Porchfest NDG 2023 - Day ONE
I was going to start this off by saying that this wasn’t my first Porchfest, and cast myself as some sort of veteran of the annual NDG DIY music festival trying to see it through fresh eyes. But after attending both days of Porchfest NDG this past weekend, I realized that this was my first full Porchfest experience. No need to fake it, I was genuinely taking this in through fresh eyes, pleased ears, and somewhat tired feet by the end of it. There are two main types of Porchfest attendees: those who go for a specific show they were invited to and then check out other shows because they’re just down the street, and those who go to Porchfest as they would go to any other music festival. Up until now, I’ve always been in the former group, or the former group plus (with enough extra wandering to come up with a bit of an article). This time, I was firmly in the latter.
So let’s get started…
SATURDAY
I arrived to NDG via public transit. I grew up around this neighbourhood. Also, I’ve lived in the Deeg for several of my adult years, in more than one apartment. But this day, I was a tourist from St-Henri. I got off the 105 and went straight to Encore Books on Sherbrooke to pick up the day’s schedule and map. I had a few shows I planned to attend already, but as they were only starting later, I was going to play it by ear, or moreover play it by what I thought my ears wanted to hear. The volunteer who handed me my map and schedule for the day informed me that a bunch of shows had moved to the next day due to the prospect of rain. Most were already gone from the schedule before printing that morning, save one with an x going through it in marker.
I decided to start with Montreal City Voices. The show had already started but Hingston wasn’t that far. Of course, I neglected to realize that the cross-street was Terrebonne, which was a bit of a hike from Sherbrooke and Harvard, so I arrived just as the show was ending, specifically just as people were clapping for their last song. Judging by the crowd response, it seemed like a great performance. At this point, I looked for the closest address to where I was, given that all the 1pm shows seemed to be in a similar musical vein. I headed to Kensington just north of Terrebonne. It was a little further west, but I only had plans to be in the eastern, Sherbrooke-adjacent part of NDG at 3pm, so this worked.
I was greeted by a jazz quartet called Endeegee, and it wasn’t until I typed out the name to share a pic on Instagram that I got it (try reading it out loud). Not exactly a pun, but in the same ballpark, so good job on the name. Moreover, great job on the playing. I’ve never been all that into jazz, but this group was nailing it, and the music fit the street. It was a very soothing, yet motivational way to start my Porchfest journey.This is also where I ran into NDG City Councillor Peter McQueen for the first of several times over the two days. He is a true Porchfest veteran. If he’s at the show, it’s bound to be good. Yes, he’s an elected official supporting his community’s art, but I get the impression he genuinely enjoys this event. Plus his mode of transport, the bike, makes a lot of sense, as I would discover.
After a jazz start, it was time to head closer to the festival’s epicentre. I shared a photo of the schedule on Insta, then looked for something that was both in a different genre and at an address that wasn’t in the 4000s, or on a street that was super west. R&B Pop Rock on Melrose in the 2000s? Bingo! It was about now that I realized I didn’t know NDG as well as I thought. I tried using Google Maps as my navigator, but it finally occurred to me that I had a perfectly good map on the other side of the schedule, which I would use for the rest of the weekend. Thanks, Porchfest!
The Apologists’ show had turned into a real block party by the time I arrived, with people up close on the lawn and others in the street. Everyone was having a good time. Porchfest volunteers were on hand to make sure cars could pass safely when needed. This was a solid cover band and the crowd was really into all of their tunes. The lead singer was a dynamic performer who knew how to engage the audience in between belting out tunes. There was something familiar about her that I couldn’t place in the moment, but then realized a couple of days later through social posts that she was Paula Davis, someone I had performed with in a vaudeville/cabaret-type play many moons ago. I didn’t know she could sing at the time, but I sure know that now.
Next up was the one show on Saturday that I had planned to catch. Our Creative Director Andrew Jamieson had suggested (with no pressure) that I check out some shows featuring contributors or future contributors, which I then mentioned in my weekly series, so I figured I should probably check them out. Gráinne, featuring Esmé Cavanaugh, Lily MacLean and future FTB contributor Darragh Mondoux. was one of them. I arrived on Melrose early, and didn’t notice a massive crowd swelling behind me. I wasn’t sure what to expect as the only thing I knew going in was that they had been together for a year and that…HOLY JESUS BEARSHIT THIS WAS GOOD!!! It was traditional Gaelic music with beautiful three-part harmonies, and each performer getting at least one solo song. There were unique instruments, even some interpretive dance from Darragh. They were great at crowd work, too, leading more than one singalong. The staging, with the three performers framed on a balcony with a garden ahead of them, added to the effect, as did their costumes, and the weather. For the first time all day, it looked overcast, like it was going to rain. It didn’t, but the feeling that it might really worked with the vibe.
Traditional Irish folk: check. Next up: punk! Specifically Blister Sister performing on West Hill, which is a bit of a trek from Melrose. Described as “post-modern power punk folk” on their bandcamp, and simply as “rock” in the Porchfest schedule, this was definitely a departure style-wise from what I had just heard, it was also a continuation of the same community vibe that had greeted me all day. Sure, quite a bit of the crowd looked different, and part of me thought that a mosh pit was going to break out, but of course not. There were still families with kids here and everyone was just into the music and performance, which pulled you in with its frenetic pace.
As I headed back east for my final stop of the day, I got a notification. A friend had left a Facebook comment that the guitarist in Blister Sister was his friend’s son. Small world. Also, wait, I’m posting these on Facebook too? I thought I was just sharing on Instagram. Oh well, glad I overlooked that. I arrived at Old Orchard for The Back Alley Roots Band, who, I’d like to point out, were playing on the front porch - nice juxtaposition there. Admittedly, this was a selection based on geography, but it was a good one. This acoustic trio, with a standup bass, no less, really soothed the soul after a long day of walking and helped ease me into my trip back to St-Henri.
Founder Jason C. McLean will be back tomorrow with his DAY TWO coverage of Porchfest NDG 2023
