The curtain has come down on another successful edition of Kinsmen Cornwall Lift-Off. From Burton Cummings to Mariana’s Trench, the entertainment line-up certainly filled the bill for music lovers of all generations.
The festival opened up on Thursday with headliners, Big Wreck, and special guests, Sloan.
“I think it’s a good cross section of music, a little something for everybody,” said festival-goer, Jim Sharp, who attends every year.
“Sloan has a bunch of number one hits and Big Wreck is an absolutely take-no-prisoners rock band,” said Sharp. “They are both really, really good Canadian bands, and they haven’t been here before.”
Sharp, who was planning on attending all weekend, showed up early on opening evening to see Cornwall’s own SwitchGear start things off. “There’s been a lot of talk about them; they’ve just release their brand new CD. I wanted to see what all the fuss is about.”
In comparison to other music festivals, he said that he particularly likes the intimacy of Lift-Off.
“You go to Bluesfest or something like that and you’re dealing with 40,000 people,” he said. “You get to see the artists up close and sweating it, instead of looking on a big screen.
“This is the one thing each year where people should get out and support. We need more stuff like this in the park. This is just a fun weekend.”
After their performance, Chris Murphy, lead singer of Sloan came out into the park and talked with the fans. “It’s lovely,” he said of the festival, “the balloons, the people.”
Originally from Halifax, the band has been in Toronto since the late ’90s, recording 10 records, including 180 song releases over the last 20 years.
“We’re a moderate success a small business,” said Murphy. “We normally try to play as much as we can in the summer to keep the band rolling, and then the rest of the year, make records. I enjoy playing.”
Friday welcomed more great weather, and Canadian legend, Burton Cummings.
“I think Lift-Off is a great festival, and I’m always happy to come every year,” said festival attendee, Marc Carrière. “I’m here to see the Shiners and of course Burton Cummings later on and just to see who’s walking around and be able to meet friends that you don’t often see, chat and have fun.”
And the location in Lamoureux Park was a plus, he said.
“It’s very comfortable here,” said Carriere. “It’s getting bigger, but it’s still at a stage where it’s not that huge, everything is always in control, well planned and executed. It’s always a successful festival.”
Of the countless number one hits Cummings was expected to play, Carriere was looking forward to hearing American Woman and She’s Come Undone. “His music reminds me of the early 70’s growing up.”
On Saturday night, making a special trip from Ottawa with her friends to see Mariana’s Trench, Marina Smith-Soro, 13, couldn’t decide what her favourite of their songs is. “It’s like picking a favourite child,” she said.
--taken from: Cornwall Seaway News
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