Folk Festival Review

Emily and I and a friend from her workplace went to the Minneapolis Folk Festival yesterday at the Acadia Cafe (on Nicollet and Franklin). The venue was strange, but sufficient, I guess, for this sort of thing. Their beer selection was really quite good (a few Belgians and microbrews on tap and lambic in the bottle), though hugely overpriced.

The music:
Roma di Luna was just about to start their set when we sat down and they grew in my esteem. Though Alexei (the husband of the duo) still hasn't really found his voice in the way that I am sure he eventually will, his lyrics show the promise of good things to come. He also has a sensibility with the guitar that will develop as keep playing. Channy's voice is distinctive (though reminiscent of a lot of good female vocalists intermixed) and her songwriting abilities and skill with the violin really make the show. Keep an eye on them.

The second act was The Hogtown Stompers and I expected little after glancing over their website. They were fun to watch. They were a sort of swing-y, down-south hillbilly-sounding band complete with kazoos, banjo, fiddle, and a bass guitar made of a bucket, string, and stick. Their lyrics were humorous in their crassness and emphasis on infidelity and intoxication and the lead vocalist seemed at least a close cousin to the "Orchid Thief" character from Charlie Kaufman's "Adaptation." I wouldn't buy an album, but I might go see them as part of a festival for the novelty.

Third was a band, The Get Up Johns, that I expected about as much from as I did the Hogtown stompers. Another website-skimming told me that they are very, very bluegrass in voice and instrumentation and I normally run screaming from that sort of thing. But damn, were they good. They made me - if only for the hour they performed - somehow love bluegrass. And though I still would only buy an album as nostalgia for the performance, the show was phenomenal. Both musicians were so amazingly good at what they did, it was very apparent that they both were doing what they loved and as they might say, making the most of what the good Lord gave 'em. I will say that if you like bluegrass, you won't help but to see more of them.

The last bit we caught was Patrick Tearney before we went home to rest. Talk about bad positioning in the line-up. Being that he is more of a coffeehouse-style musician, he should have played way earlier in the set regardless of his experience and skill. After the speed, skill, and power of the Get Up Johns, and the huge change of pace, the poor guy couldn't help but to bring everyone down off of their high with very obviously felt emotional tunes that one had to be in the mood for. So I will pass judgment on him after a show where he is more in his element.

So that is my amateur review of what I saw and heard. It is good to see that a folk movement is happening in the area and I hope there will be some more of this sort of event in the future.