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ike this year’s spinning vinyl record, the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival celebrates another revolution around the sun. From its humble beginnings 23 years ago in Estes Park, our celebration of songs, stories and summertime remains as vintage and vibrant as ever. Last Sunday we welcomed nearly 200 songwriters, of all ages and aspirations, to the Ranch for our Song School. Their creative and inspirational energy set the tone for this unforgettable weekend together along the St. Vrain. This year’s carefully curated lineup is our most musically diverse ever, as we explore
the rich traditions of Celtic, soul, indie, spoken word, girl-group pop, and the many other branches of roots music. True to our original vision for a “summit on the song,” we’ve once again gathered new artists and beloved legends from around the globe, including Australia, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Canada’s coasts and prairies, and every corner of the U.S. from L.A. to Oregon to Texas to New York. Our friends at New Belgium have brought along another delicious batch of Summer Bliss lager, only available at Planet Bluegrass. As you approach our new flagstone patio you’ll also notice higher quality wines (and no empty wine bottles) thanks to our switch to reusable wine kegs. Find an empty tarp space up front (and begin an enduring friendship when the tarp’s owners return). Share a song or a story in a campground jam. Slather on the sunscreen. Dance and sing with heart. And savor this special time together. We’re so glad you’re here.
Love, The Folks on Planet Bluegrass
Festival Partners
the moon rises and the sun still sets, but don’t forget your heart here - chic gamine 1
Climbing the hillsides or cliffs is strictly prohibited. There is no lifeguard watching your kids in the river. Please monitor your children carefully. Please be respectful of others and do not stand in the festival seating areas. Please use only low-backed chairs in designated areas. If we can roll a basketball under your chair, we 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. Feel free to sit in any open tarp (especially up front) until the tarp’s owners return.
No dogs are allowed at the festival, in the campground, or in the parking lots. If you leave your dog in your car, we will call Animal Control and safely remove your dog from the car by whatever means necessary.
festival line policy:
Once placed on, wristbands are non-refundable & non-transferable. If you remove, tear, damage, or lose your wristband, we will not replace it.
• Festivarians may begin assem bling for the next day of the festival at midnight • At an unannounced time after midnight Planet Bluegrass will randomly distribute numbers to everyone in the assembly area
Please do not smoke in the audience. Wander over to the festival smoking tent near the river and deposit your butts in the proper receptacles. Please.
• In the morning, Festivarians will be admitted into the festival in this randomly-assigned order, followed by first-come first-served
Lost and found is located at the festival box office.
Lyons’ local & fresh choice! groceries fresh produce meats deli bakery ice gifts carwash
455 Main St., Downtown Lyons
303-823-5225 www.StVrainMarket.com
Open 7 a.m. – 10 p.m. festival weekends. 2 when i need to get home you’re my guiding light, you’re my guiding light - foy vance
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s we celebrate the 25th year of Planet Bluegrass we’re looking to this festival season as the “Year of Understanding” (Y.O.U.): A time to celebrate our accomplishments, to dream of future achievements, and to learn more about you. What do you love about Planet Bluegrass? Where do you see Planet Bluegrass in the future? Your stories will guide our festivals in the years to come.
Help shape the future of Planet Bluegrass by following these three easy steps: 1. Grab a “Tell Us About YOU” interview sheet Or…if you feel like telling
from the Sustainable Festivation booth behind the silo, next to the Country Store 2. Find a friend, new or old, and gather their stories (don’t forget to turn the sheet over and be interviewed yourself!) 3. Return the “Tell Us About YOU” sheet to the Sustainable Festivation booth
your story to us in person, we’d love to record your “Tell Us About YOU” interview. Stop by the Sustainable Festivation booth during the day or look for our roving Year Of Understanding volunteers in the festival and campgrounds.
WARNING: Engaging in story sharing with fellow Festivarians can be contagious. You may feel the urge to interview more than one person. You may experience feelings of excitement and shared joy. You may make a new friend or discover something amazing about someone you already know. You may win something if you include your name and contact information. We hope you experience these side effects and more. Thank YOU!
4 don’t just sit there, tell me what i wanna know - lucius
- 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)
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. With all plates, cups and utensils from festival vendors compostable, we encourage you to packout 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. Collect a sticker each day you
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.
reuse your beer cup and you might win a cruiser bike from New Belgium Brewing. If you must dispose of your cup, please use the special beer cup recycling containers (by the beverage booth and festival exits) to help us close the loop on recycling. We’ve extended the reuse into our wine booth 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.
Our partnership with Colorado’s Red Bird Chicken allows us to offer chicken that is treated humanely and raised hormoneand 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.
