Mariposa Folk Festival Recap: 13 Best Bands I Saw (And One I Missed)

Every year since I was 5 years old, I’ve looked forward to attending the Mariposa Folk Festival in Orillia. The reasons for excitement used to be different: back then, it was all about the face painting and crafts in the kids’ area. Now it’s because, well, there are 70+ performers on 11 stages over three days, and there is always at least one show that absolutely blows my mind. What’s not to love?

To give you a taste of the musical buffet, here are the 13 Best Bands I Saw (And One I Missed):

All around favourite: Wyatt C Louis

Wyatt C Louis is the one name I had in my schedule book triple-circled and exclamation marked. It may seem premature to call someone my favourite folk artist based on only a debut record, but nothing glows for me quite like Chandler. The warmth, sincerity, and sense of community in Wyatt’s recorded music are only reinforced in person. And somehow, their sunshine vocals are even more casually impressive when live.

In an interview with Wyatt after their set, they mentioned that someone at the show approached them and “said they recognized the humility and vulnerability on stage.” Reinforcing the truth of that sentiment, Wyatt immediately added: “It can be really fun to break all that down and be on the same level and same plane as the audience.”

While Wyatt holds us all at the same metaphorical level, everyone else is happy to see them on stage.

Weirdest venue: The Vaudevillian on top of a van

The Vaudevillian, with all their cartoonish charm, is perhaps the least surprising band to see playing on top of an old orange camper van. It’s the kind of place that just seems right for a duo with quirky voices, big hats, and a bell-topped washboard. 

This impromptu performance they did special for Westphalia Way (the Mariposa campground camper van area) is just one example of how you can expect the unexpected to delight you at the Mariposa folk festival.

Wackiest collaboration: Modern Biology 

Yes, I only listed one band  – the collaboration is between Tarun Nayar and Mother Nature. With tech wizardry, he can plug into and collaborate with anything with a bioelectric pulse. On Saturday afternoon, an array of mushrooms, a stick, and an adorable crowd member named Charlie took center stage alongside Tarun and all his modular synthesis, home-built synthesizers and other analog equipment. 

With thoughtful meditations, crowd interaction, poetry, and sensitive violin contributions from a collaborator, Modern Biology quickly transcends the novelty act aspect that he could be stuck in. It’s a calming and entertaining show unlike any other I have seen.

Most jaw-dropping performance (and craziest legs): Gordie MacKeeman and His Rhythm Boys

Maybe Union Duke’s Matt Warry-Smith put it best when he said: “With the utmost respect [Gordie] is a freak… what an absolute psychopath.”

What Matt was referring to was Gordie ‘Crazy Legs’ MacKeeman’s ability to play the fiddle better than most even while tap dancing, even while playing the fiddle behind his back, and even while tap dancing and playing fiddle behind his back at the same time. He even pulled off a fiddler on the double bass moment, showing off extraordinary balance. 

And against all odds, Gordie’s Rhythm Boys match his freak. 

Tom Webb and Mark Geddes swapped drums and stand-up bass and banjo with ease. At one point, they played one stand-up bass together, playfully passing solos back and forth before playing it at the same time – because why not!  

On top of showmanship that had me smiling ear to ear, the musicianship from Gordie and his Rhythm Boys was unsurpassable. Solos are the meat and potatoes of Sunday morning pub tent workshops, featuring a score of the best talent the show has to offer. Even among the very best, Gordie on fiddle and Peter Cann on guitar had the most clean, creative, interesting, and surprising offerings. 

With their clear love of performing, catchy tunes, and extraordinary antics, Gordie McKeeman and His Rhythm Boys put on a truly unforgettable show.

Most rambunctious group: Union Duke

The word rambunctious can most accurately be applied to two things: baby goats and Union Duke lead singer Matt Warry-Smith. Shouting songs and joking around and having an infectiously grand old time – if Matt’s on stage, you know he’s on stage. At the Sunday afternoon pub tent workshop he claimed he would marry everyone there, respectfully called Gordie MacKeeman a freak, claimed to be the only person on Earth brave enough to write a song about love, and told a baby to shut up, which takes a special kind of charisma to pull off – and he did! The crowd loved him. 

The whole band brims with charisma and the kind of on-stage antics that come from playing music with your silliest friends for over a decade. 

