Folk Roots Radio Episode 335: Summerfolk 2017

We’re all about the Summerfolk Music & Crafts Festival on Episode 335 of Folk Roots Radio. This year’s Summerfolk takes place the weekend of August 18-20 in Kelso Park, on the shores of Georgian Bay, in Owen Sound. To learn more about one of the most relaxed, family friendly and fun festivals on the Canadian circuit, we talk to Artistic Director James Keelaghan about this year’s musical line-up and all of the other great things you can do at Summerfolk. We also include music from some of the artists we’re looking forward to seeing this time around. It’s a great hour and definitely worth a listen. Check out the full playlist below.

This year’s Summerfolk features more than 40 musical acts from across Canada and across the world representing genres from folk, country and bluegrass, to blues, to hip-hop and funk. Like any great folk festival they also have lots of children’s activities, community workshops, artisan booths, dozens of food vendors… and two licensed areas.

This year’s Summerfolk performers include Buffy Sainte-Marie (Thursday special event), Bill & Joel Plaskett (Friday only), Ruthie Foster (Saturday only), Serena Ryder (Sunday only), Danny Michel (Sunday Only), Good Lovelies, Delhi 2 Dublin, Al Simmons, The Accidentals, Ellis Paul, Turkwaz, Trad.Attack!, Connla, Murder Murder, Kelly Prescott, Treasa Levasseur, Matt Epp, Korrontzi, Ken Yates, Turbo Street Funk, David Newland, Shakura S’Aida, The Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer, Coco Love Alcorn, Trev MacKenzie Band, Gathering Sparks, Bon Debarras, Moulettes, Mayhemingways, Olivia and the Creepy Crawlies, Matthew Byrne, Madison Violet, The Jerry Cans, Friends of Fiddlers Green, Jake Feeney, Emilyn Stam, Don Ross, Siqiniup Qilauta, Chippewa Travellers, Paige Ballagh (Youth Discoveries), Bare Sierra (Youth Discoveries), Taylor Holden & The Law of Averages (Youth Discoveries), Moscow Apartment (Youth Discoveries), Clarissa Fortin (Youth Discoveries), LookUp Theatre, Vita Twirlin’ Diva, Todd Crowley’s Musical Petting Zoo.

Alongside the full weekend programme, Buffy Sainte-Marie will headline a very special Canadian Connection Celebration that celebrates and explores Ontario’s proud heritage by bringing together Summerfolk and the local indigenous communities. The family friendly evening will also feature performances by Iqaluit’s The Jerry Cans and the Anishinaabe aboriginal singing group, the Chippewa Travellers. The event takes place in the all weather Down By The Bay performance tent on the festival grounds on Thursday August 17 at 7 p.m. Admission for this special event is $15 (tickets available online at summerfolk.org/tickets).

For more information about Summerfolk and to get tickets, visit summerfolk.org.

And that’s all we have time for, this time around. Thanks to all the artists who share their music with us, and thank you for listening. We have a lot of great music and interviews to bring you on future shows. I hope you’ll join us!

Listen

You can listen to this episode again on Mixcloud by following the link below. You can also listen to episodes of Folk Roots Radio, on demand, via iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher and Tune-in Radio. (Click on the highlighted link to reach your chosen platform.)

Playlist

Nicolas & The Iceni (Theme)
Lucy She Rises (Demo)
Roll Right (Pre-release, self)

Bill & Joel Plaskett
Up In The Air
Solidarity (2016, Pheromone) CDN

Good Lovelies
Open Windows
Burn the Plan (2015, Six Shooter Records) CDN

Ruthie Foster
What Are You Listening To?
Joy Comes Back (2017, Stone Truth Music)

Trad.Attack!
Säde
Kullakarva (2017, Self)

Interview: James Keelaghan, Artistic Director at the The Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival.

Ken Yates
Madeline’s Table
(Recorded Live in L.A. (2015, Youtube) CDN

Taylor Holden & The Law of Averages
Eleanor
(single) (2017, Self) CDN

Mayhemingways
Wanderers
Hunter St. Blues (2015, Self) CDN

Matthew Byrne
Long Years Ago
Horizon Lines (2017, Self) CDN

Turkwaz
Love On A Rainy Day (Yağmur Yağar Taş Üstüne)
Nazar (2016, Self) CDN

Connla
Saints & Sinners
River Waiting (2016, Self)

Buffy Sainte-Marie
Carry It On
Power In The Blood (2015, True North Records) CDN