RED ROCK — Despite heavy rain Friday night and into Saturday morning, the music and spirit was unstoppable at this year’s Live from the Rock Folk Festival in Red Rock.
“This is probably the biggest crowd I've seen at the festival in a long time. So word is getting out. There are plenty of new people here. So that encourages me. I feel pretty good about the future,” said Elly Tose.
Now in her third year as artistic director, Tose is quick to acknowledge those who paved the way. Jennifer Ives served as the festival's long time artistic director, followed by Jean-Paul De Roover, who mentored Tose by allowing her to shadow him before officially passing on the role.
Tose talked about the importance of mentorship as a tool to ensure this festival carries on well into the future.
“We didn't think about mentorship or that kind of turnover as the years went on.” she said. "One of the brilliant ideas that our volunteer coordinator came up with this year was mentoring the youth. We paired them up with one of the stage hands and the students went up to mic to read off the sponsors or talk about the food vendors. Any way to get the youth involved."
“So if we can create an opportunity for them to show our talent, to build their confidence, to have an educational experience, that they're not going to get anywhere else, then that's fantastic for everybody,” Tose added.
The songwriting workshop led by Cathy Morgan was certainly a highlight of Saturday afternoon. It took place in the Fish and Game Club where Nick Warren and Stu Maclean each led a group of participants.
Whether you came with musical talent or not everyone was encouraged to contribute. They created two songs in 45 mins and using the 15 mins or so remaining to combine the songs together using the theme from the festival of Good Folk, Great Music.
Warren said this was a first time for him running the writing workshop.
“I have never written in a group before. I write by myself in a stark, secluded room with nobody listening," he said.
They finished the song and were scheduled to perform it on the last day of the festival on the main stage.
The festival’s second full day delivered on its promise and still put on a great show despite the rain. The Creekside tent's schedule was pushed back an hour and was a good place to seek refuge and kick back and enjoy the ‘Take it easy’ theme with Jack Pine as host, Bobby Dove and Small Town Bad.
There was also a washboard workshop in the Bayside tent with The Vaudevillian.
But even with the schedule changes, the main stage still started at 6 p.m. and festival-goers laid out their folding chairs for performances by Madeleine Roger first then Adriana Turrene took stage with Sierra Noble on fiddle and the rest of the band.
Deacon Creek performed in their suspenders followed by an energetic set from Argentine-Canadian group El Ceibo. The group announced they received a grant from the Ontario Arts Council making travelling that much easier for the band. Just before their last song they called out to the crowd to get out of their chairs and dance.
A Small Town Bad was the main act of the night led by the powerhouse duo of Tasmine Jane and Mitch Tones.Yes, “like the music tones,” he said in a quick interview before rushing up to the stage.
The six-piece band delivered a raucous, heart-thumping performance rooted in 'Backroad Rock' and 'Dirt Road Twang' by blending outlaw country, folk, Americana, and good old-fashioned Canadian storytelling.
“We’re both from small towns,” says Tones. “And we’re telling stories about all the things. The bad and the good but sometimes the bad things people get up to in those small towns."
"So we’re Small Town Bad.” said Tones and Jane in unison.
It was the band’s first time playing Red Rock’s storied festival, but you wouldn’t know it from the way the crowd responded.
“We were very, very thankful and appreciative to be here. We reached out, and I wasn’t sure if they were going to have us, being so new to town but everybody’s been extremely accommodating and welcoming. It’s just been a wonderful experience.”
And the band didn’t just play, they became part of the community.
“It’s very community-driven around here,” said Tones. “You don’t have to have a volunteer shirt to help out. Everyone just steps in.”
Festival organizers were inviting attendees to stick around after the final morning session for a community discussion on future planning to find a way for everyone to get involved.