The Ups and Downs of the Vancouver Folk Fest

That was it, folks. Vancouver's Folk Festivaaaaaaaalll ! ! ! After barely squeaking past last year's financial shortcomings, the organizers and their friends and their friends' friends impressively threw together a 2.3 day festival that sure looked as if everything was running full throttle. The sun don't come cheap, but there she was, shining away as if she didn't care about the minimum wage hourly rate. Hoola hoops were spinning, frisbees were careening dangerously close to unsuspecting children's noggins, arms were flailing (as dancers tend to do at folk fests), and old men were snoozing, having forgotten about the hole in the ozone. Kids climbed trees, ducks quacked along with the bands, and baby boomers smoked the wacky tobacky with their parents.

Everything you want in a folk fest, ain't it? What's that, you say? The Music? Um, yes I'm sure there was some of that too in there...

Although really for me the festival was ultimately about the vibe more than the music. Sure fiddle music and afro-tunes kick ass, I know.
Vishwa Mohan and Salil Bhatt ripped it up on the sitar-guitars, they really did.
Dubblestandart looked good jumping around in matching orange coveralls.
Catching a Jump Around - bhangra mash-up had me jumping around.
Hearing the Mammals playing indiepop disguised as mountain music was a hootenany.

But really for me the festival was more about the vibe. And the vibe was good. Not like stellar, by any means, but good. On the one hand, I know that the festival is priced as cheap as they can make it, while still paying the artists. But a $125 price tag for the full event tends to keep the vibe a little too... respectable, if you know what I mean. The crowd's a wee bit bourgeois considering the roots of folk music. On the pro-side, you don't have too many of those edgy unemployed kids throwin' a wrench in the works.

Another thing that kinda gets my goat is the whole Real Estate thing that goes down. I mean, people stake out their territory with a tarp on the ground, and may no person touch that space or dance in front of it forever more. Maybe this is a heritage thing or something since the festival's always been UNofficially run this way. When the gates open there's the Mad Dash to stake out the land claims. I actually read an ad on Craigslist offering payment for to somebody who would throw down a tarp for them. Cut-throat, man, and not (imo) the optimal folk fest vibe. There's also little tolerance for dancing if it's front of someone's lawn chair. ("Quit groovin', and sit down!") That said, the organizers kept things somewhat clean by warning lawn chair types when people might be dancing. But if there wasn't no warning, you better watch where you want to shake that ass. Even if the MC stated, "You can't stop the party of humanity!"

That business had me kinda depressed for a while. Especially when the Grande Mothers were a little miffed at the seated crowd, alluding to how we could've been at home watching the Simpsons. (Zappa loved the Simpsons!)

But then the next night, I spoke with someone who had been a part of the festival since its inception and I recognized that hey, this festival has really enriched what Vancouver is, and it's really struggled to be here now. Really now, how many music or festival events does the geriatric crowd make it out to? ONE. How many folk festivals are located in one of the most beeeyutiful locations, right in your own backyard? ONE. Mountains! A vibrant skyline! A beach and swimming at your fingertips! Glowing sunsets! A rainbow snippet! Shooting stars over the main stage! The positive story was well underlined when Fesittook the stage and commented on how she sees the Van Folk Fest as the perfect folk fest for the afore-mentioned reasons. Well, if Feist said it, it must be true! Either way, she played a really artistic and beautiful set, really indifferent as to whether people were sitting or not. Sitting rather suited, actually.

Ah yes, very nice. And I should mention one more thing, the final wrap up performance of Sunday night: Jane Siberry. Well, actually she's changed her name to Issa, so now she's The Artist Formerly Known As Jane. Well I've seen TAFKAJ play once before, a full fifteen years ago, and she was mesmerizing. Well she's still an eclectic artist, but I guess we've all gotten older, and now her eclectic songs have taken on a beat poet / new age vibe which really did NOT agree with me. Geez, the over-the-top sensitivity! The sappy love song! I could hardly stand it. Um, actually I couldn't, I had to leave. Full respect to TAFKAJ for doing her own ballsy thing, and people seemed to dig it, but boy she's not singing for me anymore, that's for sure. But like I said, for me the festival wasn't about the music.

Love It or Like It, as they say. I'm sure I'll check it out again, support it, enjoy it, critcize it, and all the rest.