2018 Falcon Ridge Preview #2 - John Gorka

Another "Long time, No See" Falcon Ridge Folk Festival returnee, John Gorka was perhaps one of my very earliest "new folk" finds.

I've seen him play numerous times - Falcon Ridge, coffeehouses, clubs - and covered many of his early songs at open mics over the years. His song "Where the Bottles Break" (Jack's Crows, 1991) is perhaps the theme music of my garbage picking, although truth be told so many bottles are plastic these days I rarely come across broken glass on my rounds.

But this one, from 1992's "Temporary Road" is more appropriate. It bounced around my head during the various Gulf Wars "I know the whole truth there is horrible

It's better if you take a little at a time" and even into the present administration.

But this line "People love you when they know you're leaving

soon" may be most appropriate to our beloved folk fest.....

2018 Falcon Ridge Preview #1 - The Kennedys

I finally took a look at The Falcon Ridge Folk Festival lineup this year - and man, so many "old friends" are coming back this year for the 30th anniversary. I've decided to share a video from these favorites over the next few weeks, with a bit about what they mean to me, and Falcon Ridge memories.

Pete and Maura Kennedy were long time Falcon Ridge regulars. I'm pretty sure they'd win my personal "most albums owned by an artist nobody has heard of award" - I've picked up so many of their over the years: Stand, Get It Right, Positively Live, Songs of the Open Road, Better Dreams. Not even scratching the surface. There's a lot of resonance with yoga, enlightenment, spiritual growth. Maura is as close as you get to a rock star at a folk fest, and Pete is a guitar wizard.

My biggest Kennedy memory is the year they assembled The Strangelings (with Chris & Meredith Thompson, among others) - 2007, which was my first year running performer merch. They were a merchandise juggernaut - Strangelings stuff, Kennedy's stuff, solo stuff (Pete and Maura have pretty solid solo catalogs), Stringbusters stuff (kind of bluegrass / instrumental if memory serves), kids stuff. They've been around forever and have a super deep catalog, and it was a LOT.
They've popped in to the fest sporadically over the past few years - will be wonderful to have their talent and energy in an official capacity this year.

And bonus - The Strangelings from 2007 Falcon Ridge with a "newly plucked from the campgrounds" Eric Lee on fiddle!