Guest Contributor: Uryelle Dimailig

The Edmonton Folk Music Festival—as mentioned in my last article—is a pretty big deal. To illustrate exactly how big of a deal, tickets to the festival sell out within minutes while lotteries are drawn simply to enter the grounds when gates first open for the day.

Arguably one of the most popular festivals of the year, it boasts an army of over 2,500 volunteers alone, not to mention the thousands more who attend as guests. But whether volunteer, concert-goer, performer or passing observer, this annual event is indeed a magical time for all: four days of stunning scenery, world class music, united community, and general feel-good vibes unique to the one and only “Folk Fest.” For those of you who missed last weekend’s festivities (or have never been), here is my round-up of highlights from my time there on Saturday and Sunday to get you caught up to speed.

For those of you who are regulars, well, consider this fond nostalgia.

My first day was mainly spent exploring the festival and getting acquainted with the grounds. First thing you’ll undoubtedly notice is the sea of tarps sprawling over the steep hills of Gallagher Park on one side and the stunning view of Edmonton’s downtown core perched on top of the river valley on the other—the view alone is a big draw for many. You feel like you’re in an oasis in the middle of the city!

My quick tour of the market saw unique local vendors selling crafts that follow the “folk” sensibility: leather satchels, handmade jewelry, wooden décor, the works. The food pavilions provided hungry concert-goers with international fare including Thai, Chinese, German, Japanese, Indian, Vietnamese, Canadian and more, with (of course) vegetarian and vegan options.

There were plenty of kid friendly amenities in the festival as well including a spray park, face painting and a family fun area. For us grownups, our fun area was known as the beer gardens, which offer up pitchers of beer, hotdogs, and great conversation with new and old friends. Stick around after the sun sets and take in the glorious sight of a hill filled with twinkling lights and a night sky full of stars. Truly magical.

As for the shows, my goal on Sunday was to catch as many as I could and I feel my mission was accomplished, having caught seven concerts that afternoon. Here are a few of my favourites:

Emmanuel Jal: So I stumbled on this show by accident. I was actually on my way to find ice cream but I couldn’t help but stop as I passed by Emmanuel Jal’s stage. This guy had energy for days, jumping up and down, dancing in the crowd and pulling the audience on stage to join the show. Jal’s empowering songs affected the crowd too—everyone was up on their feet dancing along as the park resounded with anthems of love and peace, such is his mandate. The incredible story of Jal’s past life as a child soldier in Sudan, turned hip-hop artist and activist hailing from Toronto made for an uplifting performance that not only entertained but inspired all those who watched. For music with a message, an artist with a story, and an entertainer with passion, Emmanuel Jal’s your guy—his show was a definite highlight of the festival and it’s all thanks to ice cream.

I’m With Her: Shifting musical stylings somewhat after the Emmanuel Jal show, I drifted over to Stage 2 where the ladies of I’m With Her began their soft-spoken, gentle set of folksy originals and cover songs. These ladies had the most angelic voices which, when paired with their delicate instrumentals, served as the perfect complement to the sunshine and stunning view of the river valley behind the stage. Considering you were surrounded by thousands of people, the I’m With Her set had a magical way of feeling intimate and close, as every live performance should.

Fairfield Four: So funny story. While I was in the media tent sorting through the day’s photos, a group of older gentlemen arrived and media volunteers were busy trying to get them to their assigned stage. One of the men took a seat beside me, smiled and said, “How do you do,” in the smoothest, southern baritone voice I have ever heard. Being a newbie to the folk music scene however, I couldn’t quite place what kind of music they would be playing.

An hour later, there I was swaying to the stylings of the legendary Fairfield Four as their airtight four-part acapella harmonies and rolling bass lines took you through a journey of gospel tales and rich southern history. Incredibly humble for a group whose songs have won them Grammies and major Hollywood soundtracks, these talented vocalists are the third generation to hold a place in the Fairfield Four’s almost century long history. What a privilege it truly was to watch them live in concert.

The McCrary Sisters: Continuing on the gospel note, the McCrary Sisters took to the stage shortly after. As daughters of one of the founding members of the Fairfield Four, it was clear that musical talent ran through the family. The sisters, with their pitch perfect harmonies, powerful vocal riffs and impeccable showmanship, took turns sharing the spotlight with their spirited set of blues, soul and gospel songs. My personal favourite was their song “Let It Go” which was an anthem of positivity and love. To top it all off, the Fairfield Four joined the Sisters on stage for an amazing joint performance that had everyone on their feet dancing and singing along.

