Hillside 2010: Day 2

Review of the 2010 Hillside Festival, Guelph Conservation Area, Ontario

Part two of three. Part one posted August 16.

Mediocre photography by me.

Day 2

There was a huge thunderstorm on Saturday, June 24, so I decided to wait out the weather over a breakfast/lunch of bacon sandwiches and onion rings before heading back to Hillside. Needless to say I arrived at Day 2 of Hillside much later than I wanted to, and I missed Royal Wood and The Wooden Sky. After sitting in my Jeep for a while, waiting for the damn rain to stop, I finally sucked it up and headed in, my bright yellow raincoat keeping me dry.

I attended Hillside once before in 2008, and that year I was totally blow away by two different workshops. The first one was called "Guitar Dreams." This workshop featured Danny Michel, Liz Powell, Sue Foley, and  David Woodhead. All four of them blew me away. Michel started out with electric guitar doing a very stripped-down version of Peter Gabriel's "Games Without Frontiers" and got the crowd to whistle along. He followed that with a slow version of "I Will Love You For Miles," off of his 2007 release Valhalla. Liz Powell did two lovely originals on acoustic guitar. Sue Foley, an accomplished blues guitarist, gave a demonstration on the Piedmont style of blues, then showed some of her recent interest in Flamenco-style guitar. Finally, David Woodhead amazed everyone with his fretless electric bass. The other musicians on stage had the "wow!" look on their faces too. Truly a magical session of music!

The second workshop that blew my mind was the last event of the 2008 festival, and featured The Sadies and Po Girl, plus any other of their musician friends that happened to be around. This is basically how it went down: Dallas Good of The Sadies would yell the key of the tune ("The key of G, as in Jesus" for damn near every song), and the rest of the musicians would play, take turns playing solos, and take turns being generally awesome. Even Hayden's trumpet player took a turn at improv soloing. I've never seen such a show of musicianship. I was so wound up after that jam session, that I didn't sleep that night, and was a complete zombie at work the following day. So needless to say, I was really looking forward to the workshops/jams sessions for Hillside 2010.

Despite the rain, a "Colossal Jam" scheduled for the main stage took off Saturday evening and featured Calexico, Sarah Harmer, Jason Collett backed by Zeus, Emma Bortolon-Vettor, and Stephen Berlin the baritone sax player from Los Lobos. Other members of Los Lobos were supposed to attend, but had some travel/gear issues with their airline.

Colossal Jam: (left to right) Joey Burns of Calexico, Sarah Harmer, Jason Collett, and dude from Zeus who's name I don't know, but his guitar playing is spectacular.

The jam session was lead by Calexico front man Joey Burns, who incidentally, was born in Montreal (dual citizenship, yo). Calexico/Burns, Harmer, and Collett took turns leading songs while the rest of the people on the stage backed them up. Calexico played two originals, including one in Spanish sung by trumpet player Jacob Valenzuela. They closed with a killer version of The Minutemen's "Jesus and Tequila." Harmer started with "Silverado" from her new album Oh Little Fire, then played "Oleander" from 2005's I'm a Mountain, and finished with one of my favorites "Luthers Got the Blues," a Luther Wright cover also from I'm a Mountain. Collett started with "My Daddy Was a Rock and Roller," and finished with "Blue Sky." But Collett's second choice of tracks was his most intriguing. He got the whole gang to cover Bob Dylan's "Gotta Serve Somebody," and fortunately, someone captured it on video and posted it on youtube.



WOW! The soloists include Calexico's Jacob Valenzuela on trumpet, Los Lobos's bari saxophonist Stephen Berlin, Emma Bortolon-Vettor, the tiny girl with the huge guitar sound, and the amazing guitarist form Zeus, who's name I don't know.

The other half of the Colossal Jam: (left to right): Martin Wenk and Jacob Venezuela of Calexico, Stephen Berlin of Los Lobos, John Convertino of Calexico, and Emma Bortolon-Vettor of The Folk.

Up next on the main stage was Basia Bulat. She and her band played a high energy, enthusiastic set, covering tracks from both of her albums. It looks like she is touring the states right now, but will be back in Canada in October and November, opening for Josh Ritter. That will be a great show. I'm buying my tickets right now.

Basia Bulat - Gold Rush.mp3
Buy: Heart of My Own 2010

I've already written about Jason Collett and Sarah Harmer a bit, so I will summarize their respective main stage shows here. Collett rocked extra hard, especially since he had Zeus as his backing band (more on Zeus tomorrow). Harmer played several songs off of her new album, plus several crowd favorites including "Basement Apartment." Julie Fader provided keyboards and backing vocals for her set. One of the problems with these 45 min. Hillside sets by musicians like Bulat, Collett, and Harmer is that they can only cram so much into a short period of time, and these mini sets frequently leave you asking for more.

