Return to Camp Granolagal

Well, it’s that time of year ago, festival time in Alberta, yeehaw! I have to say, yet again, that summer in Edmonton frickin’ rocks. I love the vibe in the city, the wooftop nights, the music, theatre, the whole shebang. Which is why I feel a tad guilty in now choosing to abandon this fair city in the quest for the ultimate summer music experience.

A month or so ago a friend asked me if I’d be going to Folkfest. Indeed, while I was an avid fester for many years, I’ve not really been much into it the last 5 or 6 years, for sundry reasons. But this year, I have felt it calling me back. But when I looked at this year’s line-up in Edmonton, I can’t say that it really did too much for me. The acts that I do like, I’ve seen half a dozen times anyway. So it was suggested to me that I take a quick perusal of the Calgary line-up. So I did. HOLY CRAP ON A CRUTCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT A FRICKING AWESOME LINEUP!!!!!!!!! Ani Difranco (who I hear shan’t be touring too much longer due to the really sad diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome and with whom I’ve become happily reacquainted with in recent weeks); Dan Bern; Dar Williams; Macy Gray; Son Volt; and…drum roll please…..Kris Kristofferson; and many more.

Holy crap. It comes pretty damn close to a dream line-up for me. So I pondered whether I should abandon my (now) home city in favour of returning the city of my birth.

Some things to consider while making this decision:
-I have almost universally had crappy-ass experiences in all my trips to Calgary (while admittedly I don’t have much of a recollection of my birth, I imagine it was rough on my mom).
-I’m totally frickin broke and going south would incur transportation and accommodation costs that I’m completely unprepared for at the moment.
-I really really really really really really want to see Kris Kristofferson as there’s only him and Willie left from the Highwaymen (and he’s a B-horror movie legend, second only to Lance Henriksen, of course).

And despite my somewhat sketchy past experiences in Cowtown, it is responsible one of the best folkfest experiences I ever had. What, you might be asking, were some of those experiences? Well, here they are for you, you curious kitten, you:
-Sliding (later rolling as my momentum picked up quite unexpectedly) down the mud hill during Sinead O’Connor at my inaugural Folk Fest in ‘97.
-Arlo Guthrie performing Alice’s Restaurant so all my friends finally understood what I was always going on about.
-Hearing Martin Sexton sing Black Sheep for the first time and holding that one note for the most heavenly 20 seconds ever.
-Eric Bibb singing Panama Hat at the 2000 folkfest – thank god for the large hat I was wearing at the time so no one could see me bawling my eyes out.
-All beer tent forays with Simon, Todd, Juan, Clint, Laura, Moops, et al., too numerous to list.

But the topper, the coolest FF moment of them all was:
-David Byrne singing Once in a Lifetime at Calgary Folkfest while Clint and Adam and I stood stunned by the fact we were actually hearing the Talking Head himself sing this song. I know I wasn’t the only one who choked back a tear or two during that. And I have to say, I was quites taken by the venue for this blossoming festival.

So this year, with a little trepidation for a whole shwackload of reasons, I have decided that my FF excursion will be to Calgary. C’mon, it’s Kris frickin’ Kristofferson!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

While this was supposed to be a Thelma & Louise-type road trip, I’m willing to go it solo since Thelma can’t make it(I’m willing to be Louise since we’ve got the whole thyroid thing in common) even though I say thesis shmesis (jk!). I think I’m in need of a little hippie folk music rockin’ out time on my own anyway.

And who knows, even though I’m without a Thelma, maybe I’ll meet my very own Brad Pitt anyway.