All in all, I LOVED every second of my Folk Fest experience. Yes, the music was amazing but even more important was the incredible spirit of community, inclusion and support you felt when you were there. If you have a chance to make it to next year’s festival, I highly recommend it. Cheers to all the Folk; see you next August on the hill!

Leonardo Dicaprio and Tom Hardy spent a lot of time in Alberta over the last year filming The Revenant with the Oscar winning director Alejandro González Iñárritu (The Birdman).  Most of this was filmed just outside of Calgary.

This movie looks really intense...and Leo looks really dirty. I don't really approve of that aspect of the film.

XOXO
Jes...

I went to my very first Edmonton Folk Music Festival last year and I was blown away. It quickly ranked to the top of my Alberta music festival chart and this year's line-up is promising more of the same!

So this year, if you are planning on spending a few days on the hill, make sure you check out these acts!
Lucius
In case you missed them last year when they performed an amazing show, you can catch Lucius on the main stage at 8 PM on Saturday night.
Of Monsters and Men
Kicking off the festivities this year is the Icelandic indie folk band.
Good for Grapes
This Vancouver band is a really fun time - in song and on the stage!
I'm with Her
This trio is Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O'Donovan. A little bit folky, a little bit country, little bit bluesy and a lot lovely.
The Wind and the Wave
Their version of Chasing Cars was used in an episode of Grey's Anatomy - so obviously they are the best.

The ENMAX Corral Show at the Calgary Stampede gets better and better every year. Located on the Stampede grounds, the Corral seats just over 7,000 people and has a free with-park-admission show every day (at 2, 4 and 7 PM) for Stampede goers to attend.

This year the circus is in town from Montreal. The troupe Cirque Eloize is doing a Stampede edition of their show iD. A 45 minute act that is sure to impress you in some way. There are break-dancers, acrobats, contortionists, juggling, trampo wall tricks and a mountain biker.

The show starts off with an acrobatic number that is nice, but not out of this world. You may think...hum, OK we are in for a nice 45 minute rest from the mid-way and that's about it, but then it gets really good. It's impressive what they are able to do on such a small stage.

The show rounds off with the entire show doing a choreographed dance sequence. If you are in the right position, I would recommend watching the mountain biker in the back row - dance is not his forte. It's very amusing to watch him try.

If you are going to the grounds this year, I would recommend it. It's worth the park admission alone.

XOXO
Jes...

The Calgary Stampede is a few days away and it is time to get your schedule in order. Besides going to the grounds and watching the Grandstand show, hitting the Rodeo, betting on the chuckwagon races and buying the weird midway food (this year there is a $100 hot dog...um, what?)Here are some things that can keep it full for the 10 days of fun ahead:

Friday July 3, 2015
Stampede Parade
The Stampede kicks off with the Stampede Parade through downtown Calgary.  This year's parade marshal is Olympian Kallie Humphries.

Saturday July 4, 2015
Chinook Center Pancake Breakfast
One of the great joys of Stampede is all the pancakes. If you don't go to a pancake breakfast during Stampede you just aren't stampeding right. The Chinook Stampede breakfast feeds 60,000 people. That's a lot of pancakes. 

Sunday July 5, 2015
Coca-Cola Stage 
Hit the grounds on the first Sunday and get your place around the Coke stage for one of this year's acts Vance Joy.

Monday July 6, 2015
Wildhorse Saloon Tent
The tent in the middle of downtown is the corporate cowboys delight. There are different concerts and on this night you have Canadian rocker turned country star Dallas Smith. 

Tuesday July 7, 2015
ENMAX Corral Show
This year the ENMAX Corral show at the Stampede grounds is Cirque Éloize, one of today's leaders in contemporary circus arts from Montreal, Québec.They are performing a Stampede version of their show iD.

Wednesday July 8, 2015
Stampede Roundup
The big concerts at Fort Calgary never disappoint the crowd. This year they are throwing back with Collective Soul, Big Wreck and Journey. You always sing along to Don't Stop Believing when it comes on - this year you can do it with the band live. 

