J
ust 3 weeks after last year’s Folks Festival, the entire Planet Bluegrass Ranch was a 4-foot-deep raging river, fed by more than 16 inches of rain. While our town was evacuating and working to rebuild basic infrastructure devastated by the 500-year flood, we bought a backhoe and a dump truck and vowed to welcome Festivarians back for our 2014 festivals. If July’s RockyGrass was the jubilant rebirth of Planet Bluegrass heard ‘round the world, then this 24th “summit on the song” is our time for healing and reflection—along with some communal dancing and spirited sing-alongs! As we have for the past 20 years, we’ve invited our favorite songwriters from across the geographic and musical world. Together we’ll channel the energy of Lyons ongoing recovery and healing through powerful songs and stories. A toast to our partners at New Belgium: They’re offering the Festivarian-favorite Summer Bliss (renamed Summer Helles) as their summer seasonal—along with a generous donation to our rebuilding. Look for Find a seat on an empty tarp up-front during the the label with the dobro in a hammock here at Folks day. Share in the Monks’ construction of the mandala inside the Wildflower Pavilion. Drink lots of water. Fest and around the country. Slather on the sunscreen. And cherish this precious As you see Planet Bluegrass production crewmem- time together along the St. Vrain. We’re so excited to bers this weekend, offer them a nod of thanks. Their welcome you home. heroic efforts have made our 24th Annual Folks a reality. We encourage you to support our town’s con- Love, tinuing recovery by visiting the Lyons Community The Folks on Planet Bluegrass Foundation booth in the sponsor area.
As the water recedes And the shore shows its face, Sing me down, Sing me down – Vance Gilbert
1
Flood debris may still be present in the river and in the banks downstream. Please use extreme caution and wear foot protection at all times.
will ask you to move it behind the sound booth. Umbrellas, shade tents, and other view-obstructing items are allowed only along the river and back perimeter.
Climbing the hillsides or cliffs is Please be respectful of others strictly prohibited. and do not stand in the festival Feel free to sit in any open tarp seating areas.
(especially up front) until the Please do not smoke in the auditarp’s owners return. ence. Wander over to the festival Once placed on, wristbands are smoking tent near the river and non-refundable and non-transfer- deposit your butts in the proper able. If you remove, tear, damage, receptacles. Please. or lose your wristband, we will not Lost and found is located at the replace it. festival box office. There is no lifeguard watching No dogs are allowed at the festiyour kids in the river. Please val, in the campground, or in the monitor your children carefully. parking lots. If you leave your dog in Please use only low-backed chairs your car, we will call Animal Control in designated areas. If we can roll and safely remove your dog from the a basketball under your chair, we car by whatever means necessary.
2
Tarp Line Policy • Festivarians may begin assem bling for the next day of the festival at midnight • At some unannounced time after midnight Planet Bluegrass will randomly distribute numbers to everyone in the assembly area • The next morning, Festivarians will be admitted into the fest ival in this randomly-assigned order, followed by first-come first-served
Life turns on dimes and carousels, Spinning choices and blunt farewells – Bill Nash
D
uring last September’s devastating 500-year flood, the St. Vrain River carved deep channels through Planet Bluegrass, depositing at least 4 feet of muck and debris across the property and destroying multiple structures. But 22 years after our first festival in Lyons, the flood also gave us an opportunity to re-envision Planet Bluegrass. The newly sculpted seating area offers better sightlines for everyone and an expanded dancing area. The new beach and river walkway provide better access to the St. Vrain River and better erosion control during the Spring runoff. Inside the bathhouse you’ll find gorgeous handcrafted river rock showers. The newly rebuilt Wildflower Pavilion now features a poured concrete stage for better acoustics and 41 years of Telluride Bluegrass posters.
Planet Bluegrass 2.0 remains a work in progress— from the wood chips in the campgrounds to the newly planted willow saplings (marked by pink ribbons and short fences). Please take extra care in protecting the grounds during this sensitive time. And offer a nod of thanks to the dozens of local craftsmen and Planet Bluegrass staff who have worked tirelessly to make Planet Bluegrass 2.0 a reality.
Thanks to donations from Yonder Mountain String Band, the festival grounds are now covered in 7 acres of Texas Bluegrass, a special strain that uses 2/3 less water than our old Kentucky Bluegrass. Throughout the property we’ve begun re-introducing native vegetation, an important part of restoring our riparian ecosystem. Everyth Flippin ing’s ’ Tasty!
Welcome Festivarians! Festival Hours: 6am-2pm
Organic Espresso, Coffee & Tea Scrumptious Baked Goods Killer Breakfast Sandwiches & Breakfast Tacos 5th & High St. 303.823.2345 www.thestonecup.com
Dine In ut O or Take
Bloody Marys, Mimosas & More
The sun comes up, The sun goes down, But what’s gonna happen to our little town – Greg Brown
3
W
ith your help, the Planet Bluegrass festivals have become models of Sustainable Festivation. As we continue to refine and expand this communal effort, here are three areas we’re focusing on this year.
Waste and Reuse Two years ago we took the next step toward “zero-waste” by removing all landfill trash containers from the inner festival grounds, allowing us to achieve a 90% diversion rate inside the festival. We encourage you to pack-out any non-recyclable, non-compostable trash. The Sustainable Festivation crewmembers at each waste station (members of the Lyons High School band) will help you sort your waste and direct you to the appropriate waste containers. Even better than compost and recycling is reuse. This year we’re replacing single-use compostable utensils with reusable sporks (spoon, fork, and knife in a single long-lasting utensil). Buy yours for $2 from any food vendor and reuse it throughout the festival and for years to come. Or if you’d prefer a full setting, we’re selling 5-piece bamboo sets (spoon, fork, knife, and chopsticks) at the Country Store with a handy case and carabiner. We’ve extended reuse into our wine booth again this year by switching from bottles to high quality cask wines. By using reusable wine kegs we’re saving hundreds of glass bottles while offering higher quality premium wines. If you don’t want to take your reusable beer cup home with you, please leave it at one of our waste stations to help us close the loop on recycling.
