The final night of CityFolk welcomed folk music fanatics into its arms on Sunday afternoon. The fun didn’t stop until the sun had gone to bed and the moon came out to play.

The Juno award-winning band, The East Pointers, kicked off the night with their toe-stomping, hand-clapping, heel-thumping beats. The crowd may have been smaller as their set was early in the day, but they seemed undeterred. They used their East Coast twang to instantaneously charm whatever kind of audience did make it out to see them. From the fiddle, to the banjo, to the keyboard, this trio is modernizing folk music in a way that’s hard not to get on board with.

Tim Baker, the former lead singer-songwriter for Hey Rosetta!, appeared next in the line-up, and gave the crowd exactly what they needed after that East Coast folk frenzy – a sense of calm. Baker’s mellow melodies soothed the crowd into a synchronized swaying motion, and his soulful voice convinced all the couples listening to get cozy and curl up together.

White Buffalo lead singer introduced the Ottawa crowds to “cow punk.” [Photo by Jeff Pelletier]
After two acts on the City Stage, the RavenLaw Stage welcomed its first act of the night. Performing mostly from her second album, LONER, Caroline Rose called out all the dark, heavy stuff that life throws at us, and sang about it in a twisted, bold, comedic style. She and her band had fun with the crowd and the music, playing around with church organ riffs on the keyboard and completely freezing their act mid-song at one point. It was as if they were in a music video and someone had hit pause. 

Next to impress on the City Stage was rock and roll’s newest treasure, Lucy Dacus. The simplicity of her superlative voice allowed meaningful lyrics to seep into the minds of her audience and penetrate their thoughts. Lucy sang to the crowd about addictions, placing blame, love at first sight, and so many other subjects that, in her opinion, just needed to be said. 

The Harrow Fair duo’s chemistry, between band members Miranda Mulholland and Andrew Penner, carried their performance. [Photo by Jeff Pelletier]
Back at the RavenLaw Stage, The White Buffalo saddled up to play a rocking set that had their audience jigging to the rhythm. The band’s lead vocalist, Jake Smith, houses a deep, husky voice that could belt out anything from hard rock to smooth country to something called “cow punk.”

Dawes, the second last act on the City Stage, came out ready to dominate. Dawes electrified the already ecstatic crowd and coaxed out cheers with a number of tantalizing, technical guitar solos.

Just before the final act of the night, Harrow Fair staked their claim in the evening. The duo, Miranda Mulholland and Andrew Penner, performed an eclectic mix of folk and rock which included not only a variety of musical instruments, but also an untouchable chemistry between the two artists that could be felt emanating off the stage.

Finally, it was time for the highly anticipated Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters to close off the evening. As an unexpected opening act, the colossal crowd was treated to a United Nations address by climate activist, Greta Thunberg. Only after this call to action did Robert Plant, lead singer of Led Zeppelin, walk onto the stage. Clad in black leather pants and a black button-down shirt, for the next hour and a half he and his band serenaded the swells of people with gripping guitar work and sweet melodies. The performance seemed to fulfill the hopes and dreams of all those who had made it their mission to witness the magic of such an unforgettable evening.

Feature image By Jeff Pelletier.

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