Last year we introduced new solarpowered LED lights in the parking areas, campgrounds, and waste stations. This year we’ve begun the process of replacing our stage lighting with highly efficient LEDs both in the Wildflower Pavilion and on the main stage.
6 we can write with ink and pen, but we will sew with seeds instead - seryn
How Green is Your Grass?
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ith more than 1,300 campers in Lyons this weekend (nearly the size of the town’s year-round population!), 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 6th 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 and one chosen by staff. Each winning campsite will receive a prize package including: New Belgium Beer Planet Bluegrass music Leave No Trace memberships
Planet Bluegrass will select the Grand Prize winner (of 2014 on-site camping passes!) after the campground pack-out on Monday. Everyth Flippin ing’s ’ Tasty!
Welcome Festivarians!
Organic Espresso, Coffee & Tea Made-From-Scratch Baked Goods Burgers, Wraps, Salads & Sandwiches Mimosas, Bloody Marys, Beer, Wine & more ServingLunch st & Breakfa L DAY! GF Options and free WIFI AL Festival Weekend Hours: 6am-2pm 5th & High St.
•
303.823.2345
•
www.thestonecup.com
willows whiten, aspens quiver, little breezes dusk and shiver - loreena mckennitt 7
Parents, please accompany your children while in the family area.
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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
Swallow Hill Music Association
Wild Bear Mountain Ecology Center
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.
Visit the Swallow Hill booth for hands-on music demonstrations throughout the day. Get up-close with acoustic instruments in the music petting zoo. Record your own song in the mobile recording studio and instantly receive an mp3 of your tracks.
Come by Wild Bear’s booth to discover the animals in the park, the dragonfly nymphs, and the bears. Take part in Wild Bear’s scavenger hunt and make your own Wild Bear wood cookie to take home! Remember, if the bear is sleeping, be sure to stop back at another time.
Serving the community since 1912, Colorado Mountain Club programs revolve around education, environmental conservation, and responsible recreation. www.cmc.org/YEP
Founded in 1979, Swallow Hill promotes the joy of learning and listening to roots music through classes and concerts throughout the year. www.swallowhillmusic.org
Nederland-based Wild Bear offers year-round nature workshops for children, families, and adults. www.wildbear.org
8 there are angels in your angles, there’s a low moon caught in your tangles - colin meloy
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xplore the interconnections in the words of this year’s festival artists in our Folks Festival puzzle.
down
across
1. Every single one of us could use some ___ now. (Mary Gauthier) 2. Make me an angel that flies from ___. (John Prine) 3. The Shankill ___ wanna catch you awake. (Colin Meloy) 4. Day after day it ___, Night after night my heartbeat shows the fear. (Colin Hay) 6. This city is on fire, Everything is ___ down. (Ellis) 11. This is my ___; There are many like it, But this one is mine. (Shane Koyczan) 12. I just wanna be closer, Just a little ___. (Chic Gamine) 13. That would be the longest ___, To sleep here alone. (Nathaniel Rateliff) 14. Off to the ___, Make it by high tide. (Shannon Whitworth) 15. I got Heaven locked up in these bones, I feel it when my ___ beats. (JOHNNYSWIM)
4. ___ already underway. (John Butler) 5. She’s looking through the wrong end of the ___. (Lucius) 7. The joy of ___ is the sweetest something. (Foy Vance) 8. I got love strictly ___ for you and me. (Charles Bradley) 9. Someday there will be a ___ of us. (Robby Hecht) 10. Oh ___ day, All the clouds blew away. (Patty Griffin) 12. ___ and lanterns are dancing a waltz on All Souls Night. (Loreena McKennitt) 16. Burn my bones to ___ black. (Seryn) 17. I’m not afraid of marching in this ___ parade. (Lynn Miles) 18. I’m going to dream ___, Be a star. (Ariana Gillis)
If you’re painfully stumped, find the solution at the Country Store or online at folksfestival.com/2013puzzle
quit your talking, your side-ways walking, time to find another path to take - johnnyswim 9
Singer-songwriters share the agony, the ecstasy and the secret behind birthing their very f irst songs.
by John Lehndorff
W
hen you’ve never written a song before, the prospect of rhyming that initial lyric and finding a catchy melody to match is mighty intimidating. Everything you come up with seems to sound trite or weird and totally devoid of memorable hooks.
