2008 Vancouver Folk Music Festival, Friday Night

Folk Festival 2008, Music

VANCOUVER FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL

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!

Vancouver Folk Music Festival, 2008

Folk Festival 2008, Music

2008 VANCOUVER FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL

Yes, twas the night before the 31st annual Vancouver Folk Music Festival, the creatures were (in fact) stirring and the volunteer staff of the Festival were hard at work putting the last-minute finishing touches on the 2008 edition of this most august and beautiful respite from the maddening world.
Over the course of the weekend, VanRamblings will post on the 31st annual Vancouver Folk Music Festival. In the interim, we’ll direct your attention to The Province’s Stuart Derdeyn’s introductory article on the Festival, the first ever directed by Linda Tanaka, the Festival‘s interim artistic director.
We’ll also point you toward this article in The Province about the “politically charged Michael Franti & Spearhead” and what he’ll bring to this year’s Fest. And, finally from The Province on the Thursday before the 2008 Festival commences, a reflection and an update on Spirit of the West, longtime folk favourites on the local scene in Vancouver and British Columbia.
The Georgia Straight’s Alex Varty finds his fine folk voice, once again, in a series of wonderfully written articles published in the July 17th edition of the Straight. In the Straight’s introductory article to the 2008 Vancouver Folk Music Festival, Varty interviews Kris Klaasen, a member of the Vancouver Folk Music Festival board that, earlier this year, dismissed longtime and much-missed Festival artistic director and Fest habitué, Dugg Simpson.

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Vancouver Radio Ratings, Spring 2008

Radio

VANCOUVER RADIO RATINGS SPRING 2008

In another ho-hum Bureau of Broadcast Measurement ratings book, radio in Vancouver continues in the listenership doldrums that has gripped the medium for the past decade and more. For all that, there is some provocative movement in this latest ratings book, ranging from a re-ascension of CKNW, to a new, august place for country music in the hearts, minds and ears of those resident in Metro Vancouver.
CKNW experienced its best ‘book’ in a couple of years, mostly due to the increased listenership brought in by mid-afternoon talk show host, Christy Clark. Even given the loss of the broadcast rights to the Vancouver Canucks and the BC Lions a couple of years back, CKNW continues to hold its own, even if it has the oldest (and continuing to age) audience among the fraternity of Vancouver over-the-air broadcast radio stations.
JRfm continues its ascendancy in the Vancouver radio listenership stakes, finding both a younger and more diverse audience, while 95 Crave — thanks to the appointment of programming genius, Brad Phillips, as General Manager / interim Program Director — incrementally increases its audience from book to book. The issue that Crave owner, Astral Media, has to address is what to do with perennial oldies loser, 650 CISL, which has languished near last place in the ratings for a number of years now.
Perhaps, when Jim Pattison shutters his oldies outlet, 600AM, later this year CISL will pick up some of its displaced, ever-aging audience.
In other news around the dial, Clear FM took a hit, dropping almost a full percentage point, probably due to the loss of Fred Latremouille in the morning and the failure of Charlee Morgan to find her own audience, while CBC 690 also took a somewhat unexplainable hit in the latter part of the spring. Otherwise, it’s pretty much same ‘ol, same ‘ol in Vancouver radio.

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Vancouver Municipal Election Candidates Coming Into Focus

Vancouver

CATHERINE EVANS, DAVID EBY, KERRY JANG

      Catherine Evans                   David Eby                 Kerry Jang

Well, it looks as if the list of candidates for the fall municipal election is firming up somewhat. And, further, it looks as if any deal between COPE and Vision Vancouver may be out the window. What this would appear to mean for Vancouverites is that COPE and Vision will likely field full slates.
Of course, no deal between COPE and Vision means war between the two centre-left parties, and the likelihood of the NPA’s Peter Ladner running up the middle in his bid to gain the Mayor’s chair, as well as better prospects for incumbent NPA Councilors Suzanne Anton, Kim Capri and Elizabeth Ball.
In recent days, three, new high profile Vision Vancouver candidates — including Pivot Legal Society’s David Eby; president of the B.C. Society for Public Education, Catherine Evans; and UBC medical-school professor and eastside resident, Kerry Jang, have announced their bid for a Council seat.
Longtime politico Geoff Meggs announced for Vision some time ago.
The centrist Vision Vancouver civic party, then, would appear to be looking forward to running a full Council slate for the fall — made up of the four incumbents and, to date, four members who’ve announced (Andrea Reimer has yet to announce, and recently defeated Vision mayoral candidate, Allan De Genova, continues to be hotly pursued by Vision to run for Council, an entreaty to Mr. De Genova et famille destined for failure it would seem …).
A full Vision slate for Council leaves no room for any deal at all with COPE.
With significant contributions already in the kitty from some of the more progressive developers in our city, as well as monies from the gambling industry — with even more funds coming in from the better than 13,000 members of the nascent political party — Vision Vancouver will head into the fall municipal election with the most funding and the best chance to gain a majority on Vancouver City Council, come Saturday November 15th.
To date, in respect of COPE, former City Councilor Ellen Woodsworth has announced her intention to run for a COPE Council seat, this November. At the recent COPE AGM, former Board of Variance chair, Terry Martin, and former City Councilor, Tim Louis, announced intention to seek COPE Council nominations. COPE‘s 2008 Nominating Conference will be held at 2:30 p.m., on Sunday Sept 28, 2008, at the Ukrainian Auditorium, at 154 East 10 Ave, in Vancouver. Martin has not formally announced, thus there is no website available promoting his candidacy, while Tim Louis — who has announced — tells VanRamblings he will kick off his bid for Council in mid-to-late August
The big issue to be decided at COPE‘s nominating conference is whether the party runs a mayoral candidate against Vision’s Gregor Robertson. Should COPE decide to run a mayoral candidate — hardly a foregone conclusion — Vancouverites could very well see a majority Vision Council, and the slimy (yet photogenic) Peter Ladner in the Mayor’s chair. Not a happy prospect.

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