September 13, 2023 – Landsdowne Park, Ottawa
Hoodies, spiked hair, and ripped up jean jackets come out for CityFolk day one
CityFolk, a five-day music festival and miniature version of RBC Bluesfest, kicked off on the Great Lawn at Landsdowne Park, Ottawa with a short evening made up of only three performances. With dark clouds looming and a chill in the air, there was no sense of urgency to set up camp at the main TD stage to wait for Iggy Pop, the day one headliner. The vibe was very relaxed despite the punk lineup, maybe because of the cool weather or maybe because it feels like summer is over and everyone is back into work and school mindsets.
See Also: RBC Bluesfest comes to an end with a performance from The Smile
Festival-goers ambled in as the Canadian Premier League soccer game went on next door at TD Place. The festival grounds were set up in a very similar way to RBC Bluesfest, just on a much smaller scale, with food stalls and beer tents around the edges and VIP in the middle in front of the main stage. This year CityFolk has a second stage set up, the Courtside stage, in a tent (where the skating rink usually is) beside Aberdeen Pavilion rather than inside—an interesting choice because of the much smaller capacity.
As the sun set and darkness consumed the lawn, Busty and the Bass from Montreal graced the main stage at 7:30 pm with their blend of smooth and energetic soul, funk, and jazz music. The sparse crowd slowly filled in more as the band’s instruments overpowered the cheering next door.
“We’re gonna have some fun with you this evening,” said Alistair Blu, one of the vocalists who also plays the keyboard and synthesizer. The 9-piece ensemble got the crowd bopping along as they cycled between vocalists and styles—having three different singers with distinct voices and styles gives the band more versatility from song to song.
NOBRO, a garage punk band from Montreal, took to the Courtside stage at 8 pm as the only performance in the tent on day one. I’m not sure why CityFolk decided against a photo pit for this stage or why they set up small folding chairs because it didn’t allow the crowd to get as into the show as they could have been. The band’s high-energy had the packed crowd jumping and fist bumping in front of the stage, up the center aisle, and all around the chairs, and by the halfway mark at least a third of the chairs were empty. I’d be happy to see those removed for the rest of the festival to allow for better engagement!
“We are NOBRO, N-O-B-R-O,” vocalist and bassist Kathryn McCaughey shouted to the crowd, getting everyone to chant along with her. As a lead in to the song Where My Girls At, she spoke about starting a band with all the bad bitches she knows. The 4-piece band jumped around on stage and even switched up which instruments they played and who was singing, but McCaughey sang the majority of their songs. Her vicious pipes and mesmerizing spirit could convince anyone to rise up and fight back against injustices with similarities to legends like Joan Jett, Janis Joplin, and Cyndi Lauper. They had the older crowd raising middle fingers and the younger crowd headbanging, truly preparing everyone for Iggy Pop.
The talented all-female band reminded me of being an outsider back in high school and finding solace in angry but thought-provoking music. They fit right in with pop punk bands like Paramore, Billy Talent, and Sum 41. We need this kind of music right now, and I’m grateful for discovering them at CityFolk—one of my favorite things about festivals. Be sure to check out their new release Where My Girls At on September 15!
As I left the tent and made my way back to the main stage, the Great Lawn filled in considerably more as everyone waited for the godfather of punk. The evening felt magical with the dark sky, ethereal lead-in music, and sparkling stars displayed across the stage. I nudged my way to the front to get a better view as Iggy Pop walked out on stage—shirtless with his pants hanging on for dear life.
The crowd went wild as we witnessed a person doing what he loved, what he was meant to do, without a care in the world. In true punk fashion he wasn’t going to change who he was now just because of his age, a meaningless number. With long hair, tight jeans, and no shirt, he made his way back and forth across the stage as he acknowledged all of his fans with the most gratitude I’ve seen from a performer yet. He was filled with thank you’s and kind words (in between flinging fucks left and right), which made my heart warm. He sang a mix of old and new songs from his time with The Stooges to songs off his latest album, Every Loser, which just came out in January 2023.
While his voice doesn’t hold up to what it used to be, songs like Gimme Danger and The Passenger with softer and deeper vocals sounded great. “It’s beautiful,” he said as the crowd sang along to The Passenger while he took a break. “Fucking thank you for coming eh,” he said in true Canadian fashion, fitting right in as he also tossed in some French words here and there. I’m glad I got to witness him perform at least once in my life; it was a bucket list show for sure!
Read More:
>> Foo Fighters Dominate RBC Bluesfest on Day 5
>> Avenged Sevenfold at Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa
>> RBC Bluesfest come to an end with a performance from The Smile
