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Edmonton Journal

Edmonton Folk Fest Saturday: Goldie Boutilier brings glam rock to the hill, The Roots shine with non-stop funk, soul and rap

Article content Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Article content How the tens of thousands of tarpies made it to the top of the Gallagher Park hill at the end of Saturday night's Folk Fest slate, capped off by a standing-only, high-energy set is beyond me. Article content Article content But the Legendary Roots Crew capped off what is arguably one of the strongest post-COVID mainstage evening lineups, after solid sets by Taj Mahal, Goldie Boutilier and Danielle Ponder (who would have made a stunning headliner in her own right). More on them shortly. Article content It's a testament to the showmanship of the Philadelphia rap collective and back catalogue that 11 years without a new album (front man Black Thought's solo work notwithstanding) hasn't dampened fan enthusiasm or an extensive musical well from which to draw. Article content But from the jump-off, it was more than 90 minutes of non-stop funk, soul and rap, Black Thought's machine-gun cadence ably supported by the band, with each member getting their own time to shine. Special shoutout to saxophonist Ian Hendrickson-Smith and trumpeter Dave Guy, who round out the band's sound and gave the whole show a vintage soul feel. Article content The band bounced between '90s classics like The Next Movement and aughts hits, including Here I Come, interspersed with throwback soul and funk classics, including Jungle Boogie, Apache and Curtis Mayfield's Move On Up. Article content Made it to @edmfolkfest! With the @theroots — Chris Curtola 🇨🇦 (@chriscurtola) August 10, 2025 Article content Led Zeppelin's Immigrant Song and The White Stripe's Seven Nation Army (the latter led by rumbling low end courtesy sousaphone specialist Tuba Gooding Jr.) Article content Article content The set seemingly peaked with fan favourite You Got Me, featuring an extended 'guitar gently weeping' solo from Captain Kirk Douglas, before really peaking with hit The Seed (2.0). Article content And at the centre of it all, while Black Thought was the driving energy of the set, band leader and drummer Questlove looked like he was out for a leisurely stroll, calmly laying down the groove with a relaxed smile pasted to his face. Article content For those in attendance, this will be a Folk Fest set that won't soon be forgotten. Article content As mentioned, though The Roots were the headliner, the return visit from Danielle Ponder proved that the former lawyer is not just a rising star, but a headliner-calibre performer. Article content With powerhouse vocals that could turn on a time between heartbroken tenderness and soaring wails, Ponder treated the Folk Fest crowd to a number of new songs from her forthcoming album.