New festival, Springtide, will flood the streets of Uxbridge with music

By Will McGuirk

Great Lake Swimmers will float into Uxbridge on the Springtide, a new Canadian music festival set to fill the streets and venues of the downtown Friday Apr 20 and Saturday Apr 21 2018. Also on the line-up; Charles Spearin, Julian Taylor, Lindy Vopnfjord as well as Rory Taillon, Sarah Fazackerly, Orangabang, Kingdom of BIrds and many more.

We asked co-founder Joanne Richter about the fest.

SC: What was the inspiration for Springtide?

A group of us attended Wintersong Festival in Stouffville in January, some as performers and volunteers and others just as music lovers. We loved its tight-knit community feel, the eclectic mix of venues and quality of the music. We all came together about a day later and just said, “We need to do this in Uxbridge!” It just felt like a need we had to fill. We have an incredible music community here and so much energy to share. Before we knew it, we were starting up a non-profit organization and hitting the ground running. One of our group was pretty tight with Kevin Ker and Heather Cook Scala at Epidemic Music Group, who organized Wintersong, and we started talking to them right away. They’ve offered their guidance as we got our festival off the ground and will be part of our run-of-show team on the day of.

SC: Great line-up - how did you settle on the line-up?

We had an open call for artists, and because so many of our organizing team are musicians with great connections, the word went out pretty far and wide. Settling on the line-up is the hard part, cause we had well over 100 submissions from some really fantastic talent. There was voting from all the committee members, and then fine tuning to ensure we had a good balance of musical styles, equal representation of male and female artists, etc. Two of our committee are also curating special Saturday stages: we have a Youth Stage featuring a lineup of super talented young bands like Kingdom of Birds and Moscow Apartment, and a Workshop Stage with 4 themed workshops featuring spectacular artists like Charles Spearin. We still have lots of announcements to come.

SC: What venues are you using and how are you curating each stage?

There are six gated venues: Wixan’s Bridge Restaurant, Urban Pantry Restaurant, Tin Mill Restaurant, Corner House Pub & Grill, Blue Heron Studio and The Second Wedge Brewing Company (indoors on the Friday; outdoor stage on the Saturday).

SC: We also have two ungated venues: Col. McGrady’s Pub & Grill, Uxbridge Smokehouse

And acoustic pop-ups are happening in these seven venues: Nexus Coffee, Main Street Realty, Wine Kitz, Laura’s Casual Kitchen, The Passionate Cook’s Bistro, Keith’s Flower Shop and Blue Heron Books.

The gated venues will feature our heavy hitters and full bands; our festival headliner, Great Lake Swimmers, will be playing the outdoor stage on the Saturday evening. We have some great solo/duo stuff happening at the ungated venues, including an Open Mic feature. Our acoustic pop-ups are just as they sound, simpler presentation and briefer sets but some really great names.

Festival wristbands are on sale now at springtide.tickits.ca (with early-bird pricing till April 2); a wristband will get you free entry to any of the gated venues. It’s all first come, first served, but the idea is that if one venue fills up we have all sorts of other options up and down the street. The whole festival takes place in downtown Uxbridge, along Brock Street and some of the side streets. . . it’s just a nice springtime stroll.

SC: Is it important to you to have a certain ratio of local acts?

Yes! We’re committed to showcasing Uxbridge talent to both our own community and people visiting town for the festival, so we’ve made sure to target fifty per cent artists from Uxbridge or with an Uxbridge connection. Come out to Springtide and prepare to be blown away!

Q and A with Skye Wallace - Celebrating International Womxn's Day

By Will McGuirk

On Thursday Mar 8, International Women's Day, Toronto folk punk Skye Wallace will release her new single, "Swing Batter", (based on the 1911 trial of Angelina Napolitano in Sault Ste Marie) with a performance at Array Music in Toronto. Wallace will partner with Toronto Womxn In Music and herHABITAT. The show will feature sets by Skye, Lydia Persaud, Winona Wilde, Merival, and jes sachse, as well as pop-up vendors from NEW FRDM and Knot Naked. The event is sponsored by She Does The City and Beau’s and is in support of Sistering, a multi-service agency for at-risk, socially isolated women in Toronto.

Wallace will also be performing May 7 at DRKRM in Uxbridge and in Whitby Mar 14 at the Whitby Curling Club.

