Folk Festival Sunday Recap
By Dianne Miranda, Josie Simon, Daman Singh, August 10 2024—
After the chaos and thrill of Saturday at Folk Festival, Sunday had a beautiful wind-down prepared for the people. From local acts like K-Riz and Ginger Beef to fun sessions with bands you might have missed over the weekend, The Gauntlet staff’s picks from Sunday’s lineup are below.
Dianne’s Picks
Cat Cylde at ATB Main Stage
I was sad that I was not able to catch Cat Cylde’s individual concert on Saturday, July 27 at the National Stage 4, but I was so ecstatic to be able to see her play the ATB Main Stage on Sunday, July 28 during the transition in between Miko Marks and Fantastic Negrito. Even though her set was only 15 minutes long and consisted of three songs, the jazzy ragtime, retro, punky, poppy, sweet and bluesy vibe she brought captivated the audience in this short time.
Clyde is a treat to watch as she playfully shifts her pitch and volume perfectly accompanying her breathy, cracky and emotive voice. There is a timeless essence to her and her songs, like “Everywhere I Go”, that makes her performance feel so nostalgic and familiar yet memorable.
The Métis Ontario-based artist — whose songs are filled with melodious finger-picking, the sweet melody of her voice that is always delivered so effortlessly drifting from husky to soft to deep and jumping octaves gracefully — put the crowd into a trance leaving them eager to see what Clyde has in the future.
Clyde continues her tour with the UK and Europe leg starting Aug. 30. Learn more about Cat Clyde’s music and upcoming tour on her Instagram, and listen to her music on streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music.
Josie’s Picks
Billie Marten at ATB Main Stage
From 5:30 to 6:15 pm, Billie Marten graced the Main Stage, delivering a performance that instantly became one of my favourites. As I sat on the grass, enjoying my caramel gelato, Marten drew from her albums Writing of Blues and Yellows, Feeding Seahorses by Hand and Drop Cherries, creating an unexpectedly intimate atmosphere. Despite the large outdoor venue, her incredible voice and genuine presence made it feel less like a concert and more like a relaxed gathering with a talented friend.
Songs like “Vanilla Baby” and “I Can’t Get My Head Around You” stood out, showcasing Marten’s haunting vocals. The band’s smooth instrumentation complemented her voice perfectly, creating a relaxing yet captivating atmosphere.
What struck me most was how genuine Marten seemed on stage. Her relaxed confidence and warm interactions made me feel part of something special. I couldn’t help but smile as she cracked jokes between songs, turning what could have been a typical concert into a shared experience.
Each song felt personal as if Marten was sharing a piece of herself with us. By the time she finished, I knew I’d just experienced one of the standout moments of Folk Fest.
Daman’s Picks
Tribe Artist Society at Talk Tent
A quick invite from Tea Fannie and a small pitstop led me to my favourite discovery from this year’s folk festival. The Tribe Artist Society was inexplicably hip-hop to its core. They brought cypher to the Folk Festival community and even though they were in one of the smaller stages, it didn’t feel like it. Everyone was invited to be in the circle of people freestyling over people breaking on the ground.
This was my first experience with cypher and it was all I expected and more. While there is something so comforting about the community a smaller stage creates, the Tribe Artist Society needs to be on a bigger stage for next year’s folk festival.
Fantastic Negrito at ATB Main Stage
Coming back for another year at the Folk Festival, Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz gave one of my favourite performances of the entire weekend. Clad in a golden robe, Fantastic Negrito walked on staga and he commanded it like no other. The rhythmic blues of his rock and roll are paired with his unmatched swagger, and Xavier is an ecstatic frontman. With performance antiques not much different from that of Prince and a blues driven sound reminiscent of Hendrix, Fantastic Negrito is a pleasant blast from the past and I could not stop dancing in the photo pit.