Susquehanna Music & Arts Festival May 7, 8 & 9
Ramblewood Campground, Darlington, Maryland
mywebpages.comcast.net/smaf2003/smaf.html
Appearing in 2004:
Aztec Two-Step, Mustard's Retreat, Tanglefoot, CommonBond,
Cadence Carroll, Sarah Pinsker, Relative Sight, Wyrd Sisters,
Sloan Wainwright, Nerissa & Katryna Nields, Still on the Hill,
Urban Folk Collective, SONiA, Jesn Snyodinos, Suzanne Buirgy,
Anne Feeney & Chris Chandler, Greg Greenway, Malvinas, Panama Red,
Tim Mason, Caroline Aiken, Full Frontal Folk, We're About 9,
Four Shillings Short, Naked Blue, George Jessup, Wishing Chair,
Amy Carol Webb, Les Barker, Bet Williams, Jane Miller, Rachel Bissex,
Danny Balkan, Falcon Ridge Showcase preview Tour
GottaGetGon Folk Festival May 28 - 30
Saratoga County Fairgrounds/Ballston Spa, NY
[phone 518/882-6809,
email: eskin@capital.net]
www.pickingandsinging.org/GGG_festival2x.htm
Appearing in 2004:
Scott Ainslie, The Johnson Girls, Sara Milonovich & Greg Anderson,
Dan Duggen, Peggy Lynn & Dan Berggren, more
33rd Kerrville Folk Festival May 27 - June 13
Quiet Valley Ranch/Kerrville, TX
[phone 830/257-3600]
www.kerrvillefolkfestival.com
We'll get some more mileage out of last year's
festival issue cover photo while Ellis Paul
covers a few miles of his own, as he makes
his way to Kerrville yet again.
Appearing in 2004:
Peter Paul & Mary, Monte Montgomery, The Subdudes, Slaid Cleaves,
Brian Joseph, Berkley Hart, Ian Moore, Vince Bell, Dana Cooper,
Rachel Bissex, Eric Schwartz, Ruthie Foster, Amilia Spicer, David Olney,
Bill Morrissey, Carrie Newcomer, Ellis Paul, Steven Fromholz, Eric Taylor,
Willis Alan Ramsey, Shake Russell, Austin Lounge Lizards,
Tom Prasada-Rao, Greg Greenway, Chuck Brodsky, Bill & Bonnie Hearne,
Michael McNevin, Michael Hearne & SXSW, Buddy Mondlock,
Tom Kimmel, Ray Bonneville, Mary Gauthier, Eliza Gilkyson, Zoe Lewis,
DaVinci's Notebook, Limpopo, Bill Ward, Tish Hinojosa, David Amram,
Terri Hendrix, Patrice Pike, Box Set, JT VanZandt, Blue Light Special
featuring Warren Hood, Two High String Band, Jake Armerding,
Bob Livingston, Tucker Livingston, Bruce Robison, Wishing Chair,
Jonathan Byrd, The Laws, Dave Gunning, Aengus Finnan, Valdy,
Connie Kaldor, Lennie Gallant, Bobby Bridger, more
Michael Arnone's 15th Annual Crawfish Fest June 5-6
SussexCounty Fairgrounds in Augusta ,NJ,
Gates open at 10:30am
Music: noon till 6:30 pm
Appearing in 2004:
Saturday: The Radiators, John Mooney and Bluesiana,
The Iguanas,Chris Ardoin & Double Clutchin', Paul Cebar and The Milwaukeeans,
Crawdaddies and Alligator Zydeco Band.
Sunday: Marcia Ball, Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience,
Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys Paul Cebar and The Milwaukeeans
Alligator Zydeco Band and Crawdaddies.
Clearwater Hudson River Revival June 19-20
Croton Point Park, Croton-on-Hudson, Westchester County, New York
www.clearwaterfestival.org
Toll Free: 800-67-SLOOP Phone: 845-454-7673
Appearing in 2004:
Ani DiFranco, Dar Williams, SONiA, Toshi Reagon, Patty Larkin,
Catie Curtis, Deni Bonet, The Nields, Sol y Canto, Guy Davis,
Entrain, Vance Gilbert, Shemekia Copeland, Andre Thierry & Zydeco Magic,
Dan Zanes...more
On the Festival Road by Richard Cuccaro
On a Saturday in mid-June in 2003, the rain pelted the windshield and the sky remained
a slate gray as the wife and I pushed our way north on Route 9, adjacent to, but not
always in sight of the Hudson River. We were headed for the Clearwater Hudson River
Revival Folk Festival in Croton-on-Hudson.
