Folk Fest picks: What to see at the festival in 2023

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This article was published 06/07/2023 (835 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Friday, July 7

CHARLOTTE CORNFIELD

Big Bluestem

11:30 a.m.

Cornfield writes confessional, personal music grounded in memory — hers or otherwise — and her latest albums, this year’s Could Have Done Anything, and 2021’s Highs in the Minuses showcase Cornfield’s ability to find magic and light in everyday drama.

For fans of: Waxahatchee, Tobias Jesso Jr., Sharon Van Etten

— Ben Waldman

AYSANABEE

Big Bluestem

2:45 p.m.

Aysanabee’s soaring voice is something to behold. The Toronto-based Oji-Cree singer-songwriter only has one album under his belt, but it’s a hell of a debut. Featuring his grandfather’s residential school memories, Waitin (2022), is an introduction to a fully-formed artist with plenty to say — in epic fashion — about the past, present and future.

— Eva Wasney

WHITEHORSE

Bur Oak

4:15 p.m.

If you’re hankering for a hoe-down prior to seeing folk and country stars Rufus Wainwright and Emmylou Harris on the evening mainstage, Whitehorse will get you in the mood with their late-afternoon set. The husband-and-wife duo of Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland, whose 2022 latest album, I’m Not Crying, You’re Crying, has just received two WCMA nominations, has a serious country bent.

— Alan Small

FRUIT BATS

Mainstage

7:15 p.m.

Travel woes foiled the Fruit Bats’ 2022 folk-fest appearance, but luckily audiences can catch up with the indie-folk act this year; Chicago singer-songwriter Eric D. Johnson (also of folk act Bonny Light Horseman and formerly of the Shins) will be at the A Lingering Love workshop today at Green Ash. He is the driving force behind the band, whose jangly, bittersweet pop tunes are tailor-made for sunny summer listening.

— Jill Wilson

SONIC BOOM/PANDA BEAR

Big Blue at Night

10:50 p.m.

Pete Kember, a.k.a. Sonic Boom, was a founding member of British psychedelic rock outfit Spacemen 3, whose short but influential time together inspired a generation of avant-garde Brit rocker and shoegazers alike. Together with Animal Collective member Panda Bear, the duo’s 2022 album Reset is a mish-mash of sunshiny Brian Wilson-esque indie-pop, looped-electronics and droney, spacey fun with some joyful harmonies to boot.

— Rob Williams

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Saturday, July 8

JULIAN TAYLOR

Snowberry Field

12:30 p.m.

Pensive guitar, tender vocals and deep lyrics. Toronto folk-roots artist Julian Taylor can weave a masterful story while delivering toe-tapping melodies. The former rock band frontman has found his footing as a solo songwriter with a catalogue that begs audiences to lean in. It’s campfire music for the big stage.

— Eva Wasney

BUFFALO NICHOLS

Little Stage in the Forest

1:30 p.m.

In the heat of the day, there’s nothing better than chilling in the forested Little Stage and listening to some hot licks. Raspy-voiced Mikwaukee singer-guitarist Nichols, who calls his music “blues but not ‘Blues,’” sounds older than his years as he channels tradition with a twist in songs that feature the lost, the lonely and other tortured souls: “I still go to church but it ain’t to save myself / Just like to hear the stories ’bout how you’re gonna burn in hell.”

— Jill Wilson

KACY & CLAYTON

Shady Grove

2:45 p.m.

This duo holds a special space in my heart, because they were the second-last band I saw play before the pandemic began. Opening for Wilco at the Centennial Concert Hall, the Saskatchewan duo shared subtle, sweet harmonies between Kacy’s soaring voice and Clayton’s classic mid-range drawl. In the years since, they’ve have enjoyed a robust life on the road and released Plastic Bouquet with the New Zealand songwriter Marlon Williams.

— Ben Waldman

LOUDON WAINWRIGHT

Snowberry Field

4 p.m.

A singer-songwriting legend who has released more than 30 albums filled with wit, charm, bite, satire, humour, romance and realism. Wainwright is making his seventh appearance at the folk fest with a new album, Lifetime Achievement, in hand, but with 50 years of material to draw from, every song could be a greatest hit.

— Rob Williams

DJ SHUB PRESENTS WAR CLUB

Big Blue at Night

10:55 p.m.

The 2022 Juno Award winner from the Six Nations of the Grand River is known as the godfather of PowWowStep. He relives his 2020 album War Club with a late-night session that will blend traditional Indigenous culture with contemporary electronic and hip-hop elements. It promises to be a feast for the senses.

— Alan Small

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Sunday, July 9

WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH MY HEAD?

Green Ash

11:30 a.m.

Saskatchewan roots duo Kacy & Clayton, veteran Vancouver alt-folk group the Grapes of Wrath and Winnipeg indie-folk quartet Leaf Rapids (who each has their own individual concerts during the weekend) team up for a workshop described as one to “explore songs about love, loss and whatever else they want to get off their chests.” An airing of grievances, maybe? A festivus at the festival? Bring your own pole.

— Rob Williams

MARIEL BUCKLEY

Snowberry Field

2:30 p.m.

Mariel Buckley was never one of the cool kids — thank goodness. The Calgary-born country singer (repped by Winnipeg’s Birthday Cake label) leans into her individuality with truthful, relatable songwriting for underdogs and outcasts. With just enough twang, Buckley has capitalized on a niche that sets her apart from the crowd.

— Eva Wasney

S.G. GOODMAN

Green Ash

3 p.m.

Expect Goodman, who hails from western Kentucky’s farm country, to hit a folk-fest sweet spot with her distinctive voice honed by church choirs, dashes of indie-rock and lyrics focusing on topical issues such as addiction, poverty and religious hypocrisy. Check out her fine 2022 record, Teeth Marks, to learn for yourself.

— Alan Small

MATT FOSTER

Bur Oak

4:30 p.m.

In Foster’s hands, the acoustic guitar becomes a vehicle for percussion, adding a dynamism and unpredictability to his already hypnotic creations, built according to classic folk tradition. Even when he’s playing a work of fiction or a fable composed in song, there is a feeling that he is telling the truth. This Winnipegger is a hidden gem who deserves to be uncovered.

For fans of: Bill Callahan, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Songs: Ohia

— Ben Waldman

GENTICORUM

Shady Grove

4:30 p.m.

It’s just not a folk festival unless you enjoy some fiddle music, and Quebec’s Genticorum is happy to oblige. The Juno-winning trio — fiddle, guitar and wooden flute/accordion — combine traditional French lyrics with original folk tunes given a percussive boost with exuberant clogging.

— Jill Wilson