March 30 and April 12, 2025 have been announced as the first two dates of the Outline Festival in 2025. Featuring artists such as Thurston Moore, Michael Rother, Eiko Ishibashi, Explosions In The Sky, and more, they’ll perform during the Knockdown Center‘s flagship series, which continues to further a commitment to celebrating international expressions of independent music.
Germany’s Michael Rother is set to headline the Main Hall on Sunday, March 30th, showcasing the pivotal works of Neu! and Harmonia. The evening will also feature performances by post-punk pioneer Thurston Moore, the Australian post-punk duo HTRK, and Japanese singer-songwriter and composer Eiko Ishibashi.
On Saturday, April 12th at Knockdown Center, Outline Festival will expand its offerings to include a diverse showcase of avant-garde and alternative music, as well as instrumental, IDM, pop, and psychedelic genres. Across two stages, the festival will feature performances from Austin’s renowned post-rock quartet Explosions In The Sky, the Icelandic band múm, Guatemalan-born, Mexico City-based cellist and vocalist Mabe Fratti, Philadelphia shoegazers They Are Gutting a Body of Water, Dutch producer and innovator upsammy, and Mexico City’s no wave and krautrock-inspired group Diles Que No Me Maten.
Throughout 2024, Outline will spotlight various genres and regions, continually evolving with each edition. The festival will present a range of performances, from the seismic sounds of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Alan Sparhawk, Marina Herlop, and Maria BC, to hard rock and metal acts like The Armed, King Woman, Chat Pile, Cloakroom, Ragana, and Couch Slut.
The event will culminate in a rapturous finale featuring Yaeji, Sofia Kourtesis, Ela Minus, Nourished by Time, and Malibu. Each new edition will be uniquely curated to highlight the best in both artists and audiences, pushing the boundaries of creativity and redefining what a venue and festival can be as it moves into 2025.
Tickets are available now. Learn more about Knockdown Center and purchase tickets for March 30 fest here and for April 12 here.
In its sixth year, Black Bear Americana Music Fest presented three full days of roots, contemporary and traditional folk, country, blues, bluegrass and mixed-genre solo artists and bands on its main stage, acoustic stage, gazebo stage and workshop stages to an audience that ranged from those of us who are of Woodstock era to kids chasing soap bubbles.
Black Bear ran from Friday, October 11, through Sunday, October 13 at the Goshen Fairgrounds, Goshen, CT.
The Crowd – Victor Wainwright & The Train
The festivals producers, Ian Campbell and Beth Murphy, did a fantastic job and managed to present a festival that brought acts from the unknown to those who needed no introduction.
Although the festival’s first “official” day was Friday, many arrived on Thursday to set up their tent or RV sites. On Thursday night the festival opened, “unofficially”, with the Big Orange Tarp Songwriter Circle, created by Alan Rowoth decades ago in connection with other festivals, and currently presented by Rowoth and singer songwriter Andrew Dunn of CT, who performed at the festival on Sunday.
Andrew Dunn, Hosting Big Orange Tarp
What follows is a quick look at most of the performers at Black Bear. The simultaneous multiplicity of performances on separate stages made full coverage impossible.
Lucas Neil of Saratoga Springs, performing his Americana and indie-folk originals, Glori Wilder of western CT’s R&B and eclectic mix, and Red Smith of Wilmington, DE highly energized originals flavored by influences of country, folk, rock, bluegrass, and soul with vocals that turned on a dime from sweet to gravel and grit, opened the festival on the Acoustic Stage, each with a set of their original songs, in the “Songwriter Showcase”.
Lucas NeilGlori WilderRed Smith
The Midnight Anthem, a group based in CT fronted by three cousins, opened the Main Stage for the day with a set of their country-oriented Americana songs, followed by Burlington, VT’s Tall Travis, an indie folk band with bluegrass folk/punk influences, on the Acoustic State, with one of their two performances for the weekend.
Tall Travis
Over on the Gazebo Stage, Charlie Diamond performed a set of his pop/folk flavored Americana original story type songs with a Dylan-esque type voice that matched his songs perfectly.
Charlie Diamond
Back at the Acoustic Stage, highly regarded Canadian songwriter Scott Cook and Pamela Mae, currently on tour in the US and Canada, performed a set of well-crafted songs, primarily of hope and positive messages, mostly based upon Scott’s life experiences.
