Steve Earle,
Featuring three days of traditional and contemporary music (including folk, blues, alt-country, bluegrass, indie folk-rock, world and roots), dance, crafts, an array of children’s activities, and a unique late-night scene (with jamming into the wee morning hours in the 40-acre campgrounds), the Philadelphia Folk Festival is the longest continuously running
Eager to retain its vitality, continue to attract crowds and reach out to younger people, the festival has brought in Point Entertainment’s Rich Kardon and Jesse Lundy to shake things up a bit.
“Our core audience has continued to age,” says Gene Shay, WXPN-FM DJ and longtime host of the festival. While acknowledging that the festival has a tradition to uphold, he believes it also needs to attract younger people to survive and continue to thrive. Including up-and-coming artists in the lineup appears designed, in part, to broaden its appeal.
Among the newcomers on the bill are Anthony da Costa (a prolific 17 year-old singer-songwriter, 2007 Kerrville New Folk Winner and Falcon Ridge Folk Festival audience favorite among emerging artists), Ellis (a captivating 30-something singer-songwriter with a bubbly personality and an infectious laugh), The Felice Brothers (gritty and soulful alt-country and folk-rockers), Red Molly (a rootsy female Americana trio that mesmerizes audiences with its three-part harmonies and solid musicianship), Amy Speace (signed to Judy Collins’ Wildflower label and one of the best new contemporary singer-songwriters on the scene today) and The Strangelings (a folk jam band comprised of Pete & Maura Kennedy, Chris Thompson, Rebecca Hall, Ken Anderson and Eric Lee, with Philly’s own Cheryl Prashker keeping the beat).
Of course, there will be plenty of fine music of interest to more traditional folk fans as well – including Cajun music’s Beausoleil avec Michael Doucet, longtime festival favorites Judy Collins, Janis Ian and Tom Paxton, and gifted Appalachian dulcimer players and songwriters David Massengill and Jean Ritchie, among others.
Philadelphia area artists set to perform during the festival include Ben Arnold, Hoots & Hellmouth, Ursula Rucker, and LisaBeth Weber & Maggie Marshall.
For more information about the festival and to order tickets, visit www.folkfest.org or call the Philadelphia Folk Festival at 800-556-FOLK.
Last 5 posts in Festival Focus
- MerleFest 2009 Lineup Announced - November 1st, 2008
- Chicago Bluegrass and Blues Festival Set for Nov. 22 - October 27th, 2008
- The Americana Folk Festival Set for Nov. 1 in Tennessee - October 20th, 2008
- Folk Festivals Slated During Columbus Day Weekend - September 25th, 2008
- Boston & Connecticut Folk Festivals Set for Mid-September - September 1st, 2008
Last 5 posts in Home Page
- AcousticMusicScene.com to Have Major Presence at NERFA Conference, Nov. 13-16, in the Catskills - November 13th, 2008
- Folk DJs to Sing During Upcoming NERFA Conference - November 3rd, 2008
- WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour Partners with Clearview Cinemas to Bring Show to Big Screens in NY Metro Area - October 16th, 2008
- Dailey & Vincent Dominate International Bluegrass Music Awards - October 3rd, 2008
- Americana Music Association Presents Honors and Awards - September 19th, 2008
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.
