Toronto Urban Roots Festival takes place Sep 18, 19 and 20 at Fort York. Its a lot of bands, its a lot of time but there are three stages as well as shows at Lee’s Palace and the Legendary Horseshoe. SLOWCITY has some suggestions for you.

Friday Sep 18 - South Stage - 5 p.m. to 5:45 p.m

Northcote, a.k.a. Matt Goud, has the inspirational ride like the wind hopefulness of all of the Boss’s big dreamers born to run from small town or street alley in his songs. Saskatchewan was Northcote’s nemesis rather than New Jersey but all towns are cages to the young no matter if the gilding is gold leaf or wheat sheaf. Goud, once a member of harcore punk band MEANS, launched with his solo folkie 2011 debut Gather No Dust, followed up with the self-titled in 2013 and is set to release his third full-length, Hope Is Made From Steel, on Sep 25 2015. He has a backing band (Stephen McGillivray, Mike Battle & Derek Heathfield) that charges with him but he’s essentially just a solitary man with throat full of gravel and a heart full of bleed, exclaiming cinematically, emblematically his anthemic empathy with the human condition. What can I say I’m a fan.