The Winnipeg Folk Festival
July 7-10, 2005

Thursday, July 7 | Friday, July 8 | Saturday, July 9 | Sunday, July 10

The arrival of The Winnipeg Folk Festival is kind of like Christmas, New Year's, my birthday, and every other exciting holiday all wrapped up in one. I'm saying it's pretty damned exciting, perhaps this year more than any other. I live for the Winnipeg Folk Festival. I've been going for 13 years now, and each year has provided me with great times and great memories (besides costing me a heck of a lot of money on new musical discoveries.) This year was especially exciting, because it was the first year of a new artistic director (sorry, Director of Music Programming, or whatever his official title is), Chris Frayer. He set out to prove that "if you book it (being great, top quality music) they will come." and we did.

Stepping onto the site for the first time each year brings sudden relief from whatever else ails me. The whole year could  be a stressful, draining, debilitating time, but the minute I step through those trees and onto the site, all of that washes away. It's like a retreat, where I come to recharge my batteries and feel good again, and it always works.

For my first 10 years attending the festival (1993-2002, in case you're keeping track,) I worked on the Daytime Stage crew. That was an amazing experience which allowed me to be front and centre and to work directly with many amazing artists. But it also meant really long, hot days stuck at the same stage, and for me, the daytime stages are where it’s at. So in 2003, I joined a couple of my friends on the Cargo Transportation crew, after they assured me that it would be a much lighter workload. It has proven to be exactly that, and has allowed me to see more of the festival during the day, so I’m glad to have made the switch.

I love Nathan. Not only because they’re great people and friends, but because they’re so much fun to watch and listen to. Lead singer Keri Latimer can get a bit nervous and giddy at times, so I was wondering how their first big Winnipeg Folk Fest main stage set would go. They went with their expanded lineup, including the great Bill Western on pedal steel guitar, and Jay Churko on just about everything. That always helps to fill out the sound a bit, and make the Nathan show that much more entertaining. I’ve seen Nathan dozens of times, but I’m glad to say that this was one of the best shows I’ve seen them do. They seemed very relaxed and happy to be up on the main stage, and made the most of it by playing a tight set of their best material. Of course, Keri displayed a lot of that goofy charm that we’ve come to know and love, and was very excited that her parents were in the audience, but it only made for a much more engaging show. I can only assume that they converted many new Nathan nerds that night. Now it’ll be even harder to get into their shows, I’m sure.

The MC for the evening was the always entertaining Al Simmons. Unlike some of the other MCs this year, Al was very funny and made the most of his time on stage. Al is such a natural that he never seems pressed for something to do or talk about, he just goes up there and does his wacky schtick for as long as he needs to, and then gets out of the way. A model MC and a snappy dresser, here’s to you, Al Simmons.

Always a treat to see Valdy at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, especially up on the main stage, even if it was for only a couple of songs. Valdy’s been singing and doing his thing for longer than I’ve been alive, and still he’s interesting, talented, and a super nice guy.

I admit I’m not a huge main stage fan. I often use main stage sets as nap time, dinner time, or hang out with friends time. Part of the reason is that I just don’t get world music, for the most part. I know it’s terrible, and I know I need to broaden my horizons and all, but I’ll stick with recognizable melodies and lyrics any time. Many of the world performers end up amazing me, and getting even me excited (like Ba Cissoko, one of the better world beat acts I’ve seen) but others are not so successful. The Kawa Brass Band was a perfect example of the kind of world music that I just don’t get. They didn’t appeal to me at all. ‘nuff said.

After Ba Cissoko was a ‘tweener by one of the performers I was most looking forward to seeing, Jesse DeNatale. This year I was almost too prepared, having researched and listened to just about everybody beforehand, and Jesse’s CD was one of the “finds” that I was most excited about. I knew that folks would love him, and was eager to hear him for myself. He did not disappoint. He’s a very entertaining, interesting guy, and a gifted performer. His short set had me and many others hungry for more of his music over the course of the weekend.

Next up on the main stage was Bill Frisell. I’ve known Folk Fest Artistic Director for a while, and I know that he’s a huge Frisell fan, and I respect Frayer, so I’ll watch what I say. Frisell’s laid back jazz wasn’t quite the thing for this cowboy just getting fired up about Folk Fest, so it was either a walk or a nap, so I chose the walk. It did seem like a strange spot to put Frisell (again, I respect and trust Frayer’s judgment, but many commented that it was a little sleepy for something that long and that late at night.)