Jason Collett - Rave on Sad Songs.mp3
Buy: Rat a Tat Tat (2010)

Sarah Harmer - Silverado.mp3
Buy: Oh Little Fire (2010)

Another problem with Hillside is that I frequently want to be in two places at once. For my next performance I had to decide between The Beauties and The Good Lovelies. I've seen The Beauties before, and they frequently play in Toronto, so I headed over to the Lake Stage to see The Good Lovelies. Little did I know that The Good Lovelies had received a 2010 Juno award for Roots and Traditional Album of the Year: Group, beating out the likes of Great Lake Swimmers and Carolyn Mark and NQ Arbuckle (who I would have voted for). And I thought the Junos were all about Nickleback and Michael Buble. That'll learn me. Anyway, the Good Lovelies are an all-women trio from the Toronto area. All three of them rotate between their various instruments: acoustic guitar, banjo, acoustic bass, and mandolin. Their style is a mixture of bluegrass, folk, and western swing, expressed through strong vocal three part harmonies. These ladies are ridiculously talented, not to mention hysterical. Their goofy stage banter makes their show that much more fun, especially when you are in a beer tent. They played many songs for their self titled 2009 Juno award winning release. Then they covered Gram Parson's "Juanita." Note to bands: if you pull out a Gram Parsons cover, especially in three part harmony, I will be a fan for life. The Good Lovelies closed with a singalong to their song "Lie Down." What a great performance.

Lie Down.mp3
Buy (Maple Music): Good Lovelies (2009)

Hillside Festival mud on Saturday, July 24

The headliner for Saturday was Los Lobos. By this time all of The Wolves' gear and personnel had arrived, and the main stage area was packed. At the same time, Japandroids and Grand Analog were also playing their respective stages. Also at the same time, I was friggin' exhausted and covered in mud from the afternoon downpours. I decided to call it a night, but I regretted it later when I heard that the Japandroids absolutely killed. I'll have to catch them the next time they are in T.O.

But more adventures loomed in the parking lot (i.e. a big field). The afternoon rain had caused the formation of huge mud puddles, and people with small cars were getting stuck everywhere. Cue Corb Lund's "The Truck Got Stuck." It was pitch black outside, and no one could see what they were doing while they were trying to get their cars out of the muck. Tow trucks from Guelph were lined up waiting to stiff people $45 for a tow (which happened to my girl DJTK). Fortunately, I had a Jeep, so I popped it into four wheel drive and laughed at all of the suckers getting towed away. It was actually really fun plowing my Jeep through the muck. I got to my friend's place relatively early, and got a good hot shower to end my rockstar day.

My truck did not get stuck.

Tomorrow: Zeus, Corb Lund, Andy White, Shane Koyczan, and others!

Hillside 2010: Day 1

Review of the 2010 Hillside Festival, Guelph Conservation Area, Ontario

Part one of three

Mediocre photography by me.

Background and Day 1

The 27th annual Hillside Festival took place July 23-25 at the Guelph Conservation Area, slightly northeast of the city of Guelph in southern Ontario. I like to refer to Hillside as "hippie fest," not just because I didn't shower for three days, but because the vibe at this festival is all peace, love, and harmony. Babies and older timers, hipsters and geeks, singles and families, dancers and shoe gazers: as along as you like music, you are welcome at Hillside. And the music ranges all over the place: electronic, country, classic rock, hip-hop, bluegrass, indie rock, spoken work, folk, afrobeat, gospel, blues, and so on. There is something for everyone at Hillside.

Free drinking water: BYOWB (Bring Your Own Water Bottle).

Hillside has a strict environmental mandate. People are encouraged to take a free shuttle bus from downtown Guelph, or to ride their bike and park it securely for free. Drinking water is free if you bring your own container (no plastic bottle litter). Food vendors serve tasty meals on plates that volunteers hand wash for reuse (no wasteful paper plates). Trash is separated and recycled or composted as needed. You even have to buy or bring your own beer mug/wine glass.

Dish washing area where volunteers clean the plates and cups.

Hillside is on an island in the Guelph Conservation Area. This year, due to local road construction and other logistical problems, performers were literally shipped in on a ferry boat over Guelph Lake. Since the island is limited in size to roughly 5000 people, tickets for this festival go on sale mid-winter, and they sell out before the performers are even announced.

