Tongue on the Post Folk Festival 2015

Feb 6, 2015

Tongue on the Post Folk Festival 2015

For a small city like Medicine Hat, Alberta, the Tongue on the Post Folk Festival is an undeniably lively week long event that takes place each January. With concerts hosted around the city and a final celebration taking place at the historic Medalta Potteries, there are few events that feel as authentic and significant to the local cultural scene.

Many people asked me if I was paid to capture this year's Tongue on the Post Folk Festival, and the short answer is no. What drove me to capture some of the cafe concerts, kiln sessions, and festivities at Medalta was simply that I'd had requests for images in the past and had the availability to go out and enjoy the festival this year. I feel that it's important to acknowledge that I wasn't sponsored though, because I want people to see what I captured from the perspective of someone who was just out having a good time.

And that's the truth. I didn't document everything. I made it to events that I had time for, and in the process I met some amazing artists and listened to some great music. On the final day of Tongue on the Post, Brandie (the Blogging Hatter) and I went down to Medalta and were given media passes - which were handed out more for our reputations than anything else (meaning you could wander around freely anyway). I was totally blown away by the performances that afternoon though, and it struck me that more people my age weren't out enjoying the festival.

Take note citizens of Medicine Hat, if you're complaining that there's nothing to do here the truth is that you're just not looking hard enough. During the week long festival I saw a handful of free concerts and was continually amazed by how talented and varied the acts were. And then there was the main event at Medalta - I was only there for the afternoon on Saturday, but the kiln sessions were so intimate and unique that if they were taking place in a larger city it would probably be nearly impossible to get tickets. Tongue on the Post was a hit in my books, and it's something that I'd love to see even more Hatters come out and embrace next year.

These are some of the shots I captured on the final day of the folk festival, mainly during performances in the Yuill Gallery at Medalta. Click to see my other posts featuring performances at Twist, Inspire Cafe, Station Coffee Co. and during the kiln sessions.