I managed to wander back in time for Alana Levandoski’s ‘tweener set. She’s a talented local gal who’s been talked about for years, but has been bogged down by record company delays, so hasn’t been able to release her long-awaited debut. Just before the festival, it was announced that her album would be put out on the respected Rounder label in the states, and this was the kind of big news that made for an exciting appearance for Alana. She had one of THE plum spots for a ‘tweener, right between two of the bigger stars on the bill, so you can bet that many eyes were on her. She did well, with a great little showcase of her songs which had many folks checking their programs for her upcoming appearances.

You remember way back when I said that I was working? Well, that finally caught up with me as I headed to the back to check out the cargo situation. Nobody was entirely sure what all we had to transport, so I hung out at the back for a while to find out the situation. My timing was impeccable, as the inevitable rains began soon after. We always get rain on at least one day of Folk Fest, and this looked to be like it. This wasn’t one of those pleasant, cooling showers, however, it got ugly pretty quickly. I could hear Ricky Scaggs and his band getting started on the mainstage as the rain got heavier. With rain, wind, and lightning, things can get a little dicey on stage, and organisers often have to make the tough decisions, such as they did on that night, when they made the call to shut down main stage and send everyone home safely, early. Scaggs only got to do about 5 songs, and for the safety and comfort of everyone, the stage was quickly shut down and stripped. I’m sure many die-hards were upset and would rather have stuck it out, but many others had already headed for dryer ground anyway. We pulled the cargo van up behind mainstage to load up the gear from Scaggs to transport back to the hotel. The rains seemed to only get heavier and heavier, and I sure was glad to have my old pal/co-cargo crew volunteer Tim along to do the driving, because it was pretty much a rainout, you couldn’t see much backing the truck up to mainstage or pulling it back to the city. I was glad to have to direct Tim as he manoeuvred, knowing that it was safer and easier than driving.

Back to the hotel for a quick stop at the party before heading it home for a shower and some sleep before the first full day.

Friday, July 8, 2005

Volunteering for the Folk Fest is one of my biggest joys in life, and I wouldn’t trade the many perks for anything. Sure, by now I could easily get a media pass or find another volunteer gig that allowed me to work less or off site, but I love my crew and being backstage and being part of the action, so I’m very pleased to be where I am. That having been said, it is sometimes a drag to have to work during the day and miss some of the workshops, which have always been the real reason for going to the festival, for me. Last year I got stuck with a couple of day shifts that really kept me away from the action for long stretches at a time, so this year I was pleased to see that I only had one this year, and it was on a pretty good day. I would have to work 1-7, starting at the hotel. Nothing is more frustrating than being stuck sitting at the hotel for long stretches of time, so I was afraid this shift would suck in a big way. Luckily, the workshops on Friday were not ones that I was dying to see, for the most part, so I was ok with my lot in life. There was a fair bit of gear to transport to the site (including that of the Rheostatics, one of my favourite bands of all time), so I knew I wouldn’t be hanging out there for long. I kept fairly busy for a while, and had to run a few little festival errands (“Can you go to the Festival store and pick up a box of Feist CDs to take out there?” someone asked. “Sure, I’d be glad to!” Well, “a box” turned out to be 25 boxes, which was interesting, but I was glad to be doing something productive, especially when I learned that the discs had to be out at the site ASAP.)

I took a big load out to the site and dropped it off. I managed to slip out for “a snack,” which actually meant a taste of some music, but don’t tell my coordinator that, ok? There was a lot for me to look forward to at the festival this year, and one of the performers I was most looking forward to was the reformed Camper Van Beethoven. I managed to miss their initial run in the 80s (I was a kid, gimme a break), but had heard them in the past few years. They were one of the first announced performers at the festival, and I ran out to pick up some of their stuff to prepare. I fell in love with them almost immediately, and in the months leading up to the festival I listened to them a lot, as well as lead singer David Lowery’s other band, Cracker. Initially, I heard that Cracker would be doing a set as well, so I picked up some of their stuff, only to find out that it wasn’t Cracker playing the fest, but Lowery doing a solo thing. He’s not known as a solo performer, so seeing him by himself would surely be a treat. Well, it just so happened that my “snack” was timed right around the time of Lowery’s solo set at Shady Grove. What a coincidence, eh? I managed to catch a few songs and snap a few pictures before my guilt got the best of me and I headed back to lockup to grab some gear and head back to the hotel. I was supposed to head back right away, but my snack had me a little delayed, so by the time I got going, the folks at the hotel were already calling and wondering when I would arrive. Good thing they’re pretty patient and understanding folks. Sure, I missed a lot on Friday during the day (including concerts by Willy Porter, John Mooney, and Martha Wainwright, all of whom I really wanted to see, but I knew I’d have other opportunities, albeit brief ones), but I knew that I’d have plenty of opportunities and that I could have far worse shifts than this.