Route 9 winds through Tarrytown and Ossining. Proceeding through Ossining, I've always
wondered where they hid Sing Sing prison. I pictured a hulking presence looming somewhere
behind the tree-filled hills. Recently, I checked a map and discovered that it sits right on the river.
Cuts down on escape routes, I guess. Release the hounds! Patty Larkin is regrooving her dream
on the CD player. The starkness of "Only One" is a perfect counterpoint to the majestic gray
turbulence and the reflection of trees gliding over the wet car hood. Patty sings, "You're
the only one who is… on to me…"
Each year the weather plays havoc with this festival, sometimes raining out an act or two.
I am always compelled to attend by the sheer beauty of Croton State Park and the magnitude of its
aspirations. Some years are more star-studded than others but the activist nature of the festival
is unwavering. Solar cells power the sound systems and small versions of solar cell clusters are a
centerpiece of the alternative energy display area. There are a large number of environmental and
anti-corporate exhibits.
The last couple of years, it has rained on both days, but has cleared up late on the second day.
We try to get there early, to save prime seat locations at both the Rainbow Stage and the
Hudson River Stage. The smarter folks get to the Hudson River
Stage very early and set up under the nearby trees to avoid sitting out in the blazing sun.
If it doesn't get too hot, that's not a big issue. The only shade at the Rainbow Stage is a tree
far back in the meadow. We get as far up front as possible at both stages, avoiding puddles
when it's raining. Umbrellas and plastic to cover our beach chairs at each location is mandatory.
Apologies to environmental purists -- the "equipment" issue is the major reason we drive up,
rather than take the train (tried it once), as suggested by festival organizers, who promote energy
conservation (shuttle buses run to and from the train station). That, and the pile of Acoustic
Live copies we bring for distribution. We'll make a couple of trips to and from the car, getting
everything necessary.
Clearwater Festival began as an effort by legendary activist folksinger Pete Seeger to clean up the
polluted Hudson River. Fundraising picnics earned enough to build a sloop he named The Clearwater.
Then along with volunteers, he sailed along the river, stopping to play protest songs and raise money
(that continues today). The first festivals were held on his upstate New York farm, then migrated to
various locations before settling in Croton State Park. The festival is an act of faith in the power of
the common man to bend corporate giants. Do we need to know any more to join him here?
New Bedford Summerfest July 3-4
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park/New Bedford, MA
508/997-5231 www.barrel-of-music.com
Left: Dancers are a staple at Summerfest and always seem to perform at the highest level.
This group captivated the audience at the main tent at the pier.
Right: Johnny Cunningham, fiddler extraordinaire and side-splitting humorist with a Scottish burr,
was the master of ceremonies every year at the Celtic Extravaganza Grand Finale.
Johnny passed away this last winter, leaving an enormous void. We'll miss him this year, and the rest to come.
Appearing in 2004:
Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul, Stacey Earle & Mark Stuart,
James Keelaghan, Patty Larkin, Bill Morrissey, The Kennedys,
The Duhks, Louis Killen, Les Chauffeurs a pied, Little Johnny England,
Rod MacDonald, Kendra MacGillivray, Mustard's Retreat, Ellis Paul,
Pendragon, Roberts & Barrand, Chris Smither, April Verch, Jeff Warner,
John Whelan Band, Steve Tilston, Ann Whiting & Northern Routes, Scott Alarik, more
Off to New Bedford's Summerfest
On the eve of the 4th of July weekend, the specter of Route 95 in the corridor between New York City
and Boston looms like a giant snake waiting to swallow up legions of cars. Leave too late for this holiday
weekend and you'll spend 10 hours in traffic for what would normally be a 4-hour drive.