Local Food and Water
We encourage everyone to “drink local” using our free locally-filtered water stations (next to the beverage booth and behind the box office). If you forgot to bring your reusable bottle, we’ll be selling long-lasting Klean Kanteens at the Country Store.
Backstage, where we serve over 350 meals per day to artists and staff, we continue to source most produce from Colorado farms. Our partnership with Colorado’s Red Bird Chicken allows us to offer chicken that is treated humanely and raised hormone- and antibiotic-free. We do our part to protect our local ecosystem throughout the year by fertilizing the Ranch with 100% chicken manure while using no herbicides or pesticides on the property.
Energy and Offsets Our festivals and offices have been 100% wind-powered since 2004. This year we’re again purchasing carbon offsets to neutralize the emissions created by all our artists’ travel and lodging as well as the shuttle buses in Lyons. Learn more at the Renewable Choice Energy booth. As we’ve replaced flood damaged equipment, we’ve taken the opportunity to upgrade our energy efficiency, including highly efficient LEDs for our new main stage lighting rig.
4
So much of the picture stares at the back of you, Just turn around once to see the good you do – Ellis
How Green is Your Grass?
W
ith more than 1,300 campers in Lyons this weekend (more than half the size of the town!), it’s more important than ever to embrace the “leave no trace” camping philosophy. In collaboration with the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics and Eco-Products (suppliers of free compostable bags for all campers), the 7th Annual Campsite Challenge rewards sustainable campsites in any of the Planet Bluegrass-managed campgrounds.
To nominate your campsite: 1. Visit the Leave No Trace booth to fill out the 1-page entry form – explaining how your campsite exhibits cleanliness, sustainability, and creativity. 2. Stop by the Leave No Trace booth each day to view all the campsite entries and vote for your favorites.
Two campsite finalists will be chosen each day – one random & one chosen by staff. Each winning campsite will receive a prize pack including: • New Belgium Beer • Planet Bluegrass reusables • Leave No Trace memberships
Leave No Trace congratulates the 2014 winners: Camp Runamuck Lite—Austin, TX
Planet Bluegrass will select the Grand Prize winner (of 2015 on-site camping passes!) after the campground pack-out on Monday.
Whatever, is getting’ us nowhere. Whatever, it’s not too late to care. – Steve Seskin
5
Parents, please accompany your children while in the family area.
A
s we welcome more younger Festivarians into the Festivarian community, we’ve expanded our family area (in the woods next to the Wildflower Pavilion) to include a variety of fun, planet-minded activities throughout the day – 10:30am ‘til 5pm.
Colorado Mountain Club Visit the CMC booth for their daily schedule of youth-oriented activities. Try out the slack line, hula hoops, and balance activities. Practice your knot skills to safely ascend a tree! Try your hand at the mountain safety washer toss and discover 10 essential wilderness survival tips. Founded in 1912, the CMC acts as a gateway to the mountains for novices and experts alike, offering year-round activities, events, and schools centered on outdoor recreation.
6
Wild Bear Mountain Ecology Center Visit Wild Bear Mountain Ecology Center’s booth and create your own hand-painted wood cookie necklace, a GREAT souvenir of your fun time at Folks Fest 2014! Discover the invertebrates in the creek and learn about local wildlife. Remember, if the bear is sleeping, be sure to stop back at another time. Nederland-based Wild Bear offers year-round nature workshops for children, families, and adults.
I got my eggs, I got my pancakes too, I got my maple syrup, Everything but you – Steve Poltz
O
AMDA PEN I - 9LY PM
11
FAST • FRESH • LOCAL Glacier Ice Cream • Soft Serve Burgers • Hot Dogs • Sandwiches Shakes & Malts • Fresh Cut Fries FREE SINGLE SCOOP WITH ANY PURCHASE WITH YOUR WRISTBAND 138 MAIN STREET, LYONS
303.823.5800
LYONSDAIRYBAR.COM
LocalEatDrink.com
Facebook/LocalEatDrink
small plates + craft cocktails
432 main street, lyons | 303.823.2472 OPEN wed-sat ~ 5:30-9:30pm HAPPY HOUR ~ 5:30-6:30pm open for lunch 11am thur-sun during folks fest! Long to be tall, Kissed when you fall, Hoping that someone will come when you call – Brandi Carlile
7
by Lizzy Scully We heard you were having a hard hard time We heard you were feeling down We’re gonna come over and pick you up There’s a party on our side of town —“Cheers” by Carol & Arthur Lee During the confusing aftermath of Colorado’s It was while they were packing their house that 500-year flood, singer/songwriter and Song School Carol wrote the lyrics to their first post-flood song. instructor Arthur Lee Land and his songwriter “I was just so upset, so I sat down and wrote, ‘Sunwife Carol Lee evacuated along with most of shiny Days,’” Carol Lee says. “I felt so alone. ‘What the population of Lyons. Not knowing when they were we going to do?” But not long after writing the would be able to return, they took their RV. It broke song, says Lee, everything changed—they received down numerous times, they lost a bunch of gigs funds from the Lyons Musicians Relief Fund to pay because they were so disassociated from the for a storage unit, they found a place to park the RV, world after the trauma of the flood, and upon their volunteers to help them move, and they reconnected return, discovered they lost their home of a year. with the community.
