As much as this was a gig in the middle of bustling Brunswick Street on a Saturday night, the 2nd Annual Friends of Folk Festival couldn’t have been further away in content and atmosphere. With bands over two stages competing for attention with dagwood dogs, face painting, short films and meat tray raffles you could be forgiven for thinking that the Royal Children’s Hospital fundraising event was just a delicious slice of suburbia plopped into the middle of a dank, old theatre in the middle of town.

Unfortunately earlier sets by Jennifer Boyce and Mark Adams were missed due to their earlier time slots, but being greeted by Dagwood Stevens and his ten-gallon hat was the shot in the arm needed to realise you weren’t in Kansas anymore, Toto. The man and his band oozed country smarts, from the tip of their Blundstones to the top of his white felt pride and joy. Country-rock tinged the atmosphere, replete with backdrop images of depressed small town fairs and rodeos. Closing the set with a Johnny Cash cover was the ultimate cliche, where the only response was to tip your hat and to walk away with a pleased smile.

Event organiser Scotty Russell had a go at the Foyer Stage between sets, but his pithy slice-of-life acoustic pleasantry (with occasional flute accompaniment) lost the aural battle to the droning hordes eager for a tipple and an industrial fan in the corner working overtime to keep the temperature down.

Much anticipated Ball Park Music were slated next on the Main Stage, with the group huddling together behind the fold backs during the set up to nut out a quick set list. As they unleash on the stage, it’s no wonder this sextuplet of barely contained nervous energy is already well on the way to creating an almost deafening vibe of anticipation around Brisbane music circles. In a broad scheme, it’s indie pop with the occasional guitar crunch, the occasional keyboard interlude and the impressive brass highlights. Hints of 80s AM radio hits shine through with All I Want Is You – the interplay between singer guitarist Samuel Cromack and bassist Jennifer Boyce are as good as any poppy boy-girl arrangement out there and manages to convey the romantic notion without the reliance on corniness. Corniness and downright fun bopping is not far away in any BPM set, however, and current high-rotation numbers Culture Vultures In The Year 2008 and Sea Strangers play right into the deranged carny feel of whole evening.

Back out onto the Foyer Stage and first-time performers Plastic Wood are thrown to the wolves against the unwavering din of the bar crowd and that damned squeaky fan. The middle-of-the-road, hard-working ethos comes across loud and clear from the 4-piece, despite the minuscule PA. The dual acoustic guitar, electric bass and hand-percussion set up trundled through an altogether inoffensive set, the highlight being an apt cover of 90s classic No Rain by Blind Melon.

The main stage action halted briefly for the important t-shirt raffle and the drawing of the meat-tray, before Brisbane blues stalwart Asa Broomhall was allowed to close proceedings. The larrikin folksy virtuoso wasted no time in laying down the law, however, with a heartfelt The Return from 2004’s Outside commanding attention from all in the room. Showcasing some considerable guitar licks which are criminally underexposed, Broomhall blasted away through new offering Revelry Road. 2nd Line Man was a striking highlight with its double harmonica played through a contraption made of a harness combined with a couple of strategically placed magnets to hold everything together. It was his road-worn tales of the urban landscape from albums past which truly won the night, however, with the tunes subjected to the charming intricate jam few solo acoustic players can aspire to. A furious slide workout for Thinkin About You from the 2003 Live EP punctuated the eclectic evening and all it had to offer, bringing a close to what seemed for all intents and purposes to be an enjoyable and successful festival.