Musicians at Still Dark describe seizing a moment

“The Yellowknife music scene is blessed with seemingly endless depths of local talent.”

That was the verdict of Frame Lake MLA Julian Morse after attending last weekend’s Still Dark Festival across a range of downtown venues.

“Events like this are what make our community such a wonderfully social place to live,” Morse said.

For many of the musicians who played the festival, the three days of events were also an opportunity to indulge in seeing others perform.

Refrijerater, a band founded in Yellowknife and now based in Edmonton, loved performers like Vancouver-based Devours. “I didn’t know what to expect but it was awesome,” vocalist Duncan Stewart and lead guitarist Justin Vannini said.

For musicians like Carlin Black Rabbit, of Iron Tusk, festivals like this also present an opportunity to play longer sets than usual, pulling out older songs as well as covers.

“We just really wanted to make it worth our while to come for the spectators, the organizers and ourselves,” he said.

Iron Tusk started more than 10 years ago with Black Rabbit and Ty Maguire, who are Blackfoot from Siksika Nation in Treaty 7 territory. “It’s really cool to be invited to different spaces, different communities. We always want to pay homage and respect to the original people in this land, and music has opened that door for us,” Black Rabbit said.

“We’ve been playing music for 20 years together, me and Ty. And you know, when you grow up on the reserve, you feel isolated. You feel like there’s only the borders of the reserve.

“As we got older, music has opened so many doors for us. To be getting flown out for shows and to get really amazing treatment is really gratifying for us, because we’re used to sleeping on floors,” Black Rabbit said.

Iron Tusk recently played elsewhere with Yellowknife band Gnarwhal and were excited to be in the same place as them once more.

“It’s just like a reunion and the connection is so critical to us,” Black Rabbit said.

Other Alberta musicians playing Still Dark included Amy Nelson. “We’re all kind-of from the same place. It’s nice that we travelled this distance and then get to see our friends play,” Nelson said.

She found the crowds to be lively and responsive to her music.

“Thank you so much for having me,” she told Yellowknife. “This has been, honestly, an honour – something that I’ll hold with me for the rest of my life.”

Jonathan Antoine, from Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́ First Nation in Fort Simpson, also felt that sense of honour at the Gold Range, an iconic Yellowknife bar.

“Playing at the famous Gold Range is amazing. And just the atmosphere, just walking in here is like walking into the 1960s. So it’s a pretty cool vibe,” he said.

“Music is a healer,” Antoine added. “It heals the soul.”