One weekend, two music festivals, 40 years to catch up

I was presented with the wonderful opportunity to attend Mariposa last weekend up in Orillia. Sarah Harmer, Taj Mahal and Loudon Wainwright III were scheduled, however, it was the Friday night lineup that attracted me up... Great Lake Swimmers with Serena Ryder, Joel Plaskett with Peter Elkas and Hayden backed by Cuff The Duke.

Yeah, I know. Swell. And it was.

GLS lead Tony Dekker's high hymns, Plaskett's modesty, despite being one of the true treasures of Cancon, and Hayden's return to stage. So welcome, it drew out every bug in the county and they shone in the spotlights like a shower of needles. Brilliant from side stage where I sat among the gear but not so much, I guess, for the hundreds out on the lawns.

I slept in my van and awoke early and sat and watched the town slip into life, the water of Lake Couchiching waited with me. What a glorious place Tudhope Park is for a festival. I sat for some time watching the willows reach into and out of the waves. Quietly, joggers and strollers wishing well passed by. It brought to mind English Bay in Vancouver.

In the early afternoon, Cuff, Joel and Hayden took part in a covers workshop. Cuff played Lightfoot's Alberta Bound and Springsteen's I'm On Fire. Hayden did Young's Out On The Weekend, the first chords of which elicited a cry of approval from the crowd and also Cohen's Famous Blue Raincoat, reminding us that he is more than the sum of his influences. And Plaskett may well be the sweetest man alive as he chose to cover a song his father had written, as well as Haligonian's Al Tuck and Matthew Grimson's La La La, I'm Not Listening, which he mentioned would be on his next album.

I had our own park-based concert Fireside to attend Sunday, so I left, leaving the artists to try on Dylan but those 24 hours showed how far behind we are here in Durham. Fireside, even with TV, radio and print promo, was not attended by the community at large whatsoever. The cyclists coming in on the Great Waterfront Trail Adventure seemed quite confused with the setup of having the camping set away from food and entertainment. The dinner ran late. The musicians, denied amplification by some bylaw, performed amid the clattering of diners and cleanup.

Sunbear struggled bravely through her set which included Canada Day, recorded with Blue Rodeo's Greg Keelor and Travis Good of the Sadies and which CBC Radio3 chose as its July 1 Song Of The Day. Three musicians got lost on their way in due to a lack of clear signage, one wandered in the heat for two hours, fearing the setting sun.

However, once things settled down, everyone was fed and the fire was lit and the artists could be heard -- it worked. So well really. Children melted marshmallows in the flames while parents relaxed and the cyclists rested to the superb sounds of Bradley Boy and Proof Of Ghosts. Trish Robb played in the grass with kids playing by her bare feet. The cyclists themselves took many photos and the Friends Of The Second Marsh managed to pass on their message. So a big thank you to Kate, Steve, Julie, Trish, Jeff and Brad for taking the time to express support for the Second March and I keep in mind that Mariposa has 40 odd years on us.

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William McGuirk is a freelance writer and longtime Oshawa resident. He can be contacted at wmacg@yahoo.com.