Moab Folk Music Festival Rocks Moab!

November 4th, 5th and 6th of this year will mark the 3rd annual Moab Folk Festival. For the past two years, folk music lovers from near and far have come to Moab to enjoy top-notch performances by some of the best singer song writers in the region, if not the nation. Performers have included folk music icons John Gorka, Tim and Mollie O’Brien, and Cheryl Wheeler, as well as regional and local favorites, such as Tom Russell, Chuck Pyle, Tish Hinojosa, Cosy Sheridan, Kate MacLeod, and TR Ritchie. The line up for the 2005 festival promises to be no exception as it extends yet another colorful, talented slate of performers to its audience. In November, expect to see headliners Eileen Ivers, Laura Love, Slaid Cleaves, Jonathan Byrd and Dromedary, in addition to a tribute to Woody Guthrie, featuring Jimmy LaFave, Joel Rafael, Sarah Lee Guthrie, Johnny Irion and Bob Childers. Also performing at the festival are Sloan Wainwright, Rani Arbo and daisy mayhem, and Terri Hendrix with Lloyd Maines. Regional and local favorites include Sweet Sunny South, The (Pagosa) Hot Strings, John Dupuy, Sand Sheff and Mark Wise.

Eileen Ivers

Eileen Ivers, musical star of the internationally known Celtic music and dance performance “Riverdance” and nine-time winner of the All-Ireland fiddle championships, will perform at the indoor venues on Friday and Saturday nights with a quartet ensemble. Laura Love, whose music combines funk, roots, folk and blues to create her own eclectic sound, and who also recently authored “You Ain’t Got No Easter Clothes,” will join the festival as a duo performance on Sunday afternoon. Slaid Cleaves, who was awarded the Independent DJ’s pick of the year award in 2004, will perform on the outdoor stage on Saturday, as well as in the evening venues as part of the Woody Guthrie tribute cast. Jonathan Byrd and Dromedary return to the evening venues as the People’s Choice performers from 2004. The People’s Choice award is based on community-cast ballots and voices Moab’s choice performer from the previous year’s festival to return for a second performance.

Woody Guthrie

The Woody Guthrie tribute, entitled “Ribbon of Highway, Endless Skyway,” will take place as an evening performance on Friday and Saturday nights, and incorporates single and combined performance by the artists mentioned above. This tribute, originally masterminded by Jimmy LaFave, celebrates the life and work of Woody Guthrie, an American icon in folk music, folk lore and a tireless advocate of the rights of the under-privileged working class, namely agricultural workers. Sarah Lee Guthrie, grand daughter of the late Woody, will also perform with her partner, Johnny Irion, as a duo on Saturday at the Ball Field venue.

Rani Arbo and daisy mayhem

Sloan Wainwright (little sister of Loudon and Aunt of Rufus Wainwright) will grace the stage with her strong, lyrical voice and grounded yet intimate songs on Friday and Saturday evenings. Sloan will perform as a trio. Both Terri Hendrix and Rani Arbo will perform on Sunday at the Ball Filed Venue. Terri’s style of “Texas-give-it-to-me-striaght” folk music has a definite touch of twang and humor. She will perform with Lloyd Maines who, aside from being a first class musician, is also known as the father of Natalie Maines and the producer of the Dixie Chicks. Rani Arbo, who formerly performed with Salamander Crossing, comes to Moab with her band, daisy mayhem. Daisy mayhem’s sound and Rani’s voice are an unstoppable combination of funky upbeat folk. Moreover, their drum kit is made from 100 percent recycled materials (including a suitcase) and is affectionately known as the “Drumship Enterprise.”

Sweet Sunny South is an old-timey bluegrass band with a twist that is quickly building a regional following surrounding their home base in Paonia, Colorado. They will join the festival on Saturday at the Ball Field. The (Pagosa) Hot Strings, from Durango, Colorado, features four bluegrass players who have been performing regionally together since grade school. The group, comprised of three brothers and a cousin, will present their jazzed-up version of bluegrass on Sunday at the Ball Field venue.

Mark Wise

And, last but not least, Mark Wise comes to the festival with duo performer Andi Gessler from Germany. While Mark’s music, a bluesy soulful sound deeply rooted in American folk tradition, is best known in his current homeland, Germany, his family ties to the Moab community have afforded his participation in the festival.

The Moab Folk Festival is looking forward to another November weekend of fun and great folk music. While we have been blessed for two years with glorious sunshine, please be prepared for any form of weather! Festival venues include daytime performances at the Moab Ball Field and evening performances at both Star Hall and the Grand County High School Auditorium. A 3-Day festival pass is $95 (this includes tax!). Saturday, single venue passes and discounts for children are also available.

For more information about the Moab Folk Festival, tickets, lodging packages, vendor booth space and venue information, please visit our website at www.moabfolkfestival.com or call 435-260-2488. We hope to see you there!