Montreal: Folk Festival on the Canal June 18-22

Montreal’s Folk Festival on the Canal will include several indoor concerts in venues near the Lachine Canal and a weekend of free music on its banks.

The festival opens with my old friend Eric Andersen – and opening act Cécile Doo-Kingué – in concert on Wednesday, June 18, 8:00 pm, at the George Vanier Cultural Centre (2450 Workman).

Eric was a major songwriter in the Greenwich Village folk scene of the 1960s writing such songs as “Thirsty Boots,” “Close the Door Lightly When You Go,” “Violets of Dawn” and many others recorded by such artists as Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, Anne Hills, the Dillards, John Gorka, Mary Chapin Carpenter and many others.

In the 1970s and ‘80s, I produced several Montreal concerts for Eric at the Golem and he was my guest a couple of times on the Folk Roots/Folk Branches radio program when he returned to Montreal in later years.

That same night, Mark Berube will perform at Victor Studio (1050 Lacasse) at 8:00 pm.

On Thursday, June 19, 8:00 pm, acclaimed singer-songwriter Patty Griffin – and opening act Parker Milsap – will perform at the Corona Theatre (2490 Notre Dame West).

The Friday night concert on June 20, 9:00 pm, is called The Heart of Friday Night: A Tribute to Tom Waits and features a diverse line-up of artists including Patrick Watson, Leif Vollebekk, Joe Grass, Notre Dame de Grass, Li’l Andy, Katie Moore, The Sin and the Swoon, Peter Mika, and more all playing Tom Waits songs.

Also on Friday, June 20, from 4:30 pm and again Saturday and Sunday, June 21 and 22, the festival shifts to Ilot Charlevoix (corner of St. Patrick and Charlevoix) for lots of concerts and other activities – all free of charge – featuring a diverse selection of artists.

Highlights of the Friday schedule at Ilot Charlevoix includes concerts by Mo Kenney, and the Tequila Mockingbird Orchestra.

Saturday is highlighted by concerts with Durham County Poets, Jeff Davis, Notre Dame de Grass, and the Yves Lambert Trio.

Sunday’s highlights includes concerts with Rob Lutes, the always great Eliza Gilkyson, and Li’l Andy.

The complete schedule is available at this link.

I like to refer to Montreal’s Folk Festival on the Canal as the little folk festival that could. Founded and still run by Matt Large and Rebecca Anderson of Hello Darlin’ Productions and Carl Comeau of Hyperbole Music, the festival has developed into my favourite event on Montreal’s busy festival calendar.

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--Mike Regenstreif

Review: Festival Folk sur le canal

I spent much of last weekend having a fine old time at the fourth annual Festival Folk sur le canal at the Terrasse St-Ambroise on the grounds of the McAuslan Brewery on the Lachine Canal in Montreal. Congratulations to my friends Matt Large and Rebecca Anderson of Hello Darlin’Productions and Carl Comeau of Hyperbole Music for putting together another fine event.

For the first time this year, the festival added off-site Thursday and Friday events including a sold-out opening gala with the legendary John Sebastian on Thursday, June 16 at the Georges Vanier Cultural Centre. John’s been a favourite performer of mine since the 1960s, so I was disappointed that I was in Ottawa that night and couldn’t make it (the last time I saw John was in the late-1990s). I did hear from several people who were there that it was a great night.

On Friday afternoon and evening the festival moved onto the canal at Îlot Charlevoix for a free concert and folk jam. Again, I wasn’t there, but everything I heard about the event was very positive.

As noted, I was around for much of the Saturday and Sunday action at the Terrasse St-Ambroise – including a Sunday afternoon shift as the festival MC. Among my personal highlights were sets by several artists I’d never seen before including the Wildwood Flowers, an exciting, mostly-female, francophone band steeped in the traditional country music of the Carter Family; Emm Gryner, a piano-based singer-songwriter with strong original material but who slew me with a stunning version of “Tell My Sister,” a song written by my late friend Kate McGarrigle; Cécile Doo-Kingué, a singer-songwriter and excellent guitarist strongly influenced by African folk music; and Canailles, a wild, punky francophone band that drew on zydeco, bluegrass and blues influences.

Among the artists I’ve heard before that I also quite enjoyed were Rose Cousins, who is quickly becoming one of Canada’s most accomplished singer-songwriters, Cajun band Grouyan Gombo, and road warrior Fred Eaglesmith and his band.

I was sorry that I couldn’t stick around to hear the festival closing sets by the delightful old-time, neo-vaudeville duo Sheesham and Lotus and the great singer- songwriter David Francey.

The perfect weather on Saturday and Sunday helped make Festival Folk sur le canal a great kick-off to summer folk festival season.

--Mike Regenstreif