Scott Cook and Pamela Mae
Long time folk- favorite New England singer songwriter Cheryl Wheeler, whose songs have been covered by artists as diverse and Garth Brooks and Bette Midler, took the Main Stage where she delivered some long time favorites, as well as some of her newer work.
Cheryl Wheeler
The Rough & Tumble, multi-instrumentalists from New Hampshire, took the Acoustic stage to perform what they describe as their “Dumpster – Folk/Triftstore – Americana” originals for an appreciative crowd.
The Rough and Tumble
The Currys, from Charlottesville, VA , fronted by two brothers and a cousin, played a set of their original indie-folk rock songs with tight vocal harmonies on the Main Stage.
The Currys
Meghan Cary, a Billboard Magazine’s Critic’s Choice Award Winner, performed a beautiful set of her originals from folk rock power ballads to touching songs of hope, backed up on keys by Peter Farrell.
Meghan Cary
Over on the Workshop Stage, Bryan Titus, Marc Apostolides and Shawn Taylor presented songs, stories and photos, from their collective thru-hikes and long-distance hikes on the Appalachian Trail, The Long Trail, The John Muir Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail.
Arm Chair Boogie, a jamgrass/newgrass act from Wisconsin did an excellent performance on the Main Stage which go the crowd to its feet.
Arm Chair Boogie
In addition to performers, there were a number of organizations at Black Bear. “Meals for Music” was an especially compelling organization. It is a non-profit which provides home cooked meals for musicians on the road not only to feed those low on cash, but also for making those on tour feel a bit “at home”…Currently serving the Connecticut area, they are an organization worth looking at.
Meals for Music
The Best Times band performed a set of their original indie rock songs on the Gazebo Stage.
The Best Times
Back across the fields, The Decker Bandits of Collinsville, CT filled the Acoustic Stage with a mix of bluegrass, funk rock/dance originals delivered their own energy to the crowd.
The Decker Bandits
The final act of Friday night was grammy nominated, award winning Victor Wainwright’s Victor Wainwright & The Train, whose piano, electric guitar, horns and rhythm section got the crowd up and moving with their original Americana, blues and wide ranging roots music, with sprinklings of boogie-woogie, honky-tonk, and New Orleans piano.
Victor Wainwright & The Train
Jason Ingriselli & The Miles North opened up Saturday’s performances on the Main Stage showcasing Ingriselli’s powerful voice and songs which he calls New England Country Music.
Jason Ingriselli and The Miles North
Drank The Gold, an Upstate NY based duo brought their soaring vocal harmonies fiddle, guitar/banjo Irish and American old-time and contemporary traditionalist songs to the Acoustic Stage to round out the morning.
Drank The Gold
Kerri Powers bought her original blues and soulful earthy songs on acoustic and resophonic guitars to the Main Stage to an appreciative crowd.
Kerri Powers
Massachusett’s Sean Maqwire, who has fast become one of this writer’s favorite songwriters, brought a handful of his well-crafted songs to the Acoustic Stage.
Sean Magwire
Goodnight Moonshine, a duo, delivered their original folk songs with beautiful vocal harmonies, and an improvisational style and feel more common to jazz than typical folk music.
Goodnight Moonshine
In addition to continuous performances each day on three separate stages, Black Bear presented thirteen different workshops over the three-day festival, including some in songwriting, music production, performance, improv and other music related subjects, all while Main, Acoustic and Gazebo Stage performances continued. This writer took the time to venture over to the Workshop stage mid-afternoon on Saturday to catch workshops on Improv musicianship and songwriting, and then made it back to the Main and Acoustic Stage to see the rest of the performances.
The Slambovian Circus of Dreams, a Central NY based group that has been together for about twenty years, delivered their songs of fantastic stories with a high energy, crowd engaging performance, in what has been called “Woodstock-tinged psychedelia..[with] a hint of southern rock, Celtic and British folk combined with solid songwriting..” that moved the audience and brought it to its feet.
The Slambovian Circus of Dreams
Tall Travis, an indie folk band from Burlington, VT, with its unique bluegrass folk/punk influences, filled the Acoustic stage for the second time over the weekend and lit up the stage with their own brand of musical energy.
