Falcon Ridge Recap
Team FUV made its annual pilgrimage to Hillsdale, NY for the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival. The good news: we were spared the traditional downpour of biblical proportions. The bad news: we had to face the brutal heatwave that gripped the Northeast on Friday and Saturday (though I guess we should be grateful that it was only low 90's and not triple digits). The crowds seemed a bit sparser this year (was that the heat or is everyone going to Newport instead?), which made for shorter waits at the food booths, but makes you hope the festival is financially healthy enough to return - especially since this one had some great musical highlights.
Friday afternoon is the emerging artists showcase, which is R&D time for me. Once again the caliber of the performers was impressive. Some who stood out included Grace Pettis (Pierce's daughter), Karyn Oliver, Lori Diamond & Fred Abatelli, ilyAIMY, Suzie Vinnick, Pesky J. Nixon, Friction Farm, Louise Mosrie, Layah Jane, and The Whispering Tree.
It's always a challenge to vote for the three artists you'd like to see come back next year to perform on the mainstage. This year's Most Wanted song swap (with the top vote getters from last year) featured Chris O'Brien (Boston-based singer-songwriter), Spuyten Duyvil (the thrilling Americana group from Westchester County), Barnaby Bright (a husband & wife duo from Brooklyn with great voices and songs), and the Folkadelics (originally from Ithaca, now in NYC, who cover the whole musical landscape, from folk to rock to swing to hip hop). Pretty cool that 3 of the 4 are from the New York area!
The real breakout artists this year had to be Brother Sun, three independent folksingers (Greg Greenway, Joe Jencks, and Pat Wictor) who've come together to form a trio that's all about harmony - in their music and in their lives. Their joyful music making earned them a standing ovation in their mainstage set, and their versatility got them multiple slots on the workshop stage. Another folk "super group", Red Horse (Eliza Gilkyson, John Gorka, and Lucy Kaplansky) did the traditional Friday night song swap.
Eliza, John, and Lucy all came back for solo sets on Saturday. Eliza's was highlighted by a version of her dad's classic "Greenfields" and Lucy's by her 8 year old daughter Molly sitting in on drums! A couple of other favorite females were in fine form on Saturday: Mary Gauthier, taking her songs to higher level with her partner Tania Elizabeth (of The Duhks) on fiddle, and Susan Werner, with Trina Hamlin on harmonica and percussion and Natalia Zukerman on bass and lap slide guitar.
Susan was also part of the lineup for the Sunday morning Gospel Wake Up Call, which is always a crowd (and personal) favorite. This year's set, with Brother Sun and Red Molly joining Susan, may have been the best ever. From the first note, you could feel the chemistry among all the performers. Just imagine seven-part harmonies on "Amazing Grace" or Susan's "Probably Not" from The Gospel Truth!
Sunday morning brought the sad news of Bill Morrissey's death. To the Falcon Ridge community he was a legendary songwriter and a huge influence. I have to think his friend Greg Brown didn't know about it when he performed a masterful set on Saturday night with Bo Ramsey on guitar, or I'm sure he would've mentioned it. I spoke with David Massengill, who was part of a beautiful tribute to Jack Hardy on Saturday. David had just spoken to Bill a week before, and now he's lost another close friend.
Sunday afternoon offered some spice with the Cajun gumbo of C.J. Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band and the Celtic flavors of Solas. Tracy Grammer did a solid set, then was invited back by Mary Chapin Carpenter, who closed out the festival. Chapin seemed genuinely delighted to be making her Falcon Ridge debut and, backed by her amazing backing band, did a set that covered her entire career.
The real stars of Falcon Ridge, though, have to be Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams. When they were first booked eight years ago, it was a little out of the box for Falcon Ridge, but they've become perennial favorites. Their stint in the dance tent is a guaranteed blast for fans of all ages, and their late night Saturday set totally rocks.
The real question is whether Falcon Ridge will reach out to another group like Gandalf to bring fresh energy and appeal to a younger audience - or risk atrophy. The Felice Brothers? David Wax Museum? There are groups out there creating a buzz, and folks shouldn't have to travel to Newport to see them.
