25°c Partly cloudy
18°c Cloudy periods
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Feist sets the bar high in fest's opening concert
RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Feist performs on the folk festival's main stage at Birds Hill Park Wednesday night.
Related Items
-
Articles
- LIVE BLOG: Winnipeg Folk Festival 2012
- Mainstage schedule
- Ozomatli's blend of politics and percussion a perfect fit for Winnipeg Folk Festival
- Diverse lineup lends itself to discovery
- Winnipeg Folk Festival info
- Check it out: Frayer's can't-miss Folk Fest checklist
- Capital campaign raising funds for fest's future
BIRDS HILL PARK -- You've raised the bar high, Leslie Feist.
The singer/songwriter kicked off the 39th Winnipeg Folk Festival on Wednesday night with an arresting set that'll be talked about for days to come.
The former Broken Social Scenester is touring in support of her latest baroque-pop opus, 2011's Metals -- a hard but welcome left turn from 2007's The Reminder, an album that supernovaed thanks to a little tune called 1234. It was a single that went on to sell iPods and teach Muppets how to count on Sesame Street, and it would introduce Feist to a much wider audience.
It's telling, then, that there isn't a 1234 equivalent on the new album; as the singer/songwriter has said in press surrounding the album's release, Metals was about a creative rebirth, not commercial success. The record is at once experimental, challenging and dense -- and it translated beautifully live.
Opening the set with Comfort Me, one of Metals' most heartbreaking songs -- "When you comfort me, it doesn't really comfort me" -- Feist treated the crowd to her indelible vocals over guitar, before the giant, booming drums kicked in. The new album's all about the gang vocals and the ladies of Vermont appalachian folk trio Mountain Man (along with the enthusiastic crowd, of course) helped carry them. Breezy single How Come You Never Go There followed, segueing artfully into the primal intensity of A Commotion.
She played some of her hits, too, of course, but they were given inspired reworkings; Mushaboom, in particular, benefitted from a darker touch, My Moon My Man was sped up and transformed into a thunderous, rock 'n' roll anthem that gave way to a bouncy, indie-rock rendition of I Feel It All.
Feist was a playful ball of energy, jumping around the stage, encouraging audience participation (sometimes going to great lengths) and rocking out like a punk rocker. Mellow this set was absolutely not.
And then there's that big, breathy, soul-stirring voice. When she sang the anthemic, field-filling refrain of Graveyard -- "Bring them all back to life" -- at press time, framed by a inky Prairie dusk, it was a emotional moment, crafted by an artist who specializes in creating them.
Before the indie darling took the stage, buzzed-about Irish folkie James Vincent McMorrow, armed with just an acoustic guitar, held those close to the stage rapt with his haunting voice, which raised goosebumps despite the heat.
It's easy to see why the singer/songwriter has been compared to woodsy indie-folk favourite Bon Iver -- both share a fondness for dulcet melodies, featherlight vocals, beards and recording in seclusion. But like Bon Iver, McMorrow's stripped-down setup is likely better suited to a more intimate venue -- or, better yet, a living-room listening session with a glass of red wine. Single Higher Love, which saw McMorrow get behind the piano, proved a crowd-pleaser, but his quietly contemplative ballads often got drowned out by the festival cacophony.
Toronto-via-California act Snowblink kicked off the evening with its low-key, atmospheric indie folk. Frontwoman Daniela Gesundheit's gauzy, ethereal vocals were just as enveloping and sticky-sweet as the hot, humid air, serving as the perfect appetizer to Arts & Crafts labelmate Feist. The band previewed some new material -- including Unsurfed Waves, appropriately titled with its tidal guitars -- off its forthcoming sophomore album, Inner Classics, due out Sept. 11.
Jen Zoratti is the music editor at Uptown Magazine.
Related video: The calm before the Folk Fest storm
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 5, 2012 C5
More Local
- Back to Top
- Return to Local
More Local
(1 of 33 articles for today)
Forest fire situation unpredictable, premier says
7:04 PM 0Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger insists it’s too early and unpredictable to be optimistic about forest fire season in the province ...
Poll
Most Popular Local
- Court told driver hysterical after vehicle fatally hit highway worker
- Child in critical condition after West End crash
- Basic arithmetic back in class
- Province blows off wind megawatt goal
- City-wide average mosquito count drops
- Mountie hospitalized, dog euthanized after crash near Saskatoon
- Committee wants report on free replacement for garbage, recycling carts
- Pallister continues PST fight
- Known as kind, outgoing men
- Winnipeg man given 2-year sentence for coma-inducing 'sucker punch'
- Safeway stores likely to close
- Squirrel crawls out of Winnipegger's toilet
- Poolside feeding prompts eviction
- Stoppage of play off the field
- Game-day planning a must
- Court told driver hysterical after vehicle fatally hit highway worker
- No mad dash for concessions
- Kenyan wins Manitoba Marathon
- Traffic heavy as Bomber fans flock to U of M
- Child in critical condition after West End crash
- Father blasts 'horrific' movie
- Safeway stores likely to close
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- Flood money paid for CEO's romantic trip
- Car in deadly crash stolen?
- UPDATE: Now with FAQ: Keeping the e-party going without the party-crashers
- Squirrel crawls out of Winnipegger's toilet
- Daycare provider charged with abandonment
- Poolside feeding prompts eviction
- Two people killed in crash north of Winnipeg
- Basic arithmetic back in class
- At 55, I'm wise to what's real in life
- Province blows off wind megawatt goal
- Court told driver hysterical after vehicle fatally hit highway worker
- Strong may they run: Manitobans reflect on that fateful day in Boston
- Mountie hospitalized, dog euthanized after crash near Saskatoon
- Bible Belt's bogeyman still haunts town
- City-wide average mosquito count drops
- Killer 'should stay in prison'
- Known as kind, outgoing men
- Basic arithmetic back in class
- Squirrel crawls out of Winnipegger's toilet
- Safeway stores likely to close
- Doctors blamed for death
- App could give Winnipeggers chance to report bad parking, get paid
- $110-K worth of nickel plates stolen from Thompson mine
- A day in the life of 13,380 Manitoba Marathon participants
- Known as kind, outgoing men
- Stoppage of play off the field
- Bomber fans wowed by new stadium
- Basic arithmetic back in class
- Squirrel crawls out of Winnipegger's toilet
- Developers to unveil plans for bold downtown tower
- Father blasts 'horrific' movie
- Teachers support adding sexual-orientation themes to all curricula
- The crime fighter's revolution
- Safeway stores likely to close
- Car in deadly crash stolen?
- Fishing for fashion
- City's first urban reserve born
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is be a Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscriber to join the conversation and give your feedback.
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is be a Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscriber to join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
Have Your Say
Comments are open to Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscribers only. why?
Login SubscribeHave Your Say
Comments are open to Winnipeg Free Press Subscribers only. why?
SubscribeThe Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.