Tall Travis
Saturday night’s finale was delivered by Quebec’s Le Vent du Nord who delivered songs and performances of both traditional and original compositions, with highly rhythmic and soulful music, rooted in the Celtic diaspora, enhanced with a broad range of global influences. And when festival producers Ian Campbell and Beth Murphy took the stage before the encore the crowd yelled for the band to be brought back again next year.
Le Vent du Nord
After the stages shut down for the night, those in the know headed for the songwriter circles put on by Big Orange Tarp, Pirates Camp and the Jubilee Jam Tent.
Sunday morning started out with a Main Stage performance by folk legend Vance Gilbert who engaged the audience with a brilliant combination of original songs and banter. Gilbert also offered an excellent performance critique for musicians at the festival at the Workshop stage in the afternoon.
Vance Gilbert
Terra Coda, a band of five percussionists, delivered their unique music to an appreciative crowd, just before the rains came.
Tera Coda
Performers scheduled for later in the day included Ash & Eric, Josh Joplin Group, Two Crows for Comfort, Way Down Wanderers, Shanna In A Dress, Whiskey Talks and Adam Ezra Group.
A truly special component of Black Bear are the songwriter-in-the-round events that feature both featured acts at the festival and other songwriters picked by the various event’s creators or organizers, where a small group of songwriters alternate delivering their songs, solo, for a few rounds, and then the next group comes in, repeating the rounds until the wee hours of the morning. “In the round” events were held each day and night at “The Big Orange Tarp (aka the BOT)”, “Pirate Camp”, the Jubilee Jam Tent. For many, these songwriter circles are a significant part of what makes a festival like Black Bear such a highly respected musical event.
One of these, the “Big Orange Tarp”, or BOT as it’s known by its fans, featured solo performances in the round each night of the festival and into the wee hours of the morning by a number of those who performed at the festival, as well as by other songwriters, including this writer, all handpicked by Rowoth or Dunn. For many, the BOT, and the other in the round songwriter circles, represent one of the most cherished events at this and many other festivals (Kerrville, Falcon Ridge, and more) and represent what many feel is the best way to hear songs, unadorned by stage sound support, performed “in the raw” by the people who wrote them.
Big Orange Tarp, Songwriter Circle
In addition to the fantastic and well curated music and music related workshops for musicians and music lovers, the Black Bear Americana Music Fest provided a varied array of food vendors; workshops in glass making, painting, gel plate printing, pumpkin carving and jewelry making; chili tasting and interactive cocktail making classes; and cannabis related classes from making edibles at home, to growing and harvesting; and the Festival provided AA meetings each morning.
All in all Black Bear was an excellent music festival and one which many will surely attend again next year.
Thank you Ian Campbell and Beth Murphy for a fantastic 2024 Black Bear. See you next year!
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Cheryl WheelerCharlie DiamondBlack Bear Americana Music Festival – 2024Arm Chair BoogieArm Chair Boogie
Khruangbin, Bleachers, and CAKE are slated to headline the second edition of The Capitol Groove, downtown Hartford’s premier festival, returning to Bushnell Park June 28-29.
Presented by GoodWorks Entertainment, the festival will feature 14 artists over two days with performances from Thundercat, Sammy Rae & The Friends, Thee Sacred Souls, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Fantastic Negrito, Steel Pulse, Ripe, Improvement Movement, Ghost Funk Orchestra, The Greeting Committee, and Spectre Jones. These titillating acts are ones you’ll certainly want to see live.
Beyond the music, The Capitol Groove will also boast a lineup of local craft vendors and food trucks to be announced closer to the festival. Situated in the heart of downtown Hartford, Bushnell Park’s ample green space and natural beauty provides festivalgoers the perfect backdrop for two days of live music, all within easy reach of Hartford’s rich history and vibrant arts scene.
This upcoming festival is the second ever in the fest’s history. The Capitol Groove saw much success last summer and hopes to reach new heights with an even more exciting lineup. Acts like Khruangbin, Thundercat, Bleachers, and CAKE are must sees. These artists are known to bring the absolute groove to new levels wherever they go.
For more information and to purchase tickets to The Capitol Groove festival, click here.
Kingston, New York is steeped in history. Once the ancestral lands of the Munsee people, it became a permanent settlement for Dutch colonists in 1652 and designating as New York State’s first capital in 1777.
Keegan Ales, O+ Festival 2024
Fast forwarding to today, this thriving HudsonValley community now serves as the base for O+ (pronounced O Positive), a non-profit organization creating its own history with a unique paradigm: artists exchanging their art for medical care.
