It takes more than a little drizzle to dampen the spirits of over 13,000 Great Big Sea fans,
 invited by the popular Newfoundland band to an intimate gathering on the western slope of
 Citadel Hill on Saturday.

 Even though the St. John's combo's high octane mix of rock energy and Celtic tradition was
 the main draw to the show, as they ended the night with rip-roarin' renditions of hits like It's
 the End of the World As We Know It and Ordinary Day, they ensured a full slate of acts to
 keep folks happy, ranging from the Chieftains' Old Country sounds to the spaced-out
 pop-rap of Montreal's Bran Van 3000.

 Although the rush to get onto the Garrison Grounds was not nearly as manic as that for the
 Backstreet Boys at the same venue three weeks ago (although the beer tent line-up would
 later snake through the entire concert site), there was a sizable crowd on hand when St.
 John's vocal trio The Ennis Sisters took to the stage at three p.m. on the nose.

 Looking more casual in jeans and sweaters than in the formal posed cover for their CD Red
 is the Rose, Teresa, Maureen and Karen Ennis got the afternoon off to a high energy start.
 Their traditional-flavoured set included familiar numbers like Getting Dark Again and Tell My
 Ma and originals by Maureen, whose developing songwriting skills are worth keeping an
 eye on.

 Their close harmonies didn't always come across in the bass-heavy mix, but the Ennis
 Sisters were having a blast for their first official public appearance in Halifax after
 generating the most buzz at this year's ECMAs.

 Also making their Halifax debut, but in a much different vein, Bran Van 3000 turned the
 stage into a three-ring circus, mixing rock, rap, punk and pop into a swirling vortex of
 post-modern mayhem.

 Cum On Feel the Noize sang Bran Van's angels, wing-bedecked Sara Johnston, Jayne Hill
 and Stephane Maraille, and feel it we did as the pounding beat propelled the troupe through
 the technopop of Rainshine and their hit Drinking In L.A., which wound up the crowd even
 more.

 For older listeners scratching their heads, BV3 tossed in a cover of the Who's Baba O'Reilly
 even Pete Townshend could be proud of.

 Without much ado, the Chieftains, led by piper Paddy Moloney, took to the stage and began
 playing a lively jig in unison as if by instinct.

 They may not play as furiously as Great Big Sea, but the Chieftains held the younger
 listeners down front in rapt attention; they cheered after some balletic steps by Irish dancers
 Cara Butler and Dave O'Hanlon and roared their approval for Matt Molloy's blistering flute
 solo on The Mason's Apron.

 There had been murmurs about special guests joining the Chieftains onstage, and although
 Ashley MacIsaac missed his plane and didn't show up backstage until hours later, at least
 Colin James (on mandolin instead of his trademark Fender guitar) and the Barra MacNeils
 didn't disappoint, joining the Celtic pioneers for a rousing finale.

 All those acoustic instruments together may have been a soundman's nightmare, but it's the
 kind of musical convergence you don't soon forget.

 Afterwards, Great Big Sea's Alan Doyle presented chief Chieftain Moloney with a gold
 record for their Atlantic Canadian collaboration Fire in the Kitchen, praising the 36-year-old
 ensemble's efforts at "promoting all things Celtic around the world."

 Switching to a soulful mood, Toronto's The Philosopher Kings got the crowd swaying to a
 Marvin Gaye-esque groove on singles like Charms and It Hurts to Love You, while singer
 Gerald Eaton's pleas for the removal of clothing by female audience members resulted in
 an airborne bra, which was then hung out to dry on Jay Levine's bass.

 The light spritz of raindrops became a mild shower when Winnipeg's The Watchmen took
 the stage for some emotionally-charged modern rock, and then Colin James and his Little
 Big Band, decked out in sharp black suits, cleared the air with a blast of classic jump blues
 punctuated by the Prairie guitarslinger's stinging leads a la blues legend T-Bone Walker.

 By the end of the evening the crowd was wet but happy as Great Big Sea was joined on
 stage by MacIsaac and The Chieftains for a blowout version of Lukey's Boat.

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