Singer and fiddle player in the Cajun band.

Mud monster

The astounding Tanya Tagaq, who channels animals. By far the most exciting performer I saw at the folk festival. You should check her out on YouTube.

Person in the crowd

Mongolian singer Namgar. I think that is her name, and also the name of her band.

Namgar in concert in the dance tent. The fiddle player also does a little throat singing. I find I like music best when performers step into the animal realm a bit, as Namgar does.

Tanya Tagaq again, with that guy from Calexico.

That guy from the Acorn. (I’m really no good with names. I’m glad this is just a blog, not real journalism.)

Guy in the crowd.

Over all I thought this year’s folk festival didn’t have as many big names as other years. No… oh I don’t know… Judy Collins or Pete Seeger.

Maybe they’re out of money. The weather slammed them hard on Sunday, as it has the last couple of years as well.

Maybe the folk festival should just merge with the blues festival, which draws a much younger crowd but would probably like to have the older demographic as well.

Hey, what a great idea! A festival coalition. Don’t forget that you heard it here first.

Pic 545
Spiderman, spiderman

August 15, 2009

Two years ago:
Pic 191
Experimental farm 3

August 15, 2008

Some guy’s shirt. Seen at the Ottawa Folk festival.

Tanya Tagaq was there! More tomorrow.

Pic 544
Dragonfly

August 14, 2009

Two years ago:
Pic 190
Experimental farm 2

August 14, 2008

I think these are really ingenious, and they’re surprisingly comfortable. And you can get out of them without a crane.

But as much as I liked my new chair, I didn’t actually sit on it at the folk festival, except for a brief test sit. I just never found a place where I wanted to be. I wandered around for awhile, and then I left.

Nothing against the folk festival. It’s not the folk festival, it’s me. It’s just a malaise I’ve been feeling, and a general sadness. Maybe it’s the coming of fall and another year gone.

I listened to Eliza Gilkyson, who is one of my favourite musicians, but I didn’t think she sounded as good live as she does on her CDs. For one thing, she didn’t have her band with her, and she was performing at a workshop, so I kept having to wait for other people to get finished their songs so I could hear her again. (I admit that I’m not the ideal festival goer.) This is a picture I took of her.

I thought this thing was really silly. It’s a battery-assisted recumbent trike with a bright red fairing on it. Mid-life crisis anybody? Step right up! Only $8500.

This little girl is pretty cute. I wonder what happened to her chin.

Come to think of it, she looks like she’s planning to punch me in the nose. Maybe that’s what happened. Kid’s a born street fighter.

That’s all for now. Next year is another year.

It’s kind of like doing your best on a school project and getting an A for it�and putting it up on the wall.� It makes you feel good.�(Or even if you only got a B or a C, somebody will still probably�like it. Your mom�definitely.)

I realize some blogs intend to express deep thoughts about politics and culture.�I think those are good blogs but my preference is for blogs that�deal with daily life in a particular place.

Here’s Eliza Gilkyson tuning up at this year’s Ottawa Folk Festival.

I met Eliza Gilkyson. I�told�her what a huge fan I am. “Thank you,” she said. She was very pleasant and friendly in this brief fan encounter, and attractive as well:�sort of tall and blonde and rangy.

Here’s�Ferron at the same workshop.

I also met Ferron once, at a concert in Peterborough. As I was buying one of her CDs I told her it seemed like�her music had�always been there in my life, marking the passing of the years.�She signed my CD, “For the sweet passing of time.”

If you don’t know Ferron,�I think you should get one of her CDs at once. I recommend “Testimony” or “Shadows On a Dime.”

Update: Oh-oh, those are out of print.�I have them but�nowadays all my music is�MP3s. I don’t have the CDs. The later albums are good too,�but I like the early ones better. I understand there is a greatest hits album called “Impressionistic,” but I haven’t heard it.

If you don’t know Eliza Gilkyson, I recommend “Paradise Hotel,” “Land of Milk and Honey,” or “Hard Times in Babylon.” Those you can get.

These are probably the only celebrities I’ve ever met. Imagine them playing at the same workshop! No wonder I had to be there.