Been there done that. Sometimes there's no way to avoid it, but off we'll go anyway. The lure of a $7
festival (last year's price) where one gets to sit up close to favorite performers in small workshops is
impossible for us to ignore. It looks like it'll be higher this year (price not "determined" yet according
to their web site) but I'm sure it'll still be a bargain.
Although the festival's organizers, Alan and Helene Korelenkos had said in 2001 that they'd eliminate
the 4th of July crush by holding their festival during "the 2nd weekend in July every year from now on,"
they went back to using the holiday weekend for some reason last year and that trend continues this year.
The best solution would be to leave on Thursday morning. However, that leaves Friday with nothing to do
but hang around. The festival doesn't start until Saturday. There used to be Friday evening concerts, but
they've apparently been discontinued. Leaving on Friday morning is more realistic depending on various
scheduling issues. On Friday, unless the wheels start spinning at 6am things will get ugly in a hurry.
My wife Viki packs food and drinks for all the road trips, spending hours the night before, if it's a multi-day trip.
Here's a Viki tip: Save a bunch of small Poland Spring water bottles. Fill them with no-sugar-added juices
(Apple & Eve, Welch's, Ocean Spray, etc.) and freeze them. Depending on your needs, store them in
various insulated coolers. Taken out one by one on a hot day, they'll slowly melt and turn into a slushy
drink that will help you keep your cool.
If we can't leave at 6am, we'll aim at leaving at 10 o'clock to avoid the New York City morning rush hour.
This means, however, that the crush of traffic will catch up to us somewhere between the New York City
outskirts and the middle of Connecticut. An 8-hour drive is about the best we can hope for, including some
much-needed rest stops. I'll have spent the better part of July 1st and 2nd up most of each night putting out
the July issue.
New Bedford is on the southern edge of Massachusetts looking out at the Buzzard's Bay. We'll follow Route
95 to Providence, then hang a right at exit 20, Route 195. Exit 15 off 195 is New Bedford. Unless we're staying
with friends a half-hour ride back in Rhode Island, we'll continue on to exit 18 and go to Knight & Look
Campground in Rochester, Mass. The campground is about 15 minutes away from downtown New Bedford.
When we get to the campground, maybe by 4pm, I'll barely have enough energy to set up the tent and pump
up the air mattress. I'll want to flop down on the air mattress and sleep for about 10 hours. However, I'll be
lucky to squeeze in a half-hour nap before it's time to drive into New Bedford to sample some of that seafood
we've been eagerly anticipating. On the first day of the festival, we'll drive into town early, to stake out front
row seats at the Custom House stage tent. Sometimes they've just finishing up arranging the chairs when we
get there. Afterward, we can stroll the cobbled streets, checking out the crafts booths while they set up and
grab a late breakfast somewhere. The Java Bean, our favorite breakfast spot was closed for the weekend
last year, so we wound up at another coffee shop nearby. We'll also have time to walk down to the pier and
buy our weekend button pass. Hey, it's almost lunch time! Pass the lobster roll!
Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival July 15-18
www.GreyFoxBluegrass.com
Rothvoss Farm/Ancramdale, NY
[phone 888/946-8495]
Appearing in 2004:
Dry Branch Fire Squad, Earl Scruggs w/Friends & Family, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder,
Del McCoury Band, Tim O'Brien Band, Leftover Salmon, Natalie MacMaster, Country Current,
Acoustic Hot Tuna, The Waybacks, Railroad Earth, Kruger Brothers, The Gibson Brothers,
The Wayfaring Strangers, Robin & Linda Williams, James King Band, Malibu Storm (Shankmans),
King Wilkie, Adrienne Young & Little Sadie, The Wilders, Danny Barnes, New England Bluegrass Band,
Adam Dewey & Crazy Creek, Donna the Buffalo, LeRoy Thomas & the Zydeco Roadrunners,
Red Stick Ramblers, Giry Howdy, John Kirk & Trish Miller, Fiddlestyx, more
Gone to Grey Fox
The most efficient way to get to Ancramdale and Grey Fox Festival is up Route 684 and then Route 22
in New York. I'll come up out of Manhattan on the west side, slide into the Saw Mill River Parkway and stay
right on it all the way to 684. I used to hang a right off of the Saw Mill onto the Cross County Parkway and
into the Hutchinson River Parkway, then to 684 because of its faster traffic flow. I didn't like the 5 or 6 traffic
lights on the twisting Saw Mill. Not any more. I've recently discovered that even with a lower average speed
and stopping for the lights, the Saw Mill is still quicker.