I decided last minute to go to the festival, and my main woman TK set me up with a spare weekend pass that her friend couldn't use. I busted out of work early and hauled ass to Guelph, and was only momentarily delayed by the disaster that is GTA traffic. TK (aka DJTK in the London, ON, area) is a huge fan of electronic music, and she insisted that I get there in time to hear festival opener Beardyman, a beat box performer from the UK. I'm not much for electronic music, but I am open minded, so I got there in time to get meet TK, get my bracelet, and settle in for Beardyman. Holy cow! I was completely blown away by Beardyman (aka Darren Foreman) who is very famous in the UK and Europe for his beat box skills, live looping, and general free-styling. He had people up and dancing at 6:30pm and could have easily kept the rave-like atmosphere going all night. He was one hell of an opener.

DJTK and Rockstar Aimz (me) enjoying Beardyman.

After Beardyman I really needed a beer, so I headed over to the Lake Stage to catch the Toronto-based Warped 45s. Although I did enjoy Beardyman, alt country music is more my thing, and The Warped 45s delivered a great set playing tracks from their debut album 10 Day Poem for Saskatchewan. Their country/rock style is reminiscent of Neil Young circa Comes a Time. Very enjoyable.

The Warped 45s on the Lake Stage.

Leader of the Lost Expedition.mp3
Buy (Maple Music): 10 Day Poem for Saskatchewan (2009)

Next I headed over to the Island Stage to check out Lee Harvey Osmond, Tom Wilson's latest project which he referred to as a "middle-aged song writing collective." I would like to point out that it was hot and humid as all get-out that night. I was sweating in shorts and a T-shirt. Wilson and his band were decked out in suits with jackets and ties. I have no idea how they didn't pass out due to heat, but hey, they're professionals. On this night his band included guitar virtuoso Stephen Fearing, singer/songwriter/guitarist Colin Linden, as well as Brent Titcomb, who is 70-years-young, on various instruments. This set wasn't so much Lee Harvey Osmond as it was Tom Wilson's greatest hits. After "Queen Bee" from the Lee Harvey Osmond 2010 Polaris Prize long list album A Quiet Evil, they played "Freedom" co-written by Wilson and Colin James. They got the audience to sing along to Junkhouse classic "Shine," and played songs from the Blackie and the Rodeo Kings catalog. Towards the end of the set Titcomb took center stage and sang and played mouth harp at the same time. WOW! But the encore truly blew me away. Wilson brought Astrid Young (Neil's little sister) up onto the stage, and sang Neil's "Get Back to the Country." After I scraped my jaw off of the ground, I decided that even if the rest of the festival was a complete disaster, this performance alone made the weekend worth it.

Lee Harvey Osmond: (left to right) Brent Titcomb, Stephen Fearing, drummer dude (?), Tom Wilson, and Colin Linden (behind Wilson). I think there is also a bassist hiding behind Titcomb.

Queen Bee.mp3
Buy: A Quiet Evil (2009)

I needed to decompress and have another beer, so I headed back over to the Lake Stage to check out Yukon Blonde. This Vancouver-based quartet took the stage wearing party masks, but since it was so effing hot outside, they ditched the masks pretty quickly. They played an enjoyable, energized set of rock. One of their songs called "Wind Blows" contains the lyric "Listen to the raindrops outside of your window," and it occurred to me that BC-based bands frequently sing about rain. Write what you know, I guess. Midway through their set they pulled a random guy from the audience onto the stage to play tambourine. The random dude nailed it! So fun. I like these guys.

Wind Blows.mp3
Buy: Yukon Blonde (2010)

Tuscon, Arizona, based Calexico headlined the first night of Hillside. They are a really great alt country band with a unique tejano sound. They are currently offering a free live-show download here. Their more recent music is a little too jazzy for my tastes. Plus, I was really tired from working all day, then driving to Guelph, then rocking all night. I headed out about half way through their set. Please note that Calexico is scheduled to tour Western Canada supporting the Arcade Fire in late September. Yay!

Calexico is the master of giving cover songs their own twist. They probably didn't do this song that night, but this is my favorite Calexico cover.

Tulsa Telephone Book.mp3
Buy: Real: Tom T Hall Project (1998)


Note: this blog post was turning into a novella, so I broke it up into three parts. Part two will be posted tomorrow, August 16.

Rock Schedule July 20-26

Gigs in the Toronto area you should check out this week!

Wednesday, July 21
1. Langhorne Slim with Ha Ha Tonka, Horseshoe Tavern (368 Queen Street West), $15
I've seen both of these artists before, and I highly recommend them. I've only see Langhorne Slim as an opener, so I am looking very forward to his full set.

