Again, its a cultural difference, Leeneia. And your example simply does not compare to the situation being discussed. Geoff wasn't being disrespectful to the performer, he WAS the performer--and he's not "traditional" as such, he's a sharply-opinionated, highly entertaining singer-songwriter, which was why he was there; the AD who booked him couldn't have been unaware of this.

Winnipeg is a huge fest which has always had the strength of not needing to specialize in any particular subgenre of acoustic music. There is plenty of trad but it is not specifically the focus. Last time I was there (1996 regrettably), there was a fantastic array of top-shelf performers of everything from Banghra to Celtic. Well worth the trip; a prairie festival will literally broaden anyone's horizons.

Regards
W-O