Article content continued

“Because of my size and look and presence, Shauna had asked me to be personal security for Cat Power. I’m almost 300 pounds; I’m a big dude. But it’s my personality to do something stupid,” he laughs.

“The first day I wore a feather boa, but because I was being professional, I knew I had to tone it down a bit. I knew I had to break the ice somehow … so she was like, ‘Oh my God, I love your earrings.’ She was really sweet, incredibly kind, really funny.” Dreichel, who runs a salon in Vancouver, met de Cartier working at Maxwell Taylors restaurant back in the day. “I think it’s fair to say we all got our work ethic there,” he laughs, his earrings sparkling.

Back to the music, following the slow-build, multi-harmonic roots rock of Reuben and the Dark, Kathleen Edwards had a punchout set Sunday, thanking with love the friendship of Luke Doucet, playing onstage for the second day in a row (he’s half of Whitehorse with his wife Melissa McLelland). “I’m going to marry you!” Edwards yelped. “Polyamory, I’m totally open,” she laughed. “Where’s Melissa?”

That sort of chill, loose vibe was everywhere all weekend, and de Cartier says it’s one of the best things about the festival, being small enough to have elbow room.

“Winnipeg Interstellar has a capacity of 8,000, so we can hire more expensive musicians, but I can find those artists that are going to blow your mind for Edmonton because no one knows who they are yet. The calibre of music isn’t lesser if the budget’s lesser. It just makes my job harder,” she laughs.

“It feels like more than ever people are really understanding what I’m trying to do here, and loving it. The Edmonton audience is the best audience. Adia Victoria said this was the best festival she’d ever played. Marty Stuart said it was the best one he’d played in a year. That’s us doing our job, but it’s especially the audience doing their job.

“They are exactly perfect.”

fgriwkowsky@postmedia.com

twitter.com/fisheyefoto