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Taken from Ottawa Citizen (August 30, 2004)
 Festival rocks with fresh folks
Young artists like Michael Franti created an irresistible energy that had everyone dancing this weekend
by Lynn Saxberg (The Ottawa Citizen)
'Party people, where you at tonight?" dreadlocked singer Michael Franti demanded of an upbeat crowd Friday night at the CKCU Ottawa Folk Festival.
We were all there in front of him, more than 6,000 strong, dancing in the grass on a steamy summer night, grooving to the hip-hop/reggae beat created by the charismatic San Franciscan and his band, Spearhead.
That's right, folks. The folk festival was rocking, for a change, and the party people of Ottawa showed up in full force, clearly unable to resist the buzz left over from Franti's appearance at Bluesfest last year.
Even the folkfest regulars who go to the festival to sit and listen were on their feet dancing. Everyone was drawn by the irresistible energy of the music and the positive spirit of Franti's pro-peace message.
It was not only a fantastic concert on its own, but also felt like a major turning point for the festival founded a decade ago by former CKCU station manager Max Wallace, artistic director Chris White and a group of friends.
Over the years, the festival developed a reputation for its pleasant atmosphere, picturesque site and quality folk music, but it hasn't been a place that teenagers would bother sneaking into. Party-ers began finding other things to do that weekend.
Looking at the aging audience, festival organizers realized they had to do something to attract fresh blood. This year, the artistic committee made an effort to book young artists -- and artists who attract younger listeners like Franti -- and beef up the after-hours festivities at the host hotel.
This reporter logged more than 33 hours of music and socializing, and braved the extreme weather, in an attempt to determine if folk festival organizers know how to throw a party. If they could prove themselves worthy, it would ensure a vibrant, fun-filled event for future generations of music lovers.
The verdict? They're getting there.
Friday night was an example of all things going right during the mainstage performance. The weather was perfect and the back-to-back effect of headliners Eileen Ivers' band and Franti and Spearhead made for a joyous occasion.
And for nearly an hour after the show, which went a few minutes past midnight, Franti signed autographs, doled out hugs -- to men and women -- and mingled with fans and volunteers, their faces still glowing after the show.
In lieu of an encore, festival co-host Karen Flanagan McCarthy announced that the vibe would continue at the after-hours party back at the Travelodge, the host hotel, where the festival had booked Ottawa's popular reggae band Raggamuffin to perform in hopes of encouraging a jam with Spearhead members.
That's where the party began to crumble. The room in the hotel basement was set up for a convention, not a reggae show, with neat rows of chairs in front of the stage, and too-bright lights.
And even though members of Spearhead -- minus their fearless leader -- showed up, looking ready to play, there were no extra instruments or gear on stage to allow a jam to happen.
Instead, it was into one of Raggamuffin's mellower performances, although highlighted by the fact that the band included both Bingie Barker and Mighty Popo.
For bandleader Barker, it was his first public performance in more than a month -- from a wheelchair.
The veteran, Jamaica-born reggae singer said he injured his L2 vertebrae in a freak accident involving a tree in his backyard, a ladder and a jolt of electricity from a power line. He's lucky to be alive, doctors told him, although he's undergoing daily physiotherapy sessions at the Ottawa Rehab Centre.
The feel-good spirit of Franti's performance was still being talked about Saturday as a record audience -- about 7,000 people -- returned for a full day of side-stage programming on a hot summer day.
It was so hot that some youngsters who were supposed to be paying attention to Connie Kaldor, known to kids for her excellent Duck in New York City CD/book package, and Washboard Hank, known for his wacky homemade instruments, pestered their mother to take them to the beach next door to the site.
Besides the seagull-free beach, other highlights Saturday included Judy Collins' elegance, in her music and demeanour, and Arlo Guthrie's laidback sense of humour, on stage and off.
Throughout the weekend, young and unique first-time festival performers turned up everywhere, including the Alt-Folk Cafe, ably hosted by folk-punk priestess Ember Swift, that was presented as a Saturday-night alternative to the old-timers booked on the main stage.
Among the exciting musical discoveries there and elsewhere were American singer-songwriters Natalia Zuckerman, Rachel Davis and Lis Harvey, and Canadians Joe Grass, Rae Spoon, Liam Titcomb and Dave Carmichael.
Another favourite was the voice and songs of Winnipeg's Mark Reeves, the last man singing at the after-hours party in the wee hours of yesterday -- which finally turned into a jam with Washboard Hank, Ryan Schneider and Joe Phillips joining Reeves -- and the first spotted on the main stage less than eight hours later.
Yesterday's schedule was thrown into disarray by a sudden crack of thunder and lightning that appeared to hit the far end of the site. As the rain poured, fans scrambled for cover and organizers pulled the plug on the various stages' sound systems, leaving a purely acoustic festival for a while.
Full power was restored for most of last night's mainstage concert, which featured headliners Harry Manx and Jane Bunnett.
Out at one of the afternoon stages on the west field, as Eve Goldberg sang the Carter Family's Sunny Side of the Street, dozens of fans drew closer and sang along, sounding as fine and full any church choir.
It was a powerful musical moment that signalled a triumph over the inclement weather.
Still, festival director Gene Swimmer said the festival will be lucky if it covers costs this year.
"Despite our biggest crowd ever on Saturday and our most exciting night ever on Friday, it will be a miracle if we're not in the red this year," he said. "But fortunately we have a healthy reserve. It is our rainy-day fund, and we had two days out of four that rained."
However, he deemed the campaign to attract a younger audience a success.
True enough. But they still have to work on throwing a better after-hours party. A musician who wants to keep playing -- and who has fans who haven't seen enough of him or her -- shouldn't have to sit and play outside the hotel in the pre-dawn hours, as Joe Grass apparently did one night.
Ottawa Folk Festival
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