Last year the Keleher clan decided that it was time for their little family festival to become an even bigger family festival, blowing the doors wide open to the public. But even though it has become public, the close-knit atmosphere lives on; walking onto the grounds is like immediately being welcomed with open arms into the Pocologan family and feeling like you’d be able to attend their next Thanksgiving dinner.
This year, the festival also dropped from a weekend-long party down to a single day and night. It worked well, and came as a relief for those of us who had to scrounge whatever shreds of energy we had left to keep this festival season going.
Rolling up to a small cabin — with its freshly painted porch — may not be what you envisioned. When most of us think festival we think large open field and multiple stages, but this tiny close-knit community is what really makes Pocologan unique. And with the change of date this year to a little later in the month, we were assured blueberry harvest season was over. No gang of blueberry farmers would be able to shut it down this year, guys!
“Pocologan’s roots are in friendship, and even as we’ve grown over the past 10 years from a private party with friends into a proper small sized festival, we’ve managed to retain much of that vibe,” says Jeff Keheler, festival organizer.
“Our show still looks and feels like a backyard party, and while that sounds simple, we’ve learned that it is a big part of why folks keep coming back. One of the most significant challenges we face as organizers is maintaining that close-knit vibe, and we’re really excited to share our plans and vision for the coming years as we continue to grow. Exciting times!”
Having sold out of passes this year, the festival was gearing up to be a doozy. With the family-friendly vibe during the afternoon hours, to a let’s-get-this-party-started vibe planned for when the sun went down, there was a lot of anticipation to get some dancing feet dirty.
But despite the high levels of anticipation, wading into the festival was something best approached at a relaxed pace. The crowd eased in on the stage after making an afternoon of leisurely setting up their tents and getting familiar with the tiny grounds. As Terra Spencer took to the stage, she gently coaxed them in. For the opening set, her beautiful (and bittersweet) songwriting made a great first impression for all the new Pocologanites poking around camp.
Jamie Comeau and his crew The Crooked Teeth always bring the energy. Last year they treated the festival to a mashup with Big Smoke Brass (we still have dreams about how awesome that was). This year Slowcoaster’s Steve MacDougall hopped on stage to help cover of The Guess Who’s classic “No Sugar Tonight.”
Spoutnique turned out to be the surprise hit of the festival. They’re quickly developing a presence in the festival scene, but not quick they didn’t catch a few Pocologanites off guard. It was the cheering of those already in the know that brought lurkers out of their tents to join the party. The bilingual alt-disco band from Edmunston had the everyone singing and dancing along, regardless of anyone’s ability to speak French.
As the sun went down, festival-goers took advantage of the trippy trail. The curious and solitary blue door standing on the edge of the woods was invitation enough. No need to knock. It’s basically the same as showing up at your best friends house: open door, open fridge, but mind what you eat. Everyone is welcome here, no judgement and no expectations.
Back at the stage, the crowd was abuzz as the Pocologan graphic (by Yeti Visuals) was swiftly changed to Slowcologan. How clever. What can we say about Slowcoaster that hasn’t already been said? The veterans of the East Coast Music Scene aren’t just standing there — they’re dancing in front of the speaker, pulling in the crowd.
Especially excited for this night to arrive was the patriarch of the Keleher clan himself: Rick Keleher, aka DJ Anteeq. Having performed at Evolve Festival earlier in the summer, Rick was in full party mode and ready for his return to the Pocologan stage.
”Our little festival that could is now the little festival that did. I am so proud of my kids and eternally grateful for Alex Cook for keeping us laser focused on task and on budget. Where do we go from here? To infinity and beyond! I’m hoping that they will have me back next year,” laughs Rick.
Bleum has been on a hell of a kick this summer. If you were lucky enough to see them in the earlier months then you already know the treat everyone’s ears were in for. But it didn’t stop there; their set made for a titilating smoke show.
It’s easy to see, when watching everyone around the grounds dancing in their costumes and colourful outfits, how inclusive Poco is and how comfortable this camp can make you feel. Having Bleum as your dance soundtrack is one heck of a bonus, though.
Those who had the stamina to keep their body swaying back and forth past whatever god forsaken hour Betsy White took the stage managed to cross that finish line — perhaps not with grace, but largely with smiling faces. Looking around at everyone staring up in awe of the tiny stage in front of them, you knew they were hooked on this “secret” festival their friends told them about through whispers.
Looking back to where this little festival started and where it is now the growth is undeniable. It can only go up from here. Word of mouth travels fast. You tell your friends, they tell their friends soon enough this little camp is going to have to grow bigger. With the community behind it we can envision that with each passing year there will be more bands, and with more bands comes more patrons and with more people comes more positivity and passion.