The barriers are up. The stages are being assembled. The grounds are starting to take shape, and by the time this column reaches you, Riverfest Elora will be in full swing. And somewhere in the crowd of thousands I will find myself getting lost in the music. I will forget everything else. It’s the ultimate escapism.
I cannot wait.
For as long as I can remember, music has been my one constant love, (because before there was a Carpenter, there was Shaun Cassidy. I had to cut him loose though, because hello, Parker Stevenson. Right?). I was fortune to be the younger sister of a brother who loved music, all kinds of music. He had a vinyl collection that was a full spectrum of genres and I grew up on his soundwaves. My big brother opened up a world of music that still influences me to this day.
We didn’t always like the same music. Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon scared me half to death. It still does. If he was babysitting me, this album was his form of amusement. He thought my Depeche Mode phase was too dark for my hyper-cheerful personality. We agreed to disagree about Madonna, (I still love her. Don’t care who knows it.) And when all my peers were “Dancing in the Dark” with Bruce Springsteen, my big brother told me harm would come to the cassette tape if I ever brought the Boss home. A vinyl record would surely come to a worse fate and I knew that because once I came home and found my brother and his friends playing Frisbee on the street with my Andy Gibb record. (Hands up if you remember Andy Gibb.) The Bee Gees and ABBA were on deck. Mom came home from work just in time to end the insanity. Disco didn’t die that day.
What I learned in those early days, besides hide your records, was that music has roots. It’s a forest I love to play in. As a child, I didn’t hear music, I felt it. I needed to understand it. Thankfully, I have not lost that curiosity. I still feel the music. Understanding the influences of sounds and the inspirations behind the lyrics grounds me like no other artform. I appreciate the artistry, even when I don’t like the music. I love to discover lesser known artists too, because let’s face it, the best singers are rarely the most famous. And while I love my satellite radio, live music is king. Nothing beats the raw energy of a live performance. No engineered sounds. No manufactured moves. Let the music speak for itself. Pure, authentic moments. Inspire me. Amaze me. Reach me, out there in the crowd. Blow my mind.
Riverfest Elora is the ultimate music-fan experience. While there are some acts I am excited to see, this weekend will be about exploring new sounds. I will immerse myself in the rhythm from out there in the crowd, just happy to be in the moment, where all I have to do is listen and prepare to be transformed. Or not.
The best part is just being open to the possibility.
I can’t wait to tune in to the music and tune out the noise. Rock on, Riverfriends. I’ll see you in the crowd.