Takoma Park, MD. (Top40 Charts/ Montgomery County government) - Some may remember when 'never trust anyone over 30' was the phrase du jour. But everyone can trust the Takoma Park Folk Festival to deliver a joyful day when it turns 30 on Sunday, Sept. 16 at Takoma Park Middle School, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The school address is 7611 Piney Branch Road in Takoma Park, Md. Free shuttle buses will run from the Takoma Metro station, and the Montgomery College parking garage. Walking directions from each of those sites will be on the Festival Web site, www.tpff.org, and the walking routes will also be marked. Onsite parking is Top40 Charts/ unavailable.
Admission, performances and dancing are free, and delightful for all ages. Seven stages of performances by local artists, a daylong participatory dance stage, a juried craft fair, dozens of community tables, games for young children, and many booths offering fabulous food are on the agenda. Regarding the food, festival fans can choose from both healthy and decadent selections. The decadence is somewhat mitigated by plans to recycle leftover cooking oil into biodiesel. Bottles and cans will also be recycled.
Highlights include the U-Liners, gutsy and progressive roots-rock, the non-traditional klezmer stylings of the Alexandria Kleztet, Marimba Pequena Internacional, a family band playing beautiful folk music of Guatemala, Soul In Motion, High-energy African drumming and dance; Storm the Unpredictable, Danceable hip-hop with spitfire lyrical delivery and Head-Roc, Politically and socially conscious hip-hop. A tribute to the late labor troubadour Joe Glazer will feature Saul Schniderman, the DC Labor Chorus, emma's Revolution/Pat Humphries & Sandy O, Joe Hickerson, and Joe Uehlein with Laural Blaydes.
Festival fans can kick up their heels at the Lenore Robinson Dance Stage, with Cutting Edge Sword Dance; Contra/Squares with Janine Smith & the New Southern Cowtippers, followed by free style Jazz/Swing dance with the Buffalo Nickel Band. Then Soul In Motion West African drummers will move those feet, followed by the Triple Goddess Tribal Belly Dancers and their exquisite & playful dances of the Middle East & North Africa, Jamie Platt & Sarenica's lively Romanian music. Les Waltzniks end the day with uplifting waltzes. The performers are volunteers, as are the other folks involved in the festival.
Complete List of Performers:
FIELD STAGE: ShoSho, Folk & rock artfully blended; Storm the Unpredictable, Danceable hip-hop with spitfire lyrical delivery; and Head-Roc, Politically and socially conscious hip-hop; Ocean Orchestra, Ethereal & house-rocking electronic folk; Pam Parker Blues, Soulful mix of blues, jazz, folk, R&B & swing; U-Liners, gutsy and progressive roots-rock; Backroads Band, Vintage country sound with a dash of honky-tonk; and The Big Sky, Roots-rock with wanderings into alt-country, rock, blues, jazz & bluegrass.
GROVE STAGE: Michelle Swan, Dulcie Taylor, Nick Annis, Contemporary & contemporaneous singer-songwriters; Hot Soup, From sip to slurp, intricate, three-part harmony; Lea (with Willpower), Energetic & eclectic singer-songwriter, plus bass & congas; Tinsmith, High-energy alt-trad music from Ireland, Scotland & Appalachia; SONiA, Multi-lingual folk-pop with a message of peace; Siobhan Quinn & Michael Bowers, Award-winning acoustic roots, blues & folk duo; and emma's revolution/Pat Humphries& Sandy O, Inspiring, Gutsy & rockin'! An uprising of truth & hope.
ABBOTT STAGE: Takoma Mandoleers, Traditional & international mandolin orchestra music conducted by David Ruppert; Joe Glazer Memorial Session with Saul Schniderman, the DC Labor Chorus emma's Revolution/Pat Humphries & Sandy O, Joe Hickerson, Joe Uehlein with Laural Blaydes, Oscar Brand; Bruce Hutton & Friends, Chris Romaine & Tina Chancey, Old-time American folk music; Little Bit of Blues, Piedmont blues by Warner Williams & Jay Summerour; then Mike Monseur & Donny Nuckles, Old-time music performed by 2 native Virginians; and Alan Jabbour & John Schwab, Fiddle-guitar duo playing old-time Appalachian music.
WORLD STAGE: Culkin Irish Dance by the Irish Inn Mates (Jesse Winch & Friends), Traditional Irish dance & music; Soul In Motion, High-energy African drumming & dance; Marimba Pequena Internacional, A family band playing beautiful folk music of Guatemala; Nrityanjali, Vibrant & ancient dances from India; Alexandria Kleztet, Klezmer Music that's anything but traditional; Ziva Spanish Dance Ensemble, The fire & rhythm of flamenco; Nasayem Falasteen, Young dancers share the traditions of Palestine, Pan Masters Steel Orchestra, Party to the island beat!
LENORE ROBINSON DANCE: Cutting Edge Sword Dance, the sword dance team that goes where none has gone before; Contra/Squares with Janine Smith & the New Southern Cowtippers, can help find one's inner hoedown, followed by free style Jazz/Swing dance with Buffalo Nickel Band. Then Soul In Motion West African drummers will move those feet, followed by the Triple Goddess Tribal Belly Dancers and their exquisite & playful dances of the Middle East & North Africa; Jamie Platt & Sarenica's lively Romanian music. Les Waltzniks end the day with uplifting waltzes.
GRASSY NOOK: Baba Jamal Koram, Captivating tales from African folklore; Jawbone, A 'love for life' approach to music for all ages; Washington Revels' Young Revelers, St. George & the Dragon with audience participation; The Names, Appalachian tunes with an assortment of instruments; Mary Shapiro, Inspiring music that appeals to a wide variety of listeners, Miss Belle, Original children's songs & well-known kid favorites; Kids Showcase, Music for kids, by kids!
7th HEAVEN: Showcase, featuring Spencer Bates, Doug Brouder, Tony Denikos, Jim Dugan, Jim Heald, Paul Iawancio, Bob Sima, the Sinai Mountain Boys and the Roadside Fireflies; Justin Trawick, the 2006 Showcase winner; ilyAIMY, Percussive award-winning acoustic neo-folk; Howard Parker & His Hot Takeout Band, cutting-edge American roots music. Parker and his band also help close out that stage in a Paul Simon Tribute Set. That set will include Nick Annis, as well as ilyAIMY.
Banjo Man Frank Cassel will roam the Festival site after 2 p.m.
The Takoma Park Folk Festival is supported in part by funding from the Montgomery County government and the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County.