8
It rained real hard and it rained for a real long time, Six feet of water in the streets of Evangeline – Randy Newman
“It wasn’t a conscious decision; it just happened. It emotionally stirred me to see a place that I love—both the town and Planet Bluegrass—so affected.” “I feel like if I hadn’t sat down and got it all out, that I couldn’t have reconnected,” she explained. “It takes tremendous creativity to survive.” And that creativity translates to song writing for some. “The flood cracked life open for us,” Arthur Lee Land explained. “I call it the no reverb vocal mix. Life is right in your face. You can’t be anywhere but present. It’s a powerful place for people. You have these intense emotional experiences that need to be expressed. They are inspirational because you’re compelled as an artist to get stuff out.” The byproduct of this, both songwriters agree, is how powerful and impactful these types of songs are for the people listening. “There’s healing in sharing the songs, when the community is listening or dancing to a song,” Arthur added. The couple has had “massive” response to another flood song they wrote called, “Cheers.” “It’s uplifting, but it also acknowledges what people are going through and how bad we can feel,” Carol Lee explained. “But the last verse is about how the clouds are really clearing. People love it because it’s so what they need to hear.” Singer/songwriter and Song School instructor Justin Roth is expressing the pain and helplessness he felt watching one of his favorite communities wash away on an ongoing basis. He wrote and now regularly performs his song, “Rise,” around the country. One hundred percent of the $5000 he’s raised from sales of the single have gone directly back to Lyons. “It was heartbreaking seeing those images of the flood on Facebook,” Roth explained. “I was just 25 miles away, but I couldn’t just drive down to Lyons to help.” So he started writing the Monday after the flood hit, and recorded “Rise” a few days later. “It wasn’t a conscious decision; it just happened. It emotionally stirred me to see a place that I love— both the town and Planet Bluegrass—so affected.” Since then, he’s played the tune around the country and has been surprised at the response.
“People are aware of what happened in Colorado. They keep contributing because when I play the song, they can relate to it because of experiences they have had,” Roth explained. “It brings up the universality of the idea of loss and of community. When something like this happens it really snaps you out of your own little private world. It really draws you out to pay attention to what’s happening to the people around you.” Lyons-based Sally Truitt also wrote a song shortly after the flood, which she now regularly performs with the group, the Watergirls (a female bluegrass band made up of Lyons residents, some of whom are still homeless after the flood). It was easy to write because it was a song that represented her town. “I felt like a mother cub. And it was healing to play.” Music in general has helped her tremendously. “Songwriting is like releasing anxiety for me,” she explained. “I don’t write unless I need to download something I’m feeling.” And at times, it’s a way for her to express joy or hope, “like laughing out loud.” On the other hand, this has been one of the worst years of her life, so at times writing songs actually provokes anxiety. “You are sitting with what you just downloaded, alone, and there was a reason you were hiding those emotions up until now. It’s
There are things I will not sing For the sting of sour notes – Josh Ritter
9
“I’m affected by new friends I have made who came out of the woodwork after the flood who I may never have met otherwise.” walking through something uncomfortable.” But Though he believes tragedy can lead people she added, playing music with others has pro- down various paths—escape, victimhood, selfvided that connection she has needed to heal. righteousness—he also thinks songwriters can become more courageous and vulnerable. For Elephant Revival guitarist/singer and Lyons local Daniel Rodriguez, it has been difficult to “Songwriting helps alchemize opposites into one see people still struggling to get their lives back thing, like seeing dark and light as two parts of together even after nearly a year. “I’m affected by a whole rather than two isolated regions of life,” walking through town every day when I’m home he explained. “Disaster can provide a writer with and breathing in the dust of destruction and con- a sense of atmosphere, character, sensuousness struction.” But he’s expressed his emotions and and a response to outcomes.” Songwriting is a the sudden sense of impermanence he felt after mysterious process, he added. “Through tragedy, the flood by writing jovial and comical songs. songwriters may get a glimpse inside of it all by picking up a pad and pen and letting it all come “There’s been some heaviness around the flood, to the surface.” and I wanted to place something in orbit that was lighter to balance it out,” he explained. He’s careful about what he writes because he wasn’t there The clouds are really clearing now when the flood hit, and he doesn’t feel it’s his And the moon she’s coming through place to write directly about the experience. But, he has found a lot to feel grateful for in the after- We have a seat just be yourself math, specifically in how intensely people have There’s nothing else for you to do bonded. “I’m affected by new friends I have made —“Cheers” by Carol & Arthur Lee who came out of the woodwork after the flood who I may never have met otherwise.”
Lizzy Scully works from her small home in Lyons. When not playing her mando, you can find her climbing in the Rockies.
10
Teach me to unworry, I will teach you to unhide – Ani DiFranco
I had so many dreams that would not fly, They fell like August rain before my eyes – Peter Himmelman
11
W
e begin the 24th Annual Rocky Mountain Folks Festival with our internationally-recognized songwriting competition. The Songwriter Showcase is open to artists who write and perform original music, who are not currently signed to a major recording or publishing deal. Past winners include: Deb Talan (of The Weepies), Liz Longley, Robby Hecht, and our 2013 winner Caroline Spence.
