THE 1980 VANCOUVER FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL
25 years ago this summer, the folk
music revival of Canada known as the 'Canadian Wave' was given a boost as the
city of Vancouver, British Columbia and the Vancouver Folk Music Society decided
to host an outdoor concert of all sorts of musical acts. It wasn't very reminiscent
of Woodstock. Instead, it featured acts off the beaten path -- and the pop
charts. Acts from different countries and cultures were thrown together
for an eclectic but entertaining show.
It wasn't until two years later in July, 1980 that the society decided to record the acts in it's third annual festival for an album. Again, a wide array of acts from Canada, the U.S. and even Scotland were featured.
Looking back in 2003, some of the acts don't exactly ring a bell (' The Original Sloth Band & The Honolulu Heartbreakers', for example). But two names do stand out on the bill: Ferron, and Connie Kaldor. This album, like a time capsule, captures great live performances from the two future forces in folk in the very early stages of their careers.
Consider that their appearances on stage that summer didn't guarantee them a spot on the album. The VFM Society recorded over 50 hours from over 100 acts in the three-day festival. As they describe it, they "chose forty minutes that we think represents a fair sampling of what went on. We have tried to reflect the diversity of the music and it's concerns".
Thus, it was very fortuitous for Connie and Ferron to have made the final cut. It was certainly a boost to their careers (however, a little thing called 'talent' didn't hurt either).
So on it's 23rd anniversary, we spotlight "The 1980 Vancouver Folk Music Festival" album -- not only featuring Connie's hilarious performance of "Jerks", but also Ferron's appearance and some of the better performances on the record. So click on a song below, close your eyes and recall U.S. President Jimmy Carter (and Billy Beer!), Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, bellbottoms and wide lapels as you travel back to July, 1980...
Sweet Honey In The Rock -- Breaths