Festivale in Juin

“There must be something in the air, in the air... Some kind of answer to my prayers, to my prayers...” -Sam Roberts

The people are thirsty for live music, and Festivale stepped up with a raging start to the festival season with a one-off two-stage Friday night at their grounds in St. Boniface. Festivale du Voyageur cherry-picked the best weather day of the longest spring in recent history for their summer debut. Their February revue still took place at various venues across St. Boniface, but it was missing the warmth & camaraderie associated with the traditions of Festivale since they were bound by capacity restrictions in the throws of Omicron.

This new event felt like old times. Everyone here feels mildly familiar, even though this event is the first of its kind. It felt like the first full-scale event where you can bump into old friends or make new ones by chit-chatting with strangers in the donair line or around a campfire. Something that has only been possible during the warm summer months, if at all.

The roster was an eclectic mix, just like the patrons. It had some granola feel of other festivals up to the seasoned lawn-chair vets (Bobby Dove, Cassidy Mann), the Franco-Manitobain community who represented avec fierté (Jérémie & the Delicious Hounds, Fire & Smoke), plus the Friday-nightparty folks who embraced what turned out to be the biggest patio in downtown Winnipeg (Attica Riots).

The smaller 101 Noms stage felt like a house party, like an inside joke. Akiña laid out some very cool riffs. Their staggering crescendos drop into mellow grooves that threw me off-guard. They are each skilled musicians, and that strength creates depth in the melody. Their psych-rock sound worked well in the live atmosphere. Fowler solidified the house party vibes at the second stage with beach balls for the crowd & even an inflatable whale – just to add to the fantasy that is our live music reunion. (Did the last two years happen, or was it all a dream?) Fowler felt like Blue Sky Addicts all grown up – they have dream-pop qualities but are still fixed in the pop-rock category. Jérémie & The Delicious Hounds are Festivale alumni. The familiar name on the roster should serve as a warning to festival-goers: it’s time to change into your dancing shoes. They’ve got a tight brass section that is a solid accentuation for their grooves. I admit my bias; I am a sucker for brass. Imagine how interesting music could be if one guitar in every band was switched out for a sax. The Hounds provided a super suave dose of funk at sunset to loosen up the dance floor for the upcoming acts on Voyageur stage. Somehow Sam Roberts is the perfect soundtrack to this year, regardless of which way it might go. The sun is out & the flowers are finally blooming. Now that we can leave the house without the threat of immediate disaster, no matter if things get worse or better, at least right now, we can take a breath & say: “We’re all in this together”

x