Kris Kristofferson has always been known for speaking his mind.

And while the influential 70-year-old singer/songwriter/actor's opinions and lyrics have not always been popular among the masses, he never swayed from his liberal beliefs.

Nothing has changed.

"I guess you're supposed to get more conservative as you get older, I haven't," he says before taking the stage as the headliner at Folk Fest last night.

"I've gone in the other direction."

Kristofferson is still as passionate about his causes which, these days are pretty much the same as they were 35 years ago -- freedom, truth, honesty and humanity.

When asked if he pays much attention to politics in Canada, he simply answers, "no."

"I have enough trouble just listening to what's going on south of your border," he says.

"I hope the Canadians will not feel compelled to stand up for what we're doing. I've always felt Canadians had more common sense."

While still a controversial figure, Kristofferson has stood the test of time -- a massive accomplishment in a world now full of pop stars who seem out of touch with the world around them.

In 2004, he was formally inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame at the CMA Awards. And his new CD, This Old Road, has been extremely well received by both fans and critics.

"I'm really surprised by the reaction," he says in a voice so soft it's almost a whisper.

"All the reaction has been totally positive -- I like that.

"I have Johnny Cash to thank for people now being ready to listen to something so bare."

His songs from This Old Road, inspired by the shows he's performed with only his guitar and a harmonica in the past three years, perfectly fit the vibe of Folk Fest.

But that didn't stop Kristofferson from getting nervous before his set.

"I heard there's like 10,000 or 12,000 people out there ... I don't know if that would scare you, but it scares me."

And while Kristofferson did not hit the stage before press deadline, he promised a line-up of old classics, such as Me and Bobby McGee, Sunday Morning Coming Down and Help Me Make it Through the Night, and tunes from his new CD.

"I'm used to doing a two-hour show," he said, adding chopping his set down to just one hour was difficult.

"It's like deciding which of your kids can't come to Christmas."

And, he says, it includes all the above mentioned themes, especially freedom.

In his most famous song, Me and Bobby McGee, Kristofferson sings: "Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose."

Today, the former U.S. Army captain says he still believes those words, and his meaning of freedom has not changed.

"Freedom has a lot of different meanings.

"It represents many things to me. It's definitely what separates us from other animals."

And as far as playing at the festival in Calgary, Kristofferson says he's been here before, though he can't remember exactly when.

"It was like playing for a bunch of cowboys."