BeatRoute Magazine AB Edition July 2019

Calgary Folk
Music Festival
July 25 to 28, 2019
The Calgary Folk Music Festival (CFMF)
has marked the height of summer for 40
years, blazing along under clear skies and
scorching bands that deliver more than
just folk music in its truest sense, this year
with acts like Belle & Sebastian, Sharon
Van Etten, Sheila E., DJ Champion and
many more. Delicate singer-songwriters
are paired with energetic, 10-piece world
music bands and mainstage performers
anchor a handful of other discovery
stages nestled in every nook on Prince’s
Island Park.
Whether you’re a long-running tarpie at
CFMF, readying your gear for a prime spot
on the lawns, or biking down to the island
for a first-time hang at the beer gardens,
here’s BeatRoute’s best-of four-day
schedule.
By SOFIA MONTEBELLO
Weaves
T. Buckley
Samantha Savage Smith
SATURDAY,
JULY 27
The first full, 10-am-to-midnight, day at
CFMF. Start the day with Calgary’s T.
Buckley at 10:30 am at Stage 2, whose
endearing folk is as well-sculpted as his
beard. Continue the local streak after
that with The Torchettes at 11:15 am
at Stage 3 — their soul rock is reminiscent
of the Motown glory days and
Deicha Carter’s powerhouse vocals are
undeniable.
At 1:25 pm, explore the indie side of
Calgary’s scene with an on-point collab
between Lab Coast, Mauno, Samantha
Savage Smith and Bedouine on Stage
4. Quirky melodies and jangly harmonies
collide as these standout local bands
work their pop magic.
The afternoon and evening are wide
open for you to explore, depending on
your tastes and desires. The beauty of
CFMF is in following your nose around,
hearing on-the-ground tips and seeing
where the day takes you as you wander
from stage to stage.
Wherever Saturday leads, end up at
Stage 4 for Toronto’s Weaves at 9:05
pm. An art-pop tour de force, the foursome
led by Jasmyn Burke turn a hook
inside out and subvert expectations of
what a pop song can be.
DJ Champion
FRIDAY, JULY 26
Stages begin to open up on Friday
and the festival hits its stride. See
Thursday night faves, iskwē, Mauno
and La Force, collab at Stage
3 at 3 pm, swapping songs and
improvising parts.
At 6:40 pm, check out Ndidi O
on the mainstage. From northern
BC to LA, to Toronto and now Calgary
for CFMF, Ndidi O’s musical
path travels well-worn grooves
that at once feel comforting and
Ndidi O
forceful. Bask in her powerful pop
jazz as her voice rings out over the
treetops, perhaps with a beer in
hand from the gardens at the top
of the mainstage lawns.
Cap your evening at Stage 4
with DJ Champion at 9 pm. The
Montreal native grew up playing
in punk bands, but has since
immersed himself in enormous,
anthemic beats that make sweaty
work of the dance floor.
SUNDAY, JULY 28
Ease into a Folk Fest Sunday with Samantha
Savage Smith at 11 am on Stage 1. The
Calgary singer-songwriter’s ethereal voice and
her low-key vibes and the music she crafts will
find a permanent place in new fans’ hearts.
Lethbridge’s, Shaela Miller takes over
Stage 2 at 12:50 pm with a set that’s pure
country for 2019. She’s as comfortable
two-steppin’ as she is wearing all black and
getting angsty.
Travel back to a simpler moment in time
and find a home on the range with Boots &
the Hoots, Willie Watson, We Banjo 3 and
Joan Shelley at 1:50 pm on Stage 4. Boozy
country meets home-stylin’ twang with these
trad country powerhouses.
Head over to Stage 3 at 4:45 pm for one of
the weekend’s most anticipated sets by Mdou
Moctar. The guitar legend is as known for his
African and British blends of guitar music as
he is for his activism. Noise, jazz, funk, metal
and Britpop all swirl together at the hands
of Moctar and his band, who have reshaped
Niger’s music scene for a global audience.
The festival closes Sunday night with The
Strumbellas, mainstage at 9:05 pm. The
Toronto band’s festival-ready folk pop is
anthemic and uplifting, a perfect way to draw
out the last dance moves.
Want more? Weasel into the after-party at
the Westin Hotel, where off-the-cuff sets from
weekend faves will have lucky door crashers
dancing deliriously into Monday morning.
The Strumbellas
Boots & the Hoots
Mdou Moctar
Shaela Miller
JULY 2019 BEATROUTE 47