Ha Ha Tonka - Hold My Feet to the Fire.mp3
Buy: Novel Sounds of the Nouveau South (2009)

Langhorne Slim - Be Set Free.mp3
Buy: Be Set Free (2009)

2. Bon Jovi with Kid Rock, Rogers Centre (1 Blue Jays Way)
I'm only advertising this show because I have seen tickets being offered for as low as $15. If you have $15 and you are bored you should see Langhorne Slim and Ha Ha Tonka. But if you want good people watching and overpriced beer, you should hit the Rogers Centre. If the above artists were on a different night, I would be there! Ohhh, we're half-way there. Ooooo-ooooo! Livin' on a prayer!

Thursday, July 22
Calexico with Elliott Brood, The Phoenix (410 Sherbourne), $21.50
Arizona alt country artists with Toronto indie rockers. Should be a great show! Win tickets here.

Calexico - Two Silver Trees.mp3
Buy: Carried to Dust (2008)

Elliott Brood - Without Again.mp3
Buy: Mountain Meadows (2009)

Friday, July 23
Black Mountain, Horseshoe Tavern (368 Queen Street West), $20
I don't know much about this Vancouver-based band, but a lot of people have been telling me I should check them out.

Black Mountain - Tyrants.mp3
Buy: In the Future (2008)

Friday, July 23 - Sunday, July 25
Hillside Festival, Guelph Conservation Area
Tons of artists of all genres. I am looking forward to Sarah Harmer, Basia Bulat, Corb Lund, and Stars, but I always find something new at Hillside. Will report back next week!

Monday, July 26
Scott H. Biram, Horseshoe Tavern (368 Queen Street West), $9
If you like blues-base rock, you cannot miss this! Ho-lee-shit it will be awesome!!!

Scott H. Biram - Blood, Sweat, and Murder.mp3
Buy: Dirty Old One Man Band (2005)

Repost: Review of I'm Not There

I have a lot of crap going on this week, including the fact that I haven't done my lousy taxes yet (due April 30 in Canada), so I don't have a ton of time to blog. Here is a review of the Bob Dylan biopic I'm Not There that I wrote after seeing it at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2007. I watched this film again last Saturday night, and I like it more every time I see it. I wonder if Bob has ever seen it?

I caught the second screening of I'm Not There, the biopic of Bob Dylan directed by Todd Haynes, at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 14, 2007. It gave me a huge headache. Not the film exactly, but from the venue. To accommodate the large audience, I'm Not There was screened in a ~700 person lecture hall at Ryerson University. I was in line to get in to the sold out show a half hour early, but apparently not early enough. I had to sit in the 4th row from the front, and by the time hour two rolled around, my back and neck were killing me and my eyes hurt from being so close. Being a lecture hall, there was no reclining seating that the theatre industry has spoiled me with for the last decade. Plus, no vending! GASP! No popcorn! And, the screening was at 12:30 pm so I came to the screening directly from work, and I didn't get lunch and was very hungry.

Crappy venue aside, the film is pretty amazing (even though I was tuning out during the last half hour). The acting is superb. Cate Blanchett is astonishing! She should be a shoo-in for Best Actress this year (Edit: she didn't win!). Christian Bale is amazing too - didn't recognize him at first - as is the 11-year-old Marcus Carl Franklin. Mr. Franklin has quite an acting career ahead of him. And, you get to see Heath Ledger (mostly) naked, so what's not to like?

Its definitely an artsy-fartsy movie, very non-linear and not for the average joe-blow American/Canadian. I tried to imagine my conservative, small-town-America father, who is a 'Nam vet and a graduate of the college class of '69, watching this movie without being completely confused. I can hear him saying, "What is this crap? I don't get it." However, Dylan fans will love it. Non-Dylan fans who appreciate film as an art form will really dig it too. But it is long. Although, in retrospect, I am wondering if my perception of its length was due to my bad seat. I mean, I sat through three hours of Lord of the friggin Rings with no complaints.

The Characters (in rough order of appearance in the film, although the characters do jump around in time and some characters overlap):

1) Marcus Carl Franklin – "Woody Guthrie" – 1959, 11 year old boy, film shot in color. Metaphor for Dylan's early life on how he started to learn how the world really worked, and how he started to form ideas and transfer these thoughts to song. Woody, originally from the fictional town of Riddle, Missouri, is hopping trains with hobos and traveling around the country. Very moving scene where he visits the real ailing Woody Guthrie in the hospital and strums guitar for him.

