Samantha Parton

Vancouver, Day 15

When I was last in Vancouver 10 years ago, one of the highlights of the trip was the Vancouver Folk Music Festival. I've been keen to attend it again ever since and, this weekend, my wish has come true!

Today I've basked in great music performed by some of my favourite artists and enjoyed performances by people who were entirely new to me.

I saw...

Twin Bandit
Dominique Fricot
Birds of Chicago
Shane Koyczan and The Short Story Long
The Young 'Uns (whom I've blipped twice previously www.blipfoto.com/entry/2172995395389489471 It was good to have a chat with them again this afternoon - they were very jet-lagged but still on great form!)
The Bills
Martin Harley
Lisa LeBlanc
Samantha Parton and Jolie Holland (both previously of the Be Good Tanyas)
M Ward
The New Pornographers

...and they were all terrific!

I wish I was awake enough to write more about the whole day but it's almost 1.00am and I'm planning to be back there bright and early for Day 2 of the 3-Day Extravaganza... So I must try to sleep!

I've taken more photos than you can shake a stick at and I plan to put a Folk Festival Flickr album together once I'm back home but my blip for today just has to be of Samantha Parton.

She and Jolie Holland were founding members of the Be Good Tanyas - one of the finest bands to come out of Vancouver. I only saw them play once, in Chester, and it was a memorable occasion! Jolie left the band relatively early and has pursued a successful solo career but Sam continued playing with the BGTs until she was involved in a serious car accident in 2012. Unbelievably she was in a second accident the following year and has continued to have health problems, including an aneurysm and a benign brain tumour.

Only in the last few months has she started playing live again and working with Jolie for the first time in over 15 years. Today they played some great new songs, some covers (including the Velvet Underground and Mississippi John Hurt) and a wonderful version of the Be Good Tanya's 'The Littlest Birds' www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdIhpkEkC4c

It was so good to see Sam playing again and looking so well.