15°c Overcast
12°c Rain
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Fleeting moment to last forever
Tim Robbins a highlight at fest
Kids play in the sun during the Winnipeg Folk Festival. (HADAS PARUSH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store
Related Items
Monty Wensel and his 5-year-old son, Imari, partake in a drumming circle at the Folk Fest on Saturday. July 9, 2011. (HADAS PARUSH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)
The clouds rolled by and the sun beamed down, the fields dried up and the tarps, finally, rolled out.
With that, the fourth day of the 38th annual Winnipeg Folk Festival surged into sharp focus. It was a day first dampened by rain and a merciful cooling breeze; but that weather soon gave way to a blazing sun and all the melodies, songs and beats.
It was the perfect canvas for the fleeting moments that, somehow, last forever.
Vignettes, for instance, of an easy-rollin' mainstage show; one that sauntered from a solid opening set by Tim Robbins (yes, the actor-director) and his Rogues Gallery band to an ethereal piece from English folk architects Spiro.
Then onwards to a funky set by iconic '70s blues-rockers Little Feat, and after the sun had dropped below the horizon, a percolating dance party by the reunited Funky Meters to send the dancers home.
But the Folk Fest made so many more memories than that.
Take the one just after 1:30 p.m., for instance. When clouds rallied for one final assault on the sun, and the field in front of Bur Oak stage rippled with flying feet and rising fists. The movement came courtesy of the madcap fusion between the Swamp Ward Orchestra, Jaune Toujours and Beats Antique -- three eclectic bands that fluidly found a common beat.
When the jam finally whirled to a stop, fans twirled bandannas over their heads and hollered for more. It will be hard to come by. "If you like what you heard, well, you can't get it in stores," quipped workshop host Marco Calliari.
That wasn't the only big, brash workshop of the day. The biggest by attendance -- and by sheer sound -- came only 30 minutes later, when Canadian supergroup Blackie and the Rodeo Kings gathered singers Ray Wylie Hubbard, Chuck Prophet and Robbins at Snowberry Stage.
For a time, it looked as if mainstage started early. Well over 1,000 fans clustered around the stage, a sea of slightly burnt faces under the searing sun. But the real heat at this show came straight off the stage. The grouping was brilliant, the music raw and rolling. Fat guitar riffs and gung-ho gang performances from the 14 musicians onstage sent the crowd to their feet for one standing ovation after the other.
But one woman wasn't watching what was happening onstage. Instead, Anna-Celestrya Carr stood near the backstage entrance, waiting patiently for the show to end and Robbins to emerge. She hoped the Academy Award-winner would lend his hand to her Men's Banner, a four-year project collecting the handprints of men who pledge to help end violence against women.
In the end, she got what she came for: after signing a few autographs on his way out of the tent, Robbins knelt on the ground while Carr carefully traced the shape of the star's broad palm on the banner.
But though there were bold workshops and big moments, there were quiet beauties, too: the dragonflies dancing over Lucy Wainwright Roche's pristine early-afternoon set of heart-wrenching ballads, for instance.
The same magic might have happened at Big Bluestem when acclaimed British Columbia roots chanteuse Frazey Ford set up shop just before 3 p.m. Unfortunately, Ford's porcelain voice was frequently drowned out by the buzz coming from the nearby beer tent.
melissa.martin@freepress.mb.ca
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 10, 2011 A14
More Local
- Back to Top
- Return to Local
More Local
(1 of 18 articles for today)
Fire damages St. Vital home
11:13 AM 0A home in St. Vital sustained $40,000 in damage after a fire Sunday.
Five fire units responded to a basement fire ...
Poll
Most Popular Local
- Man charged, victims identified in double homicide
- Police identify slaying victims
- North End proud
- Second man charged in 2012 slaying
- Head-on collision kills pickup driver
- Accused in alleged smartphone scam charged
- Leaving a gang isn't easy — Sidney Letandre, now a paraplegic, knows it all too well
- Two charged in golf course burglary
- Province announces service for Elijah Harper
- Police make grow-op bust
- Charleswood deaths being investigated as domestic incident
- Man charged, victims identified in double homicide
- Co-worker 'sick' today? Maybe it's the $17M flu
- '2 minutes after I read the winning numbers, I retired': Winnipeg lotto winner
- Sex charges for ex-club boss
- An uncommon phenomenon
- Hundreds pitch in to dig out houses damaged, destroyed by Ochre Beach ice floe
- Winning 6/49 ticket purchased in Winnipeg
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- 'Responsible Winnipeg' ads appear on sign run by mayor-owned Goldeyes' baseball park
- Hundreds pitch in to dig out houses damaged, destroyed by Ochre Beach ice floe
- A child-custody catastrophe
- Charleswood deaths being investigated as domestic incident
- Man charged, victims identified in double homicide
- Co-worker 'sick' today? Maybe it's the $17M flu
- '2 minutes after I read the winning numbers, I retired': Winnipeg lotto winner
- Parents, community relieved and elated as missing boy found safe
- No threat from bag found at Winnipeg Square
- Man missing since 2009 found safe
- Earls on Main going, but new one coming
- North End proud
- Fishing for fashion
- Province announces service for Elijah Harper
- Man charged, victims identified in double homicide
- Police make grow-op bust
- Leaving a gang isn't easy — Sidney Letandre, now a paraplegic, knows it all too well
- Take me off your guest list, Harper Blog of the Week: North End MC
- Actor works to disable bullying
- Who says house calls are a thing of the past?
- Rejected by U of M, former Winnipegger became rocket scientist
- An uncommon phenomenon
- Hundreds pitch in to dig out houses damaged, destroyed by Ochre Beach ice floe
- Province introduces changes to rules governing landlords, renters
- Crushing blow for amateur sport
- Ochre Beach residents are 'thankful everybody got out'
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- Woman killed in head-on crash in southwestern Manitoba
- Sex charges for ex-club boss
- Giving your money, and expertise, to charity
- WestJet to add Brandon
- Hundreds pitch in to dig out houses damaged, destroyed by Ochre Beach ice floe
- A child-custody catastrophe
- Mental-health patients get own ER
- Black market in moose thrives
- An uncommon phenomenon
- Steen invests $1M in family entertainment centre
- Earls on Main going, but new one coming
- Province introduces changes to rules governing landlords, renters
- Crushing blow for amateur sport
- Boost same-sex curricula: union
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 register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The 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.