Well, the secret is that even the polished and poised artists you’ll sing along with this weekend had to endure the same scary process. We asked a diverse group of songwriters to tell us about that first song and how they learned their craft. That first baby step often turns out to be less than memorable. “The first song I ever wrote was actually about dinosaurs,” said Canadian singersongwriter Ariana Gillis. “I was probably four years old. It made absolutely no lyrical sense.” “I began seriously writing when I taught myself how to play guitar at age 12. I’ve been guided by listening to songwriters such as Bob Dylan, Conor Oberst, Patty Griffin and Josh Ritter.” As has been the case with songsmiths since the ancient Greeks, Robby Hecht was driven to write by unrequited love. He penned his first song, “Stephanie’s Rose,” soon after he graduated from high school in Tennessee.
“There was this girl who I liked and couldn’t be with, so writing the song helped me deal with my frustration,” Hecht said. “It represented the possibility of making something unique out of a sad situation.” Unfortunately, Hecht also noted that “it had two chords in it and no chorus, and I cringe a little when I think about it. But I couldn’t wait to write another song.” The point veteran songwriters make is that good or bad, you need to write that first song and many, many more until it starts to sound like “you.” Louisiana-raised Mary Gauthier (pronounced “go shay”) says she can’t remember her very first song, “but I do remember the first song I wrote in my own voice,” she said. Gauthier was 35 when she wrote “GD HIV” which was inspired, by “the AIDS crisis, in full swing.” She admitted that performing it for the first time was “terrifying. I had no idea at the time that great
10 if i move to you, will you move to me? - mary gauthier
“the music and lyrics come in together, and a couple hundred re-writes later, voila.” ---mary gauthier songs are scary.” She still performs that first real song onstage. Bella Betts may only be 12 but the remarkable musician has already graced Planet Bluegrass stages and has just released her first CD, Lights Around A Curve. The young mandolinist wrote her first song, “Don’t Worry Girls,” when she was an eight-year-old keeping chickens at her family’s Colorado home. “One afternoon a fox came looking for some dinner. I am a fiercely protective mother to my hens, and, needless to say the fox got no dinner. That story combined with my imagination and me wanting to write a song about homelessness.” When she first started performing, Betts said she didn’t know yet about “standing up for your songs. When I played it I wouldn’t tell the audience that I wrote it, at least until I saw if people liked it.” Richard Rodgers had Oscar Hammerstein and Carole King matched her words to Gerry Goffin’s melodies, but for these singer-songwriters at least, the words and music don’t exist separately. “When I write songs everything usually comes all at once,” said Ariana Gillis. “It’s like a feeling that flows through me. If I ever tried to actually write a song without this type of inspiration it just wouldn’t work.” For Gillis there is an undeniable reward waiting once she sweats through the songwriting process. “I’m not even sure what feeling I get after I finish them. They are basically emotions; you explore your deepest feelings and try to get them out. It feels good after you finish, like everything you have kept inside has finally been released.”
tips on writing your
first song
“Take whatever chords you know, choose a topic and sing some words over the chords to a made-up melody. Then slowly replace your first draft words with words that actually express what you mean to say. Then keep writing more songs!” –Robby Hecht “Be honest, be vulnerable, and if you’re not scared you’re not doing it right.” –Mary Gauthier
“Just have fun, and make stuff up. Trust yourself and let yourself play. Think of writing music like finger-painting... don’t worry about getting it perfect... just enjoy the process.” - Ellis “I write songs for myself and try to not get influenced by the current trends in pop music. Sometimes that’s easier said than done.” –Ariana Gillis
John Lehndorff has written about music in Colorado for more than 30 years for the Daily Camera, Rocky Mountain News, Aurora Sentinel, and Bluegrass Unlimited.
you are my forget-me-not, the one who tried to mess me up - ariana gillis 11
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e begin the 23rd Annual 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), Don Conoscenti, Sarah Sample, and our 2012 winner Robby Hecht.
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: 50% Quality of Composition Depth, insight, cleverness 25% Quality of Vocal Rendering Vocal quality, pitch, tone 25% Quality of Delivery Instrumental technique, induction of charismatic mania The winners will be announced from the main stage following the contest finals.
Each of the ten finalists will also perform this weekend in one of the ASCAP “Showcase Finalists In-TheRound” 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.
Last winter artists from around the world submitted recordings of original songs to be considered by our panel of music industry professionals. After carefully listening to nearly 500 entries, our panelists selected the ten finalists who will each perform two songs for us Friday morning on the Folks Festival stage.
