Festival Preview - Roots

FIL 2012 puts on finishing touches; Rusted Root tops Sunday program

fpadmin2 — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:50:33 +0000

Headliners: Robert Randolph & The Family Band, Rusted Root, Seun Kuti & Eqypt 80

Notables: Gary Clark Jr., Bombino, Texas Tornados, Beats Antique, Chico Trujillo, Sonny Landreth, Ceux Qui Marchent Debout, Pedrito Martinez Group, Cheikh Lo, Radio Radio, Debo Band, Teada, Slavic Soul Party!, Khaira Arby, Lindigo, Brian Jack & the Zydeco Gamblers, Vishtèn

Apr 25 2012 - Apr 29 2012 • Lafayette LA • Downtown Streets

Details

Franti, Salmon and Brandi Carlile for early-announcing Floydfest

fpadmin2 — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 21:05:49 +0000

Headliners: Brandi Carlile, Leftover Salmon, Michael Franti & Spearhead

Notables: ALO, Anders Osborne, Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers, David Wax Museum, Drew Emmitt Band, Galactic, Garage A Trois, Gary Clark Jr, MarchFourth Marching Band, Matisyahu, Orgone, Ozomatli, Punch Brothers, Sam Bush Band, Steep Canyon Rangers, Toubab Krewe

Comment: Floydfest 11, which runs July 26-28 in Floyd VA, beats most other summer festivals to the punch with this strong first round list covering progressive bluegrass, world music and jam rock genres.

Ricky Skaggs, David Lindley fill out lineup for Strawberry Fall

fpadmin2 — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 20:55:07 +0000

Strawberry Fall enters the home stretch with just a few remaining lineup slots after announcing Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder as a headliner and welcoming back David LIndley after an injury forced him to cancel on the Spring festival.

Other recent adds include Tom Ball and Kenny Sultan and Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers.

The Skaggs band has played Strawberry on two previous occasions, Spring 2000 and Spring 2008. Other headline performers for the Fall 2011 festival are David Grisman's Bluegrass Experience and Preservation Hall Jazz Band.

American River Music Fest contest: What is Americana?

fpadmin2 — Fri, 20 May 2011 19:31:13 +0000

The term gets kicked around a lot, but just what is "Americana" music?

The American River Music Festival, which will feature acts such as James McMurtry and Truth & Salvage at its upcoming festival in California's Gold Country this September, is running a contest to get your definition of the term.

Submit your entry to the festival. The winning description gets posted to the festival web page and wins a pair of tickets to the festival.

Yonder, Punch Bros., RRE and much more for Telluride Nightgrass action

fpadmin2 — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 22:30:38 +0000

The days are glorious but the nights are frigid in Telluride in June, so the main stage at Telluride Bluegrass Festival shuts down after nightfall, and the action moves indoors for the Nightgrass schedule of festival acts performing at clubs around town. The 2011 Nightgrass schedule is out and there is plenty to like.

There are 11 Nightgrass shows, with three to choose from on Thursday, Friday and Saturday as well as a kickoff party in Mountain Village on Wednesday and the festival closer Sunday night at the Sheridan Opera House.

Besides the Sheridan, Fly Me to the Moon and a new venue, the Palm Theater, will host the shows. Scheduled Nightgrass performers include Yonder Mountain String Band, Punch Brothers, Railroad Earth, Cornmeal, Trampled By Turtles, Mumford & Sons, and The Infamous Stringdusters.

Tickets for some of the most in-demand shows will be by lottery. Register at the festival website before April 21.

Four days of musical treats on Strawberry Spring's stage schedule

fpadmin2 — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 05:35:50 +0000

Strawberry Music Festivals announced the stage schedule for the Spring festival, including one final add of Stephanie Finch & the Company Men. The closers for each night, Thursday through Sunday, are Carolyn Wonderland, Court Yard Hounds, Aaron Neville and Sam Bush Band.

Riding the circuit for a jam-tastic summer

fpadmin2 — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 17:13:07 +0000

For the summer jam band festivarian, there is good news and bad. Gas prices are sky high and that is spreading to food and other road-trip essentials, making travel to your choice event that much more challenging.

The good news, though, is that you need not travel too far to hear your favorite jam bands, many appearing together at the same festivals in circuit-rider fashion. And if you can afford to put together a multi-week road trip, your itinerary is ready-made.

