Photos and a review of Ottawa’s City Folk Day 3: Mint Simon, James, and Morrissey (No, he didn’t cancel. Shocking, I know.)

[More from Ross MacDonald and Zackary Resnick. – AC]

The midpoint of Ottawa’s City Folk festival was marked by three mammoth performances on the TD Stage, delighting all in attendance. 

Kicking off the evening was Montreal’s Mint Simon, the solo vehicle for the Caveboy frontperson. They opened with ‘Lost My Mind,’ a synth-y electric groove with a serpentine beat to kick off their first Ottawa performance. 

‘Tongue Tied’ began slower and bass-ier until the chorus kicked in with hip-shaking energy, while ‘Saturday’ was an 80’s-inspired, dreamy synth-wave tune that smacked of Cyndi Lauper influence. 

We were then treated to a Caveboy song, ‘I Wonder,’ which fit right in with the set.

They got the crowd dancing with numbers like ‘Bad’ and ‘Some Of Everything,’ before closing out the high-energy set with a cover of ‘You Get What You Give’ by the New Radicals. Mint Simon, you just got yourself a new fan. 

Flashing lights and Celtic chanting welcomed James to the TD Stage. They opened with the frantic fiddling of ‘Five-O.’ 

The band then moved into a newer track, ‘Way Over Your Head.’ Slower, with a touch of melancholy in the lyrics, the crowd swayed along as a rainbow of butterflies exploded on the on-stage screen.

Orange lights signified the start of ‘Getting Away With It (All Messed Up)’ as frontman Tim Booth descended into the pit to sing from the crowd. As Booth figured out how to get back on stage, the ethereal vocals of ‘Shadow Of A Giant’ floated across the evening air. 

‘Heads’ was touted as a prayer for the “Dis-united States,” its pounding bassline raising my pulse as green lights of avarice flashed overhead on stage. 

James puts on an impressive show and boasts a particularly rich sound, owing in part to just how many members it has. The band runs nine deep, with two drummers (one of whom was five months pregnant!), a keyboardist, cellist, and more.

‘Tomorrow’ slowed things down again, a powerful anthem of positivity. Next, the lights went down for the start of ‘Sound,’ a wistful tune, gradually building in volume and tempo until exploding – much to the crowd’s delight. 

A song about the California wildfires, ‘Beautiful Beaches,’ saw a giant 3D daisy appear behind the band before fiery lights and imagery blazed across the screens and stage. 

To close out their time, James launched into a blistering rendition of ‘Laid’ – probably their most well-known song – which set the crowd OFF. There was dancing everywhere, and the band left the stage to a standing ovation. 

But it was clear who the main event was, as evidenced by the cacophony when former lead of The Smiths, Morrissey, took the stage, clutching flowers pulled from his back pocket, as is tradition. 

He began his set with ‘There Is A Light That Will Never Go Out,’ a smooth and melodic track that got everyone dancing right away. 

That was followed up by the one-two punch of ‘Suedehead’ and The Smith’s ‘How Soon Is Now?’ The latter of which simply ignited the crowd who swayed along, possessed by Morrissey’s deep and rich baritone. 

‘The First In The Gang To Die’ , a tale of life and loss in the gangster era of 1930’s America, had just a touch of tragic comedy to it. 

He had the crowd eating out of his hand at this point, many sporting Morrissey t-shirts, and one even adorned with Morrissey tattoos.

‘Alma Matters’ had his deep voice reverberating off every body out there, touching everyone. For 66 years of age, he still looks and sounds fantastic, still as melancholic as ever. 

“Well, I think it’s quite likely that you’ll probably enjoy at least two songs,” he joked. 

Morrissey then treated us to ‘Lost,’ a beautiful ballad of yearning before my personal highlight of the show, The Smith’s ‘Half A Person.’ And there were yet more standout moments of the set: The haunting, gorgeous keys of ‘Everyday Is Like A Sunday.’ A cheeky bit of maraca shaking for ‘The Loop.’ 

Not least was the tear-jerking, soul-shredding ‘Let Me Kiss You.’ I’m not ashamed to say I thought about rushing the stage to cradle Morrissey in my arms and tell him it’d all be alright. 

It’s also worth noting that all vendors at the show took meat off their menus for the day, as Morrissey is a well known animal rights activist. A very cool show of respect for a very big name. 

I don’t know how City Folk will top this all-star lineup, but I can tell you I’m excited to find out.