Route 684 runs northward, then ends and flows into Route 22. The latter is a two-lane road, so things slow down
considerably here. We've tried using the Taconic Parkway, but the back roads to Grey Fox from the Taconic
remove any gain in highway speed. About 13 miles into Route 22, we'll pass the Towne Crier folk nightclub/restaurant
on the right as we proceed through Pawling. It's worth noting that we owe this place a "Venue of the Month" write-up.
This low-slung building with the Southwestern decorative theme (faux cactus outside) books top-notch acts. The sight
lines are impeccable, the food is outrageously good, and the prices are very reasonable by Manhattan standards.
A little bit beyond Pawling, the traffic thins out and then, as we get nearer to Ancramdale, picturesque farmland vistas
rival any scenes the Taconic Parkway has to offer.
As noted in previous Acoustic Live festival issues, the main festival area is perched on a hilltop, which provides
far-reaching vistas. My first guess would be that the hills viewed in the distance from here are about 30 or 40 miles away.
The main campground is also on the hilltop. Overflow camping, which we use when we arrive for Saturday and
Sunday (the festival starts on Thursday) is in a field below, closer to the entry road, behind a big barn and silo.
Two big yellow school buses, in constant rotation, shuttle concertgoers from the lower campground and day visitor
parking lot to the festival site above. They defy gravity and an uneven terrain as they charge up the steep grassy incline
with all the excitement of a carnival ride.
This bluegrass festival, said to be the largest in the northeast, has to be considered the most talent-laden. It starts with
Dry Branch Fire Squad which hosts the event. The group's old-time gospel fervor and the dry country humor of its leader,
Ron Thomason are like a vortex that pulls all the top acts in. Del McCoury and his boys seem to be here every year, and
Ricky Skaggs shows up almost as often with Kentucky Thunder. A look at the line up for this year would back up this assertion.
The 16th Falcon Ridge Folk Festival July 22 - 25
Long Hill Farm, Hillsdale, NY.
www.FalconRidgeFolk.com 860 364-0366
Richard Thompson gave a memorable electric performance in 2003. Greg Brown in sartorial splendor
Appearing in 2004:
Greg Brown, Richie Havens, Tracy Grammer, Vance Gilbert, Eliza Gilkyson,
David Bromberg Quintet, John Gorka, Lucy Kaplansky, Richard Shindell,
Erin McKeown, Steve Forbert, disappear fear, Ellis Paul, Nerissa & Katryna Nields,
Eddie From Ohio, Sloan Wainwright Band, Terence Martin, Annie Wenz, Mark Erelli Band,
Carla Ulbrich, George Wurzbach, Girlyman, Jeffrey Foucault, Beth Molaro,
Big Bandemonium, Black Creek, Brave Combo, Charavari, Culver Griffin & Country Spice,
Debbie Davies Band, Hoopoe the Clowne, Inner Visions, Jake Armerding,
Jim Christensen & Madeline Ryan, Kathryn Wedderburn, Kathy Anderson, Lowen & Navarro,
Patti O'Brien Melita, Paul Rosenberg, Ralph Sweet, Raz-de-Mare'e, Reckless Abandon,
Airdance, Aoife O'Donovan and Crooked Still, Roger the Jester, Snake Oil Medicine Show,
The Falcon Ridge House Band, The Ivy Vine Players, The Spurs w/ Mark Erelli,
The Storycrafters, The Walker Family Band, The Zucchini Brothers
The Friday Night Summer's Eve Song Swap: Greg Brown, Lucy Kaplansky,
Richard Shindell, and Eliza Gilkyson.
Falcon Ridge, Here We Come
Back when the now-defunct Fast Folk Café presented some of the best singer/songwriters, Anne Saunders and Howard "Bub"
Randall, Falcon Ridge's founders and promoters, would show up for the cream of them. My first year in attendance at Falcon
Ridge was in 1995. Quoting our first festival issue: "When I tell people what Falcon Ridge means to me, I usually say, 'It's like
dying and going to Folk Heaven.'" Now that I'm an emissary of this newsletter/listings guide instead of a Fast Folk Café volunteer,
that hasn't changed. We now promote showcases of our own, as well as see the best songwriters presented in the northeast.
