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When Tegan & Sara’s set was done I headed down to Market Square to catch Mother Mother. When I got down there there was a huge line waiting to get in and Market Square was at capacity. The security guy on the gate said nobody else was going to get in and this made a lot of people very unhappy. Especially those that had come down after not making it in to see Tegan & Sara. They did eventually let more people in when some left after the earlier shows ended but a few disgruntled folks had already left talking of demanding their money back. This is one of those make or break situations where it all comes down to how a negative situation is handled by the “offenders”, where respect is either eliminated or elevated. Rifflandia came through with flying colours. They did a number of things that not only relieved the tension in the disappointed folks that didn’t make it in tonight, but they proved that they are in this for the love of music and the promotion of musical talent for everyone’s benefit. First, they explained the situation. Second, they apologized. Third, they discussed the concept of the festival in order to manage expectations and to explain how to make sure you make it in to see your top choice. In order to improve the experience for Rifflandia goers they are going to tweet regular updates on what venues still have space, they added another venue for tomorrow night with a whole other line-up and on top of all that…this is big…wait for it…TWO more Mother Mother shows (on Sunday night)!

Do you hear that noise? That’s me applauding Rifflandia’s awesomeness. In the moment of crisis true character is revealed and while this was hardly a crisis, it certainly showed the character of those impressive folks behind the Rifflandia name. So to them, I tip my hat.

O.k so back to the musical adventures. I got into Market Square at the end of The Dudes set. Mother Mother came on right after and did not disappoint. Ever since I saw them at Jon & Roy’s Christmas show I have been looking forward to seeing them again. They rock it on stage and Ryan Guldemond nails it with his vocals. This is definitely a band to watch…they are going places fast. Kudos to them as well for signing up for two more shows on Sunday night!

Yet another incredible night. Here are some photos:

I totally adore watching people do what they are passionate about. There is something so magical about capturing a person in their element. You realize how much work and love and time they have dedicated to it and they just glow with greatness. They look that way to me anyway.

Tonight involved me thinking that I had seen the wickedest band time and time again. What I mean by that is”wow, what an awesome band! I have to tell everyone about them! oh no wait, this is my favorite band! Damn, I just jumped the gun again because THIS is my favorite band!”. The reason for this mentality is that the shows were SO diverse! They were all amazing in their own ways.

I started the night at Alix Goolden Hall and arrived near the end of Christopher Smith‘s set. That was poor timing on my part for as soon as I walked in I wished I had been there for his whole show. His sweet tunes melted me in my seat. Timber Timbre came on next and I was smitten from the first note. Taylor Kirk, the lead singer/guitarist, has a mysterious and velvety voice that reminded me a lot of Leonard Cohen. Then he pairs that with REALLY REALLY cool sounds from his guitar, his violinist and his keyboardist. One song sounded like we were in a field at dusk surrounded by crickets and night critters (o.k so my analogy may not sound appealing but trust me…it was fabulous!). It is so hard to explain but so very great to hear . I’ve never heard anything like it. Final Fantasy was supposed to play next but they had a medical emergency so it was canceled.

From there I went to the Metro Theatre. I came in at the beginning of Sam Bradley‘s set. So, I don’t know what it is with me and event shooting but something embarrassing always seems to happen (ask me sometime about David Suzuki scolding me!). Tonight’s embarrassment comes thanks to Sam. So I’m casually shooting away as Sam is belting it out and his note stops just as I’m taking a picture. “CLICK”. I don’t think the audience heard the click but Sam did. He thought it was beautifully timed. So beautifully timed that he insisted I do it again. He repeated his line. I repeated my awkwardly timed “CLICK”. He went on to ask me what I’m doing tomorrow. So, you may be thinking, aww that sounds sort of sweet. Sweet, my friends, belongs in coffee shops. We were in front of a large captive audience. MORTIFYING is closer to the truth. But on with the show…Basia Bulat came on next. You couldn’t help but enjoy yourself listening to her music and watching her perform. She alternated between guitar, piano and autoharp all while doing vocals. It was cool seeing an autoharp in action.

From there I went down to Market Square where Shad was taking the stage. I have to admit it took a few minutes to adjust from the folksy, bluesy state I had been lulled into to the high energy Hip-Hop experience that Shad brought to the table. He got the crowd going though and I was soon to follow. This is when I really started to appreciate what Rifflandia is doing. Four nights jammed packed full of incredible shows with hugely diverse sounds and here is where the brilliant part comes in…one wristband. So people end up going to shows and listening to music that they wouldn’t necessarily have thought to go to otherwise. Because of the calibre of musicians Rifflandia has brought in, people are hooked. Horizons are broadened. Oh what a beautiful thing. The night ended with Champion. DJ Champion was not only DJing but he was also acting as the conductor for 4 guitarists and a bassist to create super danceable beats. The energy in the place was awesome. It was like a cherry on top of the best dessert ever. What a night! I’ll leave you with some images.