THE BIRMINGHAM FOLK FEST 2008
TIME / BAND
9:00 TBA
9:30 Anna Katherine
10:00 Ben Nevis
10:30 Jesse Payne
11:00 Art Wilson
12:00 Heath Greene
1:00 The Overalls
2:00 Ethan Gardiner
3:00 Matt Boyer
3:30 Buffalo Black
4:00 Kudzu String Band
5:00 Mandi Rae
6:00 Duquette Johnston
7:00 Chris Porter & Back Row Baptists
8:00 Act Of Congress
9:00 The New Familiars ( HEADLINERS)
This year's AFTER PARTY will be hosted by "The Bottletree" directly after the festival ends, where the music will continue to roll on through the night!
The New Familiars
The New Familiars: Biography Grown from the seed of friendships spanning over two decades, The New Familiars are a Charlotte, NC based band turning heads up and down the east coast circuit. Although former childhood cohorts Eric-Scott Guthrie and Justin Fedor originally begun collaborating just for kicks, it soon became apparent that their ability to weave words into an enticing musical tapestry was tapping them into something far beyond their own expectations.
The two friends began performing live. Their sheer energy and musical ability captivated local crowds while the depth and delicacy of Guthrie and Fedor’s softer songs often hushed the audience to hang on lingering words and harmonies. During this period the most common comment heard was along the lines of “Did you guys really write that?” or “I thought it was a take on a traditional... it’s different, but seems so familiar.” With this in mind and recognizing that their sound was growing far beyond the scope of just two songwriters, they hunkered down to redefine their project. As a play on words from their fans’ observations the concept of ‘The New Familiars’ was born.
By a bit of happenstance and a whole lot of luck, the two friends started collaborating with songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Josh Daniel. Daniel, a talented fixture as a solo musician in the Charlotte music scene, quickly bonded with the duo bringing a novel song writing perspective and sound to the music with his signature resonator guitar attack. To fill in the back line, the three musicians enticed their old friend and upright bass player Pat Maholland to move down from Philadelphia. Charlotte drummer Chuck Lee was recruited to hold down the rhythm on kit. Their combined efforts added a new life to the older songs, and the group matured into a solid collaborative song writing combo. They began to pen exciting new material with roots in folk, bluegrass, blues, and country, but with a decidedly modern edge and energy.
Solidified as a five piece, the New Familiars are an adaptable, genre-bending musical act with a bright future. Writing folk music from the core, while incorporating the multitudes of influences, this band is a powerful swell in the new wave of honest roots-derived rock n’ roll that is sweeping the nation.
Act Of Congress
The 2008 Birmingham Music Award winner Act Of Congress, has worked with Live Nation, opening VIP areas for artists such as John Mayer, Toby Keith, Alan Jackson, Brooks and Dunn, etc. They are currently finishing their debut album titled "Declaration" produced by Jason Elgin. (Collective Soul, Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, Lynam) AOC has been featured on Good Day Alabama, the 90.3 "Tapestry" program, CBS 42 News, The Birmingham News, The Shelby Reporter, and was a finalist in the 2007 Cultural Alliance "Grants for Individual Artists" competition. Because of their musical diversity (symphony, jazz and bluegrass musicians) they have been a favorite at Birmingham venues such as Workplay, and B&A Warehouse, as well as high profile weddings, festivals, and corporate events over the last two years. Feel free to view the Myspace and Sonicbids press pack (sonicbids. com/actofcongressmusic).
The Kudzu String Band
The Kudzu String Band plays a mile a minute and if you sit still long enough, they'll grow on you. Specializing in their own brand of rowdy, original, roots music, they are sure to keep your toes tappin'. Known far and wide as "chicken song" afficianadoes, the groups repertoire includes songs from the "Jug Band", Old-time" and "Hill Billy" music styles. Past performances include, Birmingham City Stages, Alabama Public Radios "Sucarnochee Revue", the Accoustic Cafe, Foggy Hollow Bluegrass Festival and many other trips all over the southeast and as far as Kenmare Ireland. The Kudzus will gladly bring the show to you and perform at your festival, wedding, funeral, yard sale or dog washing. For more onfo on the boys visit www.kudzustringband.com
Mandi Rae
Born in Birmingham, Alabama and raised everywhere else, Mandi Rae grew up in a military family and embraced the challenges that a travelling childhood provided, as evidenced in her songwriting, her personality, and her ability to relate to just about anyone.
Mandi Rae's musical influences began with southern gospel from her mother and classic rock such as Pink Floyd and Three Dog Night from her father. But her current musical influences include a mix of roots, bluegrass, and americana music. However, as with all true romantics, she is open to all good music. She describes her songs as 'folk rock' or 'americana,' while someone once said that she is just singing what she's thinking, like she's having a conversation with you.'
She abandoned piano lessons when she was a little girl because, as she puts it, 'My parents pushed me pretty hard as all parents do when they think their children have talent, but being so young I developed a distaste for performing in front of anyone.' But the seed had been sown and she couldn't stay away from what she loved the most. Later on she taught herself to play the guitar, then banjo, and that's when she says that her songwriting really took off. Starting with an open mic night at The Moonlight Music Café, she quickly became a popular fixture in Birmingham, has opened for her musical heroes, The Avett Brothers, and has recorded at Quad M Studios in New Orleans, LA.
