Matt Andersen, Matt Mays and The Record Company brought high energy, great hair and good tunes
CityFolk jumped into its second weekend on Thursday evening with a trio of stellar performances from a mostly-Canadian lineup.
First to hit the stage was California-based rock band, The Record Company. Members Chris Vos, Alex Stiff, and Marc Cazorla have opened for a number of familiar names over the years, including John Mayer and Grace Potter.
They played right into sunset (and if you’ve never watched the sunset from the hill at the back of Lansdowne Park with live music to set the mood, you’re missing out.)
Right after them was Matt Mays. A late addition to the 2022 CityFolk lineup, Mays joined the schedule after the texas-based soul band, Black Pumas, cancelled their performance — and trust me when I say he was a great addition.
The singer-songwriter was energetic and lively, and clearly knew how to get the crowd on their feet. And, if his mid-show shoutout to the food truck employees is anything to go by, he’s also clearly a fan of Beavertails — so you already know he has good taste.
Canadian blues artist Matt Andersen took the stage soon after, pulling the audience into a gritty and heartfelt set. He was joined by the Big Bottle of Joy — an ensemble of eight musicians, including musicians Cory Tetford and Kim Dunn, and Rheeny, Mahalia and Micah Smith on vocals.
The nine-person performance was a joy to watch, and the perfect close to the first night of CityFolk’s second weekend was an “East Coast throwdown,” with Matt Mays joining the ensemble for the final song of the night.
Over this weekend, the TD stage will see performances from Orville Peck, Whitehorse, and John Fogerty, among others.
