It may seem early to start thinking about summer, but the days are growing longer and organizers of the CKCU Ottawa Folk Festival are already enthusiastically making plans for this year’s event in August.
Organized almost exclusively by volunteers, the Ottawa Folk Festival brings together performers year round, culminating in the summer festival when fans can gather under the warm summer sun and enjoy the diverse sounds of traditional and contemporary folk music.
This year, festival organizers plan to isolate acts that attract a young audience, after complaints arose last year when acts such as Calgary singer-songwriter Feist and Winnipeg’s The Weakerthans attracted excited, young audiences who stood at the front of the stage, blocking the views of the audience members behind them. This year, to settle anxieties of other concert-goers, such acts are expected to play at the newly-opened Capital Music Hall on York Street, the community centre at Britannia Park and the Beachcomber Room at the Travelodge Ottawa West Hotel.
Festival organizers must start brainstorming on how to keep acts appealling to both audiences in the same venue in the future. By separating acts, young audiences may not stumble across the raw experience of a traditional folk song that they otherwise might not seek out.
At the same time, older festival attendees, who would never find themselves at a Feist or Weakerthans show, will miss out on the stimulating new acts that are bubbling in the underground of contemporary folk rock.
A folk festival is a unique experience. Dozens of artisans gather together to share their craft, singing raw and honest songs, some of which have been around for hundreds of years. With a guitar — acoustic or electric —strapped over their shoulder, folk musicians are part of a constantly evolving art, which the Ottawa Folk Festival celebrates to its fullest year after year. This is the atmosphere that some young crowds may miss at this year’s festival.
The change in venue comes only a year after the festival made another controversial decision, in order to entice a younger audience. It came under fire after it booked Canadian Idol winner and pop star Kalan Porter as one of the weekend’s headliners, causing skepticism among many folk-enthusiasts.
It is no surprise, however, that Porter, who is adored by young fans across the country, would attract an ovation at the front of the stage. But what organizers need to do instead of choosing acts simply to capture youth ticket sales is bridge the gap between younger and older audiences by choosing artists — young and old —who are grounded in the roots of folk music.
While, unfortunately, it is not in the festival’s budget to create numerous large stages every year to accommodate all types of acts, the Ottawa Folk Festival must strive to find a better solution that brings audiences together — such as, for example, a standing-room only section toward the side of the stage.
For now, at least, it’s good news that festival organizers have created a youth committee, to address some of these issues and to keep youth engaged in the decision-making process, as well as fundraising efforts to bring the festival some well-deserved revenue.
Regardless of location, the festival is bound to bring some exhilarating acts to the nation’s capital, for audiences of every age. However, it will be disappointing for many fans of folk music to miss out on some of the diversity of acts that the Ottawa Folk Festival offers year after year.