Since 1991, I’ve rarely missed a Hillside Festival. The 40th Hillside takes place this weekend. You should go.
It was the first folk festival I ever went to, and it blew my mind: the musical eclecticism, the laid-back nature, the amazing food (decades before most Toronto-area festivals offered anything but pizza slices), the camping, the unusually early eco-consciousness.
You probably know all this scene, whether it’s Hillside or any number of similar festivals across the country. To my regret, I have yet to attend any of the fabled, big, Western Canadian folk festivals (though I once played the North Country Fair in Joussard, Alberta).
To my knowledge, Hillside was certainly the first “folk” festival in Ontario to get even more eclectic, venturing into rock, pop, punk, and electronic music alongside the finger-picking folkies, singer-songwriters, reggae bands and African drummers. It was the kind of place you might see King Cobb Steelie and Change of Heart do a workshop together, or the Rheostatics with Jane Siberry. By the mid-2000s it became known as a hotspot to see the likes of Arcade Fire, Unicorns, Broken Social Scene, etc.
That briefly led to the paradox of success: the community festival started selling out well in advance; locals had trouble getting tickets. And if they did, the grounds were packed, and you had to line up for everything—including entry to the large tent stages.
I won’t get into the history of what happened next (only for space reasons, coz I want to get to my picks). But for about the last decade Hillside once again feels like a community festival: tickets are still available, it’s extremely family-friendly, there’s room to walk around and chill, and though the music is always excellent there are rarely super-sexy headliners. Which, for better or worse, means most patrons have to trust the festival’s bookings. Many do. And I think artistic director Sam Baijal and company continue to do an ace job. Marie Zimmerman, the executive director since 2009, is retiring from the job after this year (EDIT: but not retiring, she wants me to point out).
There’s lots to see and do. So here’s my guide to what Hillside has this year (full schedule here):
FRIDAY
Tarta Relena: Catalan women singing in close harmony, which to me sounds Balkan but draws from several European and North African traditions. Set to modern electronics. This should be good!
Tami Neilson: DROP EVERYTHING YOU’RE DOING AND GO SEE TAMI NEILSON ANY CHANCE YOU GET JFC HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU. “Most famous girl ain’t no one heard of yet.” Wrote about her here.
Debby Friday: I have yet to see this performer, so this will be on my to-do list. Her electro-industrial-pop debut album, Good Friday, dropped earlier this year to international acclaim, and just landed on the Polaris shortlist. Live set will likely feature Graham Walsh of Holy Fuck on electronics. Wrote about her here.
Bibi Club: This is perfect Montreal music for Friday night chill in the beer tent. Wrote about it here.
Also interesting: Wax Mannequin (legendary Hamilton oddball EDIT: his band features two of my former bandmates, Jenny Mitchell and Sam Cino! Read Dave Bidini on Wax Mannequin here in the
), Royal Castles (new Guelph rock band), Ariel Posen (bluesy guitar guy from Bros Landreth)SATURDAY
Mountain City Four: This is Anna McGarrigle with friends and family, reviving a band she and Kate had in the mid-’60s.
Willie Nile: I’ll write more about this guy later this week, but let’s just say if you’re a fan of 1970s New York City rock’n’roll (Springsteen, P. Smith, L. Reed, for starters) then you will absolutely love Nile and his band, who were around back then and are still standing now. Also: his new album is amazing, so he ain’t no has-been. Title track is one of the best Covid-era songs to address the time.
U.S. Girls: This is no longer the large-size band it was when they delivered one of the best sets I’ve ever seen at Hillside, but MVP Geordie Gordon is still on board and bandleader Meg Remy remains a hero for many reasons.
Will Butler + Sister Squares. The younger Butler brother bailed on Arcade Fire just before the shitshow of 2022, and now steps back into the spotlight with his third solo album. This time, though he co-credits his band, featuring his wife, his sister-in-law and two others for some serious Talking Heads vibes.
Dakha Brakha. Expect the Ukrainian flags to be out in full force.
Also interesting: Leyla McCalla (Rhiannon Giddens’s fellow Carolina Chocolate Drop), Witch Prophet and Luna Li. Locals Lynn Jackson and Mike Sharp. Former Constantine and You’ve Changed record exec Steven Lambke. Some people are excited by the smooth sounds of Nico Paulo (Polaris long list), or the folk of Julianna Riolino (on You’ve Changed). Tré Burt opened for Margo Price earlier this year. Good guy Adrian Sutherland is coming down from Moosonee.
SUNDAY
Namgar: How often do you get to see a band from Mongolia / eastern Siberia? Do it.
BuenRostro: Pan-Latin-American band from Mexico City, which promises to be as much a visual experience as a musical one—not to be missed. I’ll be there for the accordion.
Lola Kirke: This should satisfy your urge for some breezy Fleetwood Mac-ish pop on a summer afternoon. Fans of the TV show Mozart in the Jungle, in which Kirke starred as an oboe player, should also take note.
Zoh Amba: I don’t recall a lot of skronky free jazz at Hillside in the past. This 23-year-old tenor sax player comes from the Albert Ayler tradition, has collaborated with bassist William Parker and put out records on John Zorn’s Tzadik label. It will definitely clear out the tent after Lola Kirke, but I’m intrigued.
Cheikh Ibra Fam: A singer for the long-running Orchestra Baobab, this Senegalese artist’s solo work is much more modern-sounding.
Begonia. I often don’t know what to say about this Winnipeg singer that doesn’t sound like cheap hyperbole, but she is easily one of the most powerful singers working in this country today. They had to space her and Tami Neilson two days apart!
Owen Pallett. Pallett recently returned to the stage after a long absence, spending most of his time writing film scores. There are very few artists at Hillside this weekend chosen to reflect the festival’s history, but Pallett is one. His 2010 set during an extreme weather event—that arrived in full force in the middle of a new song the audience had never heard before—is still a thrilling view all these years later. (Personal note: both a former bandmate and a roommate play key roles as stage managers.) It became part of Hillside lore (it was used to score this year’s promotional video), and Pallett still gets asked about it all the time. Give the guy a break this weekend and listen to his new songs—hopefully under peaceful skies.
Also interesting: Hayden (if you’re into him), Balaklava Blues (goth-y electro side project for some Lemon Bucket Orchestra folks, kind of like Dead Can Dance produced by 2010 Kanye West), Hellion Ton (local Guelph staple Nate Coles), Riki Gee (ancient Guelph staple, for those old enough to remember Celtic Blue and some truly strange solo records with Jeff Bird), Martha Wainwright (good book), Daniel Romano’s Outfit (I’m still not on board this train, but I’m in the minority), the Human Rights (Toronto roots reggae).
The Sunday night finale is Choir! Choir! Choir!. What will they be having us all perform for Hillside’s 40th? So many possibilities. Then again, it might just be Céline Dion—which they just did at Massey Hall last week.
BONUS HILLSIDE STORY FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY:
It involves the single most embarrassing moment of my professional career…
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