Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Recording: Julie Doiron

Artist: Julie Doiron

Songs: Tailor + Swan Pond

Recorded at Christie Pits ("Bloor Ossington Folk Festival"), September 21, 2013.

Julie Doiron - Tailor

Julie Doiron - Swan Pond

Full review to follow. Starting out in living rooms and basements in its first year and piggybacking on the local street festival in its second, The Bloor Ossington Folk Festival took a big step up in size and complexity this year, all while holding fast to its mantra of "free music in shared community space". Settling into the topography of Christie Pits, this year's festival included two stages, a beer garden, food vendors and more. Sadly, the weather didn't cooperate on the festival's first day, with a steady rain delaying the setup and keeping the crowds away from the park. Once things got started, it was good music to drive away the cold and damp, with the skies clearing up for the last few acts of the day. Kudos to Saving Gigi and the other locals who pitched in to make this a reality. And remember: "folk music" isn't a genre tag, but a description of music that lives in a community, shared between performer and audience. [Also: you can check out a few more pictures from the day at the MFS facebook page.]

Making a return from maternity leave (congratulations!), former area resident and Saving Gigi regular Julie Doiron was, as always, filled with self-doubt and joy as she played. Backed by Jenn Grant's rhythm section, Doiron capped off the day with a ramble through both older and more recent songs, gaining confidence as she played, as if returning to terrain she'd momentarily forgotten that she knew so well.

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