Songwriter Showcase Finalists Mai Bloomfield
Cari Minor
Eliot Bronson
RachAel Sage
Lyndy Butler
Talia Segal
Chris Dupont
Ben Shannon
Justin Farren
Caroline Spence
Venice, CA
Atlanta, GA
Rollinsville, CO
New York, NY
St. George, UT
Ypsilanti, MI
Washington, DC
Pittsburgh, PA
Sacramento, CA
Nashville, TN
1st Place: 2014 Festival Main Stage set, Taylor Grand Auditorium Guitar & $300 2nd Place: $500
4th Place: $300
3rd Place: $400
5th Place: $200
6th - 10th Place: $100 each
12 i’m the luckiest man that i ever knew, my pot of gold is my life with you - robby hecht
Main Stage Friday
Saturday
Sunday
10:00am Gates Open
10:00am Gates Open
10:00am Gates Open
10:45 - 12:30pm Songwriter Showcase
10:45 - 11:45am Shannon Whitworth
10:45 - 11:45am Chic Gamine
12:15 - 1:30pm Seryn
12:15 - 1:15pm Lynn Miles
2:00 - 3:15pm JOHNNYSWIM
1:30 - 2:45pm Nathaniel Rateliff
3:45 - 5:00pm Foy Vance
3:15 - 4:30pm Ariana Gillis
5:30 - 6:45pm Shane Koyczan
5:00 - 6:15pm Charles Bradley
August 16
12:45 - 1:45pm Robby Hecht 2:00 - 3:15pm Ellis 3:45 - 5:00pm Lucius 5:30 - 6:45pm Mary Gauthier
August 17
& the Short Story Long
August 18
& His Extraordinaires
7:15 - 8:30pm Colin Hay
7:15 - 8:30pm Patty Griffin
6:45 - 8:00pm Colin Meloy
9:00 - 10:30pm Loreena McKennitt
9:00 - 10:30pm John Butler Trio
8:30 - 10:00pm John Prine
14 there won’t be nothin’ but big old hearts, dancin’ in our eyes - john prine
Wildflower Pavilion Friday
Saturday
Sunday
12:30 - 1:45pm Songwriters In-The-Round: Mike Beck, Michael Bowers & Sarah Sample
11:15 - 12:15pm Christopher Smith, Bill Nash
12:15 - 1:00pm Annie Wenz & Friends
12:30 - 1:30pm Showcase Finalists In-The-Round: Mai Bloomfield, Lyndy Butler, Rachael Sage
1:15 - 2:15pm Showcase Finalists In-The-Round: Ben Shannon, Caroline Spence
August 16
2:00 - 2:45pm Kai Welch 3:00 - 3:45pm Steve Seskin
August 17
1:45 - 2:30pm Ariana Gillis
4:00 - 4:45pm Paul Reisler and a Thousand Questions
2:45 - 3:45pm Showcase Finalists In-The-Round: Eliot Bronson, Cari Minor, Talia Segal
5:00 - 5:45pm Rebecca Folsom
4:00 - 4:45pm Amy Speace 5:00 - 5:45pm Arthur Lee Land
August 18
2:30 - 3:15pm Tom Wasinger 3:30 - 4:15pm Shane Koyczan 4:30 - 5:15pm The Sea, The Sea 5:30 - 6:15pm Justin Roth
my chest is a cannon i use to take aim and fire my heart upon this world - shane koyczan 15
Robby Hecht Friday
12:45 - 1:45pm
A winner of the 2010 Telluride Troubadour and 2012 Songwriter Showcase, Robby Hecht is one of just four songwriters ever to earn both awards. Growing up in Knoxville, Robby was exposed to his parents’ collection of ‘70s acoustic pop albums and his dad’s mandolin playing. The summer before starting college at UW-Madison, Robby made a conscious decision to become a singer-songwriter. “Playing music just never seemed like work, so I
knew that was what I was meant to do.” After traveling abroad, he fronted the folk-swing band All Day Radio in San Francisco before settling in Nashville to pursue his songwriting career. Singing with a smooth tenor that evokes both sorrow and hope, Robby writes melodic and captivating songs that don’t shy away from the complexity of human relationships. The result is a unique voice—one that is stirring, instantly recognizable, and truly original.
There’s something about Ellis that of messages from strangers sharing: is hard to describe. The Minneapolis- “you exude pure joy,” “I was stopped based singer-songwriter is at once in my tracks by your music and capfunny and wise, thoughtful and unin- tivating laugh,” “yours is a voice we hibited. While Ellis’ 8 independently- all need to hear.” Song School and released albums have sold more Folks Festival veterans alike know than 40,000 copies, her live shows Ellis for her enduring smile, warm are transformational—she leaves hugs, and legendary Wildflower her audiences better than she Pavilion performances. We are finds them, with softened edges & excited to have Ellis with us again opened hearts. After her February this year, and even more pleased to 2013 appearance on A Prairie Home bring her back to the main stage. Companion Ellis received hundreds Prepare to love.