By the time my work day ended, main stage was already up and running. Had a chance to grab some of the wonderful backstage food and run out just in time to see another performer I was looking forward to, Sweden’s Nicolai Dunger. Hanging out at a campus radio station, you get to hear about (if not listen to) a lot of hip indie stuff, and Dunger is all the rage with the hipsters around the station, so they all urged me to check him out. He only did two songs; the first was terrific, and I was really looking forward to what else he had to offer. Unfortunately, the second song he did was this long, sprawling, screaming affair that had many scratching their heads. He’s often compared to Van Morrison, and apologies to fans of Van, but they both have moments of brilliance and moments of sheer madness, such as Dunger’s second song, which probably didn’t leave music lovers in anticipation of his future appearances (all of which I managed to miss, somehow.)

Next up was one of the two big phenoms last year, Jackie Greene. Young Jackie somehow became an unlikely rock star after last year’s festival, as he was one of THE big word of mouth must-sees last year. I was impressed enough by him to buy two of his discs last year, although that likely had to do with the hype and the peer pressure more than my true love of his performances. He’s got some great songs and is a pretty intense performer, but he never says a word onstage and seems like a bit of a weird, quiet dude off. He’s super young and probably will come a long way, but I wasn’t all that thrilled with him personally or when I listened to his records at home. However, the ladies seem to love him and there was a genuine anticipation for his big mainstage debut this year. Folks seemed to really like it, but I further realized that I didn’t really get what the fuss is about him. He’s good, and surely has a bright future, but how he became such a big deal around here is beyond me. I caught most of his set before it was time to wander some more.

Wandering was not easy. This year has been extremely wet in Manitoba, and there were serious concerns about the condition of the festival site before it began. Much of the site was underwater, and what was exposed was a muddy mess. We were fortunate enough to have some dry sunny days before the festival, which improved the situation a fair bit, but the downpour on Thursday night made the situation all that much worse again. This was to be a true mudfest, as walking around the site meant wading through often ankle deep mud puddles. Footwear ranged from big clunky rubber boots to the expected folk fest bare feet. I was somewhere in between, foolishly opting for runners, which became a sloppy mess in no time. Some folks were foolish enough to wear good shoes, which, let me tell you, after the festival weren’t so good any more.

My rambling meant that I missed Tony McManus’s ‘tweener, and much of the Be Good Tanyas’ set, but I caught enough of them to satisfy me. They’re always good, and I was glad to see them, but again found it a bit sleepy after the heat, mud, and work that I’d done, so I didn’t stick around for too long, before I was off to find something more upbeat at The Firefly Palace.

The Firefly Palace is one of the most brilliant changes that’s occurred at the festival in the past couple of years. It offers an alternative to the mainstage, and what an alternative it is, with livelier, edgier performers than are found on the big stage. They include DJs, films, and rock bands. Winnipeg’s own Novillero were on stage when I made my way over. I love Novillero, and know that the guys in the band are really nice and down to earth, and so I was glad to make my way over and show some support. I’ve seen the band many times, and they’re always energetic and engaging, but somehow seemed even more so at the packed Firefly tent. They had a big crowd moving to their high-energy sound. I was pleased to see so many people clearly enjoying this worthwhile band, which you might not expect to fit in at all at a Folk Festival.

Some more rambling, as I headed back to the big stage to catch John Mooney’s short set. He’s the real deal when it comes to the blues, and had folks wowed by his slide guitar and gritty vocals. It made me a bit sorry that I’d missed his concert, but glad that I’d made it over to see at least a bit of him.

