Ottawa Folk Fest Day 4: Roots, Rock and Rain!
After a very cold, very wet Saturday afternoon in what some concert goers began referring to as “Hog’s Back Swamp” here in Ottawa, the rain finally subsided just in time for all the great performances on the evening line-up. Which, despite all the mud left behind, was definitely well worth the trek out.
Ed Kowalczyk at the Ottawa Folk Festival
Among the many notables performing throughout the course of the day, we saw Simon Townshend, younger brother of famed Pete Townshend of legendary band The Who, performing his own distinctly personal work on the Hill Stage. Followed by Adam Cohen, son of the legendary Leonard Cohen, performing in his own unique style on the Valley Stage.
Neutral Milk Hotel at the Ottawa Folk Festival
We also saw iconic Canadian children’s entertainer, singer/songwriter Fred Penner perform two shows at the Craft Beer House. The first, billed as a “family show” featuring his most memorable repertoire of childhood favourites for the kids performed, ironically amidst a bevy of craft brew concessions. (presumably for the parents). The second set was themed around the grown-up “Fred-Heads”, and had the “gentle giant” and his trusted side man Paul O’Neill engage the audience with thoughtful witticisms and humour geared to help guide the kids inside all of us through the next phase of our lives.
Blue Rodeo guitarist Greg Keelor at the Ottawa Folk Festival
At nightfall, the Valley Stage played host to legendary singer / songwriter Ed Kowalczyk, former front man of multi-platinum rock band “Live” who performed a phenomenal one-man “unplugged” acoustic set that spanned his entire catalogue, from some of his biggest hits and solo albums.
On the RavenLaw stage, the influential American indie rock band ‘Neutral Milk Hotel’ performed a set filled with their trademark ‘experimental sound, ambiguous lyrics and diverse instrumentation’, with a “mountain-alt” aesthetic that bordered on the sublime.
Blue Rodeo at the Ottawa Folk Festival
The evening concluded with Canada’s most renowned roots rock band, Blue Rodeo on the Eh! Main-Stage, featuring a cross selection of their iconic recording career. Starting off with Head Over Heels and running through a stirring set list of classics spanning their entire catalogue from the last few decades to the delight of a captivated audience. Their set lead up to the rousing folk sing-along for portions of the grand finale which included Hasn’t Hit Me Yet, Try & Lost Together. Definitely the ‘high water mark’ after a cold rainy day
