Music

Dawson City Music Festival - Day 3

by AUX staff

Fun: fist-pump till wee morning hours beside fest-crazed party kids sporting paste-on porn moustaches. Hard: wake up early morning like clockwork to score at Dawson’s only internet cafe during DCMF. But got to bump into the rare early rising musician. (So, Casey from Elliott Brood, have you learned that Jay-Z tune yet?!)

In addition to the broad, eclectic slate of local and international talent at the evening Mainstage, the festival offered fine daytime & kid-friendly programming. Wasn’t fooled by the sometimes cookie-cutter DCMF workshop names – Sing-Along Songs, Rockabilly 101, Sunday Morning Gospel. These informal gatherings, which grouped different musicians together, paved the way for wonderful jams & impromptu comedy.

The always chipper, kidsTV king Fred Penner facilitated a soulful Sunday gospel love-in. The classy dames from Good Lovelies nerded out and led the audience through basic harmony & canon-style sing-along. Members of Elliott Brood, Constantines, Burning Hell and Shakura S`Aida pulled a 42-minute musical Megatron by jamming on Neil Young’s “Cortez the Killer.” Had i not caught my Sunday afternoon flight then i would’ve also been treated to the Sunday Potluck tradition, which stacked festival musicians on stage for hijinx (covering of Jay-Z`s “Empire State of Mind”).

Highlights from Saturday`s Uke(lele) On workshop (har-dee-har!) include: Pat LePoidevin`s arresting number about firing rockets with Dad by the airport; Burning Hell`s ode to playing ukes in glamourless venues; Elliott Brood doing “cooperating ukeles” (not duelling ukeleles…) & sharing tips on how to get into any sold-out show with a ukelele case: just nod at backstage security with a firm, “I’m on in 5.” Wow, so much fun with such a small instrument. Hell, wouldn’t a ukele would make a great christmas gift? Hint. HINT!

And that’s all she said in the Yukon. I’m still rubbing the gold flecks from my eyes and shaking Klondike dust out of my clothes as I hum myself a handful of good tunes from DCMF and snake back towards central Canada (aka Land of Bountiful WiFi). See y’all soon again.

By AY