The tenth annual music festival presented both up and coming acts and established acts from across North America
Friday, August 17 marked the opening day of the tenth annual Riverfest. The music festival presented a diverse selection of artists from across North America over three days at Bissell Park. From local indie rock bands to international pop sensations, the festival offered something for everyone.
Friday
Cuff The Duke seemed at home onstage in the Koop Tent, having headlined the festival in 2012. The band opened their set with “Remember the Good Times,” dedicated to the memory of Marilyn Koop, the festival founder.
The contrast between lead singer Julie Doiron’s high pitched and smooth voice and the loud electric guitar found in Julie & The Wrong Guys’ set attracted a crowd at the Dine Alone Records’ Wax on Wheels Stage. Doiron returned her love to the crowd, saying, “I’m not even high or anything, I’m just really happy to be here.”
July Talk closed the first night with their last show before heading back to the studio to work on a new record. The onstage chemistry between lead singers Peter Dreimanis and Leah Fay, along with the outstanding energy all band members put in made their performance as entertaining to watch as it was to listen to. The rain returned as the band finished their set, giving day one of Riverfest a near cinematic finish.
Saturday
Festival attendees were treated to better weather on Saturday morning, as well as a full day of performances. While some die-hard Carly Rae Jepsen fans staked out a spot in front of the main stage as soon as the gates opened, others participated in a morning yoga practice. Instructors Tania Seagrove and Grace Rosewarne encouraged their group to start the day with a smile on their face and a light in their heart.
The Bearskins opened day two with a set that started low and gained intensity throughout. The Elora based band attracted a wide variety of ages and acted as a gradual warm up for what the rest of the day would have in store.
Love Wagon’s dramatic entrance of their saxophonist coming through the crowd is nearly as dramatic as their entrance into the music scene. This was their biggest gig so far; the band earned their spot in the Koop Tent by winning the 2018 Ryerson University Battle of the Bands contest. Love Wagon treated their fans to the premiere performance of “My Heart’s Wide Open” from their upcoming release.
Despite being only 18, Fergus native Madison Galloway proved she can captivate a crowd by exuding confidence alongside her band, The Mud Guppies. She performed both covers and original songs, with a vocal style reminiscent of Alanis Morissette.
Riverfest veterans and local legends Rawlins Cross were the next to perform on the main stage. The group who headlined the first ever Riverfest set the tone of their Celtic inspired set from the get-go with a penny whistle solo, followed by a bagpipe duet when Peter Piper join them onstage. Their tune “Forever Dancing” embodied the free-spirited atmosphere of the festival.
Heartstreets took over the Koop Tent, delivering a performance that showed how completely in sync the two women are. Gab Godon and Emma Beko managed to hold the crowd’s attention and deliver an entertaining show.
The Koop Tent was packed full of The Creepshow’s fans during their set. The band performed songs off of their latest album, Death at My Door, delivering their own brand of rock.
At the Wax on Wheels stage, crowds were being treated to the first hip hop act of the weekend. After DJ Mel Boogie warmed up the crowd, the four-woman rap group, The Sorority, performed tracks from their debut album, Pledge. The group demonstrated their freestyle skills in a Toronto East side versus West side rap battle, to the complete amazement of the crowd.
Women continued to dominate the second day of Riverfest with The Beaches performing on the main stage. The rock group delivered an impressive show to the festival goers, giving a performance that was pure “Gold.”
Toronto-based pop singer RALPH gave a performance that radiated the same effortless style and smooth vocals as Dua Lipa.
If there is one word that captures a Carly Rae Jepsen performance, it’s “fun.” The singer delivered an upbeat set, including the song that brought her to the international attention in the summer of 2012, “Call Me Maybe.” Even if that was the only song some audience members knew of hers going into the performance, her infectious personality left a smile on everyone’s face.
Fans once again flooded the Koop Tent for Born Ruffians, Riverfest headliners from 2013. The band demonstrated their range by playing songs that straddled between indie and rock.
The aesthetic and performance that Sam Coffey & The Iron Lungs gave at the Wax on Wheels stage was that of classic rock stars. Their set was able to inject new energy into festival goers before the final act of the night.
The Flaming Lips upheld their reputation for being a spectacular live band with their jaw-dropping production. Highlights of their set included a giant robot inflatable, lead singer Wayne Coyne’s giant attachable hands shooting lasers at the giant hanging disco ball, and Coyne riding onto stage atop of a giant light-up unicorn. -Karen K. Tran
Sunday
The final day of Riverfest was especially humid, but it did little to hinder festival goers excitement as the day also presented perhaps the widest cross section of genres of the weekend so far.
Luke Gruntz and Ian Fraser of cleopatrick [sic] demonstrated that group size isn’t everything when it comes to performing. The band showed they could handle the stage just fine with the two of them by making use of a looping pedal.
Co-presented by Kazoo! Fest, the Guelph-based band Bonnie Trash offered their own eerie take on rock. The band’s creative decisions, including using a violin bow on a bass guitar, ensured that no two songs sounded the same.
Leeroy Stagger’s latest album, Love Versus, is based around a theme of storytelling and he brought that energy to the main stage. His acoustic set had the same atmosphere as a gathering of friends around a campfire. Stagger stated that the goal of the album was to see if love could overcome obstacles the world is facing, telling the crowd, “Love is just a word, but if you put an action behind it, it means a lot more.”
Guelph’s own Alanna Gurr & The Greatest State gave a performance that was melodic and comforting.
The combination of Nabi Sue Bersche’s light vocals and the strong bassline of currently Guelph-based band Ellevator’s performance created a sophisticated vibe. Rather than being drowned out by the other band members, the contrast gave the songs a unique identity.
It has been a big summer for Bedouin Soundclash, having performed recently at the final Warped Tour show in Toronto earlier in July, and now the main stage of Riverfest. The band have only performed a handful of times in eight years, but their set demonstrated that they are true style chameleons. The band gave a shout out to Guelph’s Jimmy Jazz and dedicated their song “When the Night Feels My Song” to a couple in the audience who had met at one of their concerts.
Haviah Mighty performed for the second time at Riverfest, having taken the stage the day before with The Sorority. The rapper represented her hometown of Brampton with pride, performing songs inspired by the city as well as tracks from her upcoming project. She was not afraid to engage with the crowd, walking through the audience to the delight of her fans.
After playing “Boys and Blondes,” the last song of their set, Dear Rouge’s lead singer Danielle McTaggart roamed through the audience to give hugs to fans. -Karen K. Tran
Returning Riverfest performer Rich Aucoin reminded the audience about the blissful days of elementary school gym class when he brought out a parachute to cover the majority of the audience in the crowded Koop Tent and had the audience dancing under the parachute. -Karen K. Tran
In contrast to the high energy of the previous two nights’ headlining acts, July Talk and The Flaming Lips, Blue Rodeo kept the vibe mellow as they closed out the festival weekend. -Karen K. Tran
Photos by Karen K. Tran
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