Despite a sweltering heat wave, music lovers crammed onto the Great Lawn for CityFolk on Sept. 14.
Day four brought the “folk” back into CityFolk with artists John Muirhead, Half Moon Run and headliner Milky Chance.
Ottawa artist Jamie Fine kicked the night off on the TD Stage to a small-but-mighty crowd of supporters.
Fine got people moving with pop beat “On My Own” and treated the audience to the unreleased track “Sunset.”
With a spunky and sarcastic personality, she immediately connected with her hometown crowd.
“Thank you for being my home,” she said with a warm smile.
Before stepping off stage, Fine proudly repped the city by showing off PWHL Ottawa Charge’s new logo and merch.
Meanwhile over on the Fasken Stage, Canadian artist John Muirhead drew a big crowd with his folk-rock melodies. Saving the best for last, he ended the set with a lengthy rendition of “Love Can Save Us,” breaking down the chorus to get his audience members to help sing along.
Next up on the TD Stage was Montreal indie-rock band Half Moon Run. Coming out strong with “You Can Let Go” and “Hotel in Memphis,” the band balanced groovy guitars with a light added touch of violins and a cello.
The crowd was treated to a multitude of instruments including a harmonica accompaniment, and lead singer Devon Portielje stopped singing at some points to riff some drum beats.
Before launching into the dedicated song “Alco,” Portielje shouted out his nephew William, who was in the crowd.
With the moon high in the sky and bubbles blowing into the night, the band ended with fan-favourite “Full Circle,” with the crowd often finishing the lyrics.
As the night grew cooler, the crowd seemingly doubled with fans pouring in to catch headliner Milky Chance.
The German band started off strong with hits “Synchronize” and “Ego,” showcasing their electronic pop-rock discography.
“I’m going to miss you, but let’s celebrate it together. Let’s fucking dance!” he said to the audience, adding that this show was their last in Canada for their current tour.
For fans who know Milky Chance down to their indie-folk roots, this set felt more like a Berlin nightclub than the folksy campfire vibe most are familiar with.
Cult hits “Cocoon” and “Stolen Dance” still made an appearance, but most of the set was spent moshing to electronic dance music beats like “Living In A Haze.”
Despite this, the crowd was very diverse with teenagers up on each other’s shoulders, while older couples held hands and swayed together on the hill enjoying the band’s cover of Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love.”
The band wasn’t quite finished after initially heading off stage. They returned to play encore songs “Colorado” and “Sweet Sun” to the delight of the crowd.
Sweat-slicked from the night, audiences filed out of Lansdowne Park, still pulsating from the music.
Featured image by Greg Kolz.