Thursday July 9, 2015
Calgary Stampede Grandstand Show
You can't miss the Grandstand fireworks every night during Stampede, but you should see the whole show at least once. The Young Canadians, the Alberta Ballet and many other performers bring the glitz and dazzle to the stage every night after the Chuckwagon races. 

Friday July 10, 2015
Virgin Mobile Concert Series at the Saddledome
Blake Shelton takes the stage at the Saddledome the night after his wife Miranda Lambert woos the audience. 

Saturday July 11, 2015
Nashville North
Hit up the famous Stampede beer tent on the night Jason Blaine takes the stage. 

Sunday July 12, 2015
Cowboys Tent
End off the ten day event with a stop at the Cowboys tent for a concert. Kip Moore and Nelly will shut down the Cowboy's stage for this year.

It's June, which means everyone is gearing up for summer. Which means, you need to start ramping up your summer time playlists. Summer is fun, happy and fleeting. This is what a look for in a summer playlist song.

The Griswolds just released a new video for their song If You Want to Stay...and I think it just became the first song on my summer list. They kind of have me thinking about The Ceremonies. Whatever happened to those guys? Land of the Gathering was definitely on my 2013 list.

XOXO
Jes...

BOOM! Bust out the fireworks, it's been six years since I carved out this little piece of the internet. Six years since I sat on my couch watching Friends re-runs wondering what I was going to do with all of my spare post-university time. Six years since I started writing stuff I thought no one would read except my Aunt who was always overly excited about the fact that I could string words together and occasionally make people laugh. Six years since I thought "I have no idea what I would name a blog...whatever, XOXO Jes works."

It worked. I guess. Ha.

Over the past year I have been working on carving out another piece of the internet. XOXO Jes was a fun time, a place 23 year old Jes had a lot of fun and did a bit of damage (as seen from the photos above and my inability to not make stupid faces when looking into a camera). I thought about fixing it up, turning it from a red cup party house into a place with a wine rack and a gallery wall, but building a new place just seemed like a better plan. So I did.

If you'd like to see my new place, you can check it out here.

I'll still be here one the weekends though...cause I still love a red cup party.

XOXO
Jes...

Did you know that they still make Heritage Minutes? There have been five released since 2012, and they just released a sixth about nurses in WWI. As usual, it will make you feel very patriotic.

“Nursing Sisters” was produced by Historica Canada and Calgary-based Corkscrew Media and Stir Films. It stars Canadian actress Siobhán Williams (Hell on Wheels, Black Box, UnReal). The iconic end narration is provided by Molly Parker (House of Cards).

I am still going to say that the James Naismith basketball peach baskets and the "Dr. Penfield, I smell burnt toast." ones were my all time favorites. I mean, you just can't beat one of America's favorite past times and everyone thinking their having a stroke when they smell burnt toast.

XOXO
Jes...

'Merica...come on now. Let's get some relief for your mothers.

John Oliver explains on Mother's Day how America really feels about its mothers - by asking them to get back to work.

XOXO
Jes...

The most highly anticipated movie of 2015 is coming out in two weeks! That's right folks, Pitch Perfect 2 is about to hit theatres. The most iconic song from the first film was The Cup Song, which sold millions of copies, rose on the billboard charts and had people all over the continent dumping out their drinks, flipping over their cups and attempting to keep a beat with their cup while singing this cute little number.

This scene from Pitch Perfect 2 will make you nostalgic for whatever you are missing in your life. I miss the Disney movies from the 90s. So I was thinking about them when I watched this. I'm now crying into a pillow.

Don't forget some other really great versions of this song that we have heard over the years...

The Calgary Philharmonic got into the hockey playoff spirit on Saturday night at the Jack Singer concert hall at the Art Commons after the Calgary Flames beat the Vancouver Canucks in game 6 of the first series. Singing a playoff version of O Fortuna...and it is amazing.

I love this. I love that the whole city gets in on the celebration, even the CPO. BRA-VO.

The city celebrated hard on Saturday night...like we won the cup or something. We will celebrate while we can...and then it is game time in series two. And let's be real...it's gonna to be tough.

XOXO
Jes...


...but we beat the Canucks and that is almost all some people care about.