2) Ben Wishaw – "Arthur" – 19 year old Dylan, early 1960s, shot in black and white. Smallest role. Dylan as a young, rebellious, somewhat naive poet. Its only him and some cigarettes on the screen. Like he is being interviewed or interrogated. Sort of narrates the film, but not really.

3) Heath Ledger – "Robbie Clark" – Dylan from circa 1964 to 1977, mostly focusing on his personal life and marriage to "Claire" (played by Charlotte Gainsborough), a very loose interpretation of Sara Lowlands and probably an amalgamation of other women in Dylan's life. Shot in grainy color to reflect the time period. "Robbie Clark" is a famous actor and actually plays "Jack Rollins" (Christian Bale's Dylan) in one of his film roles. Actor as a metaphor for the perils of fame. Robbie is constantly away from his family working (touring?) on film productions, and has many extra-marital flings while on the "road." Robbie and Claire's rocky relationship and marital problems are mirrored by the Vietnam war.

4) Christian Bale – "Jack Rollins" – Dylan from 1961-62 and jumps to his conversion to Christianity (~1974). 60s "footage" is in black and white, 70s "footage" is in grainy color like above, while the present day is in color. Told from the perspective of a present day documentary reflected through the eyes of people who knew him "back then." Notably, Julianne Moore plays the character "Alice Fabian" who is a present day Joan Baez. 1970s evangelist Rollins is awesome.

5) Cate Blanchett – "Jude Quin" – when Dylan goes electric in 1965-66. Black and white. Best impression of Dylan as he is classically known (big hair, sunglasses, wears all black). How he deals with the backlash of going electric at the "New England Folk Festival." Follows his drug use and his fighting with the press, especially the BBC. Hysterical scene of implied drug use with the Beatles. Blanchett just nails his mannerisms and quirkiness. Michelle Williams plays the fashionable blond Coco Rivington, who is a metaphor for Edie Sedgwick . Another hysterical scene with drugged-up Dylan and Alan Ginsberg (played by David Cross), dancing around a ten foot crucifix, and Dylan yells at the stone Jesus, "Play your old stuff!" The segment ends with Dylan's infamous motorcycle crash.

6) Richard Gere – "William 'Billy' McMaster" – grizzled, late in life, maybe takes place back in the late 50s? Color. Reclusive "Billy the Kid," who takes on "Commissioner Garrett" who wants to plow over his town of Riddle, Missouri, to build a superhighway. He meets young "Woody Guthrie" (Franklin) who begs him to take on Garrett. Garrett is also a metaphor for all of the reporters who have hounded Dylan for most of his life. Billy argues with Garrett, and ultimately loses, but he realizes that there are still things worth fighting for. He hops a train, finds his guitar, and keeps on keepin' on. The movie comes full circle.

The soundtrack looks incredible, and will be released in North America on October 30. The soundtrack consists of most of my favorite rock and Americana bands, indie and otherwise (Eddie Vedder, Iron and Wine, Jeff Tweedy, Willie Nelson, The Hold Steady, among others). Sonic Youth does a bitchin' cover of "I'm Not There" in the ending credits. But, fear not Dylan fans, most of Dylan's originals are intact in the film. I'm Not There opens in New York and Los Angeles on November 21, and in Toronto on November 28. I can't wait to see this film again. Here's to hoping that my initial reaction was entirely due to my bad seat. (Edit: It was!)

Tunes from the soundtrack that appear in the film:

Jim James & Calexico - Goin' to Acapulco.mp3
Fantastic scene in the Richard Gere/Billy segment where singer Jim James of My Morning Jacket sings this song and leads a band (eclectic indie rockers Calexico) during a daunting funeral march.

Richie Havens - Tombstone Blues.mp3
In what what can only be described as casting brilliance, Havens appears in the film playing this song along with young Woody (Franklin).

Stephen Malkmus & The Million Dollar Bashers - Ballad of a Thin Man.mp3
Cate Blanchett/Jude lip syncs to Malkmus for all of his (her?) singing scenes. Awesome. The Million Dollar Bashers serve as a "house band" for the soundtrack. They are a super group consisting of guitarist Lee Ranaldo and drummer Steve Shelly of Sonic Youth, guitarist Nels Kline of Wilco, guitarist Tom Verlaine, keyboardist John Medeski, and bassist Tony Garnier (Bob Dylan's current bassist).

John Doe - Pressing On.mp3
Christian Bale/Jack lip syncs to Doe for his "born again" scene. Also Awesome.

Buy: I'm Not There Soundtrack CD (2007), I'm Not There DVD (2008)