Eat the Cake Band, Keegan Ales
From October 11-13th 2024, Kingston hosted O+’s annual festival, now in its fourteenth year. The three-day event raised awareness and funds for the organization, offering an immersive gathering of musicians, writers, dancers, spoken-word performers, and visual artists. In exchange for their contributions, participating artists received healthcare services.
Kate Pierson, Old Dutch Church
The festivities kicked off Friday night with a parade starting at Keegan Ales. With their three stages, Keegan Ales served as a musical hub, offering a wide range of musical experiences—from metal and rock to hip hop, house, and techno.
When artists and musicians thrive, so do culture and our communities.
O+ vision
The Old Dutch Church, a historical landmark dating back to 1659, anchored the festival in Uptown Kingston. Featured performers Neko Case, Rhett Miller & The All Stars, and Kate Pierson graced the church’s stage. Festivalgoers could purchase wristbands for full access to multiple stages, performance spaces, and presentations, all within walking distance of the church.
Sug Daniels, Utility Bicycle Works
One of the festival’s hidden gems was the Utility Bicycle Works stage, tucked away in the back of a local bicycle shop. Though the room was small, it offered an intimate atmosphere that amplified the performances. Philadelphia-based singer-songwriter Sug Daniels bared her soul to a captivated audience. The six-piece band King in Yellow defied the space’s physical limitations with their commanding presence.
TR33S, Keegan Ales Back Room
On Sunday night at the Old Dutch Church, O+ concluded with a special screening and panel discussion of The Blair Witch Project which coincided with the film’s 25th anniversary. Moderated by actress and musician Amanda Seyfried, the panel featured director Ed Sanchez and actors Joshua Leonard and Michael C. Williams.
Rhett Miller and The All Stars
O+’s vision remains clear: “When artists and musicians thrive, so do culture and our communities.” With fourteen years of Arts for Healing under its belt, O+ is not only adding to Kingston’s legacy but is actively shaping its future.
This past weekend – Saturday, September 28 – Global Citizen Festival returned for its 12th year on Central Park’s Great Lawn in New York City.
Lisa Performs at Global Citizen Festival in NY, Photography by David Reichmann (@davidpresspass)
Every year Global Citizen brings dozens of celebrities, special guests, and musical performances to the Great Lawn for their live broadcast music festival in the name of ending extreme poverty around the world and stopping climate change.
Post Malone performs onstage during the Global Citizen Festival. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Global Citizen)
This year’s headlining acts included Post Malone, Blackpink member Lisa, Doja Cat, Jelly Roll, and a special appearance by Coldplay’s Chris Martin alongside Ed Sheeran.
Post Malone performs onstage during the Global Citizen Festival.(Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Global Citizen)
Despite a steady downpour throughout the entire day, the event went off without missing a beat. Nearly 60,000 fans bundled up in ponchos and umbrellas, braving the cold and wet day.
Dr. Jane Goodall speaks onstage during the Global Citizen Festival. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for Global Citizen)
In order to earn tickets, many festival attendees had to perform tasks such as learning about the organization’s philanthropic activities or causes.
Ed Sheeran and Chris Martin perform onstage during the Global Citizen Festival. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for Global Citizen)
The event was hosted by Hugh Jackman, with help from a truly massive slate of celebrity guests who came onstage and on screen to speak about a number of important causes championed by the Global Citizen organization.
Hugh Jackman addresses the crowd at Global Citizen, photo by David Reichmann.
The organizers were proud to announce the event and its corporate sponsors had raised over $1 billion to defeat poverty worldwide and demand equity for all marginalized groups. Featured speakers included Bill Nye, Jane Goodall, and many thought leaders on women’s and minorities’ rights throughout the world.
The festival organizers made every effort to protect Central Park’s beloved Great Lawn, and announced that as always, they would pay for any damages the park may have sustained from the event.
You can read more about Global Citizen’s ongoing efforts at their website. Check out our photo gallery with coverage from the event by David Reichmann (@davidpresspass) below.
United Sounds has announced the inaugural United Sounds NYC Festival which kicks off in Red Hook, Brooklyn on October 25 and 26. The show lasts from 4pm to 12am both nights and is 18+ to enter.
