JUST GIVIN’ IT. Kaki King shows off her passion for guitar at the end of her rockin’ set at LOLA on Friday night.

The crowds were bigger, the art more accessible and the weather was beautiful.
The London Ontario Live Arts Festival lived up to the hype over the weekend as roughly 40,00 people flocked to Victoria Park to enjoy impressive and interactive art installations, engaging musical performances and the new TransMedia stage.
The warm weather was ideal for lounging on blankets, eating ice cream and enjoying the last weekend of summer. A Horse and His Boy kicked off the festival on Friday afternoon, and as the night wore on, the growing crowd enjoyed music by Bruce Peninsula and Danish band Slaraffenland.
Although the temperature cooled down considerably after sunset, guitar virtuoso Kaki King still drew a large crowd. King displayed her trademark guitar skills from the get-go, but band member Dan Brantigan’s Electric Wind Instrument (EWI) quickly caught the audience’s attention. The unconventional instrument resembled a clarinet, but produced synthesized, ambient sounds that complemented King’s off-the-cuff guitar riffs.
King’s hour-long set was solid but could have used more vocals to keep the audience engaged, as almost all of the songs were instrumental.
Headliner Akron/Family did not disappoint. Their set had the audience dancing, clapping and chanting along to their music. A wide range of instruments — including a clarinet, trombone and flute played by members of Slaraffenland — made for a visually appealing show.
One way to sum up an Akron/Family performance is to say anything goes. From pulling audience members on stage to wearing balloon hats and throwing tie-dyed blankets into the audience, the performance certainly entertaining and engaging for the crowd.
Saturday kicked off on a high note with Western’s Percussion and Collaborative Piano ensembles and the day only got better with sets from Toronto jazz quintet Canaille, Japanese-influenced Elfin Saddle and British avant-jazz band Polar Bear.
Final Fantasy, the stage name for violinist Owen Pallett, should have been Saturday’s headlining act. Pallett, who played LOLA two years ago, seemed right at home on the main stage and drew a huge crowd with his electro violin and synthesized loops. After a long set, the audience still wanted more and cheered Final Fantasy for an encore.
The festival ended on Saturday night with Michigan band NOMO and their instrumental electro-pop infused with the saxophone and trumpet. Though their songs seemed to bleed together and lacked vocals, they still had many audience members dancing and jumping around — or at least tapping their toes.
All in all, LOLA 2009 had an impressive turnout and provided a weekend of alternative entertainment instead of the same old bar scene. With age comes maturity, and the same can be said of the four-year old LOLA Festival — set changes were quicker this year and everything ran according to schedule. With LOLA getting bigger and better, we’re already looking forward to next year.