Though I will not be attending the Winnipeg Folk Festival this year between July 11-14 at Bird’s Hill Provincial Park, I did take the opportunity to scan the line-up to get a sense of what I might be missing. You can find the full list of performer’s here at the festival’s website.
The headliners are Mt. Joy, Orville Peck, Lucinda Williams, Band of Horses, Shakey Graves, Noah Cyrus, The Tallest Man on Earth, Joy Oladokun, and The War And Treaty. Among others who will be on stage are Grace Potter, Cowboy Junkies, Joy Oladokmn, Bonny Light Horseman, Neil Francis, Noah Reid, SYML, Leith Ross, Moontricks, Gone Gone Beyond, Hemna Deland, Ariel Posen, Nick Shoulders, Steph Strings, Choir! Choir! Choir!, Elisapie, Roman Clarke, Mall Velasquez, Bendigo Fletcher, Medicine Singers, The Grogans, The Fretless, Dirtwire, Jake Blount, and Etran De Lair.
As most of the acts are new to me, it was interesting to peruse the types of music on offer helpfully provided by the festival organizers, including Roots/Rock; Afro-Psychedelic; Indie Rock; Indie Folk-Rock; Folk; Roots; Pop; Pop/Folk; Alt Country; Roots/Trad; Afro-Futurist Roots; American Old Time; Old Time Folk; Egyptian Experimental Electronic; Swamptronica/Electro Twang; Future Folk; Electro-Afro Funk; Singer-Songwriter; Americana/Old Time; Folk/Traditional; Country Rock; Polish Folk; Celtic Fusion; Psychedelic Banjo; Chamber Folk; Garage Surf Rock; Art Punk Jazz Rock; Bluegrass; Alternative R&B; Traditional Chinese Pipa, etc.
From what I can glean, folk festivals cover a lot of territory these days as artistic directors try to be inclusive, a laudable goal, but also attempt to be responsive to newer and younger audiences who have to be enticed to show up if these events are to continue at all. I get that and I’m on board.