Roots

Photo: Wade McKoy

By Pia Valeriana and Lorraine Arone

Nestled high in the Grand Teton Mountains, in a natural grassy amphitheater surrounded by fields of wildflowers and towering Douglas fir and aspen trees, the Targhee Music Festival, running July 16-18 in Alta WY, certainly boasts one of the most spectacular settings for a summer music festival.  

The festival also offers a sensational lineup—including moe., Los Lobos, Grace Potter, and Michael Franti this year—but because of its isolated location, 15 very mountainous miles from Jackson Hole, there are smaller crowds and an informal, friendly vibe.

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Newport Folk Festival returns to its traditional opening night format at the International Tennis Hall of Fame at Newport Casino with an especially appealing program headed by banjo-picking actor and comedian Steve Martin.

Martin has been sidelining on the bluegrass circuit for several years, playing with top-notch North Carolina bluegrass ensemble Steep Canyon Rangers. Their recorded collaboration earned the 2010 Grammy for bluegrass album of the year.

At Newport, they will usher back the festival's traditional gala opening night event, which had been dropped in 2009 as a result of festival management changes. With the long-time promoter George Wein back in control, the separately ticketed concert is a resurgent component of the festival.

The program also features folk singer-songerwriter Tim O'Brien, also a Grammy winner, and upcoming folk songstress Sarah Jarosz.  Both artists are known for playing traditional music with a contemporary point of view. Both are also multi-instrumentalists.

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The upcoming Kate Wolf festival has a packed lineup on the Music Meadow main stage, but don't overlook the unusual pairings and themes presented on the three side stages. Sometimes the most surprising and memorable sets go down at workshops or special artist groupings on the Arlo Hagler Stage, Revival Tent, and the intimate Utahpia People's Stage.

We've previously mentioned the pairing of the two jam bands in the lineup, Hot Buttered Rum and Poor Man's Whiskey, gigging together under the name Poor Buttered Rumskey.

Equally enticing, two female-led vocal groups in the lineup, The Waifs and Po' Girl, will swap songs and stories under the name Po' Waifs. Both those sets go down on the Arlo Stage Sunday afternoon.
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If you love the Waifs, you'll certainly be set up in the bowl for their main set Saturday night, but make sure to catch their early show Friday afternoon on Utahpia, where the audience is up close and personal with the performers.

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moe.

5/28/10: Rebubula, She Sends Me, All Roads Lead to Home, Day Dreaming*, Zed Nought Z, Rise> Happy Hour Hero**, Mexico
* New song, first time played (Rob)
** w/ Ivan Neville on keys

5/28/10 (Late Night-Separate Admission Required): George, Cissy Strut, Big World > Ricky Marten > Recreational Chemistry, Brent Black > Interstellar Overdrive > Brent Black
Encore: Johnny Lineup

From Dancin' Dave's Bluegrass Festival Camping Blog:

You'll get a taste of folk-rock greats Jessie Winchester and Karla Bonoff and third headliner Slaid Cleaves on the main stage at the American River Music Festival next September 17-19, but if you want to enjoy more intimate, after-dark sets by the three performers you'll need a camping pass for one of the festival's three campgrounds.

Cleaves plays Friday night at Camp Lotus, while Bonoff backed by Kenny Edwards and Nina Gerber is on Saturday at 7:30 at the EarthTrek Campground. Winchester follows Saturday at 9:30 at American River Resort Campground. A camping ticket for any campground gets you in to any or all of the campground shows. A shuttle will be available to transport campers between the locations.

The main outlines of the stage schedule for the upcoming Kate Wolf Memorial Music Festival is up on the festival website, with the main stage fully slotted but more acts yet to be filled on the three side stages. As usual, it is shaping up to be a pretty tasty stew.

The evening shows on the main stage culminate with a strong pair of closers each night — Greg Brown and Robert Earl Keen on Friday, The Waifs and Little Feat on Saturday and Steve Earle and Ani Di Franco on Sunday. That last day, you'll want to make sure to be on hand during the dinner hour as well, as the David Grisman Bluegrass Experience kicks off the evening's festivities.

There is great late night action on the side stages Friday and Saturday night beginning after 11 pm. Friday, Carrie Rodriguez will charm listeners on the Revival Tent Stage while Poor Man's Whiskey gets rowdy at the Utahpia Stage. Saturday, Hot Buttered Rum extends the jam vibe on the Arlo Stage while harmonica legend Charlie Musselwhite pays respects to recently departed Norton Buffalo at Utahpia.