Above: Rubblebucket
Rubblebucket
Rubblebucket
Rubblebucket
Rubblebucket
Rubblebucket
tUnE-yArDs
tUnE-yArDs
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tUnE-yArDs
The Punch Brothers
The Punch Brothers
This past weekend, I spent three glorious days in Greenfield Massachusetts at the Green River Festival. The festival features over thirty bands, dozens of food tents, dozens of artisan stands, local beer/cider, and, oddly, hot air balloons. For fifteen dollars, you could take a tether ride in a hot air balloon and get an incredible view of the festival and surrounding area.
I was curious to see three bands I had listened to but never seen live: Rubble Bucket, The Punch Brothers, and tUnE-yArDs. I was taken aback by how talented so many of these small folk acts were. The Milk Carton Kids reminded me of a young Simon and Garfunkel. Many other acts were from North Hampton, Amherst, and other areas in Western Massachusetts, so playing this festival was a home-coming celebration for many.
“The festival started twenty-nine years ago when local radio station WRSI (The River) held a free concert to celebrate their 5th anniversary. It featured 10,000 Maniacs and NRBQ. The following weekend the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce started a hot air balloon festival on the same site. In subsequent years the two events merged and eventually became the Green River Festival” Jim Olsen the Festival producer tells me. “We also like to bring in legendary performers that don’t tour music. This year we had Booker T. Jones and The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, both of whom are great.” Booker T. Jones delivered an incredible performance Saturday night supported by the guitar playing of his equally talented son, Ted.
The local community, a diverse group of artistic folk enthusiasts, appeared at the festival in full force. The festival was free to children under 10; so many families came out to enjoy some folk music and the perfect weather, “Our festival has an amazing energy thanks to the super enthusiastic and engaged audience. It feels as much a community block party as a music event.” Olsen has already started planning for next year.
The break-out stars of this festival were, without a doubt in my mind, Rubble Bucket, who had the most insane performance of the weekend. Their guitarist, Ian Hersey, is a local boy: he went to Berklee! Alex Toth (trumpet) and Annakalmia Traver (lead vocals, baritone sax) formed the band after they met in music class at the University of Vermont. Their performance featured: alien costumes, smoke machines, a gigantic blob of tinsel, stage diving (while continuing to play instruments!), and an intimate moment when lead-singer Annakalmia asked us all to get down on the ground and make a heart with our hands. Best part about it was everyone loved it! Everyone got down on the ground, bowing down to the pulsating power of Rubble Bucket.
I spoke with Heather Maloney, who has played the festival three times, about why she keeps coming back. “Newport Folk as a folk artist would be legendary. All the big festivals seem fun, but I love the charm of one that is a little more contained.” When I ask her what drew her to folk she replies, “we didn’t have a TV so I used the record player. I think folk is a really good foundation.” Her soulful melodies prove she has stuck to these roots.