Events like Summer Camp Music Festival, All Good Music Festival & Campout, Gathering of the Vibes and Nateva Music & Arts Festival dot the summer calendar—the latter three on consecutive weekends and if not in the same neck of the woods at least the same corner of the continent (see map).

Newport Folk sets announcement party for March 29

fpadmin2 — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 17:14:07 +0000

Newport Folk Festival will roll out its 2011 lineup at and announcement part on Tuesday, March 29 at the Middlesex Lounge in Cambridge MA. It's the first time the festival will hold a live event to release its lineup news. The party run 7-9 pm with music by Brown Bird, presumably a tipoff on at least one booking. It is open to the public for a $5 donation to benefit the Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc., a newly formed 501c3 non-profit producing the festival. Beer is free and the first 50 arrivals get free merch.

Jimmie Dale Gilmore and The Wronglers to preview "Heirloom Music" at Slim's on March 13

fpadmin2 — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 16:54:28 +0000

The new collaboration between Warren Hellman's The Wronglers and Texas troubadour Jimmie Dale Gilmore gets its debut in a matinee performance Sunday, March 13 at Slim's in San Francisco. Hellman is the banjo-playing financeer behind the fantastic Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival. Show attendees can win a coveted Friends & Family pass to the HSB 11 in October.

Gilmore and The Wronglers will then take their show on the road to several upcoming festivals—SXSW on March 16, Old Settler's Music Festival on April 14 and Strawberry Music Festival on May 28. They'll also be at a Hellman sponsored event, Bluegrass for the Greenbelt, on June 7, and with another Hellman friend and collaborator, Ron Thomasson of Dry Branch Fire Squad, at DBFS's High Mountain Hay Fever of July 7.

There is also an album, Heirloom Music, due out in the Spring. Gilmore is said to have wanted to explore the pre-commercial days of country music, and saw the opportunity to do that with Hellman's old-timey outfit.

Five-stage schedule posted for Suwannee Springfest

fpadmin2 — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 15:03:11 +0000

Suwannee Springfest announced the stage schedule for its upcoming festival, beginning Thursday, March 24. The prime location is the Big IV Amphitheater, adjoined by the Uncle Charles Porch Stage. The action revs up there each morning at 10 am (3 pm on Thursday), with headliners in the evening hours and late-night acts running to 1:30 am..

The second stage is Magnolia Meadow with many of the performers playing second sets runs on Friday and Saturday only. Finally, the SOS Music Hall features more intimate sets and workshops in an indoor venue while the Old Florida Stage runs Friday to Sunday in the campground.

Prime time at the festival lines up like this. Friday night on the main stage is Jesse McReynolds, David Grisman Sextet, The Travelin' McCourys with the Lee Boys, Emmitt-Nershi Jam. Saturday night is Emmitt-Nershi, Donna the Buffalo, The Avett Brothers and Cornmeal.

All the details are here.

Aaron Neville and son Ivan's Dumpstaphunk both to debut at Strawberry Spring

fpadmin2 — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 17:52:17 +0000

As is its custom, Strawberry Music Festivals has been rolling out its artists a few at a time instead of in a big attention-getting blast. With the latest two names, headliner Robert Earl Keen and local outfit Dead Winter Carpenters, two-thirds of the Spring festival is now in, which seems like a good time to get an assessment.

The big news came a week ago with the announcement that New Orleans vocal great Aaron Neville will make his Strawberry debut at the Spring festival. Neville's son Ivan and his band Dumpstaphunk had previously been announced, also playing Camp Mather for the first time. If their schedules coincide, it seems likely the two would perform together on stage.

Keen will be a popular choice for Strawberry's Americana-ish audience, especially paired on the bill with another Texas folk rocker, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, who will play backed by Warren Hellman's band The Wronglers. Another previously announced pairing of solid-gold talents are the newgrass stars Sam Bush and Tim O'Brien, each with his own band.

