The University of Lethbridge welcomed students back in style with plenty of Fresh live music and good vibes, Sept. 10.
There were a variety of festival dressed folk wander
ing around the grounds outside the student’s union building including a man in a shark hat, and others in ponchos and other creative clothing.
By mid-afternoon, when excellent local rock band the Silkstones were on stage, there was already an easygoing festival atmosphere as approximately 700 people were already there with, I’m sure more to come later.
I missed Milllz Skillz and the AWD Fellows but arrived to get my fix of the Silkstones.
But I was really there for Fernie stoke folk band Shred Kelly and so were a lot of others as a cohort of the students immediately started shouting for the band to play their signature song “I Hate Work.”
They made them wait until the end of the set as there was lot of songs to play before that. 
Banjo player/vocalist 
Tim Newton beamed a mile wide as usual and keyboardist Sage McBride looked blissed out as she bounced up and down behind her keyboard, emerging to sing lead on a couple of songs and do a few high kicks with guitarist Ty West, who added the essence of metal along with drummer Ian Page-Shriner to the band’s usual brand of upbeat folk rock.
Bassist Jordan Vlasschaert added a tender harp solo as McBride sang the spooky “Jewel of the North,” which is always one of my favourites.
They wound down their set with “Cabin Fever” and left the crowd calling for an encore after inviting a few of the more unusually dressed and more enthusiastic audience members to join the band on stage to dance to “Sing to The Night.”
Unfortunately I missed the Dudes and Coleman Hell, but arrived in time for Mother Mother who always put on an energetic show of upbeat, toe tapping, ’80s inspired synth-pop and rock.
They stuck mostly to their many radio hits like “Monkey Tree,” “Let’s Fall In Love” and “Infinitesimal” and of course “ Bit By Bit.”
They also introduced the audience to some brand new songs including a highlight called “Free” after reminiscing about the last time they played Average Joes.
