TURF 2015 Day 1: Of Monsters and Men, Shakey Graves and More

Yesterday was a day of firsts for thereviewsarein.com. First time ever at TURF,  first time seeing many of these bands live and a first for having two photographers at a festival. I had a fantastic time and the threat of rain throughout the day didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits. Make sure you check out Glen’s photo post!

My first stop was the West Main Stage for Shakey Graves and while I didn’t make it in time to sort my photo pass out and shoot from the pit we do have photos for you. Thank you to TURF for making available great shots for outlets to use in their posts!

I did get to hear him and if you haven’t heard him, you need to. So talented! I thought he was adorable. His command of the audience, the changes in volume and tempo masterfully kept us paying complete attention.

My next stop was the East Stage for Desaparecidos. Loud, fast paced, intense. Fun to watch. The band, who are out of Omaha, used clips from Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom in a very unique way. I liked them.

I headed to the South Stage next it’s a dreamy little walk down but watch out for the groundhog holes! I love this stage. The hill is a little steep but it allows for a fantastic view. Smaller and a little more intimate, it’s referred to as the Suburbs Stage. The sound is spectacular and you have the southern view of the city and cars going by on The Gardiner… it really works well.

I arrived in time to see the end of singer/songwriter/guitarist, Steve Poltz’s set and I was sorry I’d missed the beginning. Wow this guy is entertaining and talented. Being co-writer of the super smash hit You Were Meant For Me by Jewel is just one of the many fantastic things Steve has done.

Yes, that’s a David Price shirt and Steve will be at the game on Monday. He knows how to visit Toronto. He’ll be performing on the Kids Stage on Sunday so if you have a chance, go check him out, you won’t be disappointed. Charming and engaging he’ll have to dial down the cursing for the Kids Stage, but we loved it!

I stayed put at the South Stage for Northcote, Matt Goud’s band. Matt was born in small town Saskatchewan but the band calls Vancouver Island home. They played songs off the new Hope is Made of Steel album and I liked the sound. Lots of harmonies with a bouncy, rich sound.

My biggest surprise of the day was The Avett Brothers, I loved them! I felt like I knew the music, but I didn’t. They were charming, engaged and humble. “We don’t come to Canada expecting people to show up… But you did.” Super talented band and one many of our followers would definitely enjoy. Folk, indie, roots, hard for me to put them in a category. But trust me you should check them out.

Back to the South Stage  to see Chuck Ragan & The Camraderie great full sound, nice crowd.

I hung around the South Stage to see Toronto’s own, The Sadies. They’ve got a brand new album out Internal Sounds and the crowd was eating up the new content. Side note – I’m loving how much local talent TURF has included in this festival.

Naturally, the biggest crowd of the day was at the East Stage for Of Monsters and Men, our headliner. The entered the stage with minimal lighting, it was spooky and cool. They spoke very little but when they did it was kind and soft – “Hello TURF, it’s nice to see you.”

There were nine people on stage and you could feel their combined energy. The music was full and rich and the harmonies were spectacular. My favourite moment came when Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir started drumming. I’m getting goosebumps writing this…so good!

I wanted to stay for the end of the set but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to check out Fishbone. Their energy and funk levels are legendary (yes, I said funk levels). They did not disappoint and a good sized crowd at the South Stage agreed with me. There was lot of dancing, on stage and off and let me just say, those boys sure know how to get our attention. Checking this one off my bucket list.

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Trish Cassling

Writer/Photographer/Editor

Toronto Music Blogger