With a diverse lineup of artists and fans, CityFolk night three fostered intimacy between artists and the audience.
While the TD Stage brought heavy metal and melodic rock, the Fasken Stage exuded a gentlefolk atmosphere. Amid contrasting artists came a diverse crowd.
Local artist Amanda Lowe Warnakulasuriya transformed the Fasken Stage with her warm and whimsical allure. She incorporated love, solace and melancholic themes through powerful and personal ballads.
“I’m gonna sing you some really sad songs if you couldn’t tell,” she said with a laugh.
“What does your love feel like, taste like?” she asked as the book made its rounds, encouraging self and outward reflection.
Although Lowe’s set captured a mellow crowd, she explained how she felt at ease with the various crowds and vibes that night.
“I feel like I bridge the gap between the two stages,” she told the Charlatan after her set. “Explosions in The Sky is my favourite band, so it’s heaven to be on the same day as them.”
Next up, headliner Explosions in the Sky entranced fans on the TD Stage. Guitarist Munaf Rayani briefly greeted the overflowing crowd before launching into mesmerizing riffs and guitar tricks.
The Great Lawn filled with a crowd ranging in age, style and energy.
Contrary to the other artists of the evening, Explosions used few words and instead held an unspoken connection with their audience. The group played a varying set spanning across their discography including crowd favourites “Loved Ones” and “Greet Death.”
The band grounded and communicated with the audience through heavy bass lines synchronized in beat with the crowd’s movements.
A member of the crowd blew bubbles that glimmered against the purple and red hues of the lights. Concert-goers reached for bubbles, capturing the hypnotic and inclusive feelings of the performance.
Over on the Fasken Stage, St. John’s product Kellie Loder brought a chatty, banter-filled performance.
Loder shared relatable anecdotes that ranged from breakups to getting ripped off at a yard sale, creating a dialogue with fans as much as a performance.
Loder maintained a positive and light energy when prefacing one of their deeper songs, “Take It from Me.”
“If you’re not a deep person, you should probably get the hell out,” they joked as they strummed their guitar.
On the other end of the festival, Rise Against ended off the night with high energy and infectious excitement.
The set included various props, one of which was a megaphone that Mcllrath sang and yelled into. Intensity took hold of the set as Mcllrath insinuated something had quickly broken on stage from the high energy.
“It’s a good show if you’re breaking shit!” Mcllrath said, laughing.
CityFolk night three put aside any differences between its artists and crowds. Melodies and ballads strung the differing genres and ambiances together, creating a unified atmosphere all night long.
Featured image by Adam Sadek/The Charlatan.