The festival was created to fill the significant gap for independent music in New York City’s fall cultural calendar. The two-day event will feature performances by Blonde Redhead, Sunflower Bean, Les Savy Fav, Model/Actriz, Man Man, Monobloc and Peel Dream Magazine, with additional artists, DJs, neighborhood events and more to be announced in the coming weeks.
The United Sounds NYC Festival takes place at Pioneer Works in Brooklyn. Pioneer Works is an art and science-led cultural center that hosts various exhibit, performances, and workshops throughout the year. This fall, United Sounds brings an otherwise musically barren autumn a blast of vibrancy and sound.
Also performing at the festival is the notable indie rock group The Dismemberment Plan who have just recently played their first show in a decade. The group sees the stage during the festival, making it their first full-length festival performance in many years. This is definitely not a performance to miss.
The Dismemberment Plan
Friday, October 25th Line-Up
The Dismemberment Plan
Sunflower Bean
Model/Actriz
+ more
Saturday, October 26th Line-Up
Blonde Redhead
Les Say Fav
Man Man
Monobloc
Peel Dream Magazine
“We wanted to start an annual music festival in New York City during the fall season, in the spirit of great indie-focused events of the past like CMJ. Our goal is to bring celebrated independent artists and music fans together for a fun weekend in a great setting. We were drawn to Red Hook to launch the event because it has such a welcoming seaside community vibe, that feels like you’re out of the city, yet it’s right there across the water from lower Manhattan.”
Diane Perini, talent booker
For more information on the United Sounds NYC Festival and to purchase tickets for one or both nights, click here.
Corning’s Gaffer District presents the 2024 installment of the annual Harvest Fest. The festival will take place on Sept 20 and Sept 21 on historic Market Street in Corning, NY.
Harvest Fest is the annual celebration in downtown Corning, NY that welcomes the Fall season from Friday, Sept 20, through Saturday, Sept 21. On the five blocks of historic Market Street, experience over 200 vendors, a scarecrow contest, highland cows, stilt walkers, horse-drawn wagon rides, music performances, hayrides, and more. The Gaffer District has announced Williams Toyota as the title sponsor of Harvest Fest 2024.
On every block of Market Street, the streets will be blocked off for pedestrian access on both Friday and Saturday. There will be food from local vendors, as well as outdoor dining from beloved restaurants of the community. Both local businesses, and farmers will have booths set up and live music will be performed. Some special events include a sports car show in Centerway Parking Garage from 5-8 on Friday and a cornhole tournament at the Radisson Hotel Corning on Saturday. You will also have the opportunity to check out some of Corning’s most prominent landmarks such as the Little Joe Tower, Centerway Square, and more.
Coleen Fabrizi, the Executive Director of Corning’s Gaffer District Inc. says, “It doesn’t matter if your idea of the perfect Fall event is something mellow with great shopping and great food options or a list of fun activities and great tunes, this Harvest event is going to be at the top of your list, we can’t wait to welcome you all!”
Corning Harvest Fest Schedule
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20th, 4PM — 9PM:
Savor delicious food from local vendors while dining on Market Street.
Shop among local businesses, vendors and farmers.
Enjoy live music performances on every block of Market Street. FREE
607 MotorSports Car Show in Centerway Parking Garage from 5PM — 8PM. FREE
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21st, 11AM — 9PM:
Face painting for kids by Jennifer Skella on Block 2, 11AM — 7PM. FREE
Take part in a cornhole tournament presented by the Radisson Hotel Corning, put on by SCNY.
Vote for your favorite scarecrow created by local Market Street businesses. FREE
Enjoy captivating stilt walker performances presented by Bath Planet throughout Market Street. FREE
Take a scenic hayride with Hemlock HIdden Hames. Rides going from 1PM — 5PM. $5 for kids, $10 for adults. Loading at the Market St. & Wall St. Intersection near The Radisson Hotel.
6 Pack Trials Car Show 9AM — NOON on Block 5. FREE
YMCA: Enjoy inflatable children’s activities in Riverfront Park 10AM — 6PM. FREE
Balloon Art: Watch the Balloon Lady create amazing balloon sculptures from 1:30PM — 5PM on Block 1. FREE
Experience live music at the Val Reep Fountain near the Market/Chestnut St. intersection from 11 AM to 6:30 PM. FREE
Enjoy live music at the Centerway Stage from 11 AM — 8:30 PM. FREE
Listen to live performances at the Marich Music Stage from 10 AM — 7 PM. FREE
The Second Peace and Unity Festival, held at Snug Harbor on Staten Island, was a celebration of community, culture, and music. Hosted by the K Woods Foundation, this event brought together a diverse lineup of performers, both established and emerging, to uplift and engage the community.