For this festival, we'll take the Taconic Parkway up. It takes us about 3 1/2 hours from New York City to get to Route 23 which,
in about 15 minutes, takes us straight to Long Hill Farm, the site of Falcon Ridge.
The festival expanded to four days last year, starting on a Thursday. Once again, we'll drive up on Wednesday afternoon, having
spent most of the previous day and evening getting our booth setup and camping supplies together. We'll arrive somewhere around
5 'clock and get our passes and booth assignment at the front gate. When we get inside, we'll meet with vendor coordinator Louise
Downey, hoping she's given us our usual spot on the midway near the workshop stage. Each year we've lucked out. Once the booth
is up and the tent is pitched and the air mattress is inflated, the wife gives her permission ("I'm starved!") to go to Great Barrington
for supper. We hightail it eastward on Route 23, making a beeline for the Union Bar & Grill, hoping they still have the Cuban sandwich.
It's become an annual treat. We also check Club Helsinki to see who's playing. It's usually someone we're going to see at the festival,
so we've taken a pass so far.
Back at the festival site, we usually turn in early. There's plenty to do the next day. It takes a while to get the booth's display set up.
Last year, we distributed a sheet with listings for our four-day schedule of singer/songwriter showcases around the campsites.
Then there are the runs to the local hardware and supermarket to get stuff we forgot or ran out of -- or some newfangled apparatus
I absolutely cannot live without -- I became obsessed with trying the Pete Granata method of using pvc tubing and clamps to stretch
the booth canopy, to avoid rain puddling. Now if I can only get the clamps to work the way he does!
Our showcases last year went really well. We combined our efforts with Tribes Hill players and joined our booth with that of Tribes
Hill organizer Rick Rock for a larger performing area. This year I've asked Andy and Denise to perform again, and so far, Todd Guidice
and Fred Gillen Jr. are also back on board. We've not gotten around to checking in with others. It's about that time.
Eliot Bronson in one of many Acoustic Live showcases
Richard Thompson helped inaugurate the first extended Thursday schedule at Falcon Ridge 2003, with an electric set that was the finest
performance I've ever seen him give. The sound was impeccable, his band cooked and Richard's guitar work was in it's usual mind-bending,
brilliant form.
I discovered the folly of combining early rising with late night prowling for song swaps at the campsites up on the hill. The campfires were
blazing and some campsites were more party than swap. Others took it more seriously. Alan Rowoth's Big Orange Tarp always seems
more like an audition. Who's whispering in whose ear to get squeezed in; plus, there's a tape running. The Tribes Hill crowd seemed to
have the best spirit. Musicians supported other songwriters with lead and rhythm guitar, filling out the sound and giving a sense of community.
Crawling back into our tent at 3-4am, then getting back up at 7am to help Viki in her quest to line up for good seats at the main stage
meant walking around exhausted for the final two days of the festival. I have to figure out a happy medium here!
August and Everything After
Songs at the Lake July 31 -Aug 1
Lake Placid 518-523-3330
www.songsatthelake.org
Appearing in 2004:
Ani DiFranco. Los Lobos, Roseanne Cash, Donna the Buffalo, Little Feat,
Sonny Landreth, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Guy Clark, Steve Forbert, Buckwheat Zydeco, others
Podunk Bluegrass Music August 5-9
Martin Park/East Hartford, CT
[50 Chapman Place phone 860/291-7350, email:
rmoss@ci.east-hartford.ct.us]
Appearing in 2004:
Del McCoury Band, Rhonda Vincent & the Rage, Jonathan Edwards,
Charlie Waller & the Country Gentlemen, Northern Lights, Vassar Clements,
Dale Ann Bradley, The Chapmans, Blistered Fingers, Buddy Merriam & Back Roads,
Jake Armerding Band, Phil Rosenthal & Bluegrass Union,
Traver Hollow, Singing Conquerors, Hunger Mountain Boys, others
Newport Folk Festival August 6-8
Fort Adams State Park, Harrison Avenue Newport, RI
401-847-3700 www.newportfolk.com
Appearing in 2004:
Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, Doc Watson, Corey Harris,
Ollabelle, Slaid Cleaves, Laura Cantrell,
Dixie Hummingbirds with Levon Helm and Garth Hudson, others
Lincoln Center One of the fun aspects to living in New York City is the profusion of entertainment options. Summer is a cornucopia.