Jim McKelvey's Cayamo slideshow

fpadmin2 — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 17:25:45 +0000

Cayamo 2011 has just come ashore and regular attendee Jim McKelvey has posted his photoset of the roots music Caribbean cruise. Artists on board included Richard Thompson, Buddy Miller, Patty Griffin, Indigo Girls, Brandy Carlile, Steep Canyon Rangers, Steve Earle and Allison Moorer, Loudon Wainwright, John Prine and Shawn Mullins. Here's The Buddy Miller Band or view the full slideshow

Bad news leads to surplus of opportunities for festival producer

fpadmin2 — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 22:50:25 +0000

After Peak Resorts unexpectedly pulled the plug on the blues festival he had run for 19 years, Michael Cloeren knew that he had a short window of opportunity to put together a replacement event.

“The important thing was to keep it going without letting a year lapse,” said the former producer of the Pocono Blues Festival in an interview with Festival Preview. “Also, it was key to keep the traditional dates on the last full weekend in July.”

Cloeren emcees at Pocono Blues Festival 2006
Credit: Bluessource.com

Dawg's bluegrass coming to California Worldfest

fpadmin2 — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 00:55:32 +0000

California WorldFest's lineup is beginning to take shape with word that David Grisman Bluegrass Experience will be one of the headline acts. The mandolin master's bluegrass unit with Keith Little, Jim Nunally, Chad Manning and son Sam Grisman is a sweet fit with the festival's eclectic mix of world styles.

With the bulk of the lineup yet to be announced, Grisman joins a roster so far heavy on Australian talent with progressive acoustic trio The Greencards, indie duo Bluehouse and folk-funk Rosie Burgess Trio. Also on the bill is the global mashup dance party, Delhi 2 Dublin.

The 15th WorldFest will run July 14-17 at its home at the Grass Valley CA Fairgrounds. Besides the tall pines of the Sierra foothills, this year's fest falls on a full moon, so get ready to howl. Preseason princing remains in effect until January 15, when the regular box office opens.

Savannah Music Festival wows again with its eclectic 2011 program

fpadmin2 — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 02:01:02 +0000

The Savannah Music Festival showed what makes it one of the most interesting North American music festivals when it announced the bulk of its schedule and lineup for the 2011 festival, running March 24-April 9 in multiple venues around Savannah GA.

As it is each year, the program is strong in a wide range of genres, including classical, acoustic, blues, R&B, jazz and world music. About the only major festival genres not included are mainstream rock and country. The offerings in each musical category, while not as deep as at festivals dedicated to a single style, are generally very appealing.

In bluegrass/Americana, the offerings include Punch Brothers with Chris Thile, The Infamous Stringdusters, Tim O'Brien, and Doyle Alexander & Quicksilver.

Among jazz artists, Bela Fleck with The Marcus Roberts Trio, Dianne Reeves, John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey, and The Ike Stubblefield Trio stand out.

The R&B and blues categories bring in Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Allen Toussaint, Maceo Parker, James Hunter and James Cotton, among others.

Old Settler's leads off with Avett Brothers; box office opens Monday

fpadmin2 — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 16:58:32 +0000

Another of the highly regarded early season roots festivals put out its preliminary list, and again Sam Bush and Tim O'Brien are among the leading names. Old Settler's Music Festival running April 14-17, 2011 outside of Austin TX, also named The Avett Brothers as the festival headliner.

Tickets for the 24th annual OSMF go on sale beginning November 15 at the online box office. Three- and four-day passes, with and without camping, are available at early-bird prices of up to 25 percent off. Single-day tickets are not yet available.

Old Settler's offers an eclectic mix of Americana, jamband, bluegrass and more on four stages at the Salt Lick Pavilion and Camp Ben McCulloch in the Texas Hill Country near Austin.

Other notable acts named on the initial list are the Emmitt-Nershi Band, Jake Shimabukuro, Audie Blaylock & Redline, Trampled by Turtles and Langhorne Slim. It looks like the festival is off to a strong start in constructing its customarily great lineup.

Sam Bush and Tim O'Brien top initial list for Strawberry 2011

fpadmin2 — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 00:51:47 +0000

Strawberry Spring 2011 will have strong appeal to progressive bluegrass fans, with two superstars of the genre—Sam Bush and Tim O'Brien—together on the bill at Strawberry for the first time since 2003.

The two festival favorites were atop the first list of 10 bookings announced for the two Strawberry festivals, Spring and Fall. O'Brien is playing in a hot instrumental configuration with super sidemen Stuart Duncan, Bryan Sutton and Mike Bub.

