Les Sampou performs Saturday. Reserve your campsite now for the 27th Annual Spring Gulch Folk Festival. A weekend-long event of excellent music, sing-a-long campfires, workshops, dancing, and crafts. The 2013 Folk Festival will run for four days, Thursday through Sunday
More information here.
The Lowell Folk Festival strives to present the very finest traditional artists from across the country. Festival stages reverberate with the sounds of traditional music more often heard in homes, social clubs, dance halls, and annual celebrations.
You’re invited now to place Lowell Folk Festival 2013 on your calendar. The dates are Friday, July 26 to Sunday, July 28 in downtown Lowell.
Last Dance Productions is thrilled to be part of the production team for the festival.
“Powerfully expressive, Les Sampou has been tested in the trenches of life and survived brilliantly. Her new album, “Lonesomeville,” is a personal Top Ten favorite of the year. She invests many songs with the emotional honesty of Lucinda Williams, probing love in all of its complexity while belting the heck out of the music. She has a passionate, rockabilly-blues edge that lifts your spirits high, followed by ballads that dig into your soul like few artists can.”
STEVE MORSE Boston Globe Correspondent & Contributor to Billboard and Rolling Stone
Antje Duvekot has solidified her reputation as one of Boston’s top singer songwriters with “Big Dream Boulevard” her debut studio release and “the Near Demise of the Highwire Dancer” her follow-up CD. The debut CD was produced by Seamus Egan, founder of the Irish super group, SOLAS. The project was released on acclaimed songwriter Ellis Paul’s label, Black Wolf Records and quickly attracted international attention for Antje. It was voted “#1 Folk Release of 2006” by the Boston Globe and was named to the “Top10 Releases of the Year” by National Public Radio’s, Folk Alley. Her follow up album “the Near Demise of the Highwire Dancer” was produced by Richard Shindell and along side with Richard features other “folk royalty” such as John Gorka, Lucy Kaplancky and Mark Erelli. It was voted #1 album of the year 2009 by WUMB 91.9 fm in Boston.
“What a blessing to have worked with someone as talented as Antje. With a voice like hers, and songs as good as these, a producer (especially a first-time producer!) just tries to get out of the way, to do no harm, and to let the artist speak for herself.” – Richard Shindell
“Duvekot has gotten hotter, faster than any local songwriter in recent memory. Her songs feel at once fresh faced and firmly rooted, driven by the whispery sensuality of her voice. She believes in the redemptive power of the shared secret; and is utterly unafraid to mine the darkest corners of her life for songs that turn fear into resilience and isolation into community”. The Boston Globe
Antje has won some of the top songwriting awards including the Grand Prize in the John Lennon Songwriting Competition, the prestigious, Kerrville (TX) “Best New Folk Award” and in one of the nation’s top music markets, she won the Boston Music Award for “Outstanding Folk Act”, three of the top prizes in the singer songwriter world.
This year’s event will feature of the best of voices and musicians from Canada and the US.
The Music
The Lucky Sisters (Allison Lupton, Rosemary Phelan, and Tannis Slimmon) have brought their individual talents (from their own solo careers) to comprise this exquisite and ethereal vocal harmony group. From Cambridge, Toronto, and Guelph, Ontario, they’ll be making their first U.S. appearance.
We’re tremendously lucky to have Paul Mills, who has produced many hundreds of masterful recordings, and is a folk icon in Canada, make the trip southwards for the night. Paul, who is producing The Lucky Sisters upcoming album, will accompany the gals as well as others through the night.
Healing Garden stalwart and fave Kelli Trottier will bring her singing, fiddling, and stepdancing self down from Kingston, Ontario for her fifth Waltham appearance.
Rebecca Hosking, hailing from Nashville, Tennessee, will be unveiling her latest CD at our special event. Scott Neubert, another Nashville resident (and Healing Garden staple) will accompany Rebeca and others in the show.
We’re also delighted to present local artist Angela Simonneli for her first Healing Garden special Guest appearance. You may be familiar with Angela from her Red Line Radio rock group. It wouldn’t be a HG fest without Mr. Versatility and Dependability, Matt Leavenworth to provide his accompaniment. We’ll be enjoying the night of festive music at the French Club in Waltham.
Event Sponsor Patio Records
Patio Records of Waltham, MA is dedicated to the mission of building healing gardens at Hospital treatment centers. These gardens are designed to aid patients’ well-being during their times of receiving cancer treatments. While working with local hospitals towards patio construction, a concurrent pursuit is the universalization of the concept of having such a facility be part of an overall treatment plan for those unfortunate to be so afflicted.
The Lowell Folk Festival. There’s so much to eat, play and discover at this year’s 29th Annual Lowell Folk Festival! This year’s festival features five stages of traditional music, authentic crafts demonstrations, ethnic foods, art and children’s activities.
The Festival is always the last full weekend in July. We look forward to seeing you July 24-26, 2015 in downtown Lowell!
The 20th Annual Healing Garden MusicFest Concert takes place on October 15, at the Regent Theatre in Arlington, MA. Sponsored by Patio Records this benefit concert is geared towards raising funds to build healing gardens at hospital treatment centers. Musicians include: Garnet Rogers, Barbara Kessler, Rick Fines, Suzie Vinnick and many more. More information about the Healing Garden Fest here.
About Patio Records
The Mary Eagan Garden Fund was created in memory of Mary (1947-1992), who succumbed to Acute Myelogenous Leukemia. Mary, a mother of four children, requested that any monies raised in her honor be directed towards building a patio for future patients’ well-being during their times of receiving cancer treatments.
While working with local hospitals towards patio construction, a concurrent pursuit is the universalization of the concept of having such a facility be part of an overall treatment plan for those unfortunate to be so afflicted. The Waltham (MA) Hospital embraced this goal, and on April 27th, 2001, saw the opening ceremony and ribbon cuttting of the magnificent Mary Eagan Garden adjoining the Cancer Care Center; providing a setting of comfort and solace for people who our hearts go out to.
The first Mary Eagan Garden in Canada was opened within the the 4.5 acre Richard and Annette Bloch Cancer Survivors Park in Ottawa on September 24, 2008.
Annual Benefit Concerts have led the way as a fundraising vehicle. To date, Patio Records has hosted nearly 40 events in New England and Canada, featuring lineups of Canadian and U.S. virtuosos. These exceptional musicians have been enthusiastic in response to the concert series.
The Working Waterfront Festival presents performances of music, dance and poetry. Experience demonstrations and contests of industry skills; tours of workboats; documentary films and footage at sea. There will be cooking demonstrations; author readings; children’s activities; tug boat muster; whaleboat races, and more!
The largest fishing port in the US!
Join us in New Bedford, America’s largest commercial fishing port, to learn about the men and women who harvest the North Atlantic. Walk the decks of a fishing vessel, dine on fresh seafood, see fishermen’s contests, and watch a cooking demonstrations. Experience the workings of the industry which brings seafood from the ocean to your plate.
33rd Lowell Folk Festival
The Lowell Folk Festival continues to provide the finest in traditional music, craft, foodways and more in downtown Lowell. This annual celebration is the best in traditional folk music, artisan crafts and ethnic foods, and will be returning to downtown Lowell with a full lineup beginning with the traditional parade of nations from Lowell’s City Hall Plaza to Boarding House Park. The free festival offers something for people of all ages all within the heart of Lowell National Historical Park.