Has a petition been created for fans to boycott Grey's Anatomy for the rest of its existence? If there isn't, I will start one and be the first to sign. #boycottgreysanatomy

Dear Shonda Rhimes,

Words cannot express the rage and sadness I feel, but I will try my best to let you know how you have ruined my life.* You've got some sort of ego thinking all of the fans of your show are not going to revolt after killing off our beloved McDreamy, Derek Shepherd.

First, can you stop exiting people off of this show by killing them? It is NOT necessary. There was a time when you would make me cry and I'd think, "Wow, Shonda is good." Now I just think, "I am not surprised that Shonda is emotionally terrorizing viewers again...I mean, it is Thursday." Can we not have a good story and drama without death? You know that there are other ways to be emotional right? Why do you keep going down that road?? I am concerned for your mental health. (Actually, I'm concerned about my mental health right now - I could really care less about how you are doing.)

Second, do you actually think you have a storyline left that the long-time fans are really going to stick around for? I would list all the reasons why what you currently have is not appealing, but I don't want to bore the readers.

I know you tried to set this up so Meredith could transition to life on her own. Derek was hardly in this season...and Meredith did fine. Hell, she was on a streak. Does this mean that she is going to die alone and be the best surgeon ever? Well that's boring. I'm glad Meredith doesn't need a man, but that doesn't mean that I don't need McDreamy.


I hate that you killed him. I HATE that you faked the viewers out so many times in the episode, basically attempting to murder us by heart attack. I hate that Derek's hair looked the best ever on the day that he died. I hate that there were no cars on that road the entire day except for the 4 that got in two separate car accidents. I hate that that little girl saw her dad die and then saw Derek in the hospital. I hate that Derek knew where the doctors messed up and that he was going to die. I hate that the on-call surgeon took forever to get there. I hate that you played Chasing Cars while Meredith said goodbye AND when Denny died, forever labeling Snow Patrol as the band that kills love. I hate that Meredith didn't call anyone or have anyone else there with her when he died. I hate that we all knew it was coming and held onto hope until the very end. I hate you Shonda, I hate you.

I am through with the trauma Shonda. Done. Over it. As far as I'm concerned tonight was the series finale of Grey's Anatomy. I'm sad it's over, but glad to get away from Seattle Grace.

Rest in peace Derek. I MISS YOUR HAIR ALREADY.

XOXO
Jes...

*And by life I mean night, I'm sure I'll get over it - just like I will get over you and your shows. Scandal has sucked this season too by the way, in case you were wanting to take my temperature on that show as well.

Carly Rae Jepsen's newest pop hit I Really Like You is not getting the air time that Call Me Maybe did. Maybe that's why Justin Bieber rallied the troops to make a lip dub video of him and B list friends singing along to the song...recreating the magic from this video with his former lover Selena.

I mean, it's not a terrible song, but it's not as catchy as Call Me Maybe...and the Biebs just doesn't have the pull that he once did. He is trying to make lightening strike twice, but we know that that's rare...even with the help of Ariana Grande, Lance Bass, Kendall Jenner and Frankie Grande.

Plus, this video is way more budget.

XOXO
Jes...

Do you ever wonder why people slow down when they drive by an accident? Is it to gawk? To see if anyone was injured? Or maybe they are like me, and slow down to assess the situation and decided in their heads what the accident would have looked like had I been here for it live...would it have been dramatic to see?

There is a certain rush you get from witnessing a mishap...and even a thrill from watching something that may end up failing. That is why I have always loved live theatre and that is most definitely why I love Cirque Du Soleil. Not because I hope anyone falls on their face or misses their cue, but come on - the risks that those performers take are amazing.

Canadian singer Peter Katz is not disappointing anyone with his third studio album We Are the Reckoning - which includes this super cute song Brother featuring another Canadian artist Royal Wood.

The song is just so lovely, as is Peter Katz. The first time I met Katz was in 2011 when he was promoting his first album First and Last to Know. I was a inebriated mess and talked him into giving me a private concert underneath the stairs in the venue he was playing in. He was so Canadian, he couldn't say no. And thus started my love of all things Peter Katz.

If you haven't heard of The Book of Mormon, you aren't really in tune with the Broadway scene. I'm serious. The show has won major awards since opening on Broadway in 2011 and has set ticket sale records for good reason. It's hilarious, smart and entertaining from start to finish.