Mixed with buoyant tunes, sharp harmonies, and notably tasteful guitar and fiddle work from Rob McLaren, Union Duke are a high-energy group you simply must see. They’re one of my all-time favourite festival finds! 

Most jaw-dropping vocal performance: Cassandra Lewis

The person who introduced Cassandra Lewis described her as “Dolly Parton on acid.” Certainly not a statement to make lightly, but Cassandra Lewis 100% delivered. Even her soundcheck had me on my knees. She opened by having the crowd take a deep breath together – very polite of her, as she was about to take our breath away. On top of hitting notes that make your hair stand on end, she radiated confidence, charming the crowd enough that someone immediately offered her an elegant fan when she mentioned it was hot in the tent. She closed her set by standing on a table in the middle of the crowd to perform a gorgeous acapella rendition of Over The Rainbow. 

Best crowd control: Shad 

Shad’s exuberance and positivity transformed the pub tent into a sea of swaying and bouncing bodies at record speeds. His energy was 100% from start to end, and the crowd was more than happy to keep up. 

Most genre-bending bangers: Doghouse Orchestra

When Doghouse Orchestra shows up with a fiddle, trumpet, trombone, stand-up bass, drummer, and both slide and electric guitar, there’s no doubt something wild is about to go down. Combining sounds from country, funk, jazz, and more, Doghouse Orchestra are an eclectic group of stellar musicians with an intoxicatingly vibrant energy that will get you on your feet. 

Best banter: Jon Muq

Often, the best folk performers shine just as much between songs – Jon Muq, for example. Jon Muq finds depth in the small things, like sunshine and appreciating when the milk and coffee ratio is just right, and he finds lightness and humour in the profound, like star-crossed love and life lessons he’s learned. His grounded, relaxed, engaging presence made each moment of his set a true delight.

Most instruments played all at once: Blue Moon Marquee

Yes, I have photographic evidence that Jasmine Colette of Blue Moon Marquee can play the drums, and upright bass, and sing simultaneously. Influenced by anything that swings, jumps, or grooves, Blue Moon Marquee put on an impressive, high-energy set that set the bar high for the rest of the weekend. A.W Cardinal’s vocal performance must also be mentioned – for a few fervent verses, he went off mic, singing at the front of the stage with such power that he could surely be heard across the lake.

The most in love with love: Jessica Charlie

First of all, Jessica Charlie actually said outright, in her charming French accent, “I’m in love with love.” A talented multi-instrumentalist with a bubbly stage presence, Jessica sang songs about love and paying attention to the beauty around us. She set the right mood for my Friday night, was a ray of sunshine when I saw her on Saturday morning, and continues to brighten my day with her excellent debut album, Ciel Vanille, which came out this year!

My favourite main stage closing performance: Band of Horses

I’m going to be honest, the rowdy pub tent pit is where I like to spend my Mariposa evenings, but I made an exception for Band of Horses. Band of Horses have been a staple of the rock scene since the success of Everything All The Time, a distinctive debut album that I love to this day. Perhaps you know their hit, The Funeral, from one of its 32 film and video game appearances. The crowd at Mariposa certainly did! Singer Ben Bridwell led into it with coy self-awareness, saying “This one is about funerals.”

Most heartwarming moment: Bruce Cockburn

While it was touching to see the legendary Bruce Cockburn get inducted into the Mariposa Hall Of Fame, the reaction from the crowd was even more heartwarming. 

CBC’s Tom Power reflected on how the right song at the right time can change your life or how you think about the world. Asking the crowd, “How many of you have felt that with a Bruce Cockburn song?” A young person in front of me yelled, “All of them!” As people of all ages sang along with classics like Wondering Where The Lions Are and Lovers In A Dangerous Time, it was clear how much his music means to so many people – and just how deserving of a Hall Of Fame induction he is.

Number one artist I missed: Cat Clyde 

No exaggeration – every single person I talked to said that Cat Clyde was one of their favourite performers they saw. I regret that I missed her, but I also could never regret seeing Blue Moon Marquee on Friday and Modern Biology on Saturday, who were playing at the same time. There’s simply too much good music! The only problem that the Mariposa Folk Festival has is the best kind of problem – with eleven stages, it’s impossible to see it all. You can’t win, but you also can’t lose!