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With a clear focus on acoustic and roots music, the inaugural MagnoliaFest MidWest poises to be a major player with the nationwide festival season
now underway. Held July 22 -24 at the historic Bill Monroe Music Park
and Campground in Bean Blossom, Indiana, MagnoliaFest Midwest features
some of the top performers in the Americana genre.
The festival features two nights of headlining sets from the Bela
Fleck Acoustic Trio, led by multi Grammy-award winning banjoist Bela
Fleck. His trio features the fancy fretwork of the virtuosic guitarist
Bryan Sutton (Ricky Skaggs) and world-renowned fiddler Casey
Driessen on exploratory compositions and improvisations that defy categorization.
The Peter Rowan and
Tony Rice Quartet span the range of acoustic music from straight-ahead bluegrass
to jazz-influenced new acoustic music to songwriter-oriented folk at their performances
Saturday and Sunday.
The Duhks, "contemporary
acoustic," "progressive soul-grass," and one of the scene’s
newest gems offer daily performances at MagnoliaFest each of its three days.
The five practiced, risk-taking twenty-something musicians and singers from
Winnipeg feature a sound the Boston Globe calls “a fresh update
on some time-tested folk genres.”
Roots-country musician Buddy
Miller and his band perform Friday night’s headlining slot, touring
in support of his Grammy-nominated Universal United House of Prayer
release. Saturday and Sunday evenings feature the Drew
Emmitt Band, a creative, acoustic four-piece led by the mandolinist/guitarist/vocalist
that originally cut his teeth with the ‘polyethnic Cajun slamgrass’
of Leftover Salmon.
The music of San Francisco’s Hot
Buttered Rum String Band appeals to traditional bluegrass aficionados as
well as the most discerning folk audiences and dance-hungry jamband fans when
they perform Friday and Saturday. Additional festival highlights include sets
from the Pinkham Family Band featuring Josh Pinkham, the 13 year old mandolin
prodigy and Bay Area singer/songwriter David
Gans.
Known for his ability to straddle bluegrass, honky tonk, folk and roots-rock
the Shawn Camp Band performs Saturday and Sunday. Quartermoon slays the crowd
with their husband-and-wife duets and sweet sounding harmonies. The Stringtown
Pickers offer a fresh new take on traditional folk and bluegrass while still
embracing rock and roll during their set.
Diversity abounds within the acoustic music offerings at MagnoliaFest with
shows from bluegrass-centric Sloppy
Joe, Spud Puppies,
Steep Canyon Rangers,
Steppin'' In It,
The Tumbleweeds,
and Uncle Earl.
MagnoliaFest Midwest is the first exhibition by the Magnolia Music & Events
north of their headquarters in Jacksonville, Florida where they’ve made
successes in the Suwanee
Springfest and MagnoliaFest
held in Live Oak, Florida.
“We are looking forward to bringing the quality feel of our previous
festival experiences and presenting world-renown performers within this legendary
venue for our inaugural event,” says Magnolia Music promoter Randy Judy.
The festival features a covered, open-air stage area with on-site camping in
an easy to find location about 40 miles south of Indianapolis in South Central
Indiana.
Advance tickets to MagnoliaFest Midwest are available now for $95 which includes
primitive camping, parking, and park access fees by ordering online,
calling 904-249-7990 for credit card orders or visiting the website www.magmusic.com
for complete mail order instructions.
Full festival tickets at the gate are $110, single day tickets are also available
at the gate only and do not include camping or campground access. Patrons must
purchase a full festival or a Saturday/Sunday ticket to camp. Friday only: $30,
Saturday only: $40, and Sunday only: $30. The festival will be held rain or
shine. Children 12 and under are admitted free with accompanying adult. All
full festival tickets include primitive camping. No dogs or fireworks are allowed.
Complete MagnoliaFest Midwest Lineup:
Béla Fleck Acoustic Trio featuring Bryan Sutton and Casey Driessen (Sat/Sun)
Peter Rowan & Tony Rice Quartet with Bryn Bright & Sharon Gilchrist
(Sat/Sun)
Buddy Miller (Fri)
The Duhks (Fri/Sat/Sun)
Hot Buttered Rum String Band (Fri/Sat)
Drew Emmitt Band (Sat/Sun)
Shawn Camp Band (Sat/Sun)
David Gans
Dread Clampitt
New Traditionals
Pinkham Family Band featuring Josh Pinkham
Quartermoon
Sloppy Joe
Spud Puppies
Steep Canyon Rangers (Fri/Sat)
Steppin' In It (Fri/Sat)
Stringtown Pickers
The Tumbleweeds
Uncle Earl (Sat/Sun)
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