National Folk Festival Oct 13-15, 2006, Virginia

Subject: National Folk Festival Oct 13-15
From: Dan Schatz
Date: 11 Oct 06 - 01:13 PM

Is anyone else going to the National Folk Festival in Richmond, Virginia this weekend? Geeta and I have the weekend off and just last night decided to go. It looks like a great lineup, it's close to DC (and only five hours from Philly) and the local hotels are affordable. Best of all, the festival is free.

I notice that the performers include Elizabeth LaPrelle, Hazel Dickens, Warner Williams and Jay Summerour, The Lost Bayou Ramblers, Santiago Jimenez, Jr., and the Buckingham Lining Bar Gang, among others.

Dan Schatz

Subject: RE: National Folk Festival
From: Maryrrf
Date: 11 Oct 06 - 01:15 PM

Yes I'm going - I live in Richmond. You are right, there are plenty of affordable hotels here. It's going to be beautiful weather and the festival is free !

Subject: RE: National Folk Festival
From: Carly
Date: 11 Oct 06 - 03:28 PM

Dean and Sam will be there; I may be able to come. Be sure to check out the Youngers of Zion---fantastic!

Carly

Subject: RE: National Folk Festival
From: Dan Schatz
Date: 11 Oct 06 - 09:53 PM

Maybe I'll run into you, Mary. And Carly, please come! It'd be lovely to see you! (It'll be equally nice to see Dean and Sam, but STILL.)

Dan Schatz

Subject: RE: National Folk Festival
From: Maryrrf
Date: 12 Oct 06 - 10:38 AM

I still haven't figured out my schedule - so much to see! I WILL be at Elizabeth LaPrelle's performance - that much is decided. Also must see Hazel Dickens.

Subject: RE: National Folk Festival
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 12 Oct 06 - 12:22 PM

Mudelf, could you add "(USA)" to this please - a number of us in the UK are anxiously waiting for info about whether the UK "Nats" have found a new home for 2007, as it was homeless and did not run in 2006.

(done- there was a similar thread about the UK festival before}

Subject: RE: National Folk Festival Oct 13-15, 2006, Virginia
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 12 Oct 06 - 03:18 PM

Many thanks.....

Subject: RE: National Folk Festival Oct 13-15, 2006, Virginia
From: Barry Finn
Date: 12 Oct 06 - 07:28 PM

WOW, this is a great line up

The Boston Edge: Joe Derrane, Seamus Connolly and John McGann
Buckingham Lining Bar Gang
Northern Neck Chantey Singers
The Quebe Sisters Band
Hazel Dickens
Elizabeth LaPrelle

The Boston edge are a combo of three of the best Irish musicians in the Irish music world, anywhere.

Unbeliveable that one festival will host 2 of the 3 actual worksong traditions in American that were the last to die out (the 3rd being the prison work song tradition)
The Buckingham Lining Bar Gang are a group of old former black track liners & their performance is breath taking as they actually take railroad tracks & ties & line them with linning bars & spike them with their short handle long headed spike hammers (think slate hammers 5x larger than normal, only with a shorter hickory handle)
Northern Neck Chantey Singers, think of the Manhaden Shanteymen. They're old former black net fishermen from the same Manhaden fisheries singing the shanties that they worked to up until the mid 60's.
These two acts are probaly the last of their kind (with exception to the Manhaden Shanteymen).

The last three I mention are themselves worth doing the festival alone.

Wish I had heard of this earlier, thanks for posting this.

Barry

Subject: RE: National Folk Festival Oct 13-15, 2006, Virginia
From: Leadfingers
Date: 12 Oct 06 - 07:46 PM

Sounds like a bloody good weekend ! Shame its the wrong side of the pond for me to get there !!

Subject: RE: National Folk Festival Oct 13-15, 2006, Virginia
From: Padre
Date: 12 Oct 06 - 08:28 PM

Just read an article in the Roanoke Times about the Northern Neck Shantey Singers - a group of retired menhaden fishermen who sing the old songs about hauling nets full of menhaden (pilchards for those on the East side of the pond). The Boarding Party used to sing a couple of 'pilchard poaching' shanties from the Northern Neck - 'Johnson Girls' being the best known. If you can get there, go see these men!

Padre

Subject: RE: National Folk Festival Oct 13-15, 2006, Virgin
From: Dan Schatz
Date: 12 Oct 06 - 09:01 PM

Santiago Jimenez is equally one of the greats - he's one of the best conjunto button accordian players I've ever heard. And I won't miss the track lining gang or Northern Neck. One of the neat things about this festival is that many of the performers are playing multiple times, so if we don't catch them once, there'll be other opportunities.

Dan Schatz

PS: Thanks to the mudcat elf. I thought I did put in the state earlier, but apparently not. I meant to.

Subject: RE: National Folk Festival Oct 13-15, 2006, Virginia
From: Maryrrf
Date: 13 Oct 06 - 09:39 AM

Here's a link to the Richmond Times Dispatch which has an interactive program where you can pick out the acts you want to see and it will print out a map depicting the locations, times, etc.

http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD/HTMLPage/RTD_HTMLPage&c=HTMLPage&cid=1031784166137