Mother Nature came through in a big way for music fans in Ottawa and beyond during CityFolk’s five-day run, this year. Jack Johnson—who put on a fantastic show on day-two—was heard to say that the weather was way better than he expected. “I’m always happy to be able to perform barefoot,” Johnson added with an infectious smile. His music was infectious as well, as fans sang along during the stand-out performance by Johnson and his band.
Throughout the event, a program that “kept on giving” had attendees singing the praises of acts they specifically came to see and those they discovered along the way. “I’m delighted with the way this year’s line-up was received,” says CityFolk executive and artistic director Mark Monahan.
Monahan also mentioned how pleased he was with how the re-configured site worked out; from the excellent acoustics in the Aberdeen Pavilion—thanks to a ‘black box’ enclosure that offered lots of space yet an intimate vibe—to the easier access, afforded by a wider entrance at the secondary gate. “We had lots of great input from fans last year about how to improve the site, and we put some of those things in place this year,” said Monahan.
City Folk once again included Marvest—a bountiful harvest of free music and more. Businesses up and down Bank Street were filled with music on Friday and Saturday. The spotlight was on more than 50 incredible Ottawa-area artists. Overall the neighbourhood was alive with the sounds of folk music, country, pop and rock.
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