Being in very good company is never a bad thing.
That’s exactly where Peterborough singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Calvin Bakelaar found himself Wednesday afternoon (June 19) when he was announced as the Peterborough Folk Festival’s Emerging Artist of the Year.
First presented in 2001 to Serena Ryder, the distinction that recognizes emerging local talent has since been presented to the likes of James McKenty, Beau Dixon, Melissa Payne, Dylan Ireland and, last year, co-recipients Amelia “Irish Millie” Shadgett and Nicholas Campbell.
The Emerging Artist reveal was one of several festival-related announcements made at Nicholls Oval Park where, in less than two months, the 35th edition of the festival will again bring live music fans and families out for the free-admission festival weekend of August 17 and 18.
Bakelaar, who goes by the stage name of VanCamp, performed his original song “This Old Town” at the event. He earlier told kawarthaNOW that to be among those honoured with the distinction is special.
“You look at that list (of past recipients) and you see the names and you’re like ‘Yeah, I really look up to these people.’ It’s really cool to be on that list … one of those career moments where you just can kind of sit and reflect and say ‘This is really neat.'”
VIDEO: “This Old Town” by Calvin Bakelaar aka Vancamp
“Peterborough is a really special city in that we have a massive amount of musical talent but we also have these free concerts we get to attend,” Bakelaar said. “Folk Fest brings out this high-quality lineup every year, but it also fosters this really great sense of community.”
As this year’s Emerging Artist, Bakelaar will perform as VanCamp at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre on Thursday, August 15th, when he will open for festival kick-off act Wild Rivers. In addition, he’ll join festival organizers at the 2024 Folk Music Ontario Conference October 3 to 6 in Mississauga.
Originally a drummer, the Listowel native — he moved to Peterborough in 2015 — learned to play guitar and write songs in 2020. As VanCamp, he subsequently released two EPs: 523 in 2022 and Camper Van in 2023.
In September 2021, Bakelaar was judged the winner of the third edition of the Don Skuce Memorial Music Collective songwriting competition on the strength of his submitted original song “November,” which was subsequently mixed and mastered by Peterborough native and Grammy Award-winning producer Greg Wells in his Los Angeles studio.
According to festival chair Rob Davis, the festival received and considered “about a dozen really strong submissions” before settling on Bakelaar.
“He’s going to resonate very well (with festival attendees), opening for Wild Rivers and here at the festival as well,” said Davis. “He’s so well spoken and assured. He’s at a point in his career where he understands and appreciates what this award can do to help support him.”
While the Emerging Artist announcement was a major focus of Wednesday’s media event, Davis had plenty more to share, confirming a number of artists.
Jumping off the list is 2024 Canadian Songwriter Hall of Fame inductee and Blue Rodeo co-singer Greg Keelor, who will close out the festival on Sunday, August 18th. He’ll be joined on the Miskin Law main stage by Melissa Payne and Brooks & Bowskill (St. Catherine’s Brittany Brooks and Bailieboro’s Jimmy Bowskill, who are now both living in Cobourg).
Other artists scheduled to perform at varying times on the festival’s three stages — besides the Miskin Law main stage, there’s the Cameron’s Pavilion Stage and the Generation Solar Stage — are listed below.
- Winnipeg’s Boy Golden (folk/bluegrass/American/pop)
- Southern Italian electronic/folk band Kalascima joined by multiple Canadian Folk Music Award nominee Andrea Ramolo
- Jadea Kelly, who’s described by CBC’s Tom Powers as ‘one of the shining jewels in the crown of Canadian songwriters’
- Meredith Moon, who combines folk-punk influences with a traditional Appalachian sound
- Juno Award-nominated children’s music artists Sonshine and Broccoli
- Storyteller and hip-hop ‘junkie’ Odario Williams, the host of CBC Radio’s Afterdark
- Three-time Canadian Folk Music Award nominee Polky, who blends traditional Polish music with world sounds
- Newfoundland American folk-pop duo Quote The Raven
- Mississaugas of the Credit member Mr. Sauga performing ‘hip-hop stylings from an Indigenous perspective’
- Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg scholar, writer, and artist Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, who ‘breaks open the intersections between politics, story and song’
- Brooks & Bowskill
- Sharon and Randi leading a Sharon, Lois, and Bram sing-along to open the festival on Saturday, August 17th.
If this isn’t enough music for you, another wave of performers will be announced on July 22 — including the headliner for the main stage on August 17 and festival-connected acts that will perform at downtown Peterborough venues on August 16.
Davis said securing local musicians for the festival remains a priority, noting 12 of last year’s 30 acts were local.
“We’re really proud of that,” he said, adding “It provides them a chance to perform here at the festival before some of the biggest audiences they’ll get to perform for all year.”
Noting “It’s not a free festival to put on, it’s a free festival to attend,” Davis says it costs $200,000 to stage the festival — more than half of that amount for artist fees.
He acknowledged the financial support of all three levels of government and businesses, noting the behind-the-scenes efforts of a number of volunteers, including board members like Rebecca Schillemat and Krissy Edwards who were also at the June 19th reveal, are huge.
“Leading up to the festival, we meet every two weeks and then come away with a ton of action items to make sure that everything lands as it should,” said Davis of the festival board. “We started preparing for this festival about two weeks after last year’s festival in terms of organizing the money and that sort of stuff.”
“Now we’re down to two months and it’s starting to get real in terms of making all the last arrangements, signing the last contracts, and making a million phone calls to make sure everything actually gets here to the park and where it needs to be,” Davis added. “It’s an exciting time.”
In the meantime, the festival is still seeking volunteers. For information on how to volunteer, as well as how to get involved as an artist, vendor, donor or supporter, visit www.peterboroughfolkfest.com.
The full lineup when announced, with dates and performances, will be available there as well.
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a sustaining partner of the Peterborough Folk Festival.
