Festival-goers gathered at Lansdowne on a sunny Saturday afternoon for the third day of CityFolk.
Genre-defying rapper and singer Saul Williams was the first to perform on the City Stage, mixing techno beats and experimental sounds with lyrics about contemporary issues. Straddling the line between poetry and rap, he delivered passionate monologues on racial profiling and war over hip-hop instrumentals.
The audience stood mesmerized as Williams chanted the unsettlingly dark lyrics of “Down For Some Ignorance,” in his grave, monotone voice. His impressive recital of famous historical figures and places in the bass-heavy “Coded Language” drew much applause.
Next up was Rhye, a musical project headed by Toronto-born singer Mike Milosh. The group began with an atmospheric, symphonic performance of “Major Minor Love” from their debut album Woman, followed by the smoldering, melancholic ballad “Please.”
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been here,” said Milosh. “Let’s have some fun.”
With that, the band launched into a beat-driven performance of “Last Dance” which saw the crowd bopping to the yowls of electric guitar. “Phoenix” had Milosh showing off his signature falsetto as the band played with beaming smiles, filling the air with a contagious energy.
The smooth, haunting “Open” was a crowd favourite, as jazzy synth keys breathed new life into one of the group’s first singles.
Rhye brought back the crowd’s energy with the playful, sensual numbers “Count to Five” and “Hunger” before rounding off their set with a beautiful rendition of “Song For You.” The audience snapped and sang softly against a backdrop of clouds tinted pink by the sunset, a fitting image to match Milosh’s soft, sweet vocals.
Singer-songwriter Tim Baker of Hey Rosetta! fame then took to the stage with “Dance,” the first track off his solo album Forever Overhead, released earlier this year. His heartfelt voice and finger-style guitar playing in “Pools” made for musical comfort food.
The former lead singer paid tribute to Hey Rosetta! with “Welcome,” as the simple guitar accompaniment allowed his soaring, husky vocals to shine through. Another highlight of Baker’s performance was his lovely cover of Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon,” which had the crowd swaying along in the evening light.
But the sentimentality of Baker’s ballads never eclipsed his charismatic, down-to-earth nature. At one point, he asked the audience if they were having a good time, joking about sports players having it tough because fans can boo their mistakes.
“Go Redblacks, huh?” he said, to which the adoring crowd cheered in response.
Baker finished his gig with the bittersweet “Don’t Let Me Go Yet,” which he said he wrote about the ending of Hey Rosetta!
“It’s a song about the end of the party, the end of the show,” he said.
Warm and full of heart, Baker’s performance left listeners steeped in nostalgia.
Before long, the venue was buzzing with anticipation for headliner Leon Bridges. The crowd roared as the soul star burst onto the stage with “If It Feels Good (Then It Must Be).”
The fast-paced, groovy “Bad Bad News” had Bridges displaying his technical prowess with flawless vocal runs and a strong, clear vibrato. His remarkable stage presence captivated the audience as he hopped, twirled, and glided across the platform with endless enthusiasm.
“Georgia to Texas,” “Better Man,” and “Shy” followed. The audience fulfilled Bridges’s every request, with fans raising their arms and cheering throughout the night.
“You know, CityFolk, I love you front to back, side to side,” said the smooth-talking Bridges.
“Coming Home,” the titular track of his debut album, used a trademark blend of modern sounds and a familiar retro style. Bridges then dedicated his rendition of “Beyond” to “anybody in love right now,” and the crowd sang along and clapped to the hit single.
“Forgive You” marked an interesting departure from Bridges’s vintage influence, but he quickly brought it back with several other songs from his sophomore album.
Turning to his guitarist, Bridges said, “I want you to play something so funky, they can smell it.” A wide grin spread across the artist’s face as he delivered “Lions” alongside a playful saxophone line.
After a stylish rendition of “You Don’t Know” that had his retro swagger on full display, Bridges performed “Lisa Sawyer” and treated the audience to a catchy unreleased song. The sexy R&B flavour of “Mrs.” showcased Bridges’s sultry tones, and the artist closed the night with an energetic version of “Smooth Sailin’” and the banger “Flowers.”
The crowd’s persistent cheers drew Bridges back for an encore with “River.” Stripped-down and sincere, his smooth, buttery vocals spread across a sea of glowing screens as fans waved their phones to the melody–the perfect end to a magical night.
Transformed by the artists they had heard that evening, concertgoers left with high expectations for the fourth and final day of the festival.