Last winter artists from around the world submitted recordings of original songs to be considered by our panel of music industry experts. After carefully listening to more than 300 entries, our panelists selected the ten finalists who will each perform two songs for us Friday morning on the Folks Festival stage. To select the winners amongst the ten finalists, a panel of judges drawn from different facets of the music industry – songwriters, performers, DJs, producers – independently evaluate the performers’ songs based on our scoring criteria:
Showcase Finalists Brad Colerick
Connor Garvey
Carolyn Currie
Drew Kennedy
• 25% Quality of Vocal Rendering vocal quality, pitch, and tone
Patrick Dethlefs
Brian Payne
• 25% Quality of Delivery instrumental technique, and induction of charismatic mania
Wyatt Espalin
Dan Pelletier
Allie Farris
Jen Starsinic
• 50% Quality of Composition depth, insight, and cleverness
The winners will be announced from the main stage following the contest finals.
South Pasadena, CA
Portland, ME
New Braunfels, TX
Kittredge, CO
Boulder, CO
Hiawassee, GA
Nashville, TN
Each of the ten finalists will also perform this weekend in one of the ASCAP “Showcase Finalists In-The-Round” sets in the Wildflower Pavilion. Please support these talented artists by joining them for these intimate performances and purchasing their CDs in the Country Store.
12
Portland, ME
Croton, NY
Nashville, TN
1st Place: 2015 Festival Main Stage set, Taylor Guitar, and $300 2nd Place: $500
4th Place: $300
3rd Place: $400
5th Place: $200
6th - 10th Place: $100 each
Cuz we’re still two kids, Just hopin’ and wishin’ That we keep our love In mint condition – Caroline Spence
TELLURIDE BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL F o rty Y e a r s o f F e s t i v a t i o n “
… An absolute must-have for anybody who has ever felt the lure of the Telluride Bluegrass Festival… The book is like a career-spanning box set that is a phenomenally entertaining trip down memory lane.” – Marquee Magazine
d L i m i te er v o c d h a r o ns e d i t i at o nsa le
ntry T he Cou S tore
The 216-page book is hardbound in Spanish Leather with an animated lenticular image of Sam Bush debossed into the center and Planet Bluegrass’s iconic yinjo-yangdolins in each corner. • Essays by Sam Bush, Chris Thile, Béla Fleck, Emmylou Harris, Tim O’Brien, Jerry Douglas, Winston Marshall (of Mumford & Sons), Del McCoury, Sara Watkins, & dozens more
• Year-by-year remembrances by longtime festival MC Pastor Mustard • More than 350 photos curated from all 40 years • Gorgeous full-page reproductions of each year’s festival poster
We spent my last night on the dance floor, Don’t think I ever felt my feet – Sarah Sample
13
Friday
SATURday
Sunday
10:00am Gates Open
10:00am Gates Open
10:00am Gates Open
11:00 - 12:45pm Songwriter Showcase
11:00 - Noon Caroline Spence
11:00 - Noon Drepung Loseling Monks
August 15th
1:00 - 2:00pm Antje Duvekot
August 16th
12:15 - 1:30pm The Stray Birds
August 17th
12:15 - 1:15pm Ben Sollee
2:15 - 3:30pm Steve Poltz
2:00 - 3:15pm Hurray for the Riff Raff
3:45 - 5:00pm Sarah Jarosz
3:45 - 5:00pm John Fullbright
3:30 - 4:45pm Peter Himmelman
5:30 - 6:45pm Greg Brown
5:30 - 6:45pm Imelda May
5:15 - 6:30pm Ron Pope
7:15 - 8:30pm Ani DiFranco
7:15 - 8:30pm Josh Ritter
7:00 - 8:15pm Lake Street Dive
9:00 - 10:30pm Dispatch
9:00 - 10:30pm Brandi Carlile
8:45 - 10:00pm Randy Newman
14
You and I and this bottle of red, Getting lost under the moon – Sarah Jarosz
1:45 - 3:00pm Elephant Revival
Friday
SATURday August 16th
August 17th
12:30 - 1:00 Michael Bowers & Christopher Smith
11:00 - 11:30 Bill Nash
11:00 - 11:30 Peter Himmelman: Kids Show
August 15th
1:15 - 1:45 Vance Gilbert 2:00 - 2:30 Robby Hecht 2:45 - 3:15 Kai Welch 3:30 - 4:15 The Big Little Band 4:30 - 5:15 Amy Speace 5:30 - 6:15 Steve Poltz
11:45 - 12:15 Annie Wenz 12:30 - 1:15 Arthur Lee Land 1:30 - 2:30 Showcase Finalists 2:45 - 3:45 Showcase Finalists
Sunday
11:45 - 12:15 “Chicago Mike” Beck 12:30 - 1:45 Showcase Finalists 2:00 - 2:30 Edie Carey & Sarah Sample
4:00 - 4:45 Tom Wasinger
2:45 - 3:15 Paul Reisler
5:00 - 5:45 Justin Roth
3:30 - 4:15 Rebecca Folsom 4:30 - 5:15 Steve Seskin 5:30 - 6:15 Ellis 6:30 - 7:15 Drepung Loseling Monks: Mandala Closing Ceremony
Some are lovers, Some are leeches, Some are flings on sandy beaches – John Fullbright
15
Folks festival
Antje Duvekot friday 1:00 - 2:00pm
Blending uncommonly beautiful national touring. On her third studio vocals with sharp poetic sensibili- album, 2012’s New Siberia, the cinties, Antje Duvekot has a remarkable ematic ensemble sound (crafted by ability to make us believe she is whis- producer Richard Shindell), showpering secrets in our ear. Antje’s path cases Antje’s bold, sure-footed path has taken many twists and turns, through emotional terrain most artfrom growing up in Germany, to ists dare not even enter. “Musically, I attending the University of Delaware, think I am in the strongest place I’ve then moving on to NYC, Vermont, and ever been,” says Antje. The Boston finally settling down at her current Globe recently agreed, proclaiming: residence in Boston. During that time, “Antje Duvekot’s provocative, darkshe has gone from D.I.Y. releases to eyed ballads are becoming the talk finely crafted recordings and inter- of the folk world.”
