SARAH HARMER HITS HOME WITH MARIPOSA FOLK CROWD SATURDAY IN DIG AT DOUG FORD’S HWY. 413
Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com
ORILLIA — Sunday night Mariposa headliner Steve Earle is guaranteed to mix American politics with his Grammy award-winning country, rock and folk music.
He followed British political commentator Billy Bragg Friday night.
But it was Canadian singer Sarah Harmer last night who put her same sound and emotion into Canadian context by urging thousands in front of the Lightfoot Stage to “oppose Doug Ford’s Hwy. 413 … unless you want to save the 30 seconds crossing the top of Toronto.”
The Burlington singer — who last year won the Juno Humanitarian Award for her environmental activism — also wasted no time talking about saving the Greenbelt and Oak Ridges Moraine.
They weren’t the only ones singing protest songs — which after all aren’t that what the Mariposa Folk Festival was founded on in 1961.
Wax Mannequin referred to the “unbridled fascism” of the day in the world in his brief Tweener set before Harmer.
But there was more music and storytelling on the Day 2 of the annual still popular three-day party fest.
With a number of acts, including Harmer, making return visits after “a couple of decades.”
She was one of the more pleasing main stage acts to listen to following some performers who didn’t project enough to entertain as well as Harmer.
A fact of life as the festival ever evolves and expands beyond its roots.
Though several singers did receive rave reviews, including Father John Misty Friday night.
Along with lots of Canadian content, including the ever-popular Great Lakes Swimmers and tributes to The Tragically Hip and Neil Young
Still there were plenty of attempts among the ‘Sounds Like Home” themed-festival participants to keep alive the immortal legend and hometown of Gordon Lightfoot, which some of the old fans on hand would like to hear more of in 2027.
Lloyd Spiegel said “I could be up here for hours telling stories.”
Dartmouth’s Adam Baldwin, too, was happy to be invited back after last appearing in 2013. It was an “Evening Dream” sang the East Coaster whose “Little Lorraine” song inspired a feature film of the same name that last year won itself a TIFF award.
His intimate set in one of the half dozen cozy tents dotted around the Tudhope Park peninsula was warmly received on a day that had intermittent showers mid-day. But that cleared up for last night’s main stage shows that included Taj Mahal & The Phantom Blues Band and finally Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Story.
Tonight’s final Lightfoot Stage acts include Earle at 7:15 p.m., St. Paul and the Broken Bones and The Free Label.
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