The satirical piece follows two Mormon missionary companions to Uganda. From their start at missionary camp through to the end of the story, there were laughs and 'I can't believe they just did that' moments. Elder Price and Elder Cunningham are two mismatched missionaries. Price is an overachieving overly-confident kid who believes he is God's gift to the world while Cunningham is a weird socially awkward guy with no friends and a penchant for lying. The two are sent to Uganda (much to Price's dismay because he wanted to be sent to Orlando) and well...if the jokes about Mormonism weren't un-PC enough, the jokes about Africa could take an easily offended person right over the edge.

Sindy with an S was voted off of Big Brother Canada the second week into the game, but we may not have seen the last of her yet. Sindy and Risha both sit waiting to see if they will be able to go back into the house...and on Sunday another person will join them after this seasons first instant eviction.

Sindy with an S was quite a polarizing character from the moment she stepped into the house, introducing herself to her fellow houseguests as 'Sindy with an S'. It didn't seem like many of her peers enjoyed her drawn out name and put her on the block the first night. Then, after playing hard through the first POV competition, Sindy took herself off the block. Saved for the first week.

The second week she almost won HoH, but lost to Bobby. Which was really unfortunate, because after Kevin got himself taken off the block and convinced all of the guys that Sindy was the ringleader behind the girls alliance, she was nominated as a replacement. Now she sits on the outside of the house as she was evicted 12-0 on Wednesday night.

In the first couple of weeks in the house, I never have the best game related questions for the houseguests. There just isn't really anything big to talk about yet, but there was one thing I was dying to know about Sindy.  (Read the interview after the jump...)

We Are the City, the Vancouver, BC indie rock trio, re-released their sophomore album Violent in Canada (with two bonus tracks) last week and for the fir time in the US. To celebrate, the group has put a video of each track from the album on YouTube.

This is my favorite song of the album. "...VHS, videos. Here he is, the man of my dreams. Now those tapes that meant everything to me aren't even fit for a yard sale." I had no idea in the 90s when my mom was badgering me to rewind videos, that I would ever become nostalgic for VHS tapes. Who would have thunk.

XOXO
Jes...

Vancouver songwriter Hilary Grist just released a music video for her song Come and Go. The song is beautiful, but the video is about a traveling salesman...also known as the job I will be doing in hell when I finally arrive. Seriously - worst ever.

I would also like to point out that a payphone is used in this video. A traveling salesman and a payphone...what year is this supposed to be taking place? I mean, he's driving a car from the 80s and staying in ghetto motels that scream Psycho...but I really think it is supposed to be from the year 2015.

Well, as usual, Hilary Grist does not disappoint in song. I would also like to thank her for reminding me that my job is not that bad - at least I am not a door-to-door salesman.

XOXO
Jes...

Big Brother Canada season three premieres tonight on Global, and no one is as excited about this as the BBCAN host Arisa Cox. “It is so huge, we are so thrilled!...because it’s on Global in prime time, I excited for the people who have never seen the show or have watched maybe one episode of Big Brother US and they don’t know what all the fuss is about – when they see tonight’s episode, they will be believers,” said Arisa when I talked to her this morning.

I think all of the regular Big Brother fans were excited last year when the announcement came out that the reality show would be moving from the specialty channel Slice over to the main Shaw channel Global. With the audience reach widening, there are all sorts of opportunities to make believers out of all Canadians instead of just the die hards.

If I were Arisa, all I would be thinking about would be the jump in audience. With so many more people potentially watching the show, would that put Arisa off her game? In her words, no. “…if one person is watching or if 3 million people are watching, I always want it to be the best.”

I tried to get Arisa to give me some spoilers (if I were her I would have given them to me and no one else – obviously), but she would not budge. What she did tell me, “We’ve got a ton of superfans in the house…everybody knows the game, everybody knows the show. They are well versed...As a production team we are going to make them throw all that stuff out the window.” So basically – get ready for a season of twists.

“What we have planned for the season is so next level – you won’t be able to look away,” said Arisa. I am counting on it.

Big Brother Canada premieres tonight on Global TV at 9 PM MST/8 PM EST…Arisa will be wearing a navy and black dress as all the superfans walk into the house.

XOXO
Jes…