Photographs by Sarah Rix.
On this scorching day, I returned to Fort York only a month after the Field Trip festival. Discovering that the Toronto Urban Roots Festival, more easily named as TURF, were to take place at Fort York as well, I assumed that the set up would be similar. I assumed incorrectly. Where as Field Trip felt like its titular description (an organized exhibition for us kids), TURF felt like a wild yet enjoyable jamboree. Firstly, any VIP members could stand in the photo pit right in front of any stage for the entire set of any musician. Constantly, there would be a flood of people perched within the pit, mere inches away from their idols. There were three stages which were fairly spread apart, with the south stage being located in such an oddball spot (the bottom of a steep hill). With all of these factors, TURF had a very humble charm to it that was endearing (not to mention that they marked holes in the ground with signs that said that groundhogs were at work presently. Adorable.). People brought their canteens to be refilled with water, they had plaid picnic blankets sprawled across the floor and the dancing was unstoppable. TURF managed to capture the essence of the music to be performed even when artists were not performing.
One of the most notable artists of the night was guitar warrior Gary Clark Jr., with a collection of six strings and a pair of sharp shades. He was quite for most of his set, even within his songs. The majority of his tracks had guitar interludes that would battle with themselves for lengthy periods of time until his vocals would bring the songs to a close. His guitar solos were blistering with speed, filthy with twang and overflowing with soul. His rhythm section was heavy and pounding as it kept his sailing guitar leads on rails. While he spoke volumes with his music, Clark Jr. was a shy and gracious performer, sometimes unsure of how to respond to his praise. With a comment yelled from within the crowd, Clark Jr. paused for a few seconds and replied with a quiet “that’s nice” and a wide smile. With his feet deep in the blues and his head held high, Gary Clark Jr. was a great performer because of his ability to ground himself within his influences and also rise above them as his own person, and this worked out effectively live.
From California, Local Natives came from the states to join us on their Independence Day as well. I don’t think they minded too much as singer Taylor Rice recalled their show at the Kool Haus a few years earlier and called it “one of the best shows” they had that tour. He also said that it’s unusual for them to be at TURF as they’re working on a third album (a follow up to 2009’s Gorilla Manor and 2011’s Hummingbird), yet they made it all the way up for TURF anyways. With a set full of resonating tones, sleek melodies and uplifting rhythms, Local Natives drew a very big crowd. Their lighting set up, consisting mostly of cool colours, made their set feel like an apparition we all stumbled upon while we searched for the water tent beside the stage whilst being dehydrated. While it is true that many acts at TURF have a real sense of grit and rawness to their sound, Local Natives just felt lovely and calming. As the sun started to set, this was the appropriate time for them to have played.
The country rock supergroup The Waco Brothers played an out of control set over on the south stage with many people sitting on the hill and enjoying their music. I’m not sure how many people gathered that they were watching a group that consisted of members from bands like Mekons (a highly underrated country punk group) and Jesus Jones, but either way, the band played with the tenacity of an amalgamated force. They will be playing at TURF every day, and if there weren’t so many artists I was eager to catch, I’d actually want to see them again. The bass playing from Alan Doughty was incredible, the guitar and mandolin harmonies were as sharp as a chainsaw (running) and the violin’s screeches took us to another planet. The vocals were rough and percussive, and these gang chants just felt so natural; The Waco Brothers really are a tightly knit group. This blend of country with other genres worked so well live, and if any of this sounds interesting, please do check out their albums (as well as Mekons’ Fear and Whisky, the band John Langford is from), as they are somewhat of a lost treasure.
Finally, the headliners of the day, Beirut, came on just as the sun snuck away and the night came in. With a set that was pretty familiar in tone for its entirety, without any major surprises, Beirut still put on a consistent show. The bass, fused with tuba blasts, was full of power the entire night. The highs, which consisted of various brass instruments, an accordion and an ukulele, fixed us within different historical settings, whether they be on the sea or on the battleground. The latter was appropriate at Fort York, where singer Zack Condon remarked on this location being the place where “you kicked our asses”. Condon also mentioned that he should be back home “grilling”, but instead was happy to be here at TURF. While there weren’t any surprises, Beirut’s cheerful set closed the night off on a happy note (and a graceful one as well, considering how raw many of the other bands sounded). They were a peaceful close to the first day of TURF, as there are still two days left to jam with nature.