We all know the role of the opening act – the band warms up the audience, gets them into the grove and the main act then capitalizes on the energy built to great effect! Thanks to a fabulous friend – music publicist Rebecca Webster (Webster Media Consulting) – my partner and I were VIPs at the Toronto Urban Roots Festival (TURF) on Friday as our ‘warm-up’ for the Winnipeg Folk Festival.

We ARE awake – honest!! (photo: Rebecca Webster)

TURF is a lovely 1st year music festival held in downtown Toronto’s historic Fort York Park – infusing urban energy into the 1793 site best known for the 1813 battle of York. At least the American invaders this time were of the merry musical persuasion and not military!

Here are a few of our TURF highlights:

1. TURF Fashion Alert – Rubber boots are ‘de rigueur’ and a reminder that rain, mud and music do mix!
2. VIP means if you are a festival neophyte (or literally just landed from India) and forgot your own tarp, colourful flower mini tarps are kindly provided to keep you comfortably lolling about the grass
3. Craving poutine? Just ask your friendly neighbourhood Skydigger for a sample! Thanks Noel 🙂
4. Justin Townes Earle‘s daddy (Steve Earle) issues trumps most to amusing musical effect
5. Coffee helps combat jetlag!
6. Dancing to Fitz and the Tantrums is better chasing away jetlag!
7. The Arkells do Hamilton proud – Hey does living there while my father did his PhD at McMaster’s University make me a honoury Hamiltonian???

TURF Fashion – Rubber boots! (photo: Carissa Hickling)

Aren’t we lucky VIPs? (photo: Rebecca Webster)

Bucket of mini tarps (photo: Rebecca Webster)

Poutine anyone? (photo: Carissa Hickling)

Justin Townes Earle killer crooner! (photo: Carissa Hickling)

OMG – Coffee!! (photo: Carissa Hickling)

Fitz and the Tantrums calling us to DANCE! (photo: Carissa Hickling)

So thanks again Toronto for a brilliant festival to greet our arrival to Canadian shores… next stop Winnipeg!!

Related posts:

Winnipeg Folk Festival –  Part 1