Spotlight On Performers at The Playhouse Family Music Festival
August 7th and 8th, 2009
Ancient Moon (1:30 Saturday), led by Annie Goodson, will provide an authentic belly dance demonstration.
Diane Silver. (7:30-11:00 Friday) An experienced caller based in Asheville, Silver is well suited for a night that will encompass dances for kids to grown-ups and from novices to experts. “She has a rare skill of bringing together dancers of all ages and all levels of experience into one big fun experience for everyone—without overly challenging the less experienced and without ho-humming the highly experienced” said Asheville parent and dancer Elana Kann.
dot-dot-dash (7:30-11:00 Friday). Specializing in Celtic, Appalachian da
nce, Old-time and Gypsy-jazz, dot-dot-dash includes Bill Anderson, John Hildreth, Joel Keebler, and Matt Livingston playing fiddle, guitar, mandolin, and double bass. Originally based in the Radford and Blacksburg areas of Southwest Virginia, Dot Dot Dash began performing in the fall of 2002. In the time since, the group has become spread out geographically, with members living in Boone, NC, as well as Roanoke, Abingdon and Pembroke, VA. The group has released two CD’s. Bill Anderson is the Watauga resident of the group with strong ties to The Children’s Playhouse. “Our kids, Rebecca and Gwendolyn, love The Playhouse and my wife Christine is a former board president,” says Anderson, “so we are excited to help The Playhouse with our music.”
Elkland Art Center (1:00 and 4:30 Saturday). An award winning art center and puppet troupe based in Todd, NC, Elkland will led a workshop on Saturday followed by a giant puppet parade.
Sol Driven Train. (Saturday at 4:30). This South Carolina band brings a quirky combination
of strings, horns and inventive lyrics to the stage. The group’s two discs for kids, Tajar Tracks and Tajar Tracks Two have been universally acclaimed, the first voted Best Children's Album of 2005 in South Carolina. But the band has ample grown up fans as well; Atlanta’s Creative Loafing praised their “languid world-beat, swampy funk and downright catchy melodies.”
Big Bang Boom. (Noon on Saturday). Featuring Chuck Folds (younger brother of Ben Folds), Steve Willard and drummer Eddie Walker, Big Bang Boom is a pop/rock music group from Greensboro, where they frequently play the Greensboro Children’s Museum.
Forget-Me-Nots (Friday at 7:30). Local Watauga phenoms, the Forget-Me-Nots are fiddlers Ledah and Willa Finck (ages 15 and 13), Maura Shawn Scanlin (age 13), and back-up guitarist-dad David Finck. The girls have been playing together for nine years, since they were ages 4, 3, and 2 years old. Their music mixes traditional Irish, Scottish, Cape Breton, and Appalachian fiddle music, with a helping of contemporary tunes. The Forget-Me-Nots have performed at a number of regional venues, including the Merlefest and the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games.
Henhouse Thieves (2:15 Saturday) features Dave Hutchinson, Paul Orkiszewski and Vanessa Van Valin will play everything from pop music to folk music, original music, ethnic music, and even some operatic music.
The Lazybirds. (2:45 pm, Saturday). Praised by Doc Watson for their wonderful mix of blues, jazz and the“good old ragtime sound,” The Lazybirds are a popular country blues and jazz quintet based in the High Country.
Lisa Baldwin and Dave Haney. (5:30 Friday and 11 am Saturday) Singer-songwriter Lisa Baldwin performs bluegrass for adults with her husband Dave Haney and is popular locally and in Alabama for her “Learning through Song” concerts for children. Lisa will be back on Saturday morning with a Learning through Song program.
Lost Ridge. (6:30 Friday) Based in Boone, the Lost Ridge Band’s sound is inspired by The Grateful Dead, Railroad Earth, Steve Earl, Doc Watson, Earl Scruggs, Bela Fleck, The Dillards, and Widespread Panic. Their members are Pete and Phil Washburn, Elijah Davenport, Shane Crawford, and Peter Hanast.
Rhythm Foundation (3:45 Saturday), led by Nia and Jeff Dickens gathers a crowd with African drumming and dance.
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