Adilman were on stage.
It’s been six years since Goldman and Adilman started Choir! Choir! Choir! as a weekly drop-in singing night in the backroom of Toronto bar Clinton’s Tavern. Since then, the “open choir” has performed with Tegan & Sara, Patti Smith and Rufus Wainwright, and a video of their magnificent rendition of David Bowie’s Space Oddity performed live at the Art Gallery of Ontario went viral in the days after the star’s death in 2016.
Since Adilman and Goldman are the only full-time members, they relied on the folk festival audience to fill out the vocal sounds. Accompanied by just an acoustic guitar, those talented or brave enough to sing aloud belted out such songs as Neil Young’s Harvest Moon and Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah.
Beatrice Martin, a.k.a. Coeur de Pirate, won over the crowd with a mesmerizing set of swirling indie rock and icy synth pop. The Quebec singer performed songs in both French and English, sounding full and dramatic thanks to a skilled four-piece backing band.
Headliners Billy Bragg and Joe Henry spent four days last year riding the rails from Chicago to Los Angeles. They recorded songs during stops at America’s aging and historic train stations, releasing a brilliant collection of tracks called Shine a Light: Field Recordings from the Great American Railroad.
Henry and Bragg brought those songs to life Thursday night with a splendid set that felt intimate despite the large venue.
Folk staples such as In The Pines, Railroad Bill, John Henry and Gordon Lightfoot’s Early Morning Rain have been covered many times, but the duo’s pitchperfect vocal harmonies added a fresh twist.
And who doesn’t love a Canadian railroad history lesson from the always entertaining Bragg?
The main stage wasn’t the only spot where musical magic was happening. Closer to the main entrance, Montreal singer-songwriter Leif Vollebeck enthralled the crowd sitting in front of the National Stage with his understated, melancholic pop songs.
American nu-soul artist Aaron Livingston, known professionally as Son Little, served up a chilledout acoustic set that highlighted his smooth-as-silk vocals.
Consummate showman Jason Collett wrapped up the evening with his catchy blend of funk, folk and rock.
The festival continues Friday with headliners City and Colour.