Folk Fest: 2009 showcase comes to life

What turned out be to be a see-saw opening day for organizers of Calgary Folk Fest ended on a high note as Iron & Wine — or Samuel Beam as he is a solo artist — allowed his folk rock style to serenade the crowd, washing away any sadness or the sudden cancellation of original headliner Michael Franti due to illness. Earlier on, Justin Rutledge further cemented himself as a poster boy for this year’s festival, Chad VanGaalen shone light on the local scene, Umalali had the crowds up dancing with their Garifuna singing and The Woodchoppers Association, featuring Jah Youssouf, performed admirably despite being a last-minute edition to the lineup. Photographers Aris Aristorenas and Erin Lough grabbed these shots of all the opening night festivities.