The music stretches across four months with performances at the city's parks, piers and bandshells. There's Summerstage in Central Park,
Celebrate Brooklyn at the Prospect Park Bandshell, River to River Festival, mostly in lower Manhattan and then there's Lincoln Center
Out of Doors. While this is a variety of many types of music, our main interest is the weekend of Roots of American Music. Some of
the favorites we've seen here include Emmy Lou Harris, Chuck Brodsky, Lucy Kaplansky, Ray Bonneville, Christine Lavin, Great Big Sea,
and Judy Collins.
Lincoln Center Out of Doors
Roots of American Music Aug 20-21
Lincoln Center, Broadway & 66th St., NYC
www.lincolncenter.org
Ray Bonneville gave a memorable Lincoln Center performance in 2002
Appearing in 2004: Arlo Guthrie, Saw Doctors, others TBA
Eisteddfod August 13-15
Polytechnic University/Brooklyn, NY
[718/426-8555, www.eisteddfod-ny.org
Appearing in 2004:
Bishop Nathaniel Townsley, Jr. and the Gospel Jubilee,
Ralph Bodington, Paul Brown, Andy Cohen, Judy Cook,
Joe Elias, Julia Friend, Jug Free America, Norman Kennedy,
Ian Robb, Helen Schneyer, Rafe Stefanini, Hedy West, Jerry Epstein,
Tom Gibney, Joe Hickerson, David Jones, Margaret MacArthur, Heather Wood, others
Philly We usually cover the Philadelphia Folk Festival for one day on Saturday each year. Camping there is a raucous experience and not
for folks like us who prefer at least an option of getting sleep. It's been said that this festival was the model upon which Woodstock was patterned.
We like the way that their always-stellar acts are lighted for the closed-ciruit projection onto the giant screens on either side of the stage.
It's a photographer's dream. Due to some red-tape problems, Acoustic Live (yours truly) was initially barred from the photographer's pit
below the stage apron. While I waited to be finally cleared, I managed to take some interesting shots right off of the big screen. Look for
these on our web site. We also got some terrific shots in the campground once again. I met Kathleen Edwards briefly as she emerged
from a workshop. Very approachable, she posed momentarily when I asked and then agreed to give an interview down the road. There
was a distinct "buzz" that followed her from stage to stage. Covered by Paste Magazine a few months ago, her star is definitely rising. Gutsy
writing, memorable songs, and being easy on the eye doesn't hurt.
Philadelphia Folk Festival August 27-29
Schwenksville, PA
www.folkfest.org
From 2003: Kathleen Edwards Eddie from Ohio
Appearing in 2004:
Mike Agranoff, La Bottine Souriante, Brave Combo, DaVinci's Notebook,
Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer, Full Frontal Folk, Eliza Gilkyson,
Green Grass Cloggers, Dennis Hangey, Hickory Project, Hot Club of Cowtown,
Bill Kirchen, Taj Mahal, David Olney and the Boys, John Prine, John Roberts & Tony Barrand,
Gene Shay, Mindy Smith, Chris Smither, Andy M. Stewart & Gerry O'Bierne,
Time for Three, Uncle Earle, Wild Asparagus, Robin & Linda Williams and their Fine Group,
Adrienne Young & Little Sadie, others
Rhythm & Roots One week after Philly, it's time for that Route 95 gauntlet again, and once again, well worth any trouble. Another holiday weekend,
Labor Day. For some reason, the trip out and back isn't as "laborious" as one might expect. Rhythm and Roots is always filled with exciting
acts, both acoustic and electric. Dancing is a major feature with two dance floors and plenty of Cajun and Zydeco, with a little swing thrown in.
