Hillside Festival 2008 In Guelph

It was sunny and warm for our arrival at the Hillside Festival's Sunday edition. Although it was celebrating its 25th year, it was my first time attending, so I had no idea what to expect except maybe some good folk music and a perusal of the local craft merchant booths.

As we crossed the land bridge to the music island, we were met by crowds of people checkered with coloured dreads, babies in tie-dye outfits, layered sarongs and lots of Birkenstocks. It felt like I had time-warped back to the field parties of my high school days, except I had to constantly look at the ground while walking around, so as to not trip over the many toddlers dancing about. I later learned that these children have been coined "Hillside Babies." There are people who've been going to the festival since it began, andnow they bring their kids.

Hipster parents drank beer out of their reusable Hillside beer mugs and carried plates of organic fruits, vegetables and grains, as well as varieties of Indian, Caribbean and Thai food from local eateries. Hillside certainly has a different vibe from Toronto musical festivals like Virgin Fest or the recent Rogers Picnic. As good as the food was, the music was the main focus, so off we went...

Dubblestandart were one of the first bands that stood out. Their great dub sounds echoed through the crowd and the deep bass got the audience groovin' and jumping to reggae-influenced electronica. They're scheduled to release a new album next year and definitely shouldn't be missed.

Sue Foley was another main stage highlight, but she had a completely different vibe. The crowd quickly adjusted to her bluesy undertones and the Willie Nelson lookalike standing beside me was swaying along. Foley played her pink and gold guitar with precision and ease as she twirled with it around the stage. Her guttural and soulful voice rang out, reminding me of Lucinda Williams.

Moshav's unique Middle Eastern-infused folk-rock set them apart from everyone else. Originally from Israel, the group of brothers now work out of Los Angeles. Their powerful music was composed of percussion, strings and reggae with an over-arching folk foundation and they were truly a treat.

Storyteller Stuart McLean drew the biggest crowd. He was greeted with a torrential downpour, but that didn't affect the crowd gathering at the only stage that didn't have any covering for the audience. I was a little shocked by the mix of young and old audience members who were hanging off this Canadian radio icon's every word. Ron Sexsmith was the special musical guest, and the show was taped for a future broadcast of McLean's Vinyl Cafe radio show.

As the sun began to go down, the rain stopped and a beautiful rainbow formed over the hillside. Hayden came out and played a great set of songs covering his 14-year career. Hayden shared a bunch of laughs with the audience, and talked about the dozen remedies people gave him for his sore throat.

While many of the families had gone home by the time Broken Social Scene took the main stage, there was still a huge audience of younger fans. With Metric, Stars and Feist all touring, BSS were only at partial capacity. Even at three-quarters strength they still had a dozen or more members who played songs from Brendan Canning and Kevin Drew's solo albums along with classics like "Stars And Sons," "Fire Eye'd Boy" and a new version of "Cause = Time." They finished off the set with an epic version of "It's All Gonna To Break" that had the whole crew singing, playing, dancing, and even rolling around on the stage.

It's clear the Hillside Festival is more than just about music. It's about a community, with music as the focal point. It promotes the social aspects of community like friends and relationships, but also social responsibility.

The festival's environmental initiatives were noteworthy. It used reuseable plates, beer mugs, wine glasses and cutlery with free washing stations and the site had a dishwashing team. Organizers encouraged you to bring your own reusable drinking bottle and had a free water station to fill it. There was also a solar-powered stage.

There was "Reclaiming Witchcraft" workshop, Aboriginal drum circles and candle holder making exhibits. There were even Tibetan monks who came from India to let us glimpse into their culture and stage perform a debate about karma, compassion and emptiness.

The 25th anniversary of Hillside was clearly a success It stands for something: Celebrating music, community and cross-cultural acceptance and knowledge. And I'm already planning for my return trip next year.