Steve Poltz was born among the hearty seafaring folk of Canada’s Halifax, Nova Scotia, though he has lived most of his life in Southern California. Naturally, a spectrum of cultural and emotional tensions arose and he eventually sought refuge in the art of songwriting. Regarded as one of the most talented and prolific songwriters of our time, Steve’s songs have been among the longest running ever on the Billboard Top 100, and they regularly appear in
Sarah Jarosz friday 3:45 - 5:00pm
16
movie soundtracks, television shows, and even the odd commercial. As a performer, Steve’s live shows have captivated audiences far and wide with a mix of singing, storytelling, shredding, and the occasional spoken word rants—which have been known to incite riots. He can take an audience from laughter to tears and back again in the space of the same song. Steve Poltz transcends the word “talented.” He is unforgettable in all the right ways.
Since signing to Sugar Hill Records at age 16, Sarah Jarosz has barely stopped to catch her breath, even as she leaves audiences and critics alike breathless. Rolling Stone has compared her to Gillian Welch; New York Times hailed her as “one of acoustic music’s finest talents” with songwriting chops to match her instrumental prowess. With 2013’s Build Me Up From Bones, the 23-yearold graduate of the New England Conservatory has crafted a lyrically
Steve Poltz friday 2:15 - 3:30pm
and instrumentally expressionistic album where sound and texture are more important than genre. For her Folks Fest debut Sarah is joined by fiddler Alex Hargreaves and cellist Nathaniel Smith. But lest we forget, the Texas-native practically grew up at Planet Bluegrass; she attended her first RockyGrass Academy at age 11 and, says Sarah: “there was no looking back after that magical weekend!” Settle into your tarp as Sarah brings some of that magic to Folks Fest.
You were looking for an orchid and I will always be a dandelion – Antje Duvekot
Folks festival
Greg Brown friday 5:30 - 6:45pm
A 12-year veteran of the Folks Festival, Greg Brown’s songs echoed off the St. Vrain sandstone years before he ever performed on this stage, as rabid fans like Shawn Colvin first brought Greg’s music to Lyons. Greg’s rich baritone debuted at the Folks Festival in ’95 (often fishing in the St. Vrain before walking onstage), and defined the sound of the festival for a decade (early lineups were sometimes listed simply as “Greg Brown & Friends”). Greg grew up as the son
More than any other artist this weekend, Grammy-winner Ani DiFranco has defined an entire subculture— a D.I.Y. movement for the spiritually, financially, and socially disenfranchised. At the core of this culture has been Ani’s percussive, staccato fingerpicking and frank and forthright slam poet lyrics, uniting punk, folk, jazz, and rap under the banner of “indie.” Ani formalized her indie aesthetic in 1989 with the founding of her independent record label Righteous Babe. In the years
Dispatch friday 9:00 - 10:30pm
18
of a Holy Roller preacher in Iowa, where the Gospel and music helped shape him. For Greg, flowing water has always been significant, not only as an inspiring part of the natural world, but also as a clear, sometimes cold metaphor for the ebbs and flows of life. Over the course of 30 albums, including recent standouts Freak Flag and Hymns to What Is Left, Greg has articulated a Thoreau-like need to simplify in an over-complicated world.
since, the hugely influential label has promoted diverse voices while supporting vital causes, earning Ani N.O.W.’s prestigious “Woman of Courage Award.” Now living in New Orleans, Ani’s 17th studio album, Which Side Are You On?, sees Ani dueting with the late Pete Seeger and reflecting on growing older and being totally okay with that process. We’re excited to welcome Ani back to Lyons, where she debuted 20 years ago as one of the first Folks artists to serenade the St. Vrain.
“We’ve been called the biggest band nobody’s ever heard of,” says Colorado native Brad Corrigan. Their 2004 outdoor show in Boston drew 110,000 fans; three shows at Madison Square Garden sold-out immediately. So yeah, really big. The 3 multi-instrumentalists/songwriters of Dispatch—Brad, Chad Stokes and Pete Francis—released their acousticdriven folk-pop debut in ’96, followed by 2 more reggae- and funk-packed independent albums. Fans shared
Ani DiFranco friday 7:15 - 8:30pm
MP3s across college campuses and a rabid worldwide community was born. Then at the height of their popularity, the three friends, suffering burnout, walked away. But social responsibility brought them back together: 3 massive benefits for humanitarian organizations in Zimbabwe, carefully chosen tours focused on service and activism, and this special Friday night in Lyons—as we’re lifted from our tarps by the jovial alchemy these three create onstage.
