(QC) Montreal’s Marco Calliari wears his Italian roots on his rolled up sleeves. A founding member of the thrash metal group Anonymus, Calliari has transplanted the pounding energy of metal to the folkloric spirit of Italy. To gather creative inspiration for his newest release, Al Faro Est, Calliari isolated himself in a light keeper's cottage at the far end of the Gaspe Peninsula. The result is an album of spirited original music that speaks to his Italian roots and Québécois upbringing.

(USA) This is a return Festival performance from the much-loved Texan Sam Baker. He has turned his own life tragedies into hard-hewn, transcendentally wrought grit-and-grace, reflected through his raspy, spoken word-esque vocal style and literate, poignant songs which grapple with the world’s beauties, complexities and little tragedies. They are compelling, closely observed narratives of eccentric and marginalized people finding meaning in seemingly defeated lives.

(QC) It all began with teenage brotherly boxing matches, morphed into messing around with popular hits and old blues songs on cardboard boxes and home-strung imitation guitars and soon evolved into North America tours in the spirited, improv-based rock trio, The Slip, in the mid-‘90s. A chance incident in 2004 moved them to Montreal. There, The Barr Brothers were born, expanding to include an adventurous classically trained harpist and a multi-instrument. Their unique blues-based sound is built on interwoven string arrangements, wide-open spaces and a multitude of musical traditions. 

(ON) In an old 1960s Toronto apartment building, a well-worn pair of cherry red cowboy boots sit beside a guitar case, brightly decorated with glittery stars and Frida Kahlo images. Elsewhere, a Johnny Cash record spins. Sitting amongst them is ruby-lipped, Mexican/Irish descendant Lindi Ortega.