For Fall, the marquee names so far are Preservation Hall Jazz Band and David Grisman Bluegrass Experience. Other notables are Cadillac Sky minus its former lead singer and the eccentric MarchFourth Marching Band in Spring, and two California flavored bands in Marley's Ghost and Dan Crary's Thunderation for Fall.

Looks like another fine season at Camp Mather is in the making.

FP Strawberry Spring | FP Strawberry Fall | Official site

Who played when at Speedway Meadow?

fpadmin2 — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 00:06:00 +0000

Consult our exclusive Hardly Strictly Bluegrass historical database to answer questions about who played in what year, on which stage and with which featured guests.

Great music scene in the campgrounds at American River Music Festival

fpadmin2 — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 05:53:48 +0000

Sunday morning on the patio at American River Resort during 2009 festival

One unique aspect of the American River Music Festival (Sept. 17-19, Coloma CA) is the scene inside the three riverfront campgrounds, where much of the music is hosted. Of course, the main stage runs daytime Saturday and Sunday at nearby riverfront Henningsen-Lotus Park.

Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday morning, music is presented at each of three separate campground areas. Each of the three camps has its own personality and facilities. Here’s a capsule on each of the sites, with a listing of performances scheduled there.

Seldom Scene's John Duffey to be inducted at upcoming Bill Monroe Bluegrass Hall of Fame festival

fpadmin2 — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 20:03:37 +0000

The late, great John Duffey, who fronted the first important bluegrass crossover band, Seldom Scene, until his death in 1996, will become the 33rd member of the Bill Monroe Bluegrass Hall of Fame when he is inducted September 24 during the upcoming Uncle Pen Days festival.

Seldom Scene brought bluegrass music to a more urbane audience and incorporated elements of rock and roll. Duffey played mandolin and sang lead vocals with the band.

The induction will be the high point of the 35th Bill Monroe Hall of Fame & Uncle Pen Days Festival, the other festival held at the bluegrass father's Indiana music campground, the first being Bill Monroe's Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival, which runs each year in June.

The current incarnation of Seldom Scene is among the powerful lineup of mostly traditional bluegrass acts playing the upcoming festival, so you can be sure the Duffey tribute will be festive.

Of the 32 previously inducted members of the Bill Monroe Bluegrass Hall of Fame, six will be performing at the current festival: Ralph Stanley, Bobby Osborne, J. D. Crowe, Jesse McReynolds, Melvin Goins, and Larry Sparks.

Two boundary stretchers and a warm blanket at RockyGrass 2010

fpadmin2 — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 05:58:55 +0000

All the music at RockyGrass 2010 was mind-expanding, but here are reports on three bands that really blew us away.

Greensky Bluegrass. Lighting a fire to the festival, Lyons local Ben Kaufmann of Yonder Mountain String Band, introduced the Kalamazoo MI newgrass unit Greensky Bluegrass as "the best band on the scene right now."

This would be a debut for Greensky at RockyGrass, though the band won the band competition at Telluride Bluegrass Festival in 2006. Now as the five-man ensemble broke into "Break Mountain Brokedown," dobroist Anders Beck declared, "It’s happy hour at RockyGrass."

Indeed. This tune, like many to follow, starts off by laying a traditional foundation but soon ventures far beyond. With envelope filters and dark slurring dobro, the mood segues to a spacey jam before returning to more familiar pastures with "All Four" and then reprising back to "Brokedown."

Bluegrass, newgrass and jamgrass make a potent mix at RockyGrass 2010

fpadmin2 — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 05:43:23 +0000

After nearly four decades, you might think that a music festival could get stale, going through the motions for the sake of its aging audience but failing to produce spontaneous, original entertainment.

That’s certainly not the case at Colorado’s venerable RockyGrass Music Festival, held July 23-25, 2010, for the 38th consecutive year at Planet Bluegrass Ranch in Lyons CO. Attracting a musically savvy audience to the awe-inspiring red stone canyon along the St. Vrain River, which passes through the property, the festival continues to present superior, hand-clapping, foot-stomping bluegrass and newgrass to the Colorado acoustic music community.

Young acts bring new energy to Newport Folk Festival, but old-timers keep the flame

fpadmin2 — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 04:31:22 +0000

Last year’s Newport Folk Festival was an occasion of high drama, sweet nostalgia and deep emotion. This year’s was mostly just a lot of really good music.