Then came one of those dilemmas that festivals are famous for. Two acts that I really wanted to see, one time slot. On the main stage was one of the big headliners, and one that I’d always wanted to see, Dr. John. At the Firefly was a band that I’ve loved for over a decade, Rheostatics. When I first heard them in 1992 or so, I had only known the music that I’d been hearing on the radio. I was already a passionate music fan, but I thought that what I heard on the radio and saw on Much Music was about all that there was. I didn’t understand their music when I first heard it, but I knew that there was something exciting and special about it, so I gave it time. Eventually they grew into my favourite band in the world, and one that I often travelled great distances to see. I once followed them on tour, seeing them in Alberta, then heading back to Saskatchewan and Manitoba, before driving waaaay back out to BC to see them. It seemed insane at the time, and it still does, but it was an exciting time and I’m glad that I did it. In recent years, my passion for them has waned somewhat. I guess you can’t really stay that passionate about something for that long before something new comes along. I guess it’s more of a nostalgic love that I have for the band, I always want it to be just like it was in 1992, so weird and wonderful and exciting, but knowing that we’ve all aged and changed since then. Don’t get me wrong, they’re still one of THE great Canadian bands of all time, and one that I’ll still follow, but not with the same passion that I once did. I was torn between seeing something new and taking one more trip down memory lane. I wanted to see what kind of a crowd would show up to see this quirky cult rock band at a folk festival, so I had to at least check some of it out. Whereas once I’d be up front and centre, singing along to every song, this time I chose to sit at the back and observe and reflect. Sometimes folk festivals are about personal discovery and exploration as much as the musical discovery and exploration. I spent some time listening and thinking, and just relaxing and enjoying a beautiful night.

In the end, I didn’t get to hear or see much of Dr. John, but as I reminded myself many times, you can’t see and hear it all. Back home for some much needed rest and personal maintenance (I just can’t camp. I need decent food, a decent bed, and a warm shower at the end of a hot, muddy day.)

Saturday, July 9, 2005

Free to do as I pleased, I was looking forward to getting out to the site early and getting a quick start on what was sure to be an exciting day. I was slow going in the morning, and had to take the bus out to the site, since I had to ride the cargo van back to the city at the end of the night, so couldn’t leave my car out there, so I didn’t quite get out to the site as early or excitedly as I had hoped. By the time I got there things were underway, and I headed out to the first workshop of the day.

This was a pretty easy decision for me, only one workshop really drew me in, and that was “Songs Learned at Mothers’ Knees,” featuring, among others, an unannounced Martha Wainwright and one of Chris Frayer’s “ones to watch for,” bluesman Nathaniel Mayer. Mayer’s story is part legend, part fact, and I’m sure part fiction. He apparently was a young, talented kid in the 60s, who was thrust into the spotlight with a couple of big blues hits, only to be lost in the record company shuffle and bogged down by bad business deals, only to disappear for years. (His CD cover contains just about the funniest back-story ever, so check that out if you have the opportunity) I’d heard that he was a lively, entertaining fella, and boy was that ever true. From the moment I first heard him, I knew that he was going to be a hit at the festival. Even before his first song, he was imploring people to buy his CD, in one of the funniest sales pitches I’ve ever heard. In his gruff, old guy, bluesman voice, he screamed, “People, I need you to buy my CD! I’ve been here for 2 days and ain’t had nothin’ to eat! They told me they was gonna feed me 3 times a day, but so far, I ain’t had nothin’, so I need you to buy my CD so I can have somethin’ to eat!” One lady in the crowd ran up and gave him a bag of grapes to hold him over until those inevitable sales came rolling in. His songs were no less entertaining. For a bluesman so “experienced” and long in the tooth, Mayer is as lively and energetic as anyone you’ll ever see. Folks were eating out of his starving hand, and I knew that the CDs would be flying out of the tent later on.

I actually found out that he was doing more than a sales pitch, he actually set up outside the music store tent and was selling his own CDs at a cut rate to an excited lineup of people, which didn’t really impress the festival brass all that much. Mayer was quick to yell at anyone who got in his way, and when my friend Mrs. Terry “Corky” Wilson  lined up to get an already purchased CD signed, Mayer pushed her aside and told her that she’d have to wait because he had selling to do before he could bother with any autographs.