Kareem “Kay” Woods and Method Man
Founded by Kareem âKayâ Woods, the K Woods Foundation is a Staten Island-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting underprivileged communities with a particular focus on youth development, education, and community engagement. Through events like this festival, mentorship programs, and educational initiatives, the foundation aims to empower young people and foster a positive impact on Staten Island and beyond. Their collaborations with local schools, community centers, and other organizations play a crucial role in this mission.
This year’s “Peace and Unity Festival” also partnered with POLARIS, a Black-owned television network, to launch a 2024 voter registration drive that successfully registered many attendees. POLARIS worked directly with Kay Woods to raise awareness around voter registration, tying this crucial initiative to the cultural significance of the hip-hop festival. POLARIS will continue voter registration activations over the next two months and plans to host a celebrity roundtable discussion as part of their efforts to engage the community in the electoral process.
Smif-N-Wessun
The festival featured a mix of local talent and established artists, creating an electric atmosphere that united the community in celebration. Among the performers were local acts such as Cosi PARI, Heff, JoJo Pellegrino, Who is Bravi, Waterteam Stumik Dezeagle, Yap City, and Smiff N Wess. Their performances showcased the rich musical diversity and talent within Staten Island.
Ghostface
The highlight of the festival came toward the end of the event with a series of unforgettable performances by some of hip-hop’s most legendary figures. Method Man, who had made a special appearance earlier in the day, returned to the stage alongside Ghostface, Raekwon, Cappadonna, and Sheek Louch, delivering a powerful set that captivated the audience. Beanie Sigel and Freeway kept the momentum going with their dynamic performance, setting the stage for the festival’s finale. Closing out the night, Jim Jones, Juelz Santana, and Freekey Zekey took the energy to its peak, leaving the crowd buzzing with excitement.
Beanie Sigel & Freeway
The 2nd Peace and Unity Festival was more than just a music event; it was a testament to the strength and resilience of the Staten Island community. By bringing people together through music and culture, the K Woods Foundation continues to make a lasting impact, fostering a spirit of unity and empowerment that will carry on long after the festival’s final note.
The twelfth Summer Hoot was held at the Ashokan Center in Olivebridge, NY over the course of three days, August 23 – 26, offering an eclectic mix of people spanning generations came together to celebrate their love for music.
Tucked away in the Catskill Mountains, the Ashokan Center offers 385 acres of pristine forestry accentuated by the Esopus Creek, which rolls through it. Augmenting this paradise, a wide array of musical talents performed at the Hoot. This harmony of nature and music created the ideal environment for co-founder Mike Merenda to declare Summer Hoot 12 as Zen.
Summer Hoot 2024 at The Ashokan Center
In the span of three days, more than twenty musical acts showcased their creative talents. The diverse lineup included folk, indie rock, jazz, and singer-songwriters, as well as Mexican, Argentinean, Creole, and Jamaican stylings.
Friday night began with Hoot founders Mike & Ruthy welcoming the early arrivals. Entertainment followed with performances by Tuba Skinny, Jeffery Broussard & the Creole Cowboys and others setting the tone for the weekend.
Ashokan Center Board of Director Kale Kaposhilin described the Hoot and the center as “a chosen family of loving intention.” This spirit was evident as people of all ages laughed, sang, and danced throughout the Hoot.
An Instrument Petting Zoo with guitars, bongos, violins, tambourines, and banjos was set up to offer the young (and young at heart) the opportunity to try out instruments and embark on their creative journey.
Summer Hoot Instrument Petting Zoo
Saturday and Sunday featured three stages from which to choose. The music began mid-morning and continued late into the night, including a “singers in the round” session at midnight. For those interested in making their own music, the Jubilee Jam tent in the Magical Musical Campground was open 24/7.
Dotted throughout the Ashokan Center grounds are a series of small buildings, one of which is The Pewter House. Stepping into this room feels like entering the 19th century, with its wood beams and wood burning stove. The intimacy of this space allowed for a deep connection with the performers.
