CityFolk kept rolling on day two as the festival kicked off its rap and R&B day.
Kweku Collins started in on the City Stage before Joey Bada$$ warmed up the crowed for Bryson Tiller, who would be the final act the main stage saw that night.
But if none of those guys were really your style, both the BMO and the RavenLaw stages had some great artists who leaned more towards the festival’s named genre—indie-folk.
Montreal natives John Jacob Magistery opened up the RavenLaw stage last night to a small but attentive and warm crowd. Lead singer Johnny Griffin started the show off with a few acoustic songs before the rest of the band joined him onstage to play a beautifully soulful set.
If you enjoy post-indie, these guys are certainly for you. Much like Leif Vollebekk and Sleeping at Last, this band gives off some great vibes.
Old Man Grant took to the BMO stage for a crowd much like John Jacob Magistery’s. The local trio put on a great show, yet I wish there was a little bit more they could have done with their stage dynamic beyond seeing the three of them huddle closely together at the front of the stage. That aside, their instrumental and vocal ability is out of this world and they were a blast to listen to.
After I finished my wandering of the indoor stages, I trekked back outside to the City Stage to get ready for Bryson Tiller. Sadly, I can’t say that this show was half as enjoyable as the other two I had the chance to attend that night. As much as I hate to say it, the crowd ruined it for me. People were extremely aggressive and careless and not in the way that is usually enjoyed by most concertgoers. Bryson himself put on a show that was nothing out of the ordinary, but good none-the-less.
Last night was certainly a night for the smaller bands if you didn’t feel like getting mauled by massive crowds. It was certainly one for the Canadian scene and full of bands outside of the headliners that were worth checking out.
Tomorrow promises a larger line up, and with the weekend coming, larger crowds, but regardless of that, as it has the past two days, it promises a good time.
