2001: A FOLK ODYSSEY
In August 2001, I went on a bicycling tour of Nova Scotia. I had never been to the province, let alone Canada, nor had I
ever been on a bike tour. But 40
miles (or roughly 66 kilometers) of pedaling a day and quaint bed and breakfast
lodgings was luxury compared to the hiking and camping trips I had taken
previously.
Our first night, August 12th, we were put up at the Boscawen
Inn in Lunenburg, about 40 miles southwest of Halifax. After dinner, a bunch of us wandered around the village.
We knew that there was something going on around town, as we noticed a
performance of some sort at the bandstand on Cumberland Street just across from
the inn when we first arrived. Heading
east and following the sound of music in the air, we stumbled upon a large tent
at Townsend and Kempt Streets. It
turned out to be the Mainstage Tent of the Lunenburg Folk Harbor Festival. We had already missed the first half of the closing night
performance, but decided to pay our way in for the rest of the show anyway.
We were first treated to the cowboy musical styling of Skip Gorman.
Aside from the fact that he repeated verses from his songs, it was a nice
diversion. Then the final act was
introduced. A woman came out and
instantly injected a bolt of electricity throughout the audience.
Her dialogue was stream of consciousness, yet clear, pointed and funny. That was Connie Kaldor.
She reminisced a little about the Canadian 
Prairies and how cold and long
– and cold the winters get there, leading into her song, “Winter”.
She confessed her guilty pleasure for web surfing and proceeded to sing
the hilarious “Dot-Dot
Com
Song”, a parody of “The Banana Boat Song”.
But her musical performances were touching as well, like the mellow
“Whistle Gone”, which played as a light rain fell on the tent and a cool
breeze joined her music in filling the air.
That’s an experience that could never be duplicated by a concert at
Madison Square Garden or the United Center.
When I got home to the States, I immediately ordered Love Is A Truck,
if for nothing else but a memento of the trip.
But after listening to the album, I was hooked.
Perhaps it’s because I hadn’t really listened to folk music before.
I’m too young to be a “child of the 60’s”, and too old to be
walking around in pants that are five sizes too large.
So I suppose one could say that Connie Kaldor was my introduction.
But she’s really more than a “folk singer”.
As she proved in Lunenburg that summer evening, she’s an entertainer.
Imagine that. Someone in the entertainment industry who is actually entertaining.