I stick loneliness, your lips, and the two coins of your eyes into my pockets – Dispatch
- DeDicateD to preserving anD honoring the art of the american BBQ -
Appetizers
sAlAds & things
Smokin’ Rings Bubba-Que Wings Southern Catfish Tenders Stuffed Potato Skins Pit Master Sliders Mile High Cheese Fries
Pork Green Chili Ale & Cheese Soup Pit Boss Chopped BBQ Southern Catfish Salad Smoked Shack Caesar Salad Spinach & Crispy Chicken Salad
FAvorites Southern Catfish Pecan Crusted Trout Chicken Fried Steak Top Sirloin Aged Ribeye Cajun Pork Chops Coconut Shrimp
24
beers on tap
sAndwiches & Burgers
smokin’ plAtters Roasted Half Chicken Carolina Pulled Pork Texas Beef Brisket St. Louis Style Ribs Kobe Beef Ribs Elgin Sausage
sides
Texas Beef Brisket Carolina Pulled Pork Sandwich BBQ Chicken Sandwich Cajun Chicken Sandwich Hot Hog Smoked Sausage Egger-riffic Burger Smokin’ ChiliBurger
Red Beans & Rice Cole Slaw Fresh Cut Potato Fries Sweet Potato Fries Southern Green Beans Spiced Apples Corn on the Cob BBQ Baked Beans
Open every Day 11am–ClOse
228 main street, lyOns, CO
smOkinDavesq.COm
303-823-7427 (riBs)
Folks festival
Caroline Spence saturday 11:00 - Noon
Caroline Spence is an Americana singer with a spry alt-country vibe, a dash of bluegrass, and a fine ear for a good hook. Born and raised in Charlottesville, VA and currently residing in Nashville, influences of Emmylou Harris to Brandi Carlile are evident in her subtly pop-tinged songs about self-discovery and heartache. Caroline has been making her mark in Music City, as well as across the country, for several years now. It seems that no matter
Maya de Vitry (fiddle, banjo, guitar), Oliver Craven (fiddle, mandolin, guitar) and Charles Muench (bass) are 3 classically trained multiinstrumentalists who offer music that is American Folk at its core. Their music is a journey into the roots of Americana and a glimpse at the future of the genre. Raised in the rustic farmlands of Lancaster, PA, the band’s reverence for classic folk tunes is easy to hear. Formed in 2010, the group takes 3 unique
Hurray for the Riff Raff saturday 2:00 - 3:15pm
20
where she goes, she’s winning contests—including last year’s Folks Fest Songwriter Showcase— and the hearts of everyone within earshot of her smoky soprano voice. With a successful crowd-funded record due out this fall, the future is bright for this young musician as she continues to hone her talents, expand her horizons and grow her fan base. After her set this morning, you’ll understand just how bright that future is.
musicians and transforms them into a collective voice. The constant interchange of instruments and lead vocals from song to song and 3-part harmonies are the obvious things to watch for. But it’s the presence and authenticity that truly makes The Stray Birds stand above the rest. Their new record is due out on Yep Roc in September, and it will undoubtedly be received with great acclaim. We expect you’ll receive them much the same.
Hurray For The Riff Raff is Alynda Lee Segarra, but in many ways it’s much more than that: it’s a young woman leaving her indelible stamp on the American folk tradition. Alynda, a 26-year-old of Puerto Rican descent whose slight frame belies her commanding voice, grew up in the Bronx, but it was the Lower East side that introduced her to travelers. Their stories of life on the road inspired her to strike out on her own at age 17— first hitching her way to the West
The Stray Birds saturday 12:15 - 1:30pm
Coast, then roaming the South before ultimately settling in New Orleans. It was there that Alynda began playing music and busking…constantly. NPR has said that Hurray for the Riff Raff’s music “sweeps across eras and genres with grace and grit,” and that’s never been more true than on her critically-adored new album Small Town Heroes. These songs belong to no particular time or place, but rather to all of us. These songs are for the riff raff.
Now they say good souls They travel far, But did you take with you, Your old guitar? – Hurray for the Riff Raff
celebration! feat JOSH RITTER w/Brett Dennen & special guest
also coming
PATTY GRIFFIN
w/John Fullbright Fri 10.17 Oriental Theater advance $38
I dream in blue, I drown in dew, I left home on account of you Always loving someone new – Stray Birds
21
Folks festival
John Fullbright saturday 3:45 - 5:00pm
“It’s not every day a new artist earns comparisons to great songwriters like Townes Van Zandt and Randy Newman,” says NPR, “but Fullbright’s music makes sense in such lofty company.” Exploding onto the scene with his studio debut in 2012, the Oklahoma-native has been showered with critical acclaim (including a Grammy nomination for Best Americana Album) for his straightforward, blue-collar approach to both his songs and performance. John
Soul-catching Imelda May’s music is the junction where rockabilly, burlesque, and street-corner sassiness meet. Born in Dublin, Ireland and inspired by the sounds of vocal jazz— à la Billie Holiday—and the sound and looks of blues and rockabilly, Imelda has turned her influences into a cool, swinging fusion that’s both classic and oddly modern. Her shows are impassioned, all-or-nothing events. And her debut album Love Tattoo, which was almost entirely
Josh Ritter saturday 7:15 - 8:30pm
22
possesses a keen ear for memorable melody and a unique approach to harmony, moving through chord progressions far outside the expected confines of traditional folk or Americana. His performances are stark and direct, yet they contain a deliberate approach meant to deliver the songs in their purest and most honest form. It’s precisely that honesty that gives John’s songs such a timeless feel, though it certainly appears that his time is now.
self-written, has the same unbridled feel, whether she’s digging into a massive rockabilly party track or a sleazy after-midnight torch number. Her newest release, Tribal has been described as rockabilly in its feral form, vitally alive and compelling. When she really gets her teeth into a song, it’s impossible not to be swept away by the whirlwind of pounding percussion, rootsy guitar and ravenous vocals. She’s bold, brassy and a bright light in Lyons tonight.
