Saturday, July 5, 2014
Caitlin Rose (South Stage, 1:10PM)
Day 2 of the festival began early in the afternoon, with Caitlin Rose on the South Stage. Boasting a voice more massive than you’d initially expect, a typical country starlet Rose is not. The Nashville native spun tenderhearted Opry-worthy ballads doused in the whiskey and cigarette smoke of twangy Americana. Add in her crass mouth and offbeat wry banter, divulging tales behind the tunes, and she was one of the most enjoyable personalities to take in over the weekend. Rose lost some momentum during a cover of The National’s “Pink Rabbits,” during which her voice seemed to fade away into the guitars, but took the reins right back with “Pink Champagne” and “Only a Clown.” If you missed out, be sure to give her latest record, The Stand-In, a listen.
New Country Rehab (East Stage, 1:30PM)
Shovels & Rope (West Stage, 2:30PM)
Plagued with equipment that didn’t seem to want to cooperate at times, Shovels & Rope didn’t let that hold them back. A mix of The Civil Wars and The White Stripes in sound, there was an obviously magical chemistry between the South Carolina husband-and-wife duo comprised of Michael Trent (vocals, harmonica, guitar, drums, keys) and Cary Ann Hearst (vocals, guitar, drums, keys) – eyes on one another, the looks on their faces was nothing but love. Hearst’s Dolly Parton-esque set of pipes and cussing sailor mouth was enough to get under your skin while they kicked up some trouble and caused a ruckus with their country-folk, and at times honky-tonk harmonica-drenched blues.
My first chance to see the duo live, and one of my most anticipated sets of the weekend, the two didn’t disappoint, playing hits like “Kemba’s Got the Cabbage Moth Blues” and “Birmingham,” as well as trying out some new tunes such as “The Devil is All Around.” I have the feeling few people in the audience were left uncaptivated or fully under their spell. Their second album, Swimmin’ Time, drops August 26.
Andrew Jackson Jihad (South Stage, 3:10PM)
Drive-By Truckers (East Stage, 3:40PM)
With an album of the same name in their discography, Drive-By Truckers epitomized the term “southern rock opera.” Starting with “Birthday Boy,” the band’s twangy vocals, and rolling compositions soared, though slower tracks like “When Walter Went Crazy” unfortunately seemed to miss the mark a bit, losing the mass’ full attention. They did however succeed at bringing the older crowd out in droves, with the festival feeling like it was finally really filling up and getting going for the day.
The Stanfields (South Stage, 4:10PM)
Making a quick stop over at the South Stage, we didn’t have time to stick around for too much of The Stanfields’ but I’m glad I got to partake in some of the tireless East Coast celtic-charged party scene they always bring with them to the stage.
Violent Femmes (West Stage, 5:00PM)
Violent Femmes surprised the audience by ripping into everyone’s favourite single, “Blister in the Sun” as their first song. With beach balls being thwacked about under the now-scorching heat of the sun, fans young and old were singing along at the top of their lungs, beaming smiles galore on every face. It soon become apparent however that they’d be going through their 1983 self-titled album track-by-track in its entirety. Responding to someone’s sign being held above heads in the audience, they brought him up onto the stage to chime in on the tambourine for “Add It Up.”
After those ten songs, frontman Gordon Gano announced that they would then “play some bluegrass,” delighting the crowd with a little bit of everything. As Brian Fallon of The Gaslight Anthem eloquently indicated during their following set, Violent Femmes have “no stinkers.” A stinker-less set it definitely was!
Pokey LaFarge (South Stage, 5:10PM)
Sam Cash & The Romantic Dogs (South Stage, 6:20PM)
The Gaslight Anthem (East Stage, 6:30PM)
A decidedly younger, more punk-rock crowd had amassed at the East Stage by the time I returned for The Gaslight Anthem. The band left blood on the stage, bringing their New Jersey grit and punk-inspired Americana spanning the entirety of their discography, plus a chilling cover of “House of the Rising Sun.” Frontman Brian Fallon (vocals, guitar) charmed the audience with his humble attitude – and by donning Indie 88.1 sunglasses that were tossed up onto the stage for him, carrying on a full conversation with a couple about their nuptials and dog, and poking fun at Canadians’ love of poutine (he somehow doesn’t get the appeal).
Even with the hour-plus long set, we only got a sneak peek at one new song – single “Rollin’ and Tumblin’” from the band’s upcoming Get Hurt but it was enough to leave me salivating for the album’s August 12 release date.
The Strumbellas (South Stage, 7:30PM)
Hey Rosetta! (West Stage, 8:00PM)
There is something truly special about sharing in the experience of a live Hey Rosetta! performance. A magical East Coast sincerity and joyous spirit emanates from deep within each of the seven members to warm the audience’s collective heart. No matter how many people are in the crowd, you feel connected to each and every one of them in some way.
The band’s harmonious vocals and strings (violin, cello) stirred up emotions that could no longer be contained. “Yer Spring” got all hands up in the air and “Red Heart” brought out the voices with a call and answer before “Seeds” just positively erupted. The Newfoundlanders also dropped hints from their upcoming new record Second Sight, including single “Kintsukuroi.” Closing out the West Stage, they were able to return for an encore, leaving us with “Bandages” and their thank-you, “A Thousand Suns,” as dusk settled into night. As Tim Baker commented, it was truly “the kind of night you dream of.”
Sam Roberts Band (East Stage, 9:30PM)
It doesn’t get much better than watching Can-rockers Sam Roberts Band outside on a warm summer’s night. Relying heavily on his most recent edgier electro-tinged releases, Roberts’ melodic rock filled the air and riled up the audience. One of the nice things about TURF is that following the photographers’ exit from the pit after the first three songs, VIPs are allowed to enter the space right in front of the stage. Fuelled by the energy and excitement surrounding me, I joined in and let Roberts teach this kid how to dance to rock and roll.
Coming back for a closing encore, Roberts gave the jubilant crowd three more chances to chant and clap along, including “All In This Together” and the classic “Brother Down.” Sweaty and tired from a long day, I’m pretty sure no one would have complained if the night had been able to continue on longer.
buying shots for bands 
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