Sunday was the best day — weather-wise, music-wise and otherwise — of a spectacular three-day weekend, at the 31st annual Vancouver Folk Music Festival. Everything fell nicely into place, and a good time was had by all.
Although the 2008 Folk Fest was a Festival quite obviously in a year of transition, with interim artistic director Linda Tanaka holding the fort while the Folk Fest Board of Directors figures out where to take the Festival in future years, and what the nature of the presumed ‘corporate funding’ will be, thanks to uncommonly great weather and what appeared to be the largest turn out by families in some years, Festival staff would have to consider this to be one of the more successful Festivals of recent years.
True to form, VanRamblings continued to be a pest to political types, on Sunday focusing our attention on lawyer and community activist Ruth Herman, and her beloved, Vancouver-Kensington MLA David Chudnovsky; COPE internal chairperson Donalda Greenwell-Baker; former Vancouver City Child and Youth Advocate, Penny Parry, and her beloved, former COPE Councilor and current COPE Board member, Tim Louis; and to top (bottom?) the day out, NPA mayoral candidate, Peter Ladner, who was querulous (in a quiet way) that we took the time to shake his hand, and wish him well (cuz he knows we’re hardly a supporter of his … he was probably wondering why we bothered to approach him at all — but, heck, it was Folk Festival weekend, and a time for peace, love and understanding).

VanRamblings was most impressed with Mr. Chudnovsky and Ms. Herman.
Although we agreed not to report out on the specifics of our conversation, both felt strongly that the 8-2 Vision Vancouver / COPE deal is hardly a fait accompli, and that there is every prospect that the deal might be 7-3, or even 6-4. Of all the political types in COPE (of which both are longstanding members), and Vision Vancouver, only Chudnovsky and Herman expressed hope for a ‘workable deal’ between the two civic parties that serves the interests of progressive forces in the City of Vancouver, and by extension, the people of Vancouver, and the entirety of the Metro Vancouver region.

Continue reading 2008 Vancouver Folk Music Festival, Wrap Up →

VanRamblings will post our full, and thorough, wrap-up of the 2008 Vancouver Folk Music Festival — with more YouTube videos we’ve uploaded, including Maeve McKinnon in an early morning concert at Stage 7, and Ferron in concert over at Stage 3 in the early afternoon — as well as more municipal politics, and raves about the day and the weekend, at some point later in the week (paying work beckons, a call we must heed).
We’ve also got some bubbles, but you’ll have to wait until late Tuesday, or sometime on Wednesday, for our full-fledged version of the Folk Fest wrap (starring BC Provincial MLA David Chudnovsky and a cast of thousands, including more than a few politicos, and their and our consequent musings).
We will post. Promise. You’ll just have to be patient.
Oh yeah, despite VanRamblings’ dire pronouncement about Friday night under-attendance, Saturday and Sunday crowds were substantially larger.
Although overall attendance looked to be healthy — the crowds were certainly enthusiastic — it’s unlikely that any records were set. A little more marketing next year, a stronger musical line-up, and a return to form — for instance, CBC on site recording concerts for posterity — and a bit of that ol’ time corporate sponsorship, and the Folk Fest will be on its way to sustainability. And would we want any less for our beloved Folk Festival?

VanRamblings got a late start to the day on Saturday, but finally wended our way onto the grounds of the 2008 Vancouver Folk Music Festival about four in the afternoon. Of course, this late start to our day represents a mighty change from years past, when we found ourselves in line with kids in tow at 8:30 a.m. (or even earlier in the morning), but time passes — even if enthusiasm doesn’t wane — and after 31 consecutive years of attendance at the Folk Fest we’re willing to cut ourselves a bit of a break.
All of the above said, VanRamblings will do much better on Sunday.
No sooner had we walked through the gates, on our way to lay our blanket down in front of the Main Stage, and who should we run into but old friend and comrade, Gary Cristall, one of the founding fathers of the Vancouver Folk Music Festival, and its first (and most successful) artistic director.
We chatted amiably for about 10 minutes, Gary agreeing that the Festival is in a year of transition. When it was suggested by VanRamblings that attendance was down on Friday night, he indicated that he’d heard reports of the same from friends who’d attended the Festival‘s opening night.
As to where the Festival is heading in future years, Gary agrees — albeit reluctantly — that change is in the air, that the Festival is moving inexorably in the direction of seeking corporate funding, a notion that is anathema to Cristall and anyone who was around at the inception of the Vancouver Folk Music Festival. But with a debt of some $268,000, the Festival has to do something to address the financial shortfall if it is to prevail into the future.

Continue reading 2008 Vancouver Folk Music Festival (Saturday) →

As might well be expected, the first evening of the 2008 Vancouver Folk Music Festival was spectacular, from the sun coming out in the late afternoon to the wonderful folk-jazz improvisational music of Lau, the Africa-infused delta blues of Markus James and Wassonrai, a rockin’ concert set by the incomparable Aimee Mann, and a get on your feet and move, dance and rock-into-the-night, evening-ending concert by Ozomatli.
For all the goods times at the Festival, and for however much the assembled masses enjoyed the first evening series of concert performances, VanRamblings was somewhat distressed by the shockingly low turnout, a crowd that we estimated at no more than 5,000, certainly less than what one would have imagined and expected in earlier years.
We’ll see what the turnout is like on Saturday, and report back tomorrow.
Perhaps, local performer Veda Hille was right when she suggested to Alex Varty that artists like Sufjan Stevens might bring a bigger audience to the Fest. Next year, when there’s a permanent artistic director in place, we’ll have a better idea as to where the Vancouver Folk Music Festival is going.
In the interim, we’ll leave you with our weekend photos of the Festival, and a link to the Festival’s Flickr site, where you’ll find hundreds more pics.
(Note should be made that there was a decided chill in the night air, so if you’re planning on attending Saturday evening, make sure to bring along a long-sleeved shirt and a sweater to provide succour against the elements.)
Julian W. has posted on the first day of the Festival here, and Brent Kane writes about the first day, too. The Canadian Encylopedia presents the history, if you click on the link. And now VanRamblings is off to the Festival!