As usual, we’ll have you covered throughout the festival with daily previews to get you geared up for that day’s lineup at Lansdowne, and then a slew of pictures the next day to help you relive the experience – or give you a bad case of FOMO. Fair warning.
Day 2 is a wrap, but the party is just getting started, and today’s lineup on the main stage is bound to kick off the weekend right.
TD Stage:
6:00pm: Sven Gali
7:20pm: Headstones
8:45pm: Bush
It’s a time warp type of triple bill this evening, throwing festival-goers back to the 90s. Starting the night off is Niagara’s Sven Gali. Breaking out with their debut album in 1992, which spawned their two biggest hits “Under The Influence” and “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore,” they were destined for stardom in the same vein as contemporaries Skid Row. Unfortunately, once grunge wiped out every other rock type the following year, by the time they released their second album in 1995, they couldn’t get a foothold in the scene. After a long hiatus, the band reformed in 2017, and has since worked on innovative new material.
Next up is one of the great Canadian rock bands of the decade, Kingston’s own Headstones. Since their platinum-certified debut album Picture of Health catapulted them into the spotlight amid the Canadian Rock renaissance era, they’ve continued to produce successful albums, almost always spawning a top 10 hit or two. After a decade together, Headstones took a decade-long mid-career hiatus, and then picked up right where they left off and churned out more seminal hits. Their latest album, Flight Risk takes their legendary intensity and ratchets it up even higher, somehow. While the group’s chart and sales success are impressive, Headstones’ live show is guaranteed to leave fans floored. If you’re up by the barrier at the front, don’t be surprised if you get up close and person with singer Hugh Dillon, as he ventures into the crowd.
Closing out Flashback Friday is Bush (or ‘Bush X’ for Gen Xers who remember the band’s debut name). Another band formed in the early 90s that experienced early success for around a decade, then disbanded, before reforming for a second successful stint, Gavin Rossdale’s group will be making their second appearance at CityFolk. With two new albums added to their catalog since their 2019 appearance, including new hits “More Than Machines” and “Flowers On A Grave”, they will have plenty to choose from for an extended set. It might not match the five Top 5 hits of their debut Sixteen Stone, but then again, very few albums ever have, so that bar is excessively high.
Courtside Stage:
5:30pm: Geneviève Racette
6:30pm: Villages
7:30pm: The Tallest Man on Earth
Another night dedicated to folk music in the Courtside tent, highlighting some of the great Canadian artists to our East.
First up in the dinner time slot is Montreal’s Geneviève Racette. The bilingual folk singer has been churning out EPs and full-length albums non-stop since her debut in 2014, working in Christmas releases and the “Covers” EP between three full-length albums. The latest of those, 2022’s Satellites, produced her biggest English hit to date, a haunting duet with City and Colour titled “Someone”, topped only by her breakout French hit, 2019’s “Sans Toi.” Grab a seat early, sit back and let Racette’s soaring vocals take your cares away.
As we continue on our way East, we make our way to Cape Breton’s band Villages. An interesting blend of traditional and modern influences creates a mix that sounds both anchored in familiarity, yet fresh. Villages don’t sound like the Rankins, but you can certainly sense the influence. But they’re also more modern, like if The War on Drugs had been based in Sydney rather than Philly. Music from Village’s new album, Dark Island will offer perfect transition to add a bit more foot tapping to the night’s lineup.
Finally, making our way to the very end of the Trans-Canada Highway, we get the St. John’s-based duo Fortunate Ones. The award-winning pair will bring together their signature harmonies to close out the evening. Having garnered international attention, and close to 10 million streams of “Before You”, the duo’s emotive vocals intertwine perfectly. Last year’s That Was You and Me added a touch more depth to their sound, without taking anything away from the power of their vocals. Fortunate One will be taking their new material over the border this month as they launch into a month-long tour of the U.S. opening for Bahamas.
Keep checking apt613.ca and our social media feeds for more previews and photos throughout the festival!
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