After that relatively simple workshop decision, the hard ones would begin. Next up was one of those awful instances where I would have loved to be at all 6 stages at once. I opted to check out “Old Songs, New Songs,” which featured The Handsome Family, The Weakerthans, Cara Luft, The Beautiful Girls, and Martha Wainwright, a killer lineup if there ever was one. I had to catch at least part of Jesse DeNatale’s set, so I kind of flitted back and forth between the two stages, which were very close together. Both sets were pretty terrific.

I ducked out of both a bit early to head over to see Wayne “the Train” Hancock in concert. I had interviewed him a week or so before the festival, and was eager to see him live for the first time. I thought we were going to be late for the show, but when we got over to Shady Grove, there was nothing going on. I heard that Wayne had trouble at the border, and hadn’t made it to the festival yet. I hoped that I’d catch up with him eventually, but he never did make it into the country, I guess. This allowed me a bit more time to eat and make it over to the next couple of shows I wanted to see.

My wandering ways led me past the Folk School, where James Keelaghan was leading a workshop on songwriting. Who better to teach about songwriting than one of Canada’s finest. I’ve heard Keelaghan do this very same workshop before, and he makes it sound so darn easy and fun to write songs. If only we all had his talent. But I guess that wouldn’t make learning from him nearly as exciting, would it?

I also passed by the children’s stage, where the Rheostatics were presenting their Story of Harmelodia. This was an amazing project that they put out in 1999, which combines a beautiful hardcover children’s book with a full-length recording of the story and the great musical soundtrack. I work with kids and love the Rheostatics, so I was excited by the opportunity to hook new Rheostatics nerds young, so I played that CD for just about every kid I know, and absolutely none of them loved it. It’s really long and trippy and weird, and kids just don’t seem to get it. Heck, plenty of adults don’t get it either. I love it, and was eager to see how it would go over with the young ‘uns at the fest. As kids are apt to be, they seemed a bit indifferent, for the most part playing or making things at the back of the tent, while the parents took in the stage show.

At 2:30 it was time to settle myself for a while, to catch back-to-back concerts by two of the bands I was most excited to see. First up was Austin’s The Gourds. They were plagued by sound troubles early on, as one of the vocal mics kept cutting out in the mains, but more so in the monitors. Leader Kevin Russell kept complaining that there was a problem with his mic, and he wasn’t sure whether it was cutting out in the PA as badly as it was in his monitor. He couldn’t really tell whether anyone could hear him, and any good performer, well, wants to be heard, I guess. Throughout the set, his frustration with the sound was growing, and this was evident. For us in the audience, it sounded fine, as the problems that were so evident in the PA early on seemed to be resolved, and things sounded great. The band was tight, exciting, and a lot of fun to watch. The set was scheduled to last 75 minutes, but about 60 or so minutes in, in the middle of a song, Russell’s mic obviously cut out in the monitor again, soon after he’d been assured by the sound man that the problem had been resolved. In the middle of a song, Russell’s face turned red, he kicked over his mic, gave the sound guy the finger, and moved over to use another band member’s mic. After the song, he said goodbye and stormed off. It was an awkward end to a great set. I totally understand his frustration, having come so far to do a show, only to have it dogged by problems with the sound. I suppose he should have handled the situation a little differently, but I can’t say that in the heat (and I do mean heat, it was damn hot) of the moment I would have done things any differently.

The shorter set allowed for a bit more time to wander, and I made good use of it by making a trip to Shady Grove to see “When Jimmie Met Woody,” with Steve Forbert and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott. What I saw was pretty darn entertaining, with Ramblin’ Jack holding court and doing what he does best, telling long stories about the good old days. Forbert seemed to have trouble getting a word or song in edgewise, but I suppose you have to know what you’re getting into when you enter a workshop with Ramblin’ Jack. It was a great set of stories and some classic tunes, from what I heard. I also had the opportunity to catch the beginning of another interesting looking set, “Happy Songs about Death,” featuring The Handsome Family, Rae Spoon, Trish of the Be Good Tanyas, and Jaxon from the D Rangers. Normally I would have loved to check it all out, but I had decided that Green Ash was the place to be (don’t get me started on those stupid new stage names. What? Numbers weren’t a good enough system? The names are dorky, and I never remember which is which now.)

