It’s been a while, but the following finally begins my account of the second day at Sappyfest 2008.  For a description of the festival’s first day click here.

Laura and I awoke in our tent after a late evening of solid concert watching and debauchery.  We were camped out behind a massive house that was being rented by students. They’d been nice enough to accommodate The Burning Hell and Bruce Peninsula in their living room while also allowing as many tents out back as the grass could hold.

Only a few minutes walk from the city centre, we took our time and grabbed breakfast at the Bridge St. Cafe just outside the Sappyfest tent.  It wasn’t cheap, but the coffee was great and the sandwhiches were even better.  We opted for a leisurely start, as it was sure to be another full day of solid musical performances.

Personally, I was excited to see Richard Laviolette. He was among the musicians travelling east with The Burning Hell, so I’d gotten the chance to get acquainted with him and his phenomenal songs over the week.  Not only is he an excellent performer—able to stun a room armed with nothing but an acoustic guitar and unapologetic sincerity—but I don’t think I’ve met a kinder, more infectiously amicable person.  In both those regards seeing him perform was always a pleasure.  Also, like Wax Mannequin, he’s got a new album in the works and I for one am salivating in anticipation of it.  Look out for “Funeral Song”—seriously, it is simply amazing.

Speaking of The Burning Hell, while the second day of Sappyfest had been full of great performances, I’m confident in saying that my friends from Peterborough really kicked things up a notch.  Sure, the fact that I’d been on the road with them reveals an obvious bias, but there was a palpable change in atmosphere after their performance—as though the bar had just been raised.

Garnering instant attention by teasing a cover of Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight”, The Burning Hell quickly dove into “I Love The Things That People Make” and never looked back. By the end of the set they were accompanied by Bucky’s didgeridoo, as well as the banjo of Kim Barlow.  Director, artist and one of Sappyfest’s organizers, Jon Claytor himself, shook Mathias’ hand afterward, asserting that the band had made his day.

Of course, the rest of the bands more than rose to the challenge. Katie Stelmanis and company pounded through an intense set that showcased strong vocals and excellent percussion followed in stark contrast by the amicable poise of Old Man Luedecke. The latter seemed to really get the crowd going. In fact, the huge audience reaction during “I Quit My Job” was one of the highlights of the festival for many, as the lone banjo player brought the crowd to its knees, getting all the recognition he deserved.

Chad VanGaalen and Attack in Black followed suit and the crowd’s energy never dissipated.  Coming from Toronto, a city renowned for its lackluster audiences, this really was a refreshing experience.  Of course, both acts merited all the fervour.  VanGaalen combined hilarious banter (at one point refering to himself as just another douche-bag now that he has an iPod) with a rousing performance and Attack in Black (whom I’d seen before opening for the Constantines, but hadn’t known much about then) left me eagerly searching the merch booth for a copy of Curve of the Earth, their latest full-length.  The two then joined forces (among others) for a spirited rendition of “Cinnamon Girl” which brought the tent to a close for the night.

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Here’s Old Man Luedecke performing the crowd-favourite “I Quit My Job”:

MP3: Old Man Luedecke - I Quit My Job (buy the album here)

MP3: The Burning Hell - I Love the Things That People Make (buy the album here)

Check back tomorrow for the hijinks and performances that made up the rest of Sappyfest day 2 and keep an eye on Zunior.tv for constant updates of footage from the festival.