The growing presence of the Toronto City Roots Festival (which is in its second year) is starting to be felt with more artistes participating and the lineup improving. It is ultimately a very grassroots festival, with many new performers striving to make an impression. The well-known, recently reunited and revitalised Parachute Club headlined Saturday's show, drawing most of the crowd that evening to the main stage. The Sisters of Sheynville (a.k.a. "Yiddish swing chick band") who played a little earlier in the evening at a different stage were eclectically colorful with their blonde reinvention of the Barry Sisters. The all female group consisted of double base, clarinet, drums, keyboard, and of course 2 vocalists. The whole yiddish thing didn't help me (because I like to understand the lyrics) but I am almost ashamed to admit this since they they were so enthusiatic about it and I really did enjoy the music very much.
The historic distillery district where the festival was held is also growing into its new identity, and is noticeably more settled in terms of character since I was last there when it first opened in 2003. It's an interesting location for music as the GO train and some goods trains run right by, making for a discordant and yet strangely charming inner city Torontoresque experience, gentrified though it may be. The old fermenting room which housed the main stage was an acoustic nightmare, but did make it feel like an authentically underground gig. www.torontocityroots.com www.thedistillerydistrict.com
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