One of the stand out features of the annual festival as it continues to expand is the Marvest Folkfest element, which includes a variety of incredible undercurrent talent that are biting at the heels of mainstream success. Hungry bands from all over the region descended on Ottawa for an afternoon of scattered special performances at local bars, banks, barbershops, toy stores and restaurants. Many of these acts are future household names, who bring with them a diverse array of specialties. My personal affinity is for Brockville/Ottawa country and western band The Rifle and The Writer, who are preparing to release a brand new album in October. The group continues to hit well above their weight in the Ottawa live music market, also taking the stage at this year’s Bluesfest. Keep your eyes peeled for them and other hungry bands and artists like them who will one day be the reason why many of us keep supporting festivals like this. Marvest is a great concept that is similar to what we would see as SXSW or NXNE music festivals, where underground music rises to the surface, one barber shop, local bar, and toy store at a time until the wee hours of the following morning
~Leigh Zachary Bursey
