Self Doubt, Fear, and Vulnerability: Nicole Haber Rises Above at Barrie Festival
- Michael Drukarsh
- Aug 2
- 4 min read
Updated: Aug 3
By: Michael Drukarsh
Barrie, Ontario - For those of you living in Southern Ontario and traveling north to cottage country on the long weekends, there is a good chance you are familiar with Kempenfest, Barrie Ontario’s signature festival event, now in its 54th year. Running through the Civic August long weekend, Kempenfest attracts over 100,000 people each year, so getting an opportunity to play on the OLG Main Stage is a pretty big deal.
Friday night I had the opportunity to hang out with one of the performers, Nicole Haber (stay tuned for my interview coming soon) and check out the amazing line up for the opening night of Kempenfest.
Madison Mueller
Getting the evening started, Barrie native Madison Mueller took the stage with guitar in hand and delivered a beautiful set of original songs with a couple of covers thrown in, including an incredible, haunting version of The Beatles' “Come Together”. Inspired by iconic Canadian singer Joni Mitchell and getting her start busking at Kempenfest, it was evident that Mueller’s dream of playing the main stage was something very special to her.
Madison Mueller Photo Gallery (all photos by: Michael Drukarsh)
Sydney Riley
Introducing themselves as LOUD AND RAMBUNCTIOUS, and a little sad, Sydney Riley went right into a set that was surprisingly LOUD AND RAMBUNCTIOUS, and yes, a little sad. Ripping right into “The Coast” Riley and her band were full of energy while delivering a set of older tracks as well as tracks from their upcoming release What Do You See in the Darkness? Getting the crowd involved, Riley ventured out into the lawn to dance with her fans and then brought up a lucky young fan to spin the wheel of songs to determine which cover the band would do. Landing on Rage Against the Machine’s “Bulls on Parade”, the band went into full metal mode delivering an incredible version of the song.
While most of the band was front and centre, a huge shout out to the keyboardist who, despite being slightly off to the side, killed it with backing vocals, and playing with the most energy I’ve ever seen from behind the keys!
Sydney Riley Photo Gallery (all photo by: Michael Drukarsh)
Nicole Haber
The first time I saw Nicole Haber play was two years ago as part of the HeartSupport event for Mental Health. At the time Nicole was on the cusp of an illness that would sideline her for a long time. In my writeup I noted that she stood out, despite her confession on stage that she was not feeling well and that “there is no doubt that this pop/punk singer/songwriter is going to continue to blow up the music world.” I was not wrong! Taking the stage along with bandmates (drummer Griffin Rhythm and guitarist Josh Townsend), Nicole delivered a set that was personal, vulnerable and connected with her loyal fans in attendance. That’s not to say this was a sad set, not at all.
Nicole’s energy was on high and her vocals were awesome as she danced around the stage and encouraged the fans to be part of the show. Taking a moment to make sure everyone was OK, and reassuring them that if they weren’t, tomorrow is a new day. Haber broke into an absolutely amazing rendition of Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful” that brought the whole venue together through the chorus.
From there, Haber debuted her new song “Bottle It Up”. Inspired by her year of illness and recovery, the song, a journey of self doubt, fear and vulnerability brought light to issues that are often hidden away. With “Dear Past Self” and “25”, Haber and the band kicked up the energy once more while Nicole busted out the moves like she did almost 5 years ago (she’ll be turning “Dirty 30” very soon) dancing, twirling, cartwheeling and even hitting the splits as her set ended and she was able to check off a moment that started as a childhood dream.
Nicole Haber Photo Gallery (all photos by: Michael Drukarsh)
Nicole Haber Online
Jamie Fine
Headliner Jamie Fine continued the trend of the night as she took the stage and delivered a set that connected with the audience on so many emotional levels. With covers of Rihanna and Jimmy Eat World thrown into the mix, Fine showed off her powerful vocals on original songs such as “If Anything’s Left”, the song she said was the one that really blew up for her.
The second biggest song for her came from a partnership that is no longer together. In fact, Fine said she stopped singing “Ain’t Easy” after she and her partner went their separate ways. It was only after a set in her hometown of Ottawa where Fine once again sang the song that she decided it will continue to be part of the set anytime she plays in Canada.
Like the acts she followed, Fine had an instant connection to the crowd, sharing stories behind songs and even initiating a crowd surf with a random child picked out of the crowd. Taking the audience through many emotions with her songs including a very cool rendition of Cold Play’s “Fix You” which became the catalyst for the song “Made it to the Moon” dedicated to her late uncle, Fine never stopped moving, dancing and throwing the mic stand around like an electric guitar.
There was a lot of family connection in her songs like the aforementioned “Made it to the Moon” as well as “Bullet Proof” as well as songs about heartache and love such as “Cups of Coffee” which, according to Fine, is the most important song she ever wrote.
Jamie Fine Photo Gallery (all photos by: Michael Drukarsh)
I’ve said it before in my writeups, there is something very powerful about a lineup of all female lead vocalists and Friday night’s OLG Main Stage performance was no exception. All four acts delivered power, emotion and incredible talent to Kempenfest and I am so glad to have been a part of it.
Show Date: July 31, 2026
Comments