The sun burned through grey skies just in time for Day 2 of the Vancouver Folk Music Festival, where a swirl of Scottish grooves, Canadian tributes, and Moroccan punk-funk lit up the shoreline. But not everything hit the right note.
A Breezy Start Gives Way to Full-On Groove
Saturday kicked off under a layer of cloud and chill. Not ideal for sun-lovers, but for everyone else? Pretty close to perfect once the sun fought its way through. By the time the main stage got moving, the sky was blue, and the air buzzed with anticipation.
Opening acknowledgments from representatives of the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation grounded the event in its rightful cultural setting. As with every year, the festival stands on the unceded lands of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Peoples — a reminder echoed in tone and tradition throughout the day.
Then Shooglenifty took the stage and basically said, “Let’s dance.”
Shooglenifty Sets It Off — Just Too Early
The Scottish group Shooglenifty didn’t waste a second. With their trademark mix of fiddle-driven melodies and madcap mandolin runs, they brought the Highlands to the Pacific coast in one swirling, high-energy set. Their tunes are hybrids — part ceilidh, part rave, always infectious.
But the crowd wasn’t quite ready for that much movement that early in the evening.
One sentence, just to keep the tempo fresh.
They’ve had lineup changes over the years — and yes, the original members are long gone — but the core spirit remains untouched. Their female vocalist added a new hue to the palette, giving the groove a bit more bounce. Still, many in the crowd quietly wished they’d headlined instead of opening.
As the band jammed on, the Snowbirds flew overhead — a military flyover that just happened to sync up perfectly. Shooglenifty, ever cheeky, claimed credit for the aerial display: “Arranged that at great expense,” they joked. Perfect timing, accidental or not.
Neil Young Gets the Cover Band Treatment
One of the night’s more anticipated slots was Steve Dawson’s “reinterpretation” of Neil Young’s On the Beach. But it wasn’t quite what was promised.
Actually, it wasn’t that at all.
Instead of tackling the album, Dawson pivoted — each guest chose a Neil Young song of their own liking. The results were… mixed.
• Rich Hope’s “Cinnamon Girl” was solid.
• Marcus Mosley tried to soul-up “Tonight’s the Night” — didn’t quite work.
• Sam Parsons on “After the Gold Rush” was wobbly at best.
• Krystle Dos Santos crushed “Rockin’ in the Free World.”
• Sue Foley brought guitar heat on “This Note’s for You.”
• Julian Taylor gave “Southern Man” proper grit.
Everyone piled on for “Helpless” to close it out, but it meandered without much spark.
The band itself? Tight. Dawson’s pedal steel playing was particularly sweet. But even with the talent on stage, it felt more like a really good pub jam session than a main-stage folk fest highlight.
Access Denied: Frustration From the Press Box
There’s something odd — and frustrating — about how this festival handles media.
For some reason, reporters aren’t given access to the full grounds. That’s unheard of at most festivals, and it makes coverage like this trickier than it should be. You want to get close, hear clearly, feel the pulse — not squint from the sidelines wondering which of the Milk Carton Kids is singing lead.
It’s a weird policy, Vancouver.
Just weird.
Ocie Elliott Charm With Quiet Intimacy
Victoria duo Ocie Elliott brought the hush.
Their minimalist setup — acoustic guitar, bass, keys — suited their whispery harmonies. Jon Middleton and Sierra Lundy don’t shout or sparkle, but they drift along sweetly. It’s calm. Almost too calm for a mid-evening slot, especially after Shooglenifty’s foot-stomping earlier.
Their set probably would’ve fit better earlier in the afternoon. Still, no one seemed to mind too much. The audience sat quietly, heads swaying. Think quiet campfire rather than festival main stage.
One line for balance.
Bab L’ Bluz Set the Stage Ablaze
Then came the knockout punch.
Bab L’ Bluz — the Moroccan-French fusion group from Marrakesh — didn’t just perform. They detonated. With Berber scales, Arabic rhythms, heavy funk grooves and a punk-rock attitude, they flipped the whole vibe upside down.
Yousra Mansour? She’s electric.
Playing the awisha (a kind of Moroccan lute) like a weapon and singing like she’s shaking the ground beneath her feet, Mansour had the audience moving like it was a street protest and block party rolled into one.
Brice Bottin held it down on the electric gimbri — a traditional instrument that slaps like a bass guitar but with deeper roots. Backed by a killer rhythm section, the band rolled through hypnotic call-and-response songs, powerful chants, and psychedelic rock climaxes.
Mansour even tore into solos that sounded like early King Crimson — jagged, aggressive, off-kilter. As she shredded, the Festival of Light fireworks began exploding over the water. No kidding. Literal fireworks.
Here’s a quick comparison table for clarity:
| Band | Origin | Style | Crowd Reaction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shooglenifty | Scotland | Celtic fusion dance | Loved it, but too early |
| Steve Dawson & Co | Canada | Neil Young tribute | Mixed feelings |
| Ocie Elliott | British Columbia | Indie folk minimalism | Gentle applause |
| Bab L’ Bluz | Morocco/France | Gnawa rock, punk-funk fusion | Absolute frenzy |
Saturday was a good night, no doubt.
The sequencing, though, could’ve used a bit of reshuffling. Shooglenifty and Bab L’ Bluz could’ve easily bookended the night with danceable intensity. Instead, their energy was deflated in between by an uneven tribute set and the whispery sweetness of Ocie Elliott.
Still, there were moments to remember — and for many, that’s more than enough.
