While there was still heavy wind and cloudy skies, Day 2 of Folk on the Rocks 2022 was thankfully spared from a torrential downpour.
After the heady excitement of the day before, invigorating music, relentless rain, and a strong sense of community, the second day had a much more relaxed feel to it. Calmer weather, and a smaller population of guests passing through. That doesn’t mean the festival was barely attended, however. Plenty of people still made their way through the Long Lake grounds.
The TrueNorthFM stage for this day hosted another powerful and emotional performance from the NWT Creative Collective.
They were followed by an enchanting performance by the Leaf Rapids group, a four piece band in Winnipeg whose sound has been described as ‘Cinematic Canadiana,’ and features top notch song writing, sweet and smoky voices, a seasoned rhythm section, some serious guitar licks and the eerie sound of the theremin. They also ran a theremin workshop after their show. Members of the audience were welcome to hop on stage and give the intriguing instrument a try.
Saltwater Hank was up next. A natural comedic timing compliments his song writing and performance, and his many hours spent dialing in on all of his chosen instruments are shown through his skillful playing. A guitar player to start, he moved into bluegrass realms when he zeroed in on the banjo, and eventually made his way to the fiddle.
Skyfire Taiko was the last to perform on the TrueNorthFM stage, though they didn’t have a traditional musical performance. Instead, they held a workshop, teaching their audience about the intricacies of their art. Taiko is a style of drumming originating in Japan that combines music with martial arts. A physically demanding and visually impressive art form, taiko is played and enjoyed around the world. This particular group also took some inspiration from the Northern Lights themselves.
Once again, the performances across the rest of the festival stretched late into the night. As it is said however, all good things must come to an end. After dealing with setbacks out of their control for the last few years, FOTR was able to return at full capacity, and bring the people of Yellowknife the music festival they deserved.
We hope everyone, from performers to organizers to guests, had a wonderful time at this year’s Folk on the Rocks! Here’s to next year!