Photo by Chet Tilokani

Q: Can you tell me about the event at Array and what people can expect when they go? Also something about your relationship with the other artists on the bill?

"This is going to be a multi-faceted show of music, art, and celebration. We’ve got performances from myself, Lydia Persaud, Winona Wilde, Merival, and a feature performance piece by artist jes sachse. We’ll also be showcasing guest vendors New FRDM & Knot Naked at the event. Beau’s is sponsoring our bar, and there will be a silent auction as well featuring local artists and brands such as The Likely General, Muttonhead, Nic ter Horst, and more. 

"All of the people on the bill are so incredible and I feel very lucky to have this line-up. 

"I’ve actually never had the chance to share the stage with any of them for their solo projects, so this will be an exciting first!"

 Q: According to the press release, “Angelina's story is an insight into how the shift has happened in the past, and how we need to perpetuate that shift by working hard, being inclusive, vocal, and active, and educating ourselves and others." 
Can you suggest to our readers some ways they can continue this work?

"I think action is a very important thing right now.  Engaging in and supporting your communities is imperative; get involved in charity events supporting undermined groups in your community, volunteer with organizations that work for equality, women’s rights, anti-poverty, etc.  Having your voice heard as an ally not just at women’s rights rallies, but rallies supporting indigenous rights, black lives, the queer community, is so necessary.

"So is doing the work in acknowledging and educating yourself regarding the implications of race and gender, and working to dismantle the systems of oppression in this country and around the world.

"One great example that you can get involved in is the #Next150 challenge.

"https://next150.indianhorse.ca is a series of challenges and engagement with literature, music, art, and culture working toward Reconciliation."

 Q: In what ways are you going to continue to spotlight the history of others who have paved the way for this current climate of empowerment of women?

 "This entire upcoming album is actually focussing on this.  It’s a subject that I have gravitated towards, and an area that is rife with untold stories that are fundamental to the understanding of the history of feminism and women’s rights, as well as providing a context for the current climate.

"A lot of these women weren’t big names in headlines or as prevalent a story as Angelina’s. Some of them that I’ve written about are midwives, mothers, prostitutes, unheard voices that permeated with a strength that is so empowering to learn about.  A lot of these stories are based in Newfoundland and the Yukon, places I had the pleasure of doing writing residencies in this last year. I’m excited to share the stories I’ve learned about and share the strength of these women with folks who listen to my music."

Q: There are those who will not define themselves by gender but see themselves as just them - and International Women Day is not needed anymore, but instead focus on collective human rights - why is International Women Day important do you think?

"This is actually a really important point. A lot of people are adopting International Womxn’s Day as an alternative spelling for that reason, as many groups (including Toronto Womxn In Music, who are co-presenting the event) are striving to be inclusive of not just female-identifying individuals in their work toward equality.

"I do still see International Womxn’s Day as an opportunity to celebrate inclusivity, as well as a way to come together to educate and support one another.  

"I see feminism in this way as well - for many, the focus on collective human rights is a very important aspect of their platforms. When putting together this event, I wanted to be very mindful of representation of not just women, but non-binary/gender queer/trans-identifying folks as well. 

"One of the vendors, J of New FRDM, is doing incredible work to educate, empower, and inspire change in how gender identity is viewed. They’re an awesome clothing designer, but are also making an impact with their Gender Freedom Club. Check out what they do at https://newfrdm.com

St Marks Gospel reading by actor Kenneth Welsh Sunday Mar 4

Noted Canadian actor Kenneth Welsh will read "The Gospel according to St. Mark" Sunday, March 4, 2018 at St. Paul's Anglian Church in Uxbridge, ON. The event will take place 3 - 4:30 p.m. amid the art works of Lynne McIlvride, including her 'Cross' and others which draw on biblical iconography.

Welsh tells Slowcity.ca he is drawn to St. Mark for its inherent theatricality and poetry. The King James' version was translated and published in Shakespearean times and is considered one of the finest written works in the English canon. Of the four books, (Matthew, Luke and John being the other three), St. Mark is considered the most elegant in style. Welsh says he has performed the work before and each reading brings something new to his understanding and appreciation of St. Mark's Gospel.

McIlvride will also be bringing something new to the reading; new pieces including "Postcard from Salvation Mountain", seen below. The event is free but donations will be accepted.