Lucius Friday
3:45 - 5:00pm
“Unique” is a word that is often overused, but really the only way to describe Brooklyn-based quintet Lucius. Driven by the unique synchronicity (both in vocal harmony and visual style) of co-founders Holly Laessig and Jess Wolfe, the band delivers pop-folk songs that are infectious, memorable, and beautifully crafted. Spread between Lucius’ 3 multi-instrumentalists— Dan Molad, Peter Lalish, and Andrew Burri—you’ll find all the pieces
16 i’m ready for you like i’m ready to breathe - ellis
Ellis Friday
2:00 - 3:15pm
of a drum kit, a few guitars, and various subtle yet dance-inducing percussion instruments. From these musical tools Lucius creates elaborate layers of rhythm and harmony, instantly distinguishing them from their indie-folk peers. Set to release their debut full-length on October 15, Lucius is just starting what is sure to be a fantastic career. Be sure to be on your tarp for one of the most talked-about sets of the weekend.
Mary Gauthier Friday
5:30 - 6:45pm
“As a songwriter, I’m always trying take you to places you never imagto go to the deepest possible place ined. And they capture your attention. inside of me. Past the navel-gazing, “That is an artist’s job, to transcend past the self-conscious, to get to the self.” Mary’s 2005 masterpiece that we,” says Americana minstrel Mercy Now won accolades from dozMary Gauthier (pronounced Go-Shay). ens of publications, and earned her A gripping storyteller, Mary shares Americana Music Association’s “New honest reflections of her battles Artist of the Year.” This week Mary with alcoholism, addiction, adoption, has put her nonstop world tour—in and her sexuality. Often dark and support of the compelling Live at troubled, the lyrics on her 7 albums Blue Rock—on hold to teach at The reflect a universal life experience. Song School and join us on the Folks They throw you off balance. They Festival stage.
Colin Hay’s platinum-selling band from the land down under, Men At Work, called it quits 28 years ago. Determined to build a solo career, Colin relocated to L.A. in 1989. “It’s been hand-to-hand combat ever since, but nourishing work at the same time.” Though the Scottishborn songwriter’s high tenor still soars to the upper octaves of “Overkill” and “Who Can It Be Now,” those international hits are now matched by a deeply heartfelt catalog of
Loreena McKennitt Friday
9:00 - 10:30pm
11 solo albums—each balancing personal truths with a bright-eyed optimism; each attracting younger fans, including Hollywood admirers like Zach Braff. An occasional member of Ringo Starr’s All-Starr band, Colin’s easygoing wit and playfullyeffected guitar style thrives in a solo troubadour setting. As the sun sets on this Friday evening, Colin warmly welcomes us into his beautiful world for a set of songsmanship and a life well-lived.
“My starting point is the belief that, in one way or another, we are all an extension of each other’s history.” This open-hearted curiosity has led Canadian singer-songwriter Loreena McKennitt (a recipient of numerous honorary degrees and the prestigious Order of Canada) to explore the broadest musical and geographic trails of the Celtic diaspora, from Ireland to Greece to Turkey to the Silk Road. Over the course of 8 unerringly beautiful albums
Colin Hay Friday
7:15 - 8:30pm
(selling over 14 million copies worldwide)—including her international 1997 hit “Mummer’s Dance”— Loreena has meticulously colored her own sparkling soprano, piano and harp with an expanding palette of world instruments, including oud, lyre, hurdy gurdy, and tabla. The result is an otherworldly fusion, deeply informed by ancient voices and stories, and ideally suited to a ponderous August evening under the red rock cliffs of the St. Vrain River.
18 if i lived till i was a hundred and two, i just don’t think i’ll ever get over you - colin hay
Guitar by Gibson
David Lindley Tom Russell Eliza Gilkyson with Special Guest Nick Forster The Steel Wheels Elephant Revival Gregory Alan Isakov Ellis Marley’s Ghost Joshua James Parker Millsap Trio Moors & McCumber 3 Penny Acre Full Festival Pass: $120 Single Venue Pass: $35
MoabFolkFestival.com • 435-259-3198
2013 rocky mountain folks festival 19
Shannon Whitworth Saturday
10:45 - 11:45am
The coast is calling, and Shannon songwriter of North Carolina blueWhitworth is packed and ready. If grass ensemble The Biscuit Burners, her first 2 albums were cross- Shannon has attracted international country treks (and they were, taking attention with her passionate presher across the U.S. and Canada ence and massive talent. “So many in support of Chris Isaak and the of my songs were penned from darkTedeschi-Trucks Band), High Tide is ness, and High Tide came from a a trans-Atlantic voyage. Leaving all place of light,” Shannon explains. preconceptions of the banjo-wielding “It’s about heading towards that good songstress behind, Shannon’s new feeling.” Whether you’re wading in adventure steers into waters both the St. Vrain or chilling on your tarp, familiar and refreshingly new. Since Shannon will open your Saturday her days as the anchor voice and with that perfect Folks feeling.