The Pewter House
A select few performed in this unique setting. Naiika Sings, a Brooklyn-based chanteuse, gave a standout performance. Naiika, who began her career performing on NYC subway platforms and trains, elevated The Pewter House to a space of spiritual revelation with her performance.
Performers on the Pete Seeger and Toshi Seeger stages came from around the globe. Highlights included Bridget Kearney, founding member of Lake Street Dive; Steve Poltz, a Canadian folk singer; Carolina Mama, an Argentinean singer-songwriter; and Laurel Massé & Vinnie Martucci, a jazz and swing ensemble.
The Mammals
Local talent from the Hudson Valley was also well-represented. The Big Takeover, David & Jacob Bernz, and Jay Ungar & Molly Mason performed. No Hoot would be complete without Mike Merenda & Ruthy Unger Merenda and their band, The Mammals. Mike & Ruthy and band closed out the Toshi Seeger stage on Saturday night.
The heart of the Hoot is music and nature. The heart of the Ashokan Center is the appreciation of the natural world. Hoot + Ashokan = Zen.
Summer Hoot Performers
The City StompersThe MammalsJordan Hamilton & Seth BernardThe Gaslight TinkersDavid & Jacob Berns joined by Josiah Longo & Tink LoydSteve PoltzBridget KearneyNaiika SingsBrendan Daniel
From Sept. 5-8, on Cool Whisper Farm in North Hillsdale, NY the Oldtone Music Festival will bring music lovers old and young together to celebrate the music of the past and even the future.
Ahead of the 2024 installment of one of the largest roots music festivals, I had the chance to speak with Trevor Roush, the co-producer of the Oldtone Music Festival. The festival is booting up again for the first time since 2022 following the worldwide pandemic caused music venues and festivals everywhere to close. On that fateful day, a small one-day festival was held and an unlikely visitor helped bring it back bigger and better than ever three years later.
But first, what is the Oldtone Music Festival? A three-day music festival in the Hudson Valley, Oldtone Music Festival aims to promote and preserve Roots music. “Roots music to me is just all music.” says Trevor Roush, “At Oldtone, it’s not just bluegrass. We have Conjunto music, which is, a traditional Mexican music, folk music, Cajun music, old-time string band music, New Orleans jazz, New Orleans R&B… You know, it’s just all music.”
As I spoke to Trevor, he was looking over volunteers who had shown up from across the country to help put together the festival. “I feel like what’s important to me about roots music, and I’m seeing it firsthand right now is that it brings people together. Cross-generationally, and cross-culturally, they all believe in this type of music. And, you know, I’m watching 40 volunteers of all different ages from other parts of the country build stages right now and set up tents. It’s like a real family-type art… There is no there is no one person here with one job. Everyone’s sort of all over the place.”
The motto of Oldtone is “Participation is preservation.” Trevor explains how participation preserves Oldtone, “You’ve seen this. Through the pandemic, if there’s a restaurant that somebody really likes or a community, if you’re not there patronizing it, it’s not gonna be there. And if you believe in something, you need to support it. “There’s so many different ways to support things. Like, you could volunteer or, you can buy a ticket. That’s kinda the easiest way. But, I feel like once somebody is involved, they’re involved for a lifetime. And they’re also excited about getting other people involved in it.”
This familial bond and community is an essential part of Roots music in general. According to Trevor, “The music is passed down. A lot of the tunes are passed down, from, you know, the older generation to a younger generation. And there are songs about families, and working and the familiarity of doing the same task. A lot of the songs are about raising a hog and slaughtering a hog. That type of thing.”
The pandemic that shut down most of the music touring and festival circuits in the world, unfortunately caused the demise of the Oldtown Music Festival. After much thought and changing the business to a nonprofit, they are back and better (and bigger) than ever. The lineup now features the grammy-winning winning Los Texmaniacs, as well as many other acts from across the country and beyond.
Los Texmaniacs
Trevor explains what’s changed, “We have reorganized as a nonprofit, which is different. That’s made it so the festival could come back through fundraising efforts and stuff like that. We have some more support, in that way. The festival always relied on musicians basically doing us a favor and playing for far less than they normally would play for just because they believed in the festival. Believed in us. So, now we’re at a point where, we can start to pay bands what they deserve, which is nice. Realistically, we’re back to where we were. 2019 was our best year. After that, as you would imagine, things got harder. We were on a roll in 2019. If we can make it back to 2019-type numbers and attendance, we’re doing good. The support is already at those levels, which feels nice. It was nice to bring this back, but we also want to bolster the [involvement] in this area. There’s a large Latinx community and we wanna get those folks more involved in the show.”