7 studio albums, 8 EPs, 4 live records, and a novel...At age 37, Josh Ritter has accomplished more than most artists do in a lifetime. A true renaissance man, Josh’s creativity seems limitless. Known for a distinctive Americana style intertwined with narrative lyrics rich in detail, melody, and wonder and delivered with a seemingly endless reservoir of joy, Josh always delivers. Growing up in Idaho as the son of neuroscientists, Josh released his first record
Imelda May saturday 5:30 - 6:45pm
in 2001 at the age of 21 while at Oberlin College. After graduating, he honed his craft through open mikes and time living and studying traditional folk music in Scotland. In 2006, at age 29, he was named one of the “100 Greatest Living Songwriters” by Paste—a lofty accolade for a young artist, but one that the prolific and gracious Ritter most certainly deserves. Grab your dinner and settle in, you’re in for a treat.
She never fails, Yet never tries, To put the smile in your eyes – Imelda May
FOR YOU
FOR THE WORLD
Featuring Iron Horse Bluegrass Band (Best of Pickin' on Series), The Mason Howlings with Jason Downing, Blue Grama Bluegrass, The Holler!, Finnders & Youngberg Bluegrass and more.
SustainableLivingFair.org
250 exhibitors
renowned speakers
family activities & yoga
75 workshops
$10/$5
students
12 & under free
beer garden & local food
Coloradoan, Chipotle, Eldorado Water, FC PAN, Go West, KRFC 88.9, Old Town Yoga, Public Service Credit Union, REEL Motion, RUNA
SEPTEMBER 20-21 | LEGACY PARK | FORT COLLINS
Folks festival
Brandi Carlile saturday 9:00 - 10:30pm
The only qualm we have with Paste her dynamic songwriting, including a calling Brandi Carlile “the best duet with childhood hero Elton John voice in indie rock” is the restriction on 2010’s Rick Rubin-produced Give of “indie”—or even “rock.” Growing Up the Ghost and 2012’s stellar Bear up in a rural town outside Seattle, Creek, a record that soared into the Brandi discovered music through Billboard Top 10. But the real magic her mother’s love for Patsy Cline. In happens in the perfect communion that early country sound Brandi between Brandi and her audience. learned to get inside the drama of “The artist community is strong here,” a lyric: a talent which has elevated says Brandi, “and we are looking to Brandi’s powerful, elastic pipes to have a hand in the recovery and healsomething singular and unforget- ing of Colorado with the only tool we table. Four studio albums showcase really know how to use: music.”
We begin our Sunday morning with some of the world’s most sacred and spiritual music: the famed multiphonic singers of the Drepung Loseling Monastery. Tibetan temple music is renowned for its chantmasters who simultaneously intone three notes, creating a complete chord by reshaping the vocal cavity to intensify the natural overtones of the voice. Endorsed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama as a means of promoting world peace and healing through sacred performance, the
Ben Sollee sunday 12:15 - 1:15pm
24
Drepung Monks have been featured on major film soundtracks (Seven Years in Tibet), performed at the opening ceremonies for the 1996 Olympics, and shared stages with Philip Glass, Paul Simon, and the Beastie Boys. This special Sunday morning of Sacred Music Sacred Dance—with its invocation of the Forces of Goodness, multiphonic singing, and perhaps even a snow lion—is their most profound expression of spirituality and healing energies.
Ben Sollee was born with the voice. The son of an R&B guitarist and grandson of a fiddler, nature and nurture united to give the Kentuckybred musician the gift of a gloriously soulful Appalachian high tenor. Ben was also born with a “voice”: a need to express his deepest beliefs through a life in song, including multiple tours via bicycle (cello strapped to the back), working to open international borders as a member of the Sparrow Quartet,
Drepung Loseling Monks sunday 11:00 - Noon
and recording an album (the brilliant Dear Companion) to raise awareness of mountain top removal coal mining. But his instrument of choice—the cello—is entirely Ben’s doing, pushing the instrument into the cello-scarce worlds of folk, bluegrass, jazz and R&B via creative new techniques and a spirited love for the strings and bow. Anchored by his original songs, the cello, and the voice, we’re thrilled to welcome Ben back for his second Folks.
The sound of her touch, The color of her song, A jumble of words where a space belongs – Ben Sollee
Folks festival
Elephant Revival sunday 1:45 - 3:00pm
“Where words fail... music speaks.” That simple line atop Elephant Revival’s Facebook page contains only five words, but reveals volumes about the band’s reason for being. Brought together by a unified sense of purpose: the spirit of five souls working as one, in harmony, creating sounds they could never produce alone. All of them share vocals and songwriting—Sage Cook (banjo, guitar, mandolin, bass, fiddle), Bridget Law (fiddle), Bonnie Paine
Time heralded Peter Himmelman as one of the “New Troubadours” upon the release of his 1991 debut From Strength to Strength, asserting that he writes “songs with the same emphatic edge and aesthetic urgency that impelled the Lost Generation to write novels.” Preferring to spend time at home with family instead of touring, Peter expanded his musical horizons in the late ‘90s to composing for tv and film, including the Emmynominated Bones. In 1997 Peter made
Ron Pope sunday 5:15 - 6:30pm
26
(washboard, djembe, musical saw), Daniel Rodriguez (guitar, banjo, bass), and Dango Rose (bass, mandolin, banjo). The quintet took their name from Dango’s experience busking outside the elephant cage at The Lincoln Park Zoo. There 2 elephants that had lived together for 16 years were separated by zookeepers and died within days of their separation. A seed was planted to revive the spirit of the lost elephants, embodied in the music of this Colorado quintet.
his first appearance at the Folks Festival delighting Festivarians with his impromptu songwriting. He has returned to Lyons numerous times since as an instructor at the Song School, a revered children’s entertainer, and a weaver of amazing main stage performances—often involving 300-person conga lines and crowd surfing. A Grammy-nominated singersongwriter, and the Dream Enabler of Big Muse, Peter has just released a new record The Boat That Carries Us.
