CityFolk Day 2: Arkells at Landsdowne Park, Ottawa

September 14, 2023 – Landsdowne Park, Ottawa

Autumn brought the chill, but folk and alt rock bands warmed up CityFolk day two

Day two of Ottawa’s CityFolk music festival started two and a half hours earlier than day one and had over double the amount of performers. Despite the big lineup, the festival was still empty for the first few performances. I always wonder why festivals like CityFolk and RBC Bluesfest don’t consider the Ottawa post-workday traffic between 4-6 pm. Why not start later on a work night and earlier on weekends to maximize the amount of people who can attend?

See Also: CityFolk Day 1: Iggy Pop at Landsdowne Park, Ottawa

Sophie Ash, a local musician from Ottawa, kicked off the evening of folk music as the first free concert of the festival with TD Plays the Plaza. Her soft and comforting music in both French and English welcomed guests outside the festival grounds at 5 pm when the main gates opened. A dedicated group of a few dozen fans sang along with her and patrons of LOCAL Public Eatery Landsdowne enjoyed her soothing voice as they had dinner.

Claire Coupland, from Toronto, was first up on the Courtside stage to get the crowd ready for a full evening of folk performances. Her graceful stage presence, gentle acoustic guitar, and velvety voice had the small but enthralled crowd swaying along with her. It felt like we were in the woods in a story circle and it was her turn to tell us a few tales about her life. Coupland spoke about being inspired by others and writing songs based off of the stories she hears from people in her life. The storyteller quality in her performance really drew me in with how she engaged the crowd and introduced the majority of her songs—it really brought out the poetry in each piece. I love when musicians talk about where the idea behind a song came from; understanding the process makes me feel the music more deeply.

Redfox, an indie-folk band from Montreal, was up next on the Courtside stage and they were excited to get started early. The ensemble had their instruments in hand five minutes ahead of schedule, which had the crowd excited and ready for the extra time. I looked back at the sound guy who shrugged and said, “I guess we’re starting now.” Singer and violinist Daphnée Vandal was talking to the crowd before they were shooed off stage by a CityFolk coordinator who looked rather distraught. A few minutes later the band was introduced with the sponsor spiel and allowed to begin.

“Our last entrance was premature, but this time it’s for real,” said guitarist Jono Townsend before they launched into their first song. Vandal’s celestial voice and the emotional cries of her violin mixed with Tim Loten on banjo and the rock elements from Townsend and drummer Samuel Neumann created a unique blend of bright but wistful folk music. It’s no surprise that they won the Canadian Folk Music Award in the category of New/Emerging Artists 2023 for their album Stranger Love. 

Kristian Matsson from Sweden, known as The Tallest Man On Earth, brought the party to the tent after Redfox with a massive crowd and beautiful performance. I managed to squeeze through to center stage to enjoy the perfect view. The stage was rearranged to have all of the instruments and stands moved to the back to clear a large area for Matsson to dance around as he sang and played a variety of instruments with a passionate wildness that you can’t look away from. He moved like fire flitting across dry logs in a clear patch in the forest and we were spectating spirits entranced by his spells. His voice was enchanting with the right amount of sweetness and grit.

“Come on up,” he said to the crowd after a few minutes of performing. He waved at a woman in the center aisle between the rows of chairs to step forward. She hesitated and took a step, he nudged her again and called the crowd to come towards him. After she took a few more steps, everyone else followed suit and flooded in behind her to fill every empty space between the chairs and stage. The chairs were swallowed up in a sea of dance, perhaps now CityFolk will rethink the tent setup.

His authenticity and dreamy and energetic folk music made me feel like I was amongst the forest sprites, and all I wanted to do was join him on stage and flow with the music like no one was watching. He moves the way we’re all afraid to, and it was inspiring to witness the passion in his singing and dancing.

Ruby Waters, from Shelburne, set a different vibe on the main TD stage as she kicked off a night of alternative rock. While the crowd was still sparse at 6 pm, diehard Arkells fans were already set up at the barricade at center stage with their signs ready. With a deep and powerful voice, the Juno-nominated Ruby Waters commanded the crowd and pulled all attention to her. Her successful sophomore EP If It Comes Down To It, led to a Juno Nomination for Alternative Album of the Year.

“What a good day,” she said between songs and playing guitar, enjoying her time on stage and the engaged crowd that sang along with her. Then a couple got engaged in the middle of the crowd and she stopped to congratulate them and dedicate her next song, that happened to be about love, to the couple.

The crowd was ready for some rock ‘n roll as Gov’t Mule turned up the heat on the main stage after Ruby Waters. A fiery sunset behind TD Place added a nice dramatic element to the show as the Great Lawn filled in for their performance. The American Southern rock band from Georgia led by Grammy Award-winning artist and guitar legend Warren Haynes served hit after hit to the growing crowd and loyal fans who cheered loudly for them. They played a mix of songs off their new album Peace… Like a River and hits from The Allman Brothers Band, which drew a lot of energy from the crowd.

After The Tallest Man On Earth closed out his set and set the tent party-goers free, the Great Lawn was filled to the brim as we waited for the day two headliner. As the 2023 recipients of the Juno Award for Group of the Year, it’s no wonder Arkells brought the RBC Bluesfest level crowd to CityFolk. The signs came out for the Canadian rock band from Hamilton, Ontario as they dove headfirst into a dynamic and captivating set.

Singer Max Kerman had a delightful sparkle in his eyes as he pranced around on stage with an ear-to-ear smile and told stories in between songs. “How’s everybody doing?” he asked the crowd as he went into a story about being on a journey together at CityFolk. “Get to know new friends and people around you, let’s give a shoutout to new friends tonight,” he said as he brought everyone closer together. I love the sense of camaraderie at rock shows, who knows how many new friends he inspired in that moment?

The new age yet classic rock and roll vibe with an upbeat and groovy dance flair drew out a diverse crowd—this is the kind of music you listen to when you’re happy or when you need to be lifted up. It’s alt rock at its finest with a folk twist that keeps things interesting. While they played, an endless flurry of bubbles shot out from the front of the crowd. “I love this effect,” said Kerman, the bubbles added a magical element to the evening.

In a lovely moment Kerman spotted a green poster asking for them to play a specific song—Oh, the Boss Is Coming! He pulled the sign up on stage and asked the rest of the band if they could play it, and of course they obliged. He then brought up the young boy who made the sign to sing along with him. Although starstruck and nervous, the moment was adorable as the kid sang along. And the show was filled with beautiful moments such as that one as Kerman and the band engaged with the crowd and made their show a unique performance rather than following a script with no variety from evening to evening.

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