The following article appears in the Sept. - Nov. '97 issue of FolkNotes.

Concert Review: Rocky Mountain Folks Festival

By Thom Rayne

A gentle staccato of laughter dances outside my tent. Nothing but happy people are alive this morning in Lyons, Colorado, drinking deep the wine of anticipation.

The festival begins tonight, but the campground, already staked out by songwriters here for the Planet Bluegrass Song School, started filling last night. The 7th Annual Rocky Mountain Folks Festival in Lyons, Colo., started about the same time the rain did on Friday, with the finalists in the showcase competition. The winner seemed to surprise a lot of people. A Boulder local. Sorry, but I can't remember the name. He wasn't a stand-out to me. I'd have picked Kathryn Warner, Chad Ferron or Marjorie Richards, but none of them even made it to the line up. Go figure. None of the folks in the circles where I played that night understood the mystery of this year's competition.

Richard Buckner followed the showcase and got the audience cranked. I'd never heard of this fellow, but I'm a fan now. He blends folk with his Telecaster and three-piece band to create a Springsteen-like sound that's full of heart. Not totally electric, Richard played equally well on his acoustic with his bass player and percussionist adding just the right amount of support.

Greg Brown commanded three encores after one of the most compelling performances I've seen. Greg had a lead player with him that he really didn't need, but it gave the set a little spice that was interesting at times. And they both looked cool in their sunglasses.

Son Volt was too darn loud. Forget that they are a rock band playing the top bill on opening night of a FOLK festival. They were simply too loud to be suffered. Dangerously loud. Returning to my camp at the far end of the site to protect the remainder of my hearing, the volume was still so loud we could not have a normal conversation. Very bad. All that aside, they had some decent music. If you like that sort of thing. Alternative fans would go for these guys. I didn't get it, but apparently they are a staple at the festival. Not many folks stayed until the end, however, because of the volume. No encore. No surprise.

The first night campfires were legendary. For those who've contemplated, but never attended a major folk festival, the campfires are where's it's at. Most of the best music you can hear, in the perfect setting, is performed there. I spent a lot of time at Alan Rowoth's "BOT" (that stands for Big Orange Tarp) and got to hear folks like Annie Wenz, Steve Seskin, Paul Reisler, Chris Williams, Kathryn Warner, Chad Ferron, Marjorie Richards, and some exciting newcomers, like Terri Langerak-singer/songwriter from St. Louis who plays harp. Hey, I even got to hear Alan do an a cappela tune on the second night of the festival! Rockin!

Day two began with Maggie Simpson, whose set I sadly missed-having spent a late night at the campfires-due to the 10:00am show time. Our local heroes, The Burns Sisters, worked their magic on the crowd and got the encore they deserved. This was my first time to see them without their old band. They had Gina Forsyth-a top flight fiddle player from New Orleans-traveling with them for a few shows. I want this lady on my next CD!

The second day was the best for me. I skipped a few performers, but got to see Vance Gilbert, Eddie From Ohio, David Wilcox, Tom Paxton and Nanci Griffith. I'd never seen Nanci before and, being a major fan, was dumbstruck for the hour that she played.

The nicest surprise for me in the entire festival was the group Eddie From Ohio. These four people (yes, there's an "Eddie") have such a high-energy, positive and engaging show that it was impossible not to like them. Their sound is absolutely tight without sounding over-rehearsed. Hand percussion (that's Eddie), bass and guitar with female lead vocals give them an earthy sound that's still fresh and contemporary. Great harmonies, too! I loved 'em.

The third day seemed like left-overs to me. But Day Two's lineup was going to be hard to top, I'll admit. Michael Lille (of Sherpas fame) started the day. This guy's guitar work is like sparkling butter. And his silky voice and heartfelt lyrics are going to make him a legend. You just wait.

I missed a few more sets, but caught Marty Sexton and his powerhouse voice and blues guitar and happily helped to encore him back on stage. There are no words for Martin Sexton.

Cheryl Wheeler knocked me out. Why not? She has got to be the epitome of self-deprication. Her raw honesty seems to level the listening field, making us all humans instead of rich men, poor men, beggars and thieves.

Michelle Shocked closed the show. Lots of debate over this artist back in the campfires that night. I guess you either love her or hate her. I was somewhere in between. She was fun to watch, and she got the crowd on their feet for most of her set. Her songs didn't reach me though. And that was it.

The best part of the week for me was the Song School that Planet Bluegrass hosted. Being an aspiring singer-songwriter, I was thrilled to study under folks like Vance Gilbert, David Wilcox, Steve Seskin, and Paul Reisler. There were also workshops by folks like Catie Curtis, Julie Portman, Burns Sisters, and more. Any of you wishing to get into the heart of songwriting and/or the singer-songwriter business should schedule your vacations and save your dimes to attend next year's school.

Signing off from Colorado Springs (enroute to my show in Albuquerque), I'm Thom Rayne.

This page maintained by Dana Cooke. E-mail me at djcooke@aiusa.com.