Actually, this was one of the hardest decisions I would face during the weekend, with something AMAZING on all 6 stages. The biggest dilemma was whether to catch “Pop Goes the World: Songs of the 80s” with Novillero, Rheostatics, Nathan, and the Weakerthans, or see the concert with Camper Van Beethoven. This decision tore me up inside, but I guessed that the bands in the 80s workshop would do fairly obvious covers that I’d heard before, and I knew that this might be my only opportunity to see Camper Van. I’m glad that I made the decision I did, but since then, I’ve heard nothing but great things about the songs of the 80s workshop, as all of the bands really stepped up and prepared weird and wonderful covers. The boys in the Rheostatics were really upset that they couldn’t attend the Camper Van show, so they covered “Take the Skinheads Bowling” and did some other great covers. I expected Nathan to do The Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams,” and Tom Waits’ “Temptation,” both of which I’ve heard them do a million times. I was wrong, they did “Echo Beach,” and something else, which would have been really amazing to see. Weakerthans did a song from the 1880s, which was apparently cool.

Oh well, I did just fine, thank you very much, with a brilliant, fiery set by Camper Van, who seemed like a fresh, young band with passion and energy not common in bands that have been around for 20 plus years. Again, not the kind of thing you’d expect at a folk festival, so I wasn’t sure how it would go over, but everyone in attendance seemed as blown away as I was.

I thought it would be really brilliant to do a little photo essay depicting people's feet, and their varying conditions. I'm kind of lazy, so didn't get around to taking pictures of anyone besides me and Kristi, so it's not much of a photo essay at all. Sure was muddy though, eh?

Again I think I lucked out with my volunteering shift, as I was set to work 7-1, and there was very little that I was all that keen on seeing on the main stage or at the Firefly Palace, so I didn’t mind missing out on too much of it. Luckily I got to walk around and see enough still that it worked out ok. I got to see a wee bit of the bluesy gospel of the Campbell Brothers and was keen on seeing the scheduled ‘tweener with Nathaniel Mayer, but he refused the slot, so the always entertaining Al Simmons, that night’s MC got to fill. Simmons is a natural born entertainer if there ever was one, and filling for time is not a problem for him. He’s able to do what he has to do and not overstay his welcome. Some of the other MCs were not so successful, trying to be funny or cool, and coming off as lame. It made me long for the days of classic MCs like Peter Paul Van Camp (what else could he possibly be doing with his life? Bring him back!), Les Barker (who was at the festival for like 30 years or something, what, is he taking the next 30 off?), and that Prairie Flower guy (everyone loved that schtick, what happened to that dude?) Heck, even local comedian/CBC political satire guy Dean Jenkinson was pretty great over the past couple of years, but conspicuous in his absence this year.

I managed to take in Steve Forbert’s brief set. I’m always excited to see Forbert. I can remember his records being around my house when I was a kid, so I guess I grew up on him. I first really listened to him at the Winnipeg Folk Festival a bunch of years ago, and really came to appreciate him on my own. He’s a wonderfully gifted performer and songwriter, and seems perfect for our festival. My friends and I actually travelled to Toronto last year, just to see Forbert, and for years we’ve been harassing Chris Frayer to book him in Winnipeg (first at the West End, now the Folk Fest). All that is to say that he was great, as expected.

It’s a shame that Willy Porter’s last appearance at the festival turned out to be the only one I’d catch, especially because it was just a short ‘tweener set. He’s another guy that I’d had the chance to chat with on my show before the festival and was really looking forward to meeting up with, but somehow managed to avoid most of the weekend. The brief appearance on the mainstage had me wishing that I’d caught him sooner, because he is as fiery and captivating a performer as you could hope to see at a festival. Good thing he’s coming to Winnipeg for a full show at The West End in September (be there! And (shameless self-promotional opportunity), if you’re really keen, read my article about him in the August/September issue of Stylus magazine)

Duty called and it was off to the city with a load of gear, and then off to bed to rest up for the final day, which looked to be the most exciting, and the one day that I didn’t have to work, so would be able to check out anything and everything.

Sunday, July 10, 2005

All roads lead to Sunday at the Folk Festival. It’s that bitter-sweet day where you’re finally relaxed and enjoying the festival feeling, yet dreading the inevitable end. Of course, there’s a blend of exhaustion and exhilaration that goes along. I was lucky enough to have the day off of volunteering, so I was about to make the most of it. This was also to be the busiest day of the fest, with the big headliners, Emmylou Harris and Daniel Lanois wrapping things up, so I knew it was going to be a busy one.

