CityFolk’s last day kicked off much sunnier than the previous day, with people funnelling in to catch the festival’s final shows. The beautiful night was more than matched by the great music that was played all night long to close out the four day long fest.
Much like the night before, Fred Penner played a super fun set at the BMO stage to a crowd composed of many of the same demographics as the day before.
Fruition had people packed to the doors for their funky set, and Julien Baker followed to calm the scene with her soft and graceful sound. For being 17 years old, her talent is endless and I can’t wait to see what she does in the future.
Over on the RavenLaw stage, I got the chance to watch the majority of Darlingside’s set. The self-professed Harrison Ford super-fans played an amazing and diverse set. Huddled around the single old school microphone in the middle of the stage, the four of them knocked it out of the park. With a sound much like the Head and the Heart but with an amplified folk edge, this band is super groovy and very worth checking out.
As far as the main stage goes, Vanilla Fudge played an entertaining set to a pretty excited crowd before Dean Brody came out and brought down the house. I had a chance to speak with Brody last week before the Canadian Country Music Awards, so I was really interested to watch his show.
Brody played non-stop for his entire hour-long set, and had many fans screaming “I love you” from the second he came out to the second he walked off. His set included new music that will be on his upcoming album, some of his current hits, and even some tracks from his very first album from all the way back in 2009. The Bob Marley-loving country boy brought his big crowd one heck of a show, and even had a meet and greet that I had the chance to attend after his set.
After I got my brief “hi” and “bye” with Brody, I made my way back inside to the BMO stage to watch Lake Street Dive. The band had a really unique mixed sound, and their lead singer had pipes that were more top notch than a professional plumbing store. Their set had a really fun pop-rock sound, with a kick of the ’60s. It was truly a cool style and their stage presence was enchanting.
All together, CityFolk’s last day was one for the books. The entire festival was a blast, beginning to end, rain or shine. Despite my frustration with the layout, and the crowds from time to time, this festival was a really good time. The artists all brought their A-game, and the fans brought their devotion, and in the end, I couldn’t have asked for a better fall festival.
Thanks CityFolk. Hopefully, I’ll see you next year.
