Latest news with #EdmontonFolkMusicFestival2025
Edmonton Journal
05-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Edmonton Journal
Five side-stage must-see acts at Edmonton Folk Music Festival 2025
Article content Headlining Saturday, The Roots are certainly 'the' checklist name at Edmonton Folk Music Festival 2025 — and having seen the hip-hop-R&B rolling juggernaut light up bouncy Calgary last year, I'd say don't miss this if you managed to get now sold-out tickets. Article content For the perhaps less creaky among us, Thursday night's chipper, fist-pumping rock band Rainbow Kitten Surprise and the widespread sonic wings of Mt. Joy closing Sunday are the two major draws for a slightly younger audience. Article content Article content And the quick-turnaround and higher-slotted return of Danielle Ponder Saturday night has basically zero chance of not being awesome. I think we'd all be happy to hear that gods-shaking cover of Radiohead's Creep again, if Ponder's willing. Article content For your pleasure and spark conversation, here are five acts — by no means the only five, depending on what you crave — you might want to show up early for … with showtimes, of course! Article content Cedric Burnside — 3:05 p.m. Sat. + 4:30 p.m. Sun. Stage 6 sessions, 5:35 Sat. Stage 1 concert Article content One of the all-time North Country Fair great jams, this rising blues legend started out as his experimental bluesman granddad R.L. Burnside's drummer at age 13. So, you know, music in the blood here. Nominated for the same traditional blues album award Taj Mahal won at this year's Grammys, Hill Country Love is such a crisp and delightful recording you'll feel like you're hearing blues for the first time. Can't wait to see him again in person, especially alongside main-stager Taj Mahal at the Saturday afternoon session with Monophonics and Blue Moon Marquee. Article content Article content
Calgary Herald
05-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Calgary Herald
Five side-stage must-see acts at Edmonton Folk Music Festival 2025
Article content Headlining Saturday, The Roots are certainly 'the' checklist name at Edmonton Folk Music Festival 2025 — and having seen the hip-hop-R&B rolling juggernaut light up bouncy Calgary last year, I'd say don't miss this if you managed to get now sold-out tickets. Article content For the perhaps less creaky among us, Thursday night's chipper, fist-pumping rock band Rainbow Kitten Surprise and the widespread sonic wings of Mt. Joy closing Sunday are the two major draws for a slightly younger audience. Article content Article content And the quick-turnaround and higher-slotted return of Danielle Ponder Saturday night has basically zero chance of not being awesome. I think we'd all be happy to hear that gods-shaking cover of Radiohead's Creep again, if Ponder's willing. Article content Article content With all that out of the way, the side stages are especially bubbling with must-see concerts and performers this year. Article content For your pleasure and spark conversation, here are five acts — by no means the only five, depending on what you crave — you might want to show up early for … with showtimes, of course! Article content One of the all-time North Country Fair great jams, this rising blues legend started out as his experimental bluesman granddad R.L. Burnside's drummer at age 13. So, you know, music in the blood here. Nominated for the same traditional blues album award Taj Mahal won at this year's Grammys, Hill Country Love is such a crisp and delightful recording you'll feel like you're hearing blues for the first time. Can't wait to see him again in person, especially alongside main-stager Taj Mahal at the Saturday afternoon session with Monophonics and Blue Moon Marquee. Article content Article content
Vancouver Sun
05-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Vancouver Sun
Five side-stage must-see acts at Edmonton Folk Music Festival 2025