Things were extraordinary last year for two reasons. The first is that it was the 50th anniversary of the first Newport Folk Festival, an occasion that George Wein and his staff marked by bringing back as many big-name veterans as possible, most notably Pete Seeger and Joan Baez. The second is that the festival almost didn’t happen: first the company that had taken over Wein’s Festival Productions lost its license to use Fort Adams State Park, then it (apparently) went belly-up. The festival was saved only when Wein, the man who made it happen in the first place back in 1959, stepped into the breach to secure the license and, on relatively short notice, put a remarkable all-star bash together.

Newport Folk 2010 slideshow

fpadmin2 — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 03:45:19 +0000

Elvis Perkins to replace Justin Townes Earle at Newport

fpadmin2 — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:27:24 +0000

Elvis Perkins in Dearland joins the lineup for this weekend's Newport Folk Festival, replacing Justin Townes Earle who injured his hand in an accident. In a bit of serendipity, Perkins called the festival office seeking tickets to attend the festival just after promoters got work of Earle's withdrawal. According to the festival, "We said we could do one better...and asked them if they would like to play, and they said 'yes'." Perkins and his band have played two other recent Newports, including last year. The band plays Sunday at 4:50 on the Quad stage.

Michael Franti fuses music and message to close perfect Day 3 at Targhee Fest

fpadmin2 — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:19:14 +0000

Michael Franti delivers on Day 3 at Targhee Fest

After Kimmock and Seals evoke Garcia memories, .moe rocks the Tetons (Targhee Fest Day 1)

fpadmin2 — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:08:02 +0000

.moe closes Day 1 at Targhee Music Festival

6th Targhee Fest delivers quality Americana rock to northern mountain region

fpadmin2 — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:51:45 +0000

Last weekend’s Targhee Music Festival was the sixth annual occurrence of this “big little music [festival],” as performer David Lindley called it, but it was our first time attending—and, hoo-whee, did we have a grand time.

This Teton County festival at Grand Targhee Resort might be the the quintessential three-day summer camping music festival in the mountains. At 8,000 feet with sunlight shimmering off the quaking aspen and majestic Mt. Teton as a backdrop, it is the perfect setting for a lineup of Americana-style rock performers and thousands of their fans to share their enjoyment of music and dance.

First Gaia Festival will run August 5-7, 2011 in Laytonville CA

fpadmin2 — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 04:58:59 +0000

The first details have come out about the new environmentally themed Gaia Festival, which will debut August 5-7, 2011, at Black Oak Ranch near Laytonville CA in northern Mendocino County. The festival announcement lists world-class music as one of its facets, but it is also about sustainable living, social and environmental activism, alternative energy, healing arts, theater and more.

The event is being organized by Back Roads Productions, the outfit that produces the Kate Wolf Memorial Music Festival on the same site every June. Another festival with an environmental theme, Earthdance, has also run on the site each September but will be moving after this year's event September 17-19.

It had been said that Earthdance was relocating because it had outgrown the site. However, Gaia has the potential to draw as many or more attendees as Earthdance, especially once it becomes well established after a couple of years.

Preservation Hall to host young collaborators at Newport Folk

fpadmin2 — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 03:30:06 +0000

From the zydeco of the Balfa Brothers to the Dixieland of Dirty Dozen Brass Band, George Wein’s Newport Folk Festival has a history of presenting the sounds of New Orleans at his seminal festival in New England. Of course, Wein also was responsible for the launching of New Orleans’ signature Jazz & Heritage Festival.

Wein’s guide to the music and culture of New Orleans was musicologist Allan Jaffe, and in one of the earliest Newport Folk Festivals, Jaffe’s newly formed ensemble Preservation Hall Jazz Band graced the Newport stage.

This year, Preservation Hall is back in a leading role, holding down a Sunday mid-afternoon slot on the Harbor Stage that is likely to include numerous guest appearances by other festival performers who appeared on the group’s acclaimed collaboration album, Preservation, released earlier this year.

“It’s fantastic to have The Preservation Hall Jazz Band at the Newport Folk Festival again,” said Wein. “The band is very much a part of life in New Orleans and it reflects, not only what the city is all about, but what music is all about.”