I found myself amidst Canada Day celebrations downtown, the pulsating hordes of tourists and locals alike covered in dollar store tattoos and clad in a thousand shades of red.
With rain clouds looming above our heads we were grateful to be under the tent for Leeroy Staggers’ performance. Sounds of other bands performing around the downtown core wafted into the tent as I waited for the last performance of Jazz Fest I would see.
The energy around downtown was palpable as throngs of people buzzed around outside. Finally the group sauntered on stage and I recognized two men from earlier who had complimented me on my Kevin Bacon shirt.
With two members sporting ironic ball caps and the others in plaid with slicked back hair, the band had a rather cool demeanour about them. They launched into their set with two guitars front and centre, punctuated by pounding drums.
The music they played felt reminiscent of music from my homeland of Alberta, a blend of folk, rock, and just the right twang of country added in for good measure. The songs featured strong guitars and there was a deft blend of acoustic and electric sounds.
The bearded Stagger hammered away on his worn acoustic guitar as he wound his way through a number of folk rock bangers that were a great backdrop to a mellow Canada Day afternoon. The music felt delightfully encompassing of a great deal of Canadian musical styles and was a real treat to hear.
Stagger and the crew slowed it down for a number of folkier ballads, but they were quick to follow them with more upbeat tracks that kept the mood elevated and merry. As the set wound down Stagger kept the energy high and continued to strum away to entertain the rather large crowd that had separated themselves from the Canadian insanity.
We left the folk rock refuge of Stagger’s OLG tent and wandered back out into the festivities to celebrate the one day where Canadian nationalism isn’t totally gauche and out of character for us. Hooray for our glorious country and hurrah for a splendid 12 days of Jazz Festival.