Soaring and serene. From a fingerpicked ukulele, bowed cymbal, and hammer-on banjo melody to 5-part lung-busting harmonies, Seryn’s towering music leads us on dramatic mountain adventures. Together since 2009, the members of Seryn share a single-hearted passion onstage, where they replace the verse-chorus structures of folk-pop with sprawling, intricately arranged journeys— contoured not by soloists but by a powerful emotional vision. Paste
JOHNNYSWIM Saturday
2:00 - 3:15pm
named the Denton, TX sextet the best band of SxSW and their debut album one of 2011’s best. On this Saturday afternoon, the Folks stage will be filled with dozens of instruments, as Trenton Wheeler (ukulele, accordion), Nathan Allen (guitar), Aaron Stoner (bass), Chris Semmelbeck (percussion), Carlo Canlas (fiddle), and Jenny Moscoso (vocals) reach for the perfect complement to their ever-shifting textures. Say goodbye to your tarp; it’s time to soar.
There are approximately 2,000 miles between Nashville and Los Angeles but both cities are home to JOHNNYSWIM. The husband-and-wife duo of Abner Ramirez and Amanda Sudano Ramirez combines soul, folk, pop, and blues to form a stylistic amalgam unique to their experiences, talents, and love for music and for one another. Both artists began by pursuing solo careers, but a chance 2005 meeting in Nashville would change the course of their lives as
Seryn Saturday
12:15 - 1:30pm
the two began writing songs that nurtured each other’s strengths and opened a world of possibilities both musically and emotionally. The singer-songwriters are now full time Los Angeles residents, but they spend most of their time writing, recording and performing their music anywhere people will listen. The duo has released two EP’s and has a full-length record planned for 2014. Prepare to witness what talent, love, and a little bit of fate can do.
20 your skin is all around me, but i’ll never get old - shannon whitworth
2013 rocky mountain folks festival 21
Foy Vance Saturday
3:45 - 5:00pm
Though born in the North Ireland town of Bangor, Foy Vance’s love for music began while traveling the American South with his preacher father as a child. Like the Irish soul of Van and Glen, Foy learned the power of a full-throated vocal rasp over a simple a cappella refrain. Decades of life and fatherhood intervened, until Foy finally released his 2007 debut, followed by a score for an Oscar-winning short film. Sharing vocals with admirers Bonnie
The music and spoken word of this Canadian quintet will inspire you to become a better person, lead a richer life, look deeper into yourself. Yes, we said “spoken word,” but don’t be intimidated. Combined with the beautiful music of guitarist Maiya Robbie, pianist Olivia Mennell, cellist Jordie Robinson, and bassist Jesse Lee, the words of the 2000 National Poetry Slam champion are captivating, funny, heartbreakingly universal, and delivered with a
Patty Griffin Saturday
7:15 - 8:30pm
Raitt and Ed Sheeran, Foy’s upcoming Joy Of Nothing (to be released August 26 by tastemaking label Glassnote) is an inspired set of soul rebounding anthems, sung with rousing, tear-the-sky-out-of-theceiling passion and sweet tenderness. On this Lyons Saturday afternoon, Foy is joined by drummer Paul Hamilton to be our guiding light, to revel in spirited sing-alongs, and to remind us that love is the most alive and powerful force in the world.
rock-star passion. Shane gave goosebumps to the billion viewers of the 2010 Olympic opening ceremonies, his recent Youtube video has surpassed 10 million views, his TED talk was a revelation. As we celebrate the U.S. debut of Shane with his band this Saturday afternoon, gather your dearest tarpmates close: your smile muscles will ache, your spine will tingle, tears (of joy and sadness) will drench, and you may never be the same again.
Shane Koyczan
& the Short Story Long
Saturday
5:30 - 6:45pm
American Kid, Patty Griffin’s seventh is as unmistakable and inimitable album, is her first album of mainly as her songwriting. On her latest new material in six years. In that record—much of which Patty says time, she released the Grammy- “was written to honor my father”— winning Downtown Church, her ver- Patty returns to familiar terrision of classic gospel (though it fea- tory, featuring remarkably powerful, tured three original songs). She also personal, and unpredictable songs became a member of Robert Plant’s arranged and performed in a style Band of Joy, a group that melds that doesn’t repeat anything she’s British and American folk, rock, and done on previous albums while drawspiritual music. Patty’s catalog is ing on all of them. Tonight Patty makes among the most unified in modern her fourth appearance at the Folks popular music because her singing Festival and we’re glad she’s back.