The traditional way to start out a Folk Fest Sunday is with the gospel workshop, and this year’s looked pretty darned good. Knowing that everyone would be thinking the same thing, however, I opted for another fine looking set, “Stories in the Song,” with Ramblin’ Jack, Jesse DeNatale, Jackie Greene, Sylvia Tyson, Catie Curtis, and Steve Forbert. It seemed like a lineup tailor made for me, with a ton of great songwriters swapping stories and songs. Again, a slower than planned start got me to the site late, and the stage area was packed by the time I got there. You know how sometimes you show up late to something and then you just can’t get into it? I’m not sure if it was my state of mind or body or the heat or hunger or what, but the workshop wasn’t really drawing me in like I had hoped. I managed to catch a few songs and a few stories, and snap a few photos, but my wandering ways caught up with me early, and I headed backstage for some of the famous Folk Fest food and then off to a couple of other shows I’d been looking forward to.

First up I caught a few songs by Jason Ringenberg. He seemed to be playing a million times over the course of the weekend but somehow I’d managed to miss him. I love his new kids’ record, so I was hoping to catch at least one of his daily Farmer Jason shows on the kids’ stage, but his solo set at Shady Grove would have to do. Luckily for me, he used the opportunity to showcase some brand new Farmer Jason songs, and tore through a few that I recognized from his solo records. Something was missing without a band behind him, so I didn’t stay for too long.

I made a stop at one that I’d been looking forward to, “Land of the Silver Birch, Home of the Beaver,” featuring a couple of Rheostatics, Weakerthans, Feist, and Kinnie Starr. Nobody loves great Canadian music more than me, so I really wanted to see this one. I noticed a couple of folks missing right away, no sign of Feist or Martin Tielli of the Rheostatics. The other Rheostatic on the bill, Dave Bidini was set to host. He’s a talented singer/songwriter, and is author of a few great books. He started out by paying tribute to Stompin’ Tom Connors, who, Bidini wisely pointed out, made such displays of overt Canadianism possible. Without Stompin’ Tom blazing the way, it might never have been socially acceptable to sing and talk about Canada, so Bidini thanked him. Bidini’s first book is a great look back at his career with the Rheostatics, and the life of touring musicians in Canada. He pulled out his book, and said that he wanted to read a bit from it. It seemed like a bold and interesting way to start out the workshop, so like many, I was hooked right away. But I thought Bidini was going to read a few pages at most. Boy was I wrong. He read a long chapter about his debt to Stompin’ Tom, and as it dragged on and on, my focus waned. I was not alone. Folks around me started to grumble and chat, which made it even harder to focus on Dave’s book reading. I felt the pull of the wander, and it got the best of me. My attention deficiency sometimes leads to problems at a festival with so many other options.

I headed over to Nathan Mayer’s hotly anticipated solo set. His legend had grown over the course of the weekend, and it seemed like a can’t miss show. I was right. When I got there, Mayer was holding court and holding it down. The juxtaposition of the aging Mayer alongside a band of shaggy rockers makes for an interesting visual element, and the music was no less interesting. The band is tight and on edge, and Mayer is the wild, flamboyant showman out front. He had been complimenting some of the young ladies in the crowd, and seemed fond of their dancing. For his last song, he rounded up a bunch of scantily clad ladies from the audience and invited them onstage. As he sang, “Shake what your mama gave you” over and over, he did the bump & grind with a bunch of ladies much younger than he. It made for a hilarious and entertaining end to a solid show. Again, the beauty of a Folk Festival is that you can see all kinds of things, and where else would I get to see the wild & crazy Mayer doing his thing?

All the way across the big site in the hot blazing sun for a bit of Steve Forbert’s solo set.

Then, one of the moments that I’d most been looking forward to, Buddy Miller’s concert. When I heard that Emmylou Harris was a possibility for this year’s festival, I said to everyone I knew, “Frayer had better have Buddy Miller playing too.” He did not disappoint, with a showcase for Miller late in the afternoon. Sure, it should have been much longer than 45 minutes (what’s up with giving everyone else on that stage an hour and Miller only 45?), but I would have been happy to hear Buddy do one song. I hadn’t been a huge Miller fan before, but I was familiar with some of his solo stuff and some that he’s done with his wife Julie. This was to be a turning point, as I fell for Buddy Miller, and fell hard. His songs, his voice, and that powerful guitar all made for a riveting show. I knew something was up, because the setup was more complicated than usual and there was an extra vocal mic. I didn’t dare hope too much for what I kind of knew was to come. Buddy was joined for part of his set by none other than Emmylou Harris. Having the opportunity to get that close to a true legend, and see her in a laid back, supporting role was an amazing gift. Even our busy artistic director took time out to sit and watch this show, and I bet he was glad he did. This was a sure-fire, show-of-the-year candidate.

