Juno buzz grows with free concert

A palpable hum of Juno fever hovered over Olympic Plaza and Carly Fielding, wide-eyed and all smiles, got caught right up in it.
“There’s some good stuff going on here,” the singer-songwriter said, adding she’s planning on taking in every ounce of Juno-ism she can soak up along with her sister. “We’re going to kind of try to feel out the music scene and watch some of the amazing Canadian artists.”
Police officers kept a close eye on the crowd, a diverse mix of toe-tappers and headbangers from all generations and backgrounds, from the perimeter at the free concert featuring the New Odds, Bedouin Soundclash, Sloan and Finger Eleven, an event that kicked off three days of non-stop music events leading up to the Juno Awards on Sunday.
“Tonight, the Flames clinch a playoff spot,” said the Dudes frontman Dan Vacon, wearing a red toque and oversized black plastic shades, garnering raucous applause from the relatively tame crowd of nearly 1,500 in the early evening.
“No, I have to give them back to my grandmother later,” Vacon added in response to a crowd request to fork over the glasses.
–neil.mackinnon@metronews.ca