And so began Saturday, with an attempt at weather-appropriate outfits, Radio Laurier booth setup and a breakfast big enough to prepare us for a huge day of music, friendship, and adventure!

Performance wise, my day started off with a bang. Shane Koyczan (which I mis-tweeted as “Shame Koyzcan” – idiot!) and the Shorty Story Long gave, in the best way, a heart crushing, soul-full set. Koyzcan’s poetry utilized words in a way I have never heard before; his cadence, quick wit and relateable subject matter  in songs like “Apology” and "This is My Voice" left nary an eye without a tear or two.  Giving me goosebumps with each and every word, this was  my favorite performance of the festival. Feel the chills by visiting the group here: http://www.myspace.com/shanekoyczanandtheshortstorylong

Juno Award winners Digging Roots held their own when they alternated with Koyzcan on stage as front-woman ShoShana Kish howled like a super-foxy Canadian Janis Joplin. Supported by the mind-boggling guitar solos and growling vocals of Raven Kanatakta, the band served up a steaming early morning set of soulful folk tunes.  If I had a stank face, it would’ve been on. See if you can dig it: http://www.diggingrootsmusic.com/staging/index.php?show=home

After folding a pile of Radio Laurier’s promotional zines with Judith and Sam, it was time to drop in on Toronto natives The Wooden Sky at the Island Stage. The country lilt of Gavin Gardiner’s vocals and the bands twang had the crowd swooning as everyone cozied up inside the tent to take shelter from the afternoon downpour. I was pleased as punch to make yet another valuable musical find. Put on your favorite plaid shirt, pour yourself some whiskey and settle in here to treat your ears: http://www.myspace.com/thewoodensky

Next up for Anne and I was an interview with My Son the Hurricane, a fourteen-piece New Orleans jazz/hip hop hybrid from St. Catherines. Before their set, we chatted with Jacob (MC), Danno (drums) and Andrew (alto/tenor saxophone) about cootie catchers, the Canadian music scene and what qualifies as a “square” in the tricky world of baking (this interview will be up on radiolaurier.com in the not-too-distant future). The guys were super friendly and excited about Hillside which got us curious about what was to come from their performance.

I must say, their set was nothing less than funky fresh. The entire band marched into the tent single file, through the rain. This was a well-played bad-ass move, and as a result, My Son the Hurricane had all eyes on them from start to finish.  Although the band is fairly new, and they still have some fine-tuning to do , their soon-to-be-perfected  fusion of Beastie-style raps backed by saxophones, a trumpet and a sousaphone (!?) already had the audience loving every minute. It was also a  real treat to see a band who, while performing, looked like they were having the best time they'd ever had. No nonchalant shoe-gazing from this crew, just huge smiles and much appreciation at being given the opportunity to show their stuff. And show their stuff they did! See what My Son the Hurricane is all about here (and keep in mind, this is a band you NEED to see live in order to get a real feel for their sound): http://www.myspace.com/mysonthehurricane

Next up was the Colossal Jam, an opportunity that only the magic of Hillside could provide. Yep, Jason Collett backed by Zeus with Sarah Harmer, Calexico, members of Los Lobos and Emma Bortolon-Vettor (of The Folk) all took their respective musical wizardry to the Main Stage and it was everything you’re imagining and more.  Their transitions appeared seamless, like this was just another Saturday night jam sesh with the pals. A special shout out to Sarah Harmer, who earned my instant respect with her old-school country song, followed by a swig from her Hillside beer mug. Demands were made as everyone sang out to the lingering storm clouds “bring on the blue sky”, a request which the weather had no choice but to fulfill when Mr. Collett performed his solo set later in the evening. Don’t mess around with the C0lossal Jam crew! Pay your respects:
Sarah Harmer:  http://www.sarahharmer.com/
Calexico:  http://www.casadecalexico.com/
Los Lobos:  http://www.loslobos.org/site/
Emma Bortolon-Vettor with The Folk: http://www.myspace.com/thefolkmusic

After a quick curry, we watched Basia Bulat grace the Main Stage.  I was incredibly impressed by her voice which had just the same light but husky quality as the recordings which have filled my apartment all summer long. Playing songs from both 2007's Oh, My Darling and her most recent effort, Heart of My Own, she did a fantastic job of following up the Colossal Jam with just a few guitars and her own lovely voice. Hear it for yourself at: http://www.myspace.com/basiabulat

Next up was Jason Collett, who I haven’t seen solo since he opened for Feist after releasing Idols of Exile. I was an uninformed adolescent just discovering what Canadian music was all about, he, a burgeoning staple to that very scene– and look at us NOW world! It was great to see how his performance has grown along with his success as he swaggered and bopped across the stage, comfortable with the place he has earned as a headliner. I had the most fun  with "Love is a Dirty Word" and "Rave On Sad Songs" from 2010's Rat a tat tat and the weather-changing "I'll Bring the Sun" . Was this a coincidence or demonstration of the power of song? I'll take the latter! A real pleasure was seeing two of Collett's children run around with huge headphones in the wings of the stage as they visited Dad at work. It was a wonderful moment to realize that this is a man who has successfully made a life for himself with Canadian music. Hear what it takes to do that using this: http://www.myspace.com/jasoncollett

Tuckered out from the hours of fantastic Main Stage acts, I listened to Sarah Harmer go solo, her lovely voice sweeping over the island, as I had a snack and rested my mud-crusted feet. The final set for Day 2 would be Grand Analog at the Island Stage, yet another act I hadn’t heard or seen before (do I live under a cultural rock?) The soundtrack for the summer of 2010 has been one of early 90s hip hop, so the vibe of Odario Williams and his band was welcomed by my ear drums. Maybe yours will feel the same: http://www.myspace.com/grandanalog

Another great discovery, another magical day at Hillside. Ain't no thang.

2 Responses to “Hillside with Steph: Day 2”