Heartfelt and melodic, Ron Pope’s music takes you down paths of love and loss in the same easy way that sweet tea slides down your throat on a summer day. A former collegiate baseball player who suffered a career-ending injury, Ron Pope chased a new dream in New York to inspire people with his soulful songs and sensitive lyrics. His music—now totaling 11 albums and favorites like “A Drop in the Ocean”—has inspired a devoted
Peter Himmelman sunday 3:30 - 4:45pm
and quickly growing international following. With more fan-made videos on YouTube than most Top 20 radio hits, you’re just as likely to pull up a video of a fan’s version of one of Ron’s songs than his original—and Ron loves it; he’s just as likely to tweet the link to a fan’s video as to one of his new singles. That’s the story to be told about Ron Pope—music that moves its listeners, stories that touch their lives, songs that see them through.
Like a bee to the flower abuzz, Does a flower question love? – Elephant Revival
9th Annual • September 12-14, 2014 Pepsi Amphitheater * Ft. Tuthill County Park
Flagstaff, Arizona
PETER ROWAN’S BLUEGRASS BAND TRAVELIN’ MCCOURYS with BRYAN SUTTON
CLAIRE LYNCH BAND TOWN MOUNTAIN NEW REELTIME TRAVELERS
THE RAILSPLITTERS •RUN BOY RUN•
MORE!
kidzone • camping • jamming free workshops • band contest Pete Wernick Bluegrass Jam Class Beppe Gambetta Guitar Camp PRE-REGISTER NOW!
pickininthepines.org
November 7–9, 2014 d Richard Thompson d Ellis with Moors and McCumber d John Fullbright d Kevin Welch d Kim Richey d Ray Bonneville d Kris Delmhorst d Hardin Burns d Birds of Chicago d Taarka d Shook Twins d Richard Tyler Epperson Festival Pass: $130 • Single Venue Pass: $40 435-259-3198 • MoabFolkFestival.com
All that I know about us Is that beautiful things never last, That’s why fireflies flash – Ron Pope
27
Folks festival
Lake Street Dive sunday 7:00 - 8:15pm
A pop-soul juggernaut, Lake Street Dive will have you riveted to your tarp and aching for more when the last compelling notes sing out across the Planet this Sunday. Fellow musicians at Boston’s New England Conservatory, trumpet/guitar player Mike “McDuck” Olson handpicked the band nearly a decade ago. Playing to a small group of devoted fans for many years, the band rocketed into the public spotlight following 2012’s acclaimed Fun Machine and their casually made,
brilliantly addictive YouTube covers. Between the stirring lead-vocals of Rachael Price, whose soulful howl has been likened to a young Etta James, and the skillful musicianship and songwriting of Olson, bassist Bridget Kearney, and drummer Mike Calabrese, the group has critics and fans—including Stephen Colbert and David Letterman—begging for more. Jazzy, rootsy, and evocative, Lake Street Dive is powerfully impressive. And all ours for the evening.
Cynical romantic, subversive polit- trated on confessional songwriting, ical satirist, social commentator, Randy created a world filled with champion of the underdog, and bril- misfits, outcasts, charlatans, and con liant one-man medicine show, Randy men, showcased on his masterworks Newman has been one of pop music’s Sail Away and Good Old Boys. By the hitmakers for nearly 5 decades. ‘90s Randy became one of Hollywood’s Randy spent much of his youth in New go-to film composers, scoring such Orleans, influencing both his piano classics as Avalon and Toy Story. A style and his fascination with South- recipient of 2 Academy Awards, 3 ern archetypes. His family eventually Emmys, 6 Grammys, and a member of settled in Los Angeles, where Randy the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, we are began his career as a staff songwriter honored to close the 24th Folks with at age 17. Where his peers concen- this legend of American music.
28
I’m your speed Just like turpentine and limes
– Lake Street Dive
Randy Newman sunday 8:45 - 10:00pm
Dates To Remember Yonder Mountain String Band’s
Kinfolk Celebration
September 19-20, 2014 Tickets and camping still available! 42nd Annual
Telluride Bluegrass June 18-21, 2015
RockyGrass Academy July 19-23, 2015 43rd Annual
2015 Ticket Lotteries Visit Bluegrass.com beginning in October for details about purchasing tickets through our online lotteries, including RockyGrass Academy, RockyGrass on-site camping, and Telluride Bluegrass camping in Warner Field and Town Park. All other 2015 tickets go onsale on early December.
FSC
Printed on FSC-certified 70# Neenah Conservation text - a 100% post-consumer recycled fiber, made with 100% renewable energy
RockyGrass July 24-26, 2015
The Song School August 9-13, 2015 25th Annual
Rocky Mtn Folks Festival August 14-16, 2015
Reserve the Planet Bluegrass Ranch for your magical wedding or unforgettable private event. Learn more at www.bluegrass.com/weddings.
We are light of day sleepers, midnight mistreaters, Keeping the monsters at bay – Amy Speace
29
welcome to FOLKS FESTIVAL
win this bike
VISIT THE NEW BELGIUM TENT EACH DAY STARTING AT 10:30AM to find out the daily challenge. Each day is a unique opportunity to collect an entry. COMPLETE THE CHALLENGE EACH OF THE 3 DAYS AND GET 3 ENTRIES FOR THE BIKE! First person to complete the challenge each day gets 20 TICKETS! DRAWING ON SUNDAY AT 1:30PM AT THE NEW BELGIUM TENTS! Must be on festival grounds to win! We will call you. If you don’t answer, we won’t leave a message and will call the next person. Keep your phone charged and ready.