This city can be known to grab you and pull you into all sort of events. That’s why I like it. You never know what is going to come next, or what sort of wonderful thing is going to be going on.
I recently got to put my left leg in the circle of the Halifax Urban Folk Festival (http://www.thecarleton.ca/huff-festival). This was the 3rd year for the festival, created by Mike Campbell, owner of the Carelton, as a way to bring some folk music and great artists into the downtown area.
I was lucky enough to get to volunteer the first night, when Bry Webb and Daniel Romano and The Trilliums played. Jesus, I love these two men. Their voices cut chills right through my neck, into my heart. I have probably listened to the new Daniel Romano record 700 times, because the lyrics are so approachable, and he sounded just as wonderful and heart wrenching in person.
One thing that struck me about all of this was that everyone was so damn nice. Bry Webb was nice, Daniel Romano and his whole band were nice, the staff were nice, Mike Campbell was nice. It was just all so damn nice!
I got to go back on Tuesday to work the door for the Ana Egge and Breagh MacKinnon show. Damn! Oh ! How these ladies can sing. I did not know much about Breagh before arriving, other than she was a Cape Breton singer songwriter who came highly acclaimed. The acclaims held up. Her voice is striking, and I was not the only one who thought so. Numerous people coming in remarked to me, “what a voice” “she reminds me of Norah Jones” and she sold out of CDs at the merch table by the end of the night.
Ana Egge was also amazing. Her voice kind of breaks your heart a little bit. She has lots of friends in Nova Scotia, so it was a nice treat to hear some of her favourite friends on stage with her, Rose Cousins and Joel Plaskett. The other thing about Ana, is she is really sweet. She was super appreciative of our help, and even gave me a copy of her new album, produced by Steve Earle, “Bad Blood”. It’s amazing.
I leave you with love for HUFF, for this city, for people coming together for the love of music, and with Ana Egge’s new song, “Hole in your Halo”.
xo,
L
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