From the banks of the Susquehanna to the energetic song where the currents of water and music collide, Cabinet hosts their growing festival at Montage Mountain. The Susquehanna Breakdown Music Festival, formerly known as Old Farmer’s Ball, will be held Saturday, May 10th in Scranton, PA. This year’s festival is jam packed with music and activities in a kid-friendly environment.
Firmly rooted in Americana and Appalachian tradition, Cabinet hosts the festival in their neck of the woods. Delivering soaring vocal harmonies and instrumental mastery honoring bluegrass, folk, country and rock and roll, Cabinet meshes well to produce soundscapes that capture the heart appealing to souls of all ages. Susquehanna Breakdown offers a schedule of bands and fun activities for the young and young at heart.
Performances are staggered between two stages and begin late Saturday morning and alternate into early Sunday morning. Cabinet will close the festival, delivering their brand of infectious jam-heavy newgrass. Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds, a seven-piece ensemble, will bring the fire of the soul to the surface with an explosive high-energy performance. Arleigh Kinchloe’s sultry vocals backed by the Birds’ penchant for dirty melodic infusions of jazz and funk would seduce an audience.
An undercurrent connects each artist to the next. Marco Benevento will dazzle contemporary music fans with his jazz pervaded experimental rock piano compositions. Drifting in from NY are progressive bluegrass rockers, Floodwood. Tenor saxophonist, Ron Holloway has earned accolades from his predecessors and has played with Warren Haynes, Allman Brothers Band, Derek Trucks Bands, Taj Mahal, Peter Frampton, Bruce Hornsby and many others.
Other performances scheduled are: Terrapin Flyer, Driftwood, Leroy Justice, And the Moneynotes, Coal Town Rounders, Kalob Griffin Band, Fright Train, Eastbound Jesus, The Brummy Brothers, Blind Owl Band, Tom Graham, FMO, and Schooley Mountain Band.
Susquehanna Breakdown is bicycle friendly! Cedar Bike & Paddle’s mobile retail store will be on hand for product demonstrations, maintenance clinics and a biker’s lounge. There will be family friendly activities including a bike ride around the scenic venue grounds.
RV rentals are now available, though in a limited quantity. However, the RV camping tickets have sold out. Children ten and under are free with purchase of an adult ticket. Cabinet’s Pappy Biondo has a special acoustic set planned for the kids. Other child activities include yoga, coloring, a hand drum workshop, hula-hoop workshop, face painting and a caricature artist.
Vending includes some of the finest crafters and food trucks. The Grateful Gallery is returning to Susquehanna Breakdown. The Grateful Gallery offers vintage and modern concert poster art from bands from The Grateful Dead to New Riders of the Purple Sage. Other vendors include: Cabin Fever Hoops, CoreStone Massage, Dancing Hands, Eden’s Rose Foundation, Everyone’s Drumming, Grateful Don, Hooked, Jerky Hut, S.A.W. Family Creations, Serigraph Factory, Uncle John’s Outfitters, Shady Grove and Gouda Boys.
Susquehanna Breakdown is proud of their charity partner, St. Francis of Assisi Kitchen that provides free hot meals to their guests every day of the year. Volunteers and staff strive to serve with compassion, respect and dignity. Canned good donations are requested and appreciated. Those bringing five or more items to donate will be entered into a drawing for a limited edition festival poster signed by festival bands.
Tickets available at Toyota Pavilion Center Box Office, Ticketmaster.com or charge-by-phone 800-745-3000.
