Fredericton’s summer festival season got off to a great start last week with the return of Living Roots Music Festival.
Matt Carter
Well, another Living Roots Music Festival is in the books. After two years of adapted programming mixed with the shared struggle to maintain momentum faced by every promoter, venue, artist, ensemble or organization of any kind over the past two years, the excitement I felt in experiencing some of the many shows presented by Living Roots over the past week was rivaled only by the fact that it actually happened at all.
Led by the infallible Eddie Young and a host of volunteers who helped provide everything from collecting tickets at the door to artist accommodations, meals and transportation, the successful delivery of Living Roots 2022 stands as a testament to the strength of a community and a collective desire to continue supporting the culture of live music that has come to be a defining aspect of our city.
With an eclectic lineup that truly offered something to satisfy everyone’s musical tastes, from blues to folk and rock to hip hop, Living Roots’ programming structure is only a small part of what makes each new edition of the festival something unique. Following in the footsteps of the Harvest Music Festival, Young and his volunteers created a city-wide experience involving several venues that provided equal space for intimate singer songwriter showcases, rowdy rock shows and energetic dance-the-night-away performances.
The beauty of such eclecticism when it comes to curating a four-day music festival is the way it affords everyone the chance to shape their own unique festival experience. Whether that involves seeing new artists or checking out a business or venue for the first time, over the past week Young and his team gave us all the chance to see and enjoy our city in new ways.
Thanks Eddie.
Head over to Grid City Magazine on Instagram to see some photos from this year’s festival.
