Patrick Watson. Photo by Dianne Miranda (@lya.shoots).

Bria Salmena

The first time I saw Bria Salmena perform was three years ago as vocalist of Orville Peck’s live band. Since then, I have been following her career, continually impressed as she is a jack-of-all-genres, being able to gracefully move between country to punk to indie rock to darkwave. This sense of incredible adaptability and artistic range is exactly what we saw during her set at the National Stage 4.

Salmena’s voice is at the heart of her artistry, and that hooked me to her music. She has such a dynamic vocal depth, and each song brought out a different facet of it. This combined with such a passionate and heartfelt performance made this set a standout show. I can’t wait to see what she brings to the upcoming sessions, if this performance was any clue, there is no doubt that we’re in for something special. — Dianne Miranda

Cymande

Cymande was a band I was introduced to two weeks ago by my show neighbour at CJSW, who had stressed to me, “Gabbie, you need to see this band, you’ll probably never see them ever if you don’t go see them during Folk Fest.” After he told me those words, I pressed shuffle on their self-titled album from 1972 and I was sold.

The UK funk band that was predominantly active in the 1970s. Their sound is a blend of soul, funk and jazz which alone had me interested. Although I only caught the first thirty minutes of their set before the storm rolled in, what I did see was electrifying. The band was effortlessly cool, and seeing Steve Scipio shred on the headless bass was awesome. Even with grey skies and rain rolling in, Cymande transformed Prince’s Island Park into a warm and energetic space. For a brief moment, it felt like we were on a tropical island, not caught in a downpour in downtown Calgary. — Gabrielle Cadiang

Ruby Waters

Although the severe thunderstorm watch for Calgary ended in the late afternoon, another storm rolled in later that evening on stage, with Ruby Waters’ force-of-nature vocals. She, alongside her band, electrified the ATB Main Stage, easily becoming the highlight of my day. They were captivating performers, feeding off each other’s and the crowd’s energy. Their magnetic chemistry and undeniable stage presence fed the pulse of their set with every head thrown back in release or stomp to emphasize a beat serving invitations for the crowd to fall into rhythm with them. Waters is the embodiment of the phrase, “they sound even better live” — a testament to how much she made their set so special, raw and unapologetically honest. Closing the set with “Quantum Physics,” everyone pulled out their phones for one last video, trying to capture all that Waters brought before drifting towards the night’s closing headliners. — Dianne Miranda

BADBADNOTGOOD

Friday evening at the National Stage at Calgary Folk Festival was closed off by Toronto’s BADBADNOTGOOD. Prior to beginning their set, their walk-on song of choice was “War Pigs” by Black Sabbath, an homage to Ozzy Osbourne who had passed away this week.

Seeing BADBADNOTGOOD was both a sonic and spiritual experience. The band introduced the “Mid Spiral Audio Visual Experience,” where they played the entirety of their 2024 release Mid Spiral, with accompanying visuals in the background. The moment the crowd heard drummer Alex Sowinski say “Can we take you on a ride, Calgary?” We were all in for a treat.

What caught my eye during the evening was watching Leland Whitty switch between the guitar and the saxophone seamlessly. The man made his saxophone sing every time he played it and killed every solo that he had. It was also my first time seeing an EVI being played live, and Kae Murphy’s talent as a trumpeter shined through. I think a recurring theme for me at this Calgary Folk Fest is watching brass players and being in awe of them every time

Every time Alex Sowinski spoke into the mic, he was either hyping up the crowd or chatting about the importance of music. He talked about community and its importance; he wanted the crowd to see, hear and taste something that they’ve never encountered. Numerous vibe checks took place during the show, and what resonated with me was Sowinski saying, “We wanna let it be known that we appreciate those in the world who lift people up.” A reminder that BADBADNOTGOOD’s music isn’t just about sound, but connection.

Nearing the end of their set, Sowinski introduced special guest Katie Tupper (who had played an incredible set on the Main Stage earlier in the evening). BADBADNOTGOOD and Katie Tupper played a wonderful tribute to Roy Ayers by playing “Everybody Loves The Sunshine.” Another surprise was hearing “Time Moves Slow” being played at the festival, with Katie Tupper singing the vocals originally sung by Samuel T. Herring. The evening was beautiful, and with the intermittent rain, the energy never dipped. Instead, it felt like part of the atmosphere, adding texture to a set already overflowing with feeling.
— Gabrielle Cadiang

Patrick Watson

As Patrick Watson stepped onto the ATB Main stage, he cracked a joke that produced a warm laughter from the crowd, only to be quickly hushed as he opened with the hauntingly beautiful “To Build A Home.” His set and lighting design were simple yet striking, allowing his music to take centre stage. His performance felt like a lullaby or a tender serenade, intimately guiding us those in the audience through soaring crescendos and gentle decrescendos. Adding to the magic, shortly after his set began, the lamp lighters weaved through the island casting this soft glow and further creating an atmosphere so special it felt almost dreamlike. The night ended on a special note as the gentle showering of rain seemed to reflect the tears shimmering on the faces of those in the crowd. — Dianne Miranda