Headlining Saturday, The Roots are certainly 'the' checklist name at Edmonton Folk Music Festival 2025 — and having seen the hip-hop-R&B rolling juggernaut light up bouncy Calgary last year, I'd say don't miss this if you managed to get now sold-out tickets. For the perhaps less creaky among us, Thursday night's chipper, fist-pumping rock band Rainbow Kitten Surprise and the widespread sonic wings of Mt. Joy closing Sunday are the two major draws for a slightly younger audience. And the quick-turnaround and higher-slotted return of Danielle Ponder Saturday night has basically zero chance of not being awesome. I think we'd all be happy to hear that gods-shaking cover of Radiohead's Creep again, if Ponder's willing. Get top headlines and gossip from the world of celebrity and entertainment. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sun Spots will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. With all that out of the way, the side stages are especially bubbling with must-see concerts and performers this year. For your pleasure and spark conversation, here are five acts — by no means the only five, depending on what you crave — you might want to show up early for … with showtimes, of course! Cedric Burnside — 3:05 p.m. Sat. + 4:30 p.m. Sun. Stage 6 sessions, 5:35 Sat. Stage 1 concert One of the all-time North Country Fair great jams, this rising blues legend started out as his experimental bluesman granddad R.L. Burnside's drummer at age 13. So, you know, music in the blood here. Nominated for the same traditional blues album award Taj Mahal won at this year's Grammys, Hill Country Love is such a crisp and delightful recording you'll feel like you're hearing blues for the first time. Can't wait to see him again in person, especially alongside main-stager Taj Mahal at the Saturday afternoon session with Monophonics and Blue Moon Marquee. Haley Heynderickx — 11 a.m. Sat. at Stage 3 + 11 a.m. Sun. at Stage 6 sessions, 4:25 p.m. Stage 5 concert With a whirling guitar-picking finger-style reminiscent of John Fahey and a proclivity for self-care introversion within nature and the ecosphere swimming through her lyrics and album titles, this Portland business-degree holder chose the right path, making seriously beautiful indie-pop music. If you're after a meditative, dreamy performer that makes you appreciate the dandelions, butterflies and clouds, look no further. Mama's Broke — 7:35 p.m. Fri. at Stage 2 + 11 a.m. Sat. at Stage 2 + 11 a.m. Sun. at Stage 7 sessions, 4:15 p.m. Sat. at Stage 7 concert Agnostically imprecise as they wander between bluegrass harmonies, Celtic loops, battlefield graveyard folk, Balkan punk and indeed a wink at Doom Metal, this string-heavy Halifax duo are for those who understand the fiddle is the open door to the devil but jump into the backseat anyway. Think Gillian Welch with a little more caffeine, and get ready for dance and foot percussion amid an inventory of mandolin, guitar, banjo and what people in pomade and bowties call violin. For more fiery fiddlin' ferocity, don't miss Brianna Lizotte at Nikamowin Stage 11 a.m. Saturday, PS, and Scotland's Talisk Celtic supergroup playing all over Sunday, with a 4:10 p.m. concert at Stage 5. Ian Noe — 12:35 p.m. Sat. + 3:05 p.m. Sun. sessions, 5:45 p.m. Sun. concert For a poetic visual storyteller summoning the ghost of EFMF all-time great John Prine (who he's opened for), get to know Noe's dark and brutally honest songwriting before the weekend. This east Kentucky troubadour has a couple amazing songs called Burning Down the Prairie and Methhead, if that gives you a tiny hint of the carnage through which he wanders. But while Noe certainly explores the darkness, his lyrical sinners also bump into sonic saints, and that cover of the Boss' secretly apocalyptic Born in the USA is perfect for our tense times. Way different, with an old-timey jazzy-country style, but I'll mention the '30s-radio-voiced Melissa Carper here as a sort of swingin'-soul opposite the Noe, though I think anyone with a cowboy shirt would love both. Her solo gig's 12:35 p.m. Sunday at Stage 5. Jesse Welles — 3:05 p.m. Sun. Stage 6 session, 5:40 p.m. Sun. Stage 3 concert For those of us with less reptilian concerns than 'steal power and make money no matter who gets hurt,' this has been an increasingly rough era of delighted, slow-boil rising fascism, endless Karen-gaslighting as pretend heroics. With acerbic satire and straightforward, elbows-up singalong BS-calling, the extremely talented and app-follower-millions- popular Jesse Welles reminds us that the fight to keep humanity human happens on a billion fronts (including you), with his targeted, news-riffing folksinging that feels too strangely rare these days, but I expect we'll see way more of it soon. fgriwkowsky@ @ Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don't miss the news you need to know — add and to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here. You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun. Love concerts, but can't make it to the venue? Stream live shows and events from your couch with VEEPS, a music-first streaming service now operating in Canada. Click here for an introductory offer of 30% off. Explore upcoming concerts and the extensive archive of past performances.