'Unaffected' is the title of her first 14 song CD. It's her with a guitar, banjo, and harmonica delivering her music with powerful simplicity. Her lyrics are peppered with a wry wit and 'seen it all' wisdom that belies her tender age of 21 and they ride on relentless strumming, like the rhythm of a train that is starving for more track.
'Gettaway' is the title of her newest release, this time accompanied by her band – Westover Water. Consisting drums (Mike Smith), bass (Nick Timkovich), and lead guitar (John Burke), Mandi Rae steps into new territory giving us music that will make you want to dance, cry, sing and laugh!
No longer having any aversion to performing live, Mandi has a no-holds-barred energy and endearing comments between songs that make her an engaging, fun musician and effervescent performer. See her live and you will not leave 'Unaffected.'
--Bill Scherer
www.myspace.com/mandirae
Chris Porter & The Back Row Baptists
When asked why Birmingham singer/songwriter Chris Porter assembled the back Row Baptists His reply is simple, and direct. "I wanted to make something real." After years of consistent touring and recording with his alt-country bar burners, The Stolen Roses. Porter seems to have finally found his voice. "Im sick of the lack of substance in country music! There has been so much heartache and turmoil to hit the Gulf Coast in the last decade its hard to believe that there hasn't been an honest voice to rise from the rubble." The Back Row Baptists are a collection of reluctant troubadours straight from The Magic City, who's musical roots are as deep as the iron buried in its soil. Sarah Green ( The Sunday Lovers, The Good Neighbors, and formerly of the Contraband) holds down duties as, vocalist, drummer, and band parole officer. Handling the task of providing the soul and wisdom that only he can, Heath Green's duties include vocals, piano, harmonica, and bartender. "If your going to play in Texas you've got to have a fiddle in the band." Thank God Jenny Obert (The Ridgetop Syncopators,Texas String Drive, Cooper's Uncle, Brennen Leigh, Erik Hokkanen & The Gypsy Tribe) came home. Next comes the incomparable Marcus Buckner (Looney Mill, countless other Birmingham Jamsters and Grassmasters) whose dobro, banjo, mandolin, and guitar can be heard gracing every uniquely southern track on the album. The Back Row Baptists will be touring in support of there freshman release "Me and the Devil" throughout the spring, and they will be looking to release the record before the summer comes down hard on Birmingham Alabama.
Jesse Payne
Hollywood, CA – Cultivator of rock Americana, singer-performer Jesse Payne has announced that he is wrapping up work on a new CD. The EP is scheduled for a winter release and will offer a preview of even more audio goodies to come with a full-length effort set to hit the streets in Fall 2008.
Live performances are slated this fall to precede the release of the new music and booking for his 2009 tour is under way.
Payne has opened for Peter Walker, The Gabe Dixon Band, Tilly and The Wall, David Mead, World Leader Pretend, Dick Dale and a plethora of other artists. His music has been tapped for release on national CD compilations and has been reviewed in The Big Takeover magazine. Payne has also made television appearances.
Payne says one big reason for his musical motivation is its singular ability to unite people across time and keep those things we value most alive.
"The one vehicle humans have that allows us to transcend the elements of time is a melody," he says. "Music attaches us to our memories and gives us the freedom to imagine."
Payne's songwriting is influenced by such things as his childhood, traveling the United States, great poetry, loved ones, cinematography, nature and self-exploration.
The Overalls
The Overall's are an acoustic trio from Alabama. One can tell straight out that they're southern, yet their appeal is wide spread. Rich harmonies, strong melodies and words that make you sit up and listen, flow from this trio. The Overall's were formed in 1997. Rick and Jilda Watson are songwriters from Empire, Alabama and Steve Norris, who also writes, is from Helena, Alabama. The three had so much fun pickin' and grinnin' at Steve's brother's beach house, performing together was just a natural progression.
No they don't wear overalls on stage; The Overalls was just a name picked on a whim.
Performances include: The '97 and '98 Foothills Festivals in Jasper, Books-a-Million Stores around Birmingham, The Cellar coffee shop at Birmingham Southern College, The Spring '99 Acoustic Cafe in Hayden, The Montgomery Jubilee CityFest '99, International CityFest and Weindorf '99 in Tuscaloosa, The Spring '00 Acoustic Cafe, The Old Town Helena Amphitheater, The Old Time Country Radio Show broadcast live from Lynchburg, Tennessee, Zoo Light Safari at the Birmingham Zoo, Sloss Furnaces, Ruffner Mountain, Spring '01 and Fall '01 Acoustic Cafe, International CityFest and Weindorf '02, Buck Creek Festival '02, '03 and '04, Sumiton Celebration, Frontier Days in Lynchburg, Tennessee, The John Marcum Benefit at WorkPlay, Spring and Fall '02 Acoustic Cafe, Spring '03 Acoustic Cafe, Whippoorwill Creek Ranch Bluegrass Festival, Cahaba Java Cafe in Old Towne Helena, Big Spring Jam'03 in Huntsville, Moonlight Music Cafe, Gardendale Music Festival '04, and Birmingham City Stages '04. The CD Release Party for The Overalls' first CD was August 28, 2004 at Moonlight Music Cafe in Vestavia.