Day one of the 43rd annual Edmonton Folk Music Festival kicked off with a bang last night at Gallagher Park.
By 6 PM, about half a kilometre of people snaked around the front entrance to the festival grounds as people eagerly returned to the hill for this years long awaited Folk Fest. The hill looked sparse at first, but by 8 that night, there was a space left to place your tarp. Early birds were lucky enough to get many of the coveted spots. Those not lucky enough crowded along the sides in the dance areas to listen to the live music resonating over Edmonton’s River Valley.
People were stoked to get together again. Hugs, kisses, handshakes and assorted greetings were noticeable around the grounds as people reconnected with many friends they may not have seen for a couple of years. Folk Fest in Edmonton is truly a unique experience and one I was glad to be able to partake.
CKUAs Cam Hayden introduced the first act of the day to generous applause. Juno award winning William Prince, stepping in place of the ailing Buffy Ste Marie, fit the bill perfectly. His warm music and lyrics washed over the crowd. “I know you’ve been through a lot, so leave your worries on the hill.” Near the end of his set he encouraged the audience to, “Take a collective big breath together. That’s the of community. That’s the sound of people being back together again.”
Following was the second trip to Edmonton in as many month from Iceland’s Kaleo. This group marked their second visit to the Edmonton Folk Fest after being well received in 2016. Jokull Juliusson’s vocals are amazing and had many people singing along with him. Hot Blood and Automobile had the dance area rocking, heck the whole hill was rocking as many were on their feet and getting their groove on.
When trying to think of a band that would be appropriate to close out the night, none other Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats are top of mind. Festival favourite across North America, his dancing, singing along music is the perfect wrap to this night. He’s doing a tour right now and we may have been slighted by getting a reduced setlist due to time constraints, but that mattered not to those in attendance, nor to those on stage. Rateliff gave it his all and the superb Night Sweats set a perfect sound track for this Thursday night. His banter with the crowd was limited as he preferred to let the music do the talking. He did mention his 2020 album “And It’s Still Alright” that he was getting ready to hit the road with before the big pause. Ate end of his set he did add, “Take care of yourselves and each other” as he always does.
With day one off to such a great start, I can hardly wait to see what the rest of the weekend has in store. This evening saw close to the capacity crowd of 25,000 people. The hills are indeed alive with music once again.
