Ottawa Folk Festival: Day 1 & 2 Recap

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On Wednesday night, I had the chance to go to Ottawa’s Folk Festival. This was the first night of the festival, so I figured things would be just warming up, but I was happily surprised to see that everyone was jumping into the full swing of things right away. The festival is located in Hog’s Back Park which is a fantastic venue – there was plenty of space for all of the different tents which housed different vendors and things to do.

After trying some of the craft beer, I headed over to the EH! Stage to see M. Ward perform. This group of guys really knew how to get a crowd dancing – each one of their songs was easy to dance to and a lot of people in the crowd did just that. This was before the rain started, and it was an enjoyable experience to see such talented musicians play.

Later in the evening, Foster The People took to the stage. After warming up by playing ping pong back stage, these guys really rocked out. I’ve seen them three times this summer and my general impression is that their live performances are much better than their recorded music. With fantastic lights and great sound, Foster the People was a great way to kick off the festival. Despite being soaked and very cold, it was a good night.

The next night was similar, but with less rain. Though Thursday was a bit cooler, the night was just as magical as the first. On Thursday I was able to catch both Lorde and Serena Ryder perform. These two ladies really made me fill with a “girl power” type of vibe.

First, Lorde blew me away. This girl is so young but so talented, it’s really hard to believe. She is so humble and at ease onstage, she really seems comfortable in her skin. Everyone went crazy for her, and she projected the love right back onto the crowd. Lorde was fantastic and I can only imagine how much higher she will climb.

Serena Ryder and her band were an amazing cap to the second night of the festival. Not really knowing much more than “Stompa” I didn’t really know what to expect. Ryder’s music is very catchy and has a retro female rocker sound to it. This paired with the chill of autumn in the air made for a fantastic experience.

All in all the first two days of Ottawa’s Folk Festival just made me thirsty for more. The rest of the weekend is set to be just as amazing.