Soul Fest Day One

Even though it was raining last night, and even though it was forecast to rain, sometimes hard, for the duration of my stay, I still went to catch the first two free shows of this small festival, in its third year. Soul Fest brings together new and established artists in R&B, Funk and Disco. They have a single outdoor stage for free shows, and a single indoor venue (Le Balcon) for paid shows. The outdoor staging area is at the front of a church on Ste-Catherine street near address 463 West, where a cordoned off area has become a restaurant which I imagine is what helps to fund the festival. The sidewalk, however, is free to enter and to stand and watch the show, so that is what I did.

During the first show, where Mary Grace and her band sang an Etta James Tribute, there was a thick crowd of people on her left that were all just talking with each other, not hardly paying attention to her. On Grace's right were perhaps a dozen small groups at least half of which were avidly following Grace. There were perhaps ten of us standing in the free zone.

She was super animated as a singer, with a lovely voice and she tried to get participation occasionally.

Grace finished at just before 20h and the next show was to start at 21h and I was pretty drenched from the nonstop rain, so I walked to the Place des Arts metro station, went down to the platform level, and ended up sitting there to escape the rain, dry out a little, and watch trains and people pass by. I resurfaced at 20h50 to walk back to the venue to watch the next show, and at this time it was raining even harder.

Jules has become somewhat well known here in Quebec for his appearances on La Voix and Star Académie; he is a French language singer with his own original songs and he has two albums. Accompanying him on stage were two musicians, one of whom curiously had a bass drum foot pedal; so when there was a rhythm requirement, he provided it by simply tapping his foot.

I did not stay for his whole set as I had had enough of being in the rain.