The dance classes come in handy when the Zydeco moves get rusty (for me, like, every year). For some, the time to shine is when the blues
and country rock allow for some free-form, shake-your-tail-feather boogieing. One of the best dancers I've ever seen in Zydeco or Swing, a
guy named Chuck explained his passion for Zydeco this way: If there was a swing dance a half hour away and a Zydeco dance three hours
away, he'd choose the latter without hesitation. His stamina is off the charts. He stops frequently to change into a fresh tee shirt as he sweats
through one after another. He has also constructed his own personal heated shower unit and it helps him get a fresh start 2 or 3 times a day. Amazing!
Rhythm and Roots at Ninigret Sept. 3-5
Ninigret Park, Charlestown, RI
www.rhythmandroots.com
888/855-6940
Two sides of the same coin at R & R 2003.
Left: Paul Geremia - A stellar interpreter of traditional blues fingerpicking
Right: Sonny Landreth - Maybe the best electric slide player today.
Appearing in 2004:
Donna the Buffalo w/Preston Frank, BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet,
Robert Earl Keen, NRBQ, Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers,
C.J. Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band, The Gourds,
Bill Kirchen & Too Much Fun, Rosie Flores, Dexter Ardoin & the Creole Ramblers,
T Broussard & the Zydeco Steppers, The Duhks, Red Stick Ramblers,
Adrienne Young & Little Sadie, The Radiators, more
Boston Our festival season ends with one more trek up the Route 95 pipeline. The Boston Folk Festival at the UMass/Boston campus offers
a combination indoor/outdoor experience. We drive up to a motel north of Boston and drive down on Friday night for a concert in an auditorium.
Tom Rush was Friday's feature in 2003. Saturday and Sunday morning, we get there early enough to park in the underground garage, close to
the athletic field where the Mainstage is located. The booking here is inspired. Emmy Lou Harris and Buddy Miller, just the two, were unforgettable.
The same could be said for Koko Taylor, not in the best of health, who had to be helped up on stage. Moving stiffly, she belted out one song after
another for an hour, then was guided offstage after her encore, and was gently placed in a wheelchair and whisked away! In addition to the
picturesque campus, a side trip into Boston (or a stay in a hotel if you can get a good deal) is well worth the trip, to enjoy the old brownstones
and enjoy a meal in one of their fine restaurants. A very civilized end to a sometimes rugged adventure. See you down the road!
Boston Folk Festival Sept, 17-19
Umass Boston
617) 287- 6911
www.bostonfolkfestival.org
Left: Koko Taylor gave an inspired set on the Mainstage that belied her many years on the planet.
Right: On the Coffehouse Stage, Tom Prasada-Rao and Cary Cooper as "The Dreamsicles."
The riverboat out in the harbor was a
pleasant sight out beyond the Gazebo Stage.
Appearing in 2004:
Rani Arbo & Daisy Mayhem, David Bromberg Quartet, Sam Bush Band,
Cephas & Wiggins, Stephanie Corby, Mark Erelli, John Flynn,
Bob Franke, Robin Greenstein, Kim and Reggie Harris, Jack Hardy,
Johnsmith, Erin McKeown, Lucy Kaplansky, Rod MacDonald, Natalie MacMaster,
Geoff Muldaur, Deb Pasternak,,Tom Paxton, Cosy Sheridan, The Sprigs,
Dar Williams, Adrienne Young & Little Sadie, Diane Zeigler
33rd Annual
Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival
Labor Day Weekend, September 3-5, 2004
Salem County Fair Grounds US 40, Woodstown, New Jersey
(7 miles east of Delaware Memorial Bridge)
http://www.brandywinefriends.org/dvbgf
(302) 475-3454 E-mail: bfotm@dca.net
Appearing in 2004:
Del McCoury Band Rhonda Vincent & The Rage
Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys Blue Highway
Marty Raybon Lynn Morris Band April Verch
Bob Paisley & The Southern Grass Chris Stuart & Backcountry
Claire Lynch King Wilkie Chip Taylor & Carrie Rodriguez
Country Current (U.S. Navy Bluegrass Band) Big Medicine
James Reams & The Barnstormers with Special Guest,
Banjo Legend Walter Hensley New Ballard's Branch Bogtrotters
Ivan Sexton