Riverfest Elora’s sister festival celebrates a day of beer, tunes, and bonfires
On Saturday, March 5, 2016, the oft-quiet town of Elora played host to the third annual Ice Jam. The one-day music festival is the younger and colder sister to Riverfest Elora, which will present its eighth annual festival this August. Yes, this was a (mostly) outdoor music festival in the winter, complete with a fresh snowfall and subzero high temperature.
Walking into the festival to light snow, numb toes, and a golden yellow sun, Saturday felt like one of the few truly wintry days this year. The music itself was housed in a giant heated tent in the middle of Bissell Park that slowly warmed up through the night as more bodies filled the tent. Beers stayed naturally cold with the ambient temperature, and the sound of the thawing Grand River could be heard from the vendor’s area outside. Volunteers shoveled slush out of the dance area and tended to two barrel fires that may have been the most popular attraction of the night. The setting could not have been better.
Fergus songstress Madison Galloway opened the afternoon with a heart-warming set of country-folk. Galloway is only 15-years-old and has a long way to go in the music world, but is definitely on the right path. Many musicians don’t even pick up a guitar until that age, and to be playing a music festival before finishing the tenth grade is impressive in its own right.
Guelph’s own Joni NehRita started to get bodies moving with the first injection of groove into the festival. NehRita complements soul with hints of jazz and an underlying funk rhythm supplied by bassist Tyler Wagler. NehRita has been seemingly flying under the radar for eight years while still performing at events such as The Montreal Jazz Festival, and touring Germany and Australia. Her live set is passionate and honest, and her smile and charisma onstage builds a real connection with the audience—you can’t help but feel close to her and her music.
[pullquote align=”left” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]…have proven themselves over two decades as Toronto’s kings of alt-country rock-n-roll.[/pullquote]
Waterloo’s Safe As Houses were next to take the stage as the sun began to set on the festival. Falling under the umbrella of folk-rock, I couldn’t help but think they were just another ‘Mumford band’ … for now. These guys were young and clearly had the connection with each other that any good band needs. They were comfortable on stage and knew how to build the energy of their set. If they can find their own unique sound, Safe as Houses will soon be regulars in CBC’s rotation.
Next, Grand Analog really turned up the heat and took home the award for deepest bass of the night. The Winnipeg/Toronto hip-hop outfit were downright groovy. Rhythm changes were snappy and tight, while their set still remained more loose and fun than the majority of modern hip-hop acts. Grand Analog were able to cover nearly the entire spectrum of what could be defined as hip-hop. Spacey echoes paid homage to traditional dub throughout the set, while some of the more intense numbers brought a rap-funk vibe close to the realm of Rage Against The Machine. Ultimately, Grand Analog were the best representation of ice “jam” at the festival.
The highlight of the festival was The Sadies, who have proven themselves over two decades as Toronto’s kings of alt-country rock-n-roll. Looking a little older and worse for wear completely suited the band who have been touring since 1994. Rhythms were punchy and driving, while the guitar solos were a flurry of blues licks without a single sour note. The band’s scorcher of a set would not have been out of place as the soundtrack to a contemporary western film.
Closing the night were classic Canadian rock band 54-40. Playing songs that were hits in some cases three decades ago, you had to wonder “are these guys still relevant?” Probably not, but it’s still rock and roll and the band easily chalked up the most sing-alongs of the night. The majority of tunes had a hazy familiarity from years of radio play from the days when I was still asking my mom “are we there yet?” 54-40 are the kind of band you’ve heard before in the car and a seven-minute version of “Ocean Pearl” proved they can still get stuck in your head on the drive home.