As Mike ‘Mumble’ Humble, The Official Mumble of Folly Fest, once wisely explained, the key to putting on a great music festival is all about curating the vibe. Admittedly, he wasn’t terribly specific on what encompasses the vibe or how one might curate it. Despite attending event after event in a repeated cycle of venues and even with a repetition of bands, one still gets a sense of the distinct variety of flavours the vibe might take on; flavours that make each festival unique. It’s like some sort of magic spice that the organizers toss into the mix. If anything, this year’s Living Roots Music Festival had a vibe that was very carefully curated with the eclectic mix of spectacular artists it brought to Fredericton.
With a lineup consisting of more than 50 bands, poets and artists, the 2018 iteration of this five-day festival was jam-packed, especially considering this was only the festival’s second year.
If that wasn’t challenge enough, the events spread out over the whole of Fredericton as well as Harvey Station and in Keswick Ridge, making for nine different venues: the Abbey Café and Gallery/Red Rover Cider House, the Capital Complex, Bellwether, the Cinnamon Café, the Royal Barbershop, Grimross Brewing Co., Read’s Newsstand & Café, the Loch Pub & Grill and the Barnhouse Pub.
That diversity of venues is one of our favourite aspects of Living Roots. While Fredericton music and art lovers are likely to be found at the Capital Complex, Grimross Brewing Co. or even the occasional show at the Cinnamon Café on any given weekend, the incorporation of venues like the Abbey, Bellwether, Read’s and the Royal Barbershop is a great way to get people to branch out into the city. It’s an opportunity to introduce more of the city’s population to the wonderful things happening in what is a ridiculously vibrant and local arts industry.
For those from outside the city, it gives a better chance to see more of what Fredericton has to offer. Hosting performances in Harvey Station and Keswick Ridge allows for even more people from surrounding areas to get a glimpse into that diversity of talent.
While the whole festival is a three-day wonder full of local favourites and some carefully-selected gems and discoveries, inevitably a few acts and moments stuck out to us the strongest.
The Loch in Harvey Station was a whole other world. Just forty-minutes away (depending on who’s driving), but in a place very different from the city, crowds were treated to local Harvey musician Jordan Brown and Dapper Dan & the Drive In Classics. They packed the Loch fuller than we have ever seen it before. The sheer number of people who came together to stomp around to covers of Lynyrd Skynyrd was amazing and heart warming.
In terms of performance, Ryan Cook’s cheeky wordplay in his ode to Lulu Lemon was memorable and borders on unmentionable. The crowd got a good chuckle and gained an even fonder appreciation for those famous yoga pants we’ve all grown to love.
Later in the week Irish Mythen would blow us all away as she belted out a soulful and skillful finale that left the audience at Grimross on their feet and cheering.
We were also glad to have caught the one-time-only (we definitely believe that) reunion performance by Before the War after the band called an official hiatus one year ago. Closing out the festival, the band gave long-time fans exactly the energy-driven performance they were hoping for, complete with all of our favourite hits.
The performance that deserves the award for most grossly underrated, under-celebrated, and under-attended easily goes to Kurtis Eugene’s intimate set at the Abbey. Accompanied by Belia on violin, Kurtis Eugene spilled his heart out in his songs and stole the hearts of everyone who did attend with his raspy, heart-wrenching vocals and his jangled guitar. It is easy to see how much of himself he pours into his music, and if you haven’t seen him play yet, that’s one for the list.
Two more highlights from the weekend come from ART the Band from Toronto and Outside I’m a Giant from Hull.
The high-energy performance put on by the self-proclaimed “intellectual groovecore” group ART the Band at the Capital Bar had the entire room grooving and raving about their impressive musical abilities. Their sound reminded us of horn-centric Brooklyn band Moon Hooch, who took the province’s music scene by storm during the summer of 2015 with their appearances at Midsummer Madness, Afternoon Delight and Evolve.
The subdued but powerful performance by Outside I’m a Giant was made particularly outstanding by the addition of clarinet/bass clarinet player Gabriel Bouchard. While we already love their debut album Point Comfort, the woodwinds add exactly the element we didn’t know the band needed. Evocative of The National, their gentle roar that could knock you over if only it wanted to lulled the audience at the Wilser’s Room to a perfectly calm and happy place. It left us excited for the band’s return to New Brunswick in July.
Uncommon among festivals was the inclusion of a writing showcase. The poets and writers who performed in the intimate and cozy setting of the Abbey’s basement level for the Living Words Writers’ Showcase helped create a welcoming, friendly and accepting space for everyone involved.
All in all, Living Roots showed a remarkable success in its second year and left no doubt as to the quality of organizer Eddie Young’s musical tastes.
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