I must really be out of the loop on this one, either that or I just got way to excited about the prospects of celebrating a piece of clothing I have loved so dearly.
Regardless if you care about my love of long johns or not, I want to let you know about a volunteer rally happening at Javaroma this Thursday.
The Facebook Event doesn’t tell me much about that the Long John Jamboree is, I’m sure it is awesome though. What it does say, is that it is the newest festival in Yellowknife and will be spreading its undergarment style this March. It doesn’t say much more than that, other than there is a board and staff.
So if you are curious about helping out with this festival or shall I say jamboree, you are invited to come to Javaroma on Thursday, December 8, from 6:30pm to 9:30pm. Also see the Facebook event here.
I don’t think you have to wear long johns, but if you feel so inclined, I’m sure they wont mind.
It was a sad realization that I wouldn’t be able to make the 31st Folk on the Rocks. Folk is Yellowknife’s largest summer event and attracts people from all over the world and is basically a weekend long party on a beach with the backdrop of Long Lake.
At any given time at Folk on the Rocks there can be at least 4 stages going with different performers. Oh and the beer garden is always a big it, with some serious music happening there.
I have seen a lot of photos from many of the media folk that were at FOTR – great job done by everyone – and it looks like everyone has having a blast. I think Friday evening threatened with some stormy like weather, but passed over and a sunny hot weekend was had.
The 3 photos above were taken by some of the media team at the festival, mainly Pat Kane. Folk on the Rocks has a full Flickr set with all the photos from the weekend, which you can find here.
If you had a good time at Folk on the Rocks this year, let us hear it in the comments below.
So there is this folk fest that happens in Yellowknife, every July, on the shore of a lake. Maybe you have heard of it? You know, it is nothing special just a bunch of crazy people hanging out and shooting the breeze, while listening to some music.
Are you kidding me! Of course you have heard of Folk on the Rocks. A matter of fact, you are probably sick of reading about me go on about it. Well I am sorry to disappoint you, because we have a lot of content on Folk on the Rocks 2010 to pump out over the next week. Photos, video and more. By more I mean me writing about the food, spirit and, well, the music too.
The weather was up in the air for the weekend and we were all anticipating the worst, but that never happened. It was cloudy for a good portion of the weekend, yes, but we only ended up with short spats of rain. I saw people huddling together in rain jackets under umbrellas as they sing along to acts like Buffy Saint-Marie and Leela Gilday. I did hear some complaints, but the number of people having a good time out weighed them.
This was my first year covering the whole event, last year I did a quick post, nothing near what I have this year. I thought about how I wanted to approach the festival this year and I always seemed to come back to how it makes me feel.
While watching a lot of the sets and crowd from the right of the stage, I feel free and energized. It is an odd feeling to explain, yes. So let me try and paint you a picture, figuratively. Several times throughout the weekend while watching a performance, the energy of the music would just climb, up, and up. It would be overwhelming and what would happen is I would end up with a huge smile on my face, unintentionally, as I tried and capture that moment.
Although there were many things to make this event worthwhile, there were two that I think really did it, the people and the musicians.
The musicians, obviously being who everyone is coming to see, always seem to have just as much fun or more than the crowd they are playing for. The one thing that makes a festival like Folk on the Rocks better than a CD or seeing the artist live, is the collaboration. When are you ever going to see our own Digawolf and Greg Keelor jamming together with Pat Braden and friends, where I ask. Or Michael Bernard Fitzgerald, a banjo playing room mate, and the drummer from BAM (Caleb Harrison) just all of a sudden halfway through a set get together and jam. No where, that’s where. This is where they shine as artists in my opinion, when without any practice or warning, they just breakout in song together and make amazing sounding music. One of the final day collaborations of the event, when The Dudes invited at least half the other performers up on stage during their set to show their appreciation for the weekend and each other, even had the crowd involved singing along. I am on the edge of saying that these collaborations make events like this priceless and memorable.
Although a music festival like this one is traditionally all about the music and it definitely sets the mood, I think it is only part of the experience. One of those other parts is the people. Hands down this is Yellowknife’s biggest party. Everyone I met or saw throughout the two long days out there, seemed relaxed and mellow. Not mellow like they are dragging their feet, but more like they have forgotten all about real life and just wanted to have fun. Isn’t that what it is suppose to be all about? People would gather with those they hadn’t seen in ages and rock like they’d never been apart. Personal space was no longer an option for many as they came to the stage area to jump up and down along with the bands. It’s the spirit of the event which makes even the grumpiest looking people, like myself, smile. Yellowknife has awesome people, you are truly amazing!
The days were long, musicians played hard and the crowd partied harder, actually I’m fairly certain the musicians also partied just as hard. So the the question is, how did you enjoy the 30th annual Folk on the Rocks? My time was amazing, and something I wanted to note was how few bugs I noticed. Am I just a seasoned northerner and didn’t notice them or were there really just that few? Have anything to add, by all means. Now lets relive it.
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Another Rock the Folks was a success or you could say they did Rock the Folks. I even have proof, see the picture of the guy reading his book, he put ear plugs in half way through.
As the crowd started to gather Hello Paisley took to the stage and did was they do best. You might remember them from Music in the Park 2009, they took first place. The night consisted of several great local acts, but there were two from out-of-town. Atisa and Scott Walker, who ironically both played solo with their acoustic guitars. Atisa, who is from Vancouver, shared a couple of original songs as well as a couple Tegan and Sara songs, stating that they are her influence. Scott, who is from Barrie, Ont, played a cover of a Jack Johnson song, and did well at it too.
It was then taken up a notch when the Beat Officers, Flaherty’s Wake and Whiskey Jack performed. Each with their own style. Beat officer very punk/rock/I’m not really sure. Flaherty’s Wake was very Celtic/ East Coast/Irish with they fiddling. Then Whiskey Jack with their cover of Rock Banks like ZZ Top.
Then there was Billy Bangarang, how do I write about them. They got skills, I’ll say that. Although rap at a Folk Fest, I’m not really sure about that one. Tina Roy was also there and did her thing, as per usual. She has a cool, jazzy style which makes it really easy to listen to her play.
To finish off the night was the quickly rising in popularity, David Strauss. The 3 member band still hadn’t gotten another keyboard, but I think I’m finally coming around to them and their cocky ways. I mean they have been together forever, for 8 months. The band also took home first place, but unfortunately won’t be performing on Saturday. The runners-up, The Beat Officers, will get the honor of performing in front of a crowd in the Beer Garden at 1pm.
I think everyone had a good evening, and the turn out seemed decent. Although I have to comment on the crowd. There was no dancing this year. Last year people were on table givin’r, this year nuttin’. What gives?
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Back in March, I first learned that a young artist by the name of Michael Bernard Fitzgerald would be coming to the 30th annual Folk on the Rocks festival in July. At the time I didn’t think much of it, I didn’t think much of him. I had never heard of him before, that was until I listen to some of his stuff on Youtube. Then on iTunes where I bought a couple songs, at which point I was pretty much hooked.
Originally I had planned to write about how I had heard rumors that people were disappointed about the line-up for this years festival and how I didn’t agree, considering I’ve heard Michael Bernard Fitzgerald music everywhere. I was going to write all that but as time grew near to Folk on the Rocks I kept putting it off. That was until I got the ambition to make the video below. The overall question I ask is, what is your feeling about the up coming festival?
If you are at work and can’t watch the video, email yourself the link. It is definitely worth watching me make a fool of myself. Also make sure you watch MBF’s music video to understand what the heck I’m doing on the grass. Once you watch it leave a comment about what you this this years Folk on the Rocks will be like!
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