By Will McGuirk

Hillside Fest, Guelph Lake Island; its the queen of the summer festivals. Its where you go to recharge, to draw on the energy of the place and the performers, to start again, to resist and reaffirm the commitment to the fight. I have been fortunate to have been invited as media for some years but I can’t think of anytime prior when the values of Hillside matter more. Friday it kicks off. Rhiannon Giddens is top of my list to see and hear. Her most recent album features Francesco Turrisi, Italian multi-instrumentalist who is based in Dublin, yes that Dublin.