22 drank all i could swallow, now the moon’s gonna’ follow me home - patty griffin
John Butler Trio Saturday
9:00 - 10:30pm
Known as a musician, songwriter, busker, record label owner, producer, and international superstar, 38-year-old John Butler is a renaissance man of sorts. Born in the US, John moved to Australia at a very early age. At age 22 he co-founded Jarrah Records with Folks favorites (and fellow Aussies) The Waifs. His trio brings a style and diversity to the stage that includes a sophisticated mix of guitar stylings and textured rhythms, as well as intel-
Winsome, wicked and witty, Chic Gamine embody the ‘60s girl-group vibe all grown-up and living in a new century. With their wall-of-sound harmonies and hip-shaking beats, these women could be straight out of Motown, before you throw in the curveball of French pop and four rotating lead-singers. In 2007, Winnipeg singers Ariane Jean, Andrina Turenne, and Annick Bremault recruited Montreal drummer Sacha Daoud, and fourth singer Alexa
Lynn Miles Sunday
12:15 - 1:15pm
ligent and socially conscious lyrics. All trademarks of Butler’s cognitive style and worldliness, it’s no surprise the band—drummer Nicky Bomba and bassist Byron Luiters—has multiple gold- and platinumcertified records in Australia and enjoys similar success around the world. Make no mistake: these are anything but traditional folk songs; this is international folk music with every lyric and note delivered purposefully.
Dirks, for an a cappella ‘n drums quintet. Utterly seductive, Chic Gamine (which translates roughly as stylish mischievous young thing) alchemized these elements into compelling musical magic, winning 2 Juno Awards, earning accolades from NPR, and even being told by fan Mavis Staples that they reminded her of her family, the Staple Singers. We open our Sunday morning with a “gospel set” that is nostalgiainspired, worldly, and unbearably tasty.
There’s something to be said for experience, for taking the time to grow into your own skin. Lynn Miles is one of Canada’s most accomplished singer-songwriters. With 12 albums to her credit, along with multiple Canadian Folk Music awards, the 2011 English Songwriter of the Year, and a 2003 Juno for Roots Solo Album of the Year, she has certainly found her strength over time. Through her career, she has been based in Los Angeles, Nashville,
Chic Gamine Sunday
10:45 - 11:45am
Austin and currently lives in Ottawa with a busy touring schedule that regularly takes her through the U.S., Europe, and across Canada. She has always created and performed music with unbridled feeling and vulnerability, and her new recording Downpour is superbly crafted and beautifully arranged. “Lynn Miles is one of the most acclaimed songwriters to cross the border since Joni Mitchell,” says The Dallas Morning News. We think you’ll agree.
24 and now i pray for rain, ‘cause it’s been so long since i let myself cry - john butler
community house COnCert
series
Oct 4 Ray Bonneville
Hard-driving, blues-influenced song & groove Oct 26 John Common & Blinding Flashes oF light
Textured folk/pop music NOV 8 shel
Other-worldly & evocative folk/pop NOV 22 Jonathan sCales FouRChestRa
A jazz trio with steel pans, bass and percussion DEc 13 musiC FRom a WinteR WoRld
with Steve & Brian Mullins, Sandra Wong, Mike Fitzmaurice
‌ and more
tickets chautauqua.com
900 baseline road • boulder co coloradochautauqua
@colochautauqua
2013 rocky mountain folks festival 25
Nathaniel Rateliff Sunday
1:30 - 2:45pm
The first thing you notice is the voice. Understated, honest, and pure, Nathaniel Rateliff is one of Denver’s most treasured songwriters. The underground success of his 2010 Rounder Records debut, In Memory of Loss, garnered Nathaniel a dedicated following within the Denver music community and the opportunity to perform for national and international audiences opening for fellow Denverites, The Fray. Since that time Nathaniel and his band
Not every young Canadian singersongwriter gets to launch her CD with a live radio performance on Sirius XM—let alone on a show hosted by the “dean of American rock writers” Dave Marsh (who admits to being her biggest fan). But that’s how 22-year-old Ariana Gillis, from St. Catharines, Ontario premiered her second album, Forget Me Not. Earlier, Marsh had played Ariana’s track “John and the Monster,” receiving a phone call from an enthusiastic
Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires
Sunday
5:00 - 6:15pm
have shared the stage with Mumford & Sons and Bon Iver, headlined tours in Europe, and won the admiration of Robert Plant (who listed one of Nathaniel’s songs as the top choice on his celebrity iTunes playlist). The critical acclaim has never stopped for Rateliff—who will be releasing his second album this fall—yet his music and persona remains grounded in his experience and humanity. Get ready to experience one of Denver’s future legends.
listener wanting to know more about the unusual song, and the singer. That mystery caller was Elton John’s lyricist and songwriting partner Bernie Taupin, who now describes Ariana as “the single most exciting thing I’ve heard in a very long time.” Chosen as Young Performer of the Year at the 2009 Canadian Folk Music Awards, Ariana is continually captivating audiences in Canada and beyond, as she will this afternoon at her Folks Festival debut.
