2009/08/07  Edmonton Folk Music Festival; Edmonton, AB As well attended as a jam session gets, the three Edmonton Folk Music Festival-named "Songcatchers" were Chuck Brodsky, Kathleen Edwards and Neko Case. In that order, a baseball fan, an aw-shucks sweet towngirl and the mainstage powerhouse who almost singlehandedly made everyone nod in unspoken agreement about this year's lineup (with a little help from Steve Earle and Boz Scaggs - tasteful job, Terry). It wasn't one of those gatherings of eager musicians where everyone melts together into one squishy band of Plasticine left on the picnic table. More a lumber yard of influences and sensibilities, though nerds might notice Brodsky's mentioning of czars fits in with Case's family tree, while Kathleen Edwards's I Make the Dough, You Get the Glory fit snugly against Brodsky's sports fetish, as she name-dropped Marty McSorley (which I swear, basically no one noticed). History, people! Whenever Case sang, especially the jealous Pauline off her gorgeous-in-all-ways Fox Confessor Brings the Flood, 11 or so photographers, amateur and pro, would clump around stage right, the redheaded bombshell singing up to the sky as her accompaniest Paul Rigby strummed along. Her voice is immense and masculine; it will still be played 50 years hence. The sweetest moment of the mellow - not boring - show came when Brodsky described in great detail how a man one night blew kisses at him from the audience, certainly a strange tribute. "Developmentally disabled," as Brodsky eventually described him, the singer wrote a tribute song to him about his lack of cynicism and hate, and eventually shared a stage with him. You can look the whole thing up on YouTube if you're so inclined. Cat-like Edwards kept up the sugar with her devil's dictionary for children which made my ovaries ache a little. Brodsky, meanwhile, sang about a pitcher back in the '70s who struck a team out while in the throes of an LSD freakout. What, you've never done that? Next thing you'll tell me you don't know who Marty McSorley is. Basically, a set constructed to inhabit its own expectations. I liked it. Fish Griwkowsky Edmonton Sun				Album reviews Feature articles Interviews Show reviews