When asked how the Oldtone Music Festival was able to return this year, Trevor responded, “It’s on a working farm, and the farmers were supportive of us having it brought back. And the neighbor to the farm is this actor called Walton Goggins. He came to the festival in 2021. We did a one-day one, and he reached out to us and he was like, ‘This is amazing. I want to be a part of this.’ He’s been super helpful in helping us reach out to people that we’ve never been able to contact before and being an advocate for the festival. And also him feeling like he has a place – a calling in the community now. He’s been just an advocate, which feels really nice and supportive.”
Walton Goggins by Shayan Asgharnia
Walton Goggins, the Emmy-nominated actor, known for Fallout, and Sons of Anarchy, joined the festival this year as executive producer. But, I was curious about what got Trevor involved in the festival. He said, “So, I’m not a musician. Which I feel like is good in some ways. I can focus on organizing things, and not have to also worry about… the co-organizer is also a musician. and he’s said he’ll never play in the festival again because he’s just too chaotic organizing and doing stuff like that. But I guess where I came to this music was, I was working for my friend’s band and, I really like this music. What were their influences? And then you start going down this, rabbit hole. You start at one point and work your way back to, what was the root? Where where does this music come from? And then you can spur off of that into so many different ways where it’s “oh, wow. I really like this type of string band music.” And, then it’s like, “Now I’m l really interested and excited about Italian string band music.” And you can endlessly just be, discovering new things, and that’s what I like about curating something like Oldtone. The older generation gets inspired by the younger generation and vice versa and all the musicians are there sharing experiences with each other.”
I asked, “Can you see a future of roots music? Not just growing, or, continuing to exist, but, can you see it, evolve into something new? Different? Has it already?”
He responded, “Yeah. I feel like it sort of is evolving, and I feel like there are people out there that have started on the scale of, an Oldtone-type festival. Or, I know people that have played Oldtone before that are now, some of the largest touring acts and, are having crossovers with, Post Malone and people like that. And people, in that pop music world are, like, “What’s the root of this music that I’m making?” And, “How do I learn more about it?” The more industry-driven pop world is almost supporting, in a way, the roots music world just by notoriety. Those people with a bigger audience, [are] bolstering some of the people in this world.” He added, “There are some people who play Oldtone that have their hands in the pop world, they could come and play something like this and feel, more comfortable. It’s fun for them, and they could feel comfortable doing it without having the backlash of, ‘You didn’t play your your hit.’ You know? So it’s really nice for musicians to have an outlet for the things that they enjoy. Music’s funny. You’re always moving forward and backwards at the same time. As a musician, you’re developing your musical tastes all the time.”
What’s Trevor most excited about? He says, “I’m excited just to get it back. And personally, artist-wise, there is a woman from, Montana called Kiki Cavazos who is kind of elusive and really hard to get. And she is coming this year and it was no small task to get her here. They enlisted some buddies from New Orleans to basically go up there and kidnap her from Montana and drive her from Montana to New York. And then she’s going to do a run with her old buddies The Deslondes. That’s what I’m excited about. She played Newport Folk Festival in 2016 or 17 and kind of faded away and had some kids in Montana. And this is her coming out party again.”
Kiki Cavazos
Trevor said, “They can expect to have a good time.” He adds that you don’t even have to be a fan of roots music to enjoy yourself, “There’s a lot of volunteers on-site right now that have been here and are the most integral parts of it that are like, “I don’t even like this kind of music. I just like being around these people.” And everyone’s so nice and everyone’s so welcoming. There’s something for everyone. You will have your eyes opened to something special.”
When asked if there was anything else he would like to add, Trevor responded, “Just give a little nod to the weather so it doesn’t rain too much on Saturday.” And in a phrase that encapsulates the entire meaning of Oldtone, he adds, “But that’s no problem with us. We’ll still have fun.”
Day Lot Gate Times:
Thursday: 4 pm -12 am Friday: 11 am -12 am Sat: 9 am -12 am Sun: 10 am – 4 pm
