Monday, February 15, 2010

August: Festival Time

The Great Lakes Folk Festival - Aug 7-9, 2009

Always fortunate to attend this wonderful live music/arts/crafts/etc festival in downtown East Lansing. 3 days of opportunities for intimate audiences, immediate feedback with performers and music you'd be hard-pressed to find in one spot. Nicky and I tend to gravitate to the Dance Tent for one performance, something "close" on a smaller stage and a larger show at the end. This year we saw three groups I had never heard of and am glad to say I know who they are now!

We met friends Ed and Joni B for the Acadian-favorite, "Gadelle" on Friday night. Gadelle comes from Prince Edward Island (PEI) on Canada's east coast, where our friends have spent time in pubs listening to groups just like this. Excellent fiddlers and singers (and sometimes dancers) they really get you going. We all had a good time despite the crummy weather.

On Saturday we saw, "Beyond The Pale", a klezmer band and, "Lost Bayou Ramblers", Cajun masters. It is not the first time the Festival has brought klezmer and Cajun groups to east Lansing but these are certainly 2 of the best. It is difficult to sit in your seat while they jam away, looking like THEY are the ones having the good time.

Thank you MSU Museum and the City of East Lansing for this thoroughly interesting and rewarding opportunity. I have only scratched the surface with regard to what is available these 3 days (day and night). it is a true "Folk" festival in that it always has displays of artists for the Great Lakes area including storytelling, crafts and poetry. The 2010 Festival will be Aug 13-15...don't miss it.

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