“If I had a big hug in my life, I would hug the planet and say ‘I love you.’” Charles Bradley’s unswaying spirit has helped him through a life of unimaginable pain—abandoned by his mother as a child, living on the streets as a teen, losing his brother to gun violence as an adult. Through it all, he held onto love and, largely through his outlet as a James Brown impersonator, he held onto music. Then, as documented in the film Soul of America, Charles
Ariana Gillis Sunday
3:15 - 4:30pm
met the co-founder of Brooklyn soul-revivalists Daptone Records and, at age 62, Charles released his universally acclaimed debut album. Backed by the brass-driven R&B of his 7-piece Extraordinaires, Charles is an astonishing live performer, quaking with passion, bathed in tears and sweat. On this Sunday evening, our sea of tarps has become the floor of the Apollo Theater. Hug your neighbor; the Screaming Eagle of Soul has landed.
26 who you gonna trust? before the world turns to dust - charles bradley
TIM O’BRIEN & DARRELL SCOTT
MEMORIES & MOMENTS AVAILABLE SEPT 17TH!
WWW.TIMANDDARRELL.COM
Look for Darrell’s full catalog, available in the merch tent!
2013 rocky mountain folks festival 27
Colin Meloy Sunday
6:45 - 8:00pm
For 13 years, Colin Meloy has led the acclaimed Oregon folk-pop troupe The Decemberists, crafting a deep catalog of musical stories—from theatrically epic to simple and sweet, each built around a narrative cast of chimbley sweeps, shapeshifters, distant romances, ancient mariners, and teenage outcasts. Following 2011’s brilliant The King Is Dead, the quintet began an indefinite hiatus, allowing Colin to publish a trilogy of Wildwood Chronicles
We close the 23rd Folks Festival with one of the living legends of song: ninety minutes of prime Prine. Festivarians have long held a special affinity for the tenderness, humor, piquant poetry, and amicable introspection of Prine. These days we further celebrate Prine as a cancer survivor, which has deepened the wisdom in his stories and added warmth and gravity to his vocal delivery. Backed by guitarist Jason Wilber and bassist Dave Jacques,
books and embark on solo jaunts (as documented over the years in a set of solo acoustic Colin Meloy Sings… albums, covering the work of Sam Cooke, Shirley Collins, Morrissey, and others). On this Sunday evening, Colin leads us on a spellbinding walk through his oeuvre, coaxing us into literary sing-alongs on “songs you’re dying to witness live” as well as “songs you’d sort of forgotten about and to which you’re not exactly opposed to listening.”
the 66-year-old has never been more generous in concert, taking us on a spirited tour of his brilliant songbook, from his earth-shattering 1971 Chicago debut (which plays today like a greatest hits collection) to his ‘00s resurgence, with a fortune in souvenirs and happy enchiladas in between. Prine has lived his life sharing the gold inside of him. To believe in this living is to join voices on our closing night with an old friend.
John Prine Sunday
8:30 - 10:00pm
28 let us rest til it’s over, let us soak up the healing tonight - nathaniel rateliff
Dates To Remember 41st Annual
Telluride Bluegrass
June 19-22, 2014
RockyGrass Academy
July 20-24, 2014 42nd Annual
The Song School
August 10-14, 2014 24th Annual
Rocky Mountain Folks Festival
August 15-17, 2014
RockyGrass
July 25-27, 2014
Wildflower Concert Series Town Mountain w/ MilkDrive
September 13
Adam Aijala & Ben Kaufmann
Todd Snider
October 18
Jesse Winchester
November 1
September 21
2014 Ticket Lotteries
Visit bluegrass.com in October for details about purchasing 2014 tickets through our online lotteries, including RockyGrass Academy, RockyGrass On-Site Camping, and Telluride Bluegrass camping in Town Park and Warner Field.
Printed on FSC-certified 70# Neenah Conservation text - a 100% post-consumer recycled fiber, made with 100% renewable energy
the hills they turned yellow, they turned red, they turned sad - lynn miles 29
FAT TIRE ALE
Pairs well with people.
fat tire amber ale is brewed by new belgium brewing fort collins co
It’s why we put more than one in every six pack.