Recording: Motherhood

Artist: Motherhood

Song: Greed

Recorded at Christie Pits Park (Bloor Ossington Folk Festival – Day 1), September 17, 2016.

Motherhood - Greed

It was a bad news/good news sort of vibe down at Christie Pits. There was a sense of triumph that the festival — for the previous five years a well-curated, intimate event with an enjoyably-casual vibe — was happening at all, given that it was at the very precipice of the plug being pulled in the face of some expected grant money not coming through. The joy at the fact that the organizers found a way to go ahead with it was tempered by the sadness at the corresponding announcement that this would be the festival's final edition. On Saturday, the fact the event had been downsized — losing its main stage and moving everything under the beer garden tent — turned out to be a blessing in disguise as the day arrived with the (seemingly annual) dose of rain. The park was eerily quiet but it made everything feel extra dry and cozy as the bands played.

Things were set up enough to get going — though finishing touches were still being attended to — and it was fairly quiet as this Fredericton trio lead off the day. There were some poppier moments, mostly driven by Penelope Stevens' keyb work, but things were a little noisier when she shifted to bass, including this set-closer with co-shouted vox shared with guitarist Brydon Crain.