Spotlight on Performers at The Playhouse Family Music Festival
For the third year in a row, the Playhouse Family Music Festival presents an eclectic slate of performers that both adults and kids can enjoy without embarrassment. Sol Driven Train, Big Bang Boom, and the Lazybirds are this year’s headliners.
Bouncin' Boomin' Runaway Train of a Good Time Saturday
On Saturday, festival goers will enjoy the nationally touring Sol Driven Train, who bring 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.”
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.
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.
An highlight of Saturday’s activities is sure to be a giant puppet parade staged by the award-winning Elkland Art Center. Elkland staff will lead an art workshop at 1 pm on Saturday. Then at 4:15 festival goers will be invited to carry their new artwork or choose from over 100 handmade works of parade art, including giant woodland animals and fanciful costume and join in the parade led by festival headliners Sol Driven Train.
Other Saturday performers include the Henhouse Thieves, featuring Dave Hutchinson, Paul Orkiszewski and Vanessa Van Valin, who will play everything from pop music to folk music, original music, ethnic music, and even some operatic music. Rhythm Foundation (Nia and Jeff Dickens) gathers a crowd with African drumming and dance, while Ancient Moon, led by Annie Goodson, will provide an authentic belly dance demonstration.
In addition to music, festival-goers will enjoy airwalks and a giant slide, art activities, face painting, water play, and kids’ craft market, plus food and high quality crafts vendors. The airwalks are free with admission!
The Playhouse Café will offer barbeque, pizza, veggie wraps, beef and veggie burgers and more and is sponsored by Boone Mall with support from Earth Fare, Bandanas, Mellow Mushroom, Harris Teeter, Ingles, and Food Lion.
Presented by ExploreBooneArea.com, the Playhouse Music Festival is sponsored in part by the pediatric dentistry and orthodontic practice of Drs. Mayhew, Scheffler, Hardaway, and Conn. (more)
All proceeds benefit The Children’s Playhouse, a nonprofit children’s museum based in Boone.