Apologies for the annoyingly alliterative title, but I recently attended the Vancouver Folk Fest with my hubby and kids, and I simply can't not gush about the incredible time we all had. For me, the highlight was seeing Irish singer-songwriter Mick Flannery perform live for the fourth time. I’ve been a massive fan of Mick’s for 15 years or so now, and I make a habit of attending his shows anytime he comes to Vancouver. But it was incredibly special to be able to bring my kids along this time around, and to expose them to music they otherwise wouldn't listen to on their own.
The first time I saw Mick live was in 2009 when I was a free-spirited 21-year-old travelling across Ireland. In true young adult Melissa form, I befriended the band, the band manager (my late friend Barry Ennis), got far too wasted, and even had a brief mid-afternoon make-out session with their drummer who vaguely resembled a pirate. Ah, to be young again. When I got Mick to sign a vinyl copy of his most recent album following his set, my husband recounted this story to him, which though embarrassing, reminded me that I've lived a pretty spectacular life.
Obviously, time has changed me. I'm a responsible mom now. I schedule things, give my children heck when they stay up past their bedtime, and put cutesy notes in their lunches. But I used to be spontaneous, fun-loving, and vivacious. Sometimes I long to return to those facets of myself. I’m always the first to step into my kids’ world, but it’s only been more recently that I’ve really allowed them to step into mine;
to show them there’s a whole person underneath the mom they've come to know. After devoting myself solely to their interests for so long, I’m trying to make a conscious effort to remember myself and all the things I love. Part of this means not shutting my kids out from the things that make me who I am. Sometimes this means I just want to surround myself with soulful music and artsy types. That’s what Folk Fest is about.
My daughter, whose current musical preferences leave much to be desired, even became a new fan of Grace Petrie, an LGBTQ performer from the UK whose music heavily touches upon socialist-feminist issues. Now, with the help of music that highlights the things I’ve been trying to impart on her, I don't need to do all the heavy lifting. Let’s be honest, she barely hears me anyway.
At one point during the festival, I was waiting for my family to finish up their respective activities when an artisan named Lawrence invited me to sit down in his tent. We spent 20 minutes discussing the importance of art and authenticity in the world. Then I looked over and saw my husband and son sitting on a bench in conversation with an elderly gentleman who happened to be a former union activist from Seattle. I witnessed a 70 year old lady dancing like no one was watching during the Mick Flannery set, and when I passed her later in the day, I told her I hoped to be just like her when I get to her age. She thanked me and said she was inspired by seeing an older woman do the same thing at Folk Fest some 35 years ago.
“And so it goes on," she smiled.
When the day was wrapping up, I put on a salmon costume and led a bunch of kids dressed as forest creatures around a grass field in song and dance. I felt ridiculous, but I never want to be too old or too cool or too tired to play.
The whimsical, the magical, the soulful. That's the essence of Folk Fest. And truth be told, that's always what I seem to seek.
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