Bluesfest-style rock shows overtake folk at CityFolk

Main-stage shows by rock acts Greta Van Fleet and The Beaches at CityFolk this week — plus a stretch of fine summer weather — have made this year’s edition of the September festival feel more like Bluesfest Lite than a direct descent of the Ottawa Folk Festival.

But, at the same time, side-stage performances by the likes of Fred Eaglesmith and local lad Jacob River Milnes have offered reminders of the festival’s folky roots by the Ottawa River 30 years ago. More about them in a moment.

Let’s start with the over-the-top, arena-rock extravaganza served up by Greta Van Fleet on Thursday, their first show in the nation’s capital since opening for Foo Fighters at Bluesfest in 2018. Made up of three brothers and a friend, the Grammy-nominated Michigan rockers flaunted their classic-rock influences, from Led Zep and The Who to AC/DC and the Beatles, in a set of original tunes drawn from a decade of music-making, each one rendered with peak showmanship and several blasts of pyro.

Everyone on stage got to show off their considerable chops during several rounds of soloing, and every song ended with an epic climax. The glam outfits were a nice touch, too, with a special nod to singer Josh Kiszka, not only for his cloud-piercing wail, but also multiple costume changes. The ‘fit switches took a bit of time away from the music, but he came out with a funky, space-age look each time, fully embodying the persona of a rock-star ringleader.

Before Greta Van Fleet (and opener Charlie Edward before them) let the riffs fly Thursday, Ontario troubadour Fred Eaglesmith did his part to rock the side-stage tent with a full band that included his Texas-born wife, Tif Ginn, on guitar and accordion, and some strapping young men, one being Ginn’s 15-year-old son, Blue, backing them.

Of course, Eaglesmith is an artist who used to play the CKCU Ottawa Folk Festival at Britannia Park regularly in the 1990s, and his appearance this year helps mark the 30th anniversary of the event that morphed into CityFolk.

As long-time festivalgoers may recall, the Ottawa Folk Festival was in a difficult financial position when it was taken over and bailed out by Bluesfest in 2010. For a few years after that, the Ottawa Folk Festival took place at Hog’s Back Park before moving to Lansdowne Park in 2015. Along with the new, central location came a new name, CityFolk, and a wide-ranging approach to programming spearheaded by Mark Monahan, who’s also Bluesfest’s executive and artistic director. This year is the 10th edition of CityFolk.

But, if anyone expected a throwback folk set from Eaglesmith, he had no intention of indulging them. Sporting a bushy white beard, the grizzled songwriter came out with guns blazing, obviously invigorated by the talent surrounding him on stage. He was on fire as he tore through a greatest-hits set, blasting off with Freight Train and 105 in a gruff voice that sounded a lot like a Copperhead Road-era Steve Earle.

There was also a beautifully raw version of Alcohol and Pills, a fiery Trucker Speed featuring pristine band harmonies and a husband-and-wife guitar duel, plus an extended 49 Tons that leaned into the momentum of the song and interplay between musicians.

Although a long way from Eaglesmith’s original folk-infused Flying Squirrels backing band, it was testament to the quality of his songwriting that his tunes sounded fresher than ever in the rock-band setting. And, to cap off an outstanding performance, Eaglesmith encored with a treat: A solo take on his heart-tugging love song, Wilder Than Her.

Another highlight of the CityFolk weekday schedule was Jacob River Milnes, the Wakefield-raised musician who’s grown into a soulful, mustachioed guitar slinger with a knack for making songs, both his and others’, sound timeless.

Instead of trying to speed through as many notes as possible, Milnes was a tasteful player with a sterling tone who reined in any tendency to rush. With accompaniment by a group of young Montrealers, including players on pedal steel and saxophone, the groove was easy and the sound was polished, with a rootsy vibe landing somewhere between Blue Rodeo and Jason Isbell.

Highlights included original songs paying homage to legends like Johnny Cash and Lou Reed, as well as a rendition of The Band’s The Weight that showed off the band members’ abilities and a closing segment that found Milnes unleashing some of the wild playing that got him noticed in the first place.

Milnes also gave props to CityFolk itself, recalling it as a “really important festival” that everyone went to when he was growing up.

Thanks to a last-minute schedule change, Milnes benefited from a small surge in attendance at his show. After prog-rock duo Crown Lands cancelled their Thursday appearance due to illness, there was a gap in main-stage entertainment that prompted people to migrate to the Fasken side stage, where they were not disappointed to see Milnes instead.

CityFolk kicked off Wednesday with a showcase of female-led rock acts. Toronto’s The Beaches blew off steam raging about exes during their punchy opening-night romp, while Softcult, a vibey Canadian act anchored by twins Mercedes and Phoenix Arn-Horn, preceded Beaches with a well-crafted set that combined the soaring power of grunge with shoegaze guitars and impassioned vocals.

They were a welcome discovery for those folks who couldn’t get near Hawksley Workman’s set on the Fasken side stage. It’s located in a tricky corner of Lansdowne, near the skate park, where a permanent fence blocks crowd flow. It’s a good idea to arrive early if you’re keen to see an act on that stage.

CityFolk continues until Sunday, with Milky Chance, Half Moon Run and Jamie Fine on the main stage Saturday, and Alanna Sterling, John Muirhead and Katie Tupper on the Fasken stage.

Sunday was to feature alt-country star Jason Isbell, but organizers said Friday that Isbell had been forced to cancel his weekend shows, also due to illness. The revamped schedule has country darling Maren Morris in the top slot, while Texas singer-songwriter Alejandro Escovedo moves from the Fasken stage to open for Morris on the main stage at 7:10 p.m.

The music starts around 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday with warm-up acts on the plaza. Headliners take the stage around 8:45 and are finished by 10 p.m.

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