Festival to Chase Off Winter's Chill
First Winterfest debuts tomorrow Roster includes folksy
who's-who
Copyright 2003 Toronto Star, All Rights Reserved.Jan
30, 2003
"When we did our last CD release concert at Hugh's Room a
few months back, Brian Gladstone approached us with this idea about a giant
acoustic music festival in downtown Toronto in the middle of winter," says
local singer/songwriter Ember Swift.
"It sounded okay to me. I mean, there are so many roots
artists playing in and around Toronto, but the work is scattered and you
never really know in advance what's going on.
"Besides, everyone's so busy hustling their own acts ...
you hardly ever get a chance to see other players, or share stages with
them."
Swift, with seven independent albums to her credit,
including the recent Stiltwalking (available at www.emberswift.com), is no
stranger to folk festivals. She's about to embark on her fourth tour of
Australia in half as many years, playing at several large outdoor events in
March and April, and is quickly winning hearts with her punk-tinged jazz-pop
songs at festivals across North America.
But like others in the folk community, she had doubts that
Gladstone, a champion finger-picker and an earnest songwriter, could pull
off a 100-act, three-day event in Toronto in January, when most performers
are either on the road in warmer climes, or hibernating and woodshedding in
preparation for the 100 or more acoustic music festivals that fill the
Canadian summer.
"He's a really persistent guy," Swift continues. "It looks
as if he has pulled it off."
In Brian Gladstone's world, there's no such thing as a
missed opportunity.
Winterfolk, the festival he has been planning for the past
two years, kicks off tomorrow night at five clubs within walking distance of
each other in the College and Spadina Aves. district- El Mocambo, Rancho
Relaxo, The Comfort Zone, Oasis, The Silver Dollar- and will conclude Sunday
with an all-day event at UofT's Convocation Hall.
The roster is enormous, considering Winterfolk is a new
starter on the festival agenda.
More than 100 acts have signed on, most of them Canadian
artists, most of them local- Swift, Ron Nigrini, Brent Titcomb, Bill
Colgate, Bob Snider, Dennis O'Toole, Ian Tamblyn, Jory Nash, Marianne
Girard, Melwood Cutlery, Norm Hacking, Terry Tufts among them- with a couple
of veteran U.S. folk artists- Tom Rush and Josh White Jr. to round things
out.
"If no one's knocking, you've got to build a door," is one
of many aphorisms that pepper Gladstone's conversation.
"Unless you're part of that very close circle of people
who make it onto the summer festival circuit every year, it's hard to find
decent places to play in Toronto.
"And if city folk want to see roots artists in a festival
setting, they have to wait for the summer and drive way out into the
country.
Winterfolk is the first festival to bring so many artists
together in one downtown neighbourhood at the time of year when people are
going stir crazy."
A designer of electrical transformers and sound
reinforcement equipment by day- "the work has financed my music for 25
years," he says- Gladstone has recorded three albums since 1999 (check out
www.backtothedirt.com).
He's particularly proud of the fact that Winterfolk exists
without government grants and tax dollar assistance of any kind, and that
it's predominantly a celebration of homegrown talent.
He expects the event will clear its financial obligations
after 1,500 weekend passes are sold at $35 plus tax apiece.
Day passes ($15 tomorrow and $20 Saturday and Sunday) are
also available at the venues and through Ticketmaster (check local listings
or www.winterfolk.com for the schedule).
Children under 12 are admitted free, and there's an "all
ages" permit at three venues- Comfort Zone, Convocation Hall and, until 9
p.m., Rancho Relaxo- which means no liquor, wine or beer will be sold.
"We've had help from other festival organizers,
particularly Northern Lights in Sudbury, and from the Ontario Council of
Folk Festivals," Gladstone adds. "But basically this thing has come together
one brick at a time.
"You just keep moving your brush till the picture tells a
story."
TREVOR MILLS RELEASE
Another story worthy of attention is the CD release party
tomorrow at Hugh's Room for Trevor Mills's debut solo effort, Karaoke
Cowboy.
Trevor's the bass-playing, songwriting son of elder folk
statesman Paul Mills.
A fine picker- he's known in the trade as Curly Boy
Stubbs- Paul now runs his own studio, The Millstream, where many fine roots
and folk recordings have emerged in the past five years, including his
son's.
Expect tomorrow's gig to be a gathering of
intergenerational folk music families- on stage and off.What: Winterfolk
festival
When: Tomorrow to Sun., Feb. 2
Where: Oasis, Rancho Relaxo, El Mocambo, Comfort Zone, The
Silver Dollar, Convocation Hall
Tickets: Weekend pass $35 plus tax @ 416-870-800
