2012 tour reviews

[elle]

http://freewheelin-folk.blogspot.com...-out-solo.html

SATURDAY, 8 SEPTEMBER 2012

Stepping Out Solo

You won't find a line-up full of massive eight-piece bands at this year's festival. Instead, some of music's greatest are stepping out on their own to face the crowd solo.

The Ottawa Folk Festival presented by TELUS has a history of hosting musicians who've stepped out on their own. Be sure to look out for John K. Samson of The Weakerthans performance Sunday.

From this year's performances by Ben Harper (Relentless 7) and Lindsey Buckingham (Fleetwood Mac), to last year's show by Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore, musicians always find a way to step out of the box and their comfort zone here.

It takes a lot of guts to face a crowd alone, especially with an already established audience. With a single spotlight, a musician has no one to blame but themselves for missed beats and out of tune guitars and vocals.

During Friday's performance, Buckingham discussed the differences between the "large machine," Fleetwood Mac, and the "small machine," his solo project. While he admittedly usually performs with a backing band, he stepped out alone, with just his guitar, for this year's festival. Buckingham described finding the balance between the two, though they end up informing each other.

He joked, "And now, for tonight, it seems to be just me. The small machine is getting smaller."

There's something about stepping away from a group, however, that can lead to some grass roots results. When you strip down the music to just your voice and an acoustic guitar, piano, or even a banjo, what's really left is the stage presence of the performer and the heartfelt melodies and lyrics.

Sometimes all you have to do is tune out the rest of the band, strip down the instrumentals, and dim the lights.

Folkier things are sure to come.

- Natasha