Day three was met with rapid showers, but the crowd was surprisingly as enthusiastic and supportive as ever. Although the rain fell relentlessly during every set, music lovers flocked toward the City Stage outside, armed with umbrellas, ponchos, and rain coats. The featured acts for the day included The Abrams, Dan Mangan, The New Pornographers, Basia Bulat, and Vance Joy.
Canadian artist Dan Mangan took the City Stage promptly at 4:30 p.m., opening up with songs from his albums Nice, Nice, Very Nice and Club Meds. Mangan’s lyrics were poetic to say the least, which is completely expected as he is both a musician and writer. It became a really intimate affair even on the large stage, because the crowd was small.
The New Pornographers were up next at 6:00 p.m., during what was definitely the worst of the downpour. Standing very close to the front, I expected to turn around and be one of only 20 people watching, but it was to my astonishment when I found the field full of people under the shelter of umbrellas.
The native British Columbian band’s set was met with several technological issues, and an extreme amount of rain, but nonetheless they finished their set gracefully, welcoming the showers and even laughing about it. They played popular songs such as “Backstairs” and “Dancehall Domine” off of their most recent album Brill Bruisers, keeping the crowd dancing despite the ankle deep puddles and mud.
Seven-thirty brought in Toronto born indie-rock musician Basia Bulat, who won over the crowd with her fabulous glowing cape that sparkled furiously in the rain. Her vocals were sensational and really different than most modern-day music, exhibiting a great deal of strength and talent. She played her first three songs with a band and took the stage solo for almost the entire set afterwards.
Between sets, people gathered inside the Pavillion and Horticulture Building in hopes of staying dry while enjoying acts such as Fred Penner, Julia Jacklin, and Marlon Williams.
Coming all the way from New Zealand, Marlon Williams played the BMO Stage at 8:30 p.m. His voice was striking as he sang “Strange Things,” and his mingling bluegrass folk style was almost comparable to Elvis. The music was upbeat and passionate, making use of a cello, viola, guitar, and bass. Continuously smiling, the entire band’s energy was infectious and pleasing. The room was packed full of people dancing, returning the positivity of the performance.
At 9:00 p.m., Vance Joy took over CityFolk on the City Stage, beginning his set with “Mess is Mine.” Miraculously, the rain subsided after the third song and gave the crowd a break. He played songs such as “Georgia” and “Riptide,” as well as a cover of the famous Fleetwood Mac song “The Chain.” The entire setlist was full of fan favourites, which made for a fun atmosphere to groove in.
Although Vance was very charming and kind to the crowd, he was very far back so people crowded in on the far sides of the stage couldn’t see him. I assume he did this to avoid the flow of water falling from the top of the stage cover. It would have definitely been a better show if he was placed in a more visible range.
Tonight’s crowd was by far the best of the past few days. I had expected people to be more rude and pushy because of the rain, but it was the complete opposite. Everyone I interacted with was nice and genuinely happy to be there. It was great to see several of the artists coming out in the rain to support other talent and it truly felt like a community event more so than the day before.
At 10:00 p.m., British Columbian local hip hop artist SonReal performed on the BMO Stage, offering up an intense amount of energy and buzz. Working with the crowd to energize the room, he had them jumping up and down as he played popular songs such as “Try.”
This was a great addition to the lineup, as it included more diversity in the range of music featured at the festival, and supported yet another Canadian artist. The whole room was incredibly awake despite a full day of rain, and they met SonReal with a bounce in their steps and hands in the air.
The stage crew on the City Stage did a phenomenal job of wiping off the water, keeping the equipment safe, and ensuring everything went on time so they definitely deserve a shout out. For that matter, everyone working outside today including volunteers, security, and vendors all made sure to treat attendees extra nice and were super helpful.
Day three came to a close with everyone exiting the event grounds damp but satisfied. Despite murky skies, everyone danced the night away.
