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No slowing down Folk Festival: Big names and younger acts at 43rd annual event

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Matthew Fredmonsky
November 5, 2009

By Matt Fredmonsky

Record-Courier staff writer

After 43 years, the annual Kent State Folk Festival is showing little signs of aging as performers get set to roll back into Kent for the 10-day event beginning today.

Per its usual motif, this year's festival line-up features traditional big-name headliners in folk music. But a number of younger performers are getting in on the action this year and just may bring with them a younger audience.

Saturday, Sarah Jarosz, an 18-year-old bluegrass prodigy, will play with the Del McCoury Band at The Kent Stage. Wednesday, Old Crow Medicine Show will perform. The group has opened up for Dave Matthews Band and is comprised of relatively young musicians.

Bob Burford, public relations director for 89.7 FM WKSU, which is sponsoring and organizing the festival, said those two nights alone bring the average age of the performers down significantly.

"We did make a conscious effort that it was not going to be all old stuff this year," Burford said.

Yet the festival won't be without some of the genre's more seasoned acts.

Woodstock legend Country Joe McDonald will take the stage at the Water Street Tavern on Nov. 13 as part of the Folk Alley 'Round Town night, when 38 venues throughout Kent will host more than 50 bands and artists for free.

Mike Beder, the owner of Water Street Tavern, said he's thrilled to have such an important figure in pop culture play his business.

"In the last year since we've expanded I have tried very hard to get a larger community crowd and expose people to our Friday night music line-up," Beder said. "Folk fest served as a perfect vehicle to invest in an artist of Joe's caliber."

The festival opens its seven days of performances with a show tonight at The Kent Stage featuring Puerto Rican performer Edwin Colón Zayas. Opening night includes a reception at intermission featuring traditional pastries by Cleveland's Lelolai Bakery and is sponsored by the Gerald H. Read Center for International and Intercultural Education.

The festival wraps up Nov. 14 with a series of free music workshops on the campus of Kent State University and a performance that night by Banjo Dance with Dala at the stage. Tickets for all shows are available by calling The Kent Stage at 330-677-5005 and online at www.kentstage.org. Additional information, including a full list of performers, is online at www.kentstatefolkfestival.org.

Burford said the 38 venues hosting free performances during the Folk Alley 'Round Town is a new record.

"A lot of our established venues are offering more music," he said. "Instead of one performer, they're doing a whole night. We have a number of venues who have enjoyed success on the Folk Alley night and sort of want to extend the party."




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