Sarah Harmer
Rufus Wainwright, Sarah Harmer, Broken Social Scene… just from the headliners, I knew this would be the perfect summer concert series. And let me just say that the Ottawa Folk Festival had it good this year: enthusiastic crowds, perfect weather (4 full days of sunshine!), and successful performances from all the musicians involved. Since I had the full festival pass, I tried to take advantage of being around for most of the shows and becoming musically acquainted with the performers. But most of the time, I just wanted to lie back on the grass and let the various instrumentals wash around me, guide me into a quiet Saturday afternoon nap. Guess I must be getting old, eh?
Seriously, though, I found it so refreshing attending such a relaxed festival. While the audience was rightly substantial, it didn’t feel too crowded. The Britannia Park grounds were expansive enough that one could take a walk down to the water for some alone time, if necessary, and there was room for all the various performance venues — I counted at least 6 altogether. And yet it was intimate enough that you didn’t have to walk too far to reach any one event; it felt like a collective community gathering. It was also the perfect family outing: I saw plenty of people guiding their young children towards the various kids’ events, and then to the concerts. At a Brazilian jam, one gorgeous-looking guy was teaching a couple of 4 year old girls how to samba. Their eyes just lit up. Around the corner, some musicians were offering eukelele lessons, and elsewhere there was an open-mic for aspiring folk musicians.
Folk Art
What I couldn’t understand, though, was the overwhelming contrast between the overall ‘chill’ vibe of the festival and the authoritative attitude from members of the Folk Festival staff. When I arrived that first evening, it took me half an hour to get my festival pass because certain individuals decided to go on a bit of a power trip. I had arranged for this pass earlier this month, and yet – for some reason – my name wasn’t on the list. They interrogated me like I was some kind of hooligan, and it felt rotten. It wasn’t until the director of the festival vouched for me that things finally got figured out. At different times during the festival, I found I was being told where I couldn’t be, what I couldn’t do. It was exhausting! And it wasn’t just me: I noticed some musicians getting really ticked off because some staff/volunteers couldn’t tell them where they were supposed to go to get onstage. This strict – and simultaneously totally unhelpful – attitude from the workers was completely unnecessary, and I think entirely goes against what this festival is all about.
Rufus Wainwright
Anyway, back to the good stuff: I’d like to mention a couple of performances I really enjoyed this past weekend. The Carolina Chocolate Drops were as delicious as their name, performing upbeat and rather complicated twang-jammy pieces. And it was very surprising when their lead female vocalist admitted that she had had some classical training in the past, and proceeded to sing a gorgeous French aria accompanied by cellist Anne Davison and James Hill on ukelele (two wonderful Ottawa performers now living in Nova Scotia). It was also a real treat to hear a Folk legend, the 78 year old Odetta performing on the mainstage in her wheelchair. Her strong and passionate voice carried across the fields, and the audience really appreciated her appearance. Headliners Sarah Harmer and Rufus Wainwright were incredibly enjoyable: both played heartfelt songs and really knew how to chat up their audiences. Last night’s crowd burst out laughing when Rufus stopped playing two lines into his song to tell us that a handful of teenager boys followed him into the men’s washroom before the show. He called it the “height of his career.”
For more information about the Ottawa Folk Festival, check out www.ottawafolk.org