Not much could top that, so I needed some down time before the exciting mainstage lineup. We hung out at the back for a while out of the sun and had dinner before placing ourselves for the headliners. There would be no wandering tonight.

Odetta was supposed to start out the main stage on Sunday, but a recent fall and broken hip changed those plans. Instead, Kinnie Star was elevated from ‘tweener to full on performer status and asked to start things off. I know the kids like her down-to-earth hip-hop stylings, but it wasn’t for me.

Speaking of youngster faves, Australian Xavier Rudd was up next. I mentioned that Jackie Greene was a hit last year, but he couldn’t hold a candle to the overwhelming success of Rudd. He had everyone singing his praises after his amazing performances last year, and many were excited to see what he could do on the main stage. Last year, he put on a show at the Firefly Palace that I won’t soon forget. The energy was so intense and the moment was so powerful then, and I was sure that it would be even more so on the big stage with thousands watching. Somehow, being on the big stage out in the open seemed to dissipate some of the energy that was trapped in that tent last year, and this show just didn’t have the same magic as last year’s. Perhaps it was because I’d seen it all before last year and at a concert last fall, but I just wasn’t getting into Xavier. Sure, it was a great set, and a nice night to be enjoying his music, but I felt a bit let down somehow. But I’m funny that way.

Next up was a brief set by Rae Spoon while the stage was set for Daniel Lanois. I became a Rae Spoon fan last year at a couple of festivals, so I felt bad for doing so, but I made my way backstage for a snack. Oh those wandering ways. I also knew that it would be one of my last opportunities to chat with festival friends for another year, so I was enjoying every moment.

Back out front just in time for the start of Lanois’ set. He was backed by a trio of young men who really did their best to blend into the background and never steal the spotlight from Lanois. He’s probably known more for his production work than his own music, which is a shame, because he has some wonderful songs in his own right. Unfortunately, none of those are contained on his latest CD. It’s a low-key instrumental soundscape, which is beautiful and moody, but not at all what you want to see at the end of a festival. He was wise to mix in some of his great songs (including a few collaborations with Emmylou) but played a lot of slow, somewhat uninteresting instrumental material as well.

Even up to the beginning of Lanois’ set, the weather was beautiful, but I was well aware that the forecast called for otherwise. Near the beginning of his set, the weather changed in the most awesome, dramatic way I’ve ever seen. We could see some dark clouds looming on the horizon, but hoped that they would hold off until the end. We were not so fortunate. I had just looked up and delighted in how beautiful the night was and how lucky we were (a surefire mistake, I realise) when a huge gust of wind whipped through, bringing those ugly, dark clouds with it. The wind was so powerful that I could see tents flapping in the breeze and I knew the inevitable scramble that was going on backstage. I saw everyone scramble out of the media tent, and volunteers trying to keep it from blowing away. I learned late on that there was much talk of shutting things down and sending everyone home before things got really ugly, like they had on Thursday night. Organizers weren’t sure which would be worse, the natural disaster or the one that would occur when the largest single day audience in Folk Fest history rioted because they didn’t get to see Emmylou Harris, so they decided to sit and wait, and in the end, it was good that they did. Along came the rains, but they were brief and mild.

After a brief shower, things actually started to clear and although there were intermittent showers, it turned out to be a really nice evening as Emmylou and Buddy Miller took the stage. Their set was everything we’d been waiting for and more, as she played a great selection of her best moments, past and present, and you would have had a hard time finding anything to complain about. She was down to Earth and sounded fantastic and provided a brilliant end to a brilliant festival.

I’m not one to stay and partake of the drawn out finale, I’d rather shuffle off to the car and reflect on what’s transpired, and that’s exactly what I did. Another wonderful festival, perhaps the best ever, and there was much to think about, so I hardly remember the trip home, but I sure do remember the good times, great friends, and amazing music that led up to that point. I’m not sure how next year could possibly be better, but somehow, it always is.

Until next year,