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Great River Folk
Turning the page to 2022
We’re turning the page on the 2021 Festival. We had a great time, met new and old friends and put on a great three day event. We didn’t keep it in the black, which is always our hope, but we have enough in the bank to keep going. We would have needed increased attendance of only 20% to make our numbers, and we’re thinking covid didn’t help. Currently, the performers committee with the Great River Folk Fest is back at planning the 2022 festival.
Pandemic Interrupts House Concert Series
Eddie Allen, Sarah Morris, Annie FitzgeraldBluff View House Concerts. The Delta variant has interrupted the start of the Bluff View House Concert series in Holmen WI. It was targeting its first concert since Feb 2020 on Oct 22nd with the local Trempealeau folk legend Eddie Allen, but it just didn’t feel right with so many hospital beds full. David and Lori Schipper are both vaccinated, but both from the earliest days of 2021, so if there is any immunity waning both are hoping for a booster. Probably also influencing their decision was the fact two of their friends who were vaccinated were hit with Covid and down for a week at home.
Camp, Canoe & Music in Winona
What started in 2005 to promote canoes and kayaks, is now an established fantastic festival just upriver from La Crosse in Winona MN, Boats and Bluegrass. While the first fest was highlighted by Trampled by Turtles, bluegrass is just one of the genres the roots flavored festival supplies. Truly in addition to its focus on music, it has not varied from that first mission of 80 acres of camping and adventuring on the river. If that sounds like heaven to you, then start planning for September 2022, because while they have a few day tickets available their all-weekend camping passes are sold out.
Groovy Grass sound from Wisconsin
When High & Rising first submitted music to our 2020 Songwriting Contest, we knew they were pretty special; and quickly became named to the finalist group. It was at height of the pandemic and here were Laura and Jym Farley creating great new music from their house as a new band. We had known them as part of Merry Weathers and had hosted during Sunday in 2019. The duo took 2020 to hone their song list and add their percussionist, Ben Rohde and made 2021 a target to introduce themselves and “Groovy Grass” to Wisconsin. During our contest we had a chance to sit down and talk to them for our Songwriter Conversations.
Humbird releases new CD
The Great River Folk Fest just got done hosting the Twin Cities rising star and Kerrville New Folk 2021 winner, Humbird and just like that she announces her follow up CD “Still Life” release to her incredible “Pharmakon”. The ten cut cd officially releases October 15th, but it is available for Pre-Order with a single release of “May.” Fittingly Siri Undlin the force behind this wonderful experimental folk trio, picked one of her calendar songs for single. She has released August, December, April and January in the past, and seems to be determined to get the calendar covered. May slides its way into your psyche bringing you a peace while the instruments with the help of Pat Keen and Pete Quirsfeld flirt around like spring sprites flying by. Enjoy the peaceful visuals with just a touch of strangeness in video made by Erik and Sarah Elstran:
Great new Americana Music site by Dave Schipper
There are many sites to catch up with what’s new in the music industry, and I’ve followed many through out the years, Paste Magazine, Americana Highways, NPR Music or Folk Alley to name just a few. Of course many people have heard me denounce Spotify as an evil way to listen to music because they suck the money out of the pockets of hard working musicians, but many find the connection of sharing playlists as community and I truly understand that aspect.
That's a wrap for GRFF 2021
From what started with a torrential rain storm Friday morning during setup, to having Red Square Audio get stuck driving into the park entrance, it looked like the Great River Folk Fest was going to fight rain for three days. Thankfully there was only one other challenge during the weekend, and Barbaro decided to turn off they sound and gathered in the round to play the 2nd part of their set to close Friday night.
Parenting and Songwriting by David Nash
the photo is of my two crazy kids who give me more writing material than I could imagine.David Nash. Last weekend at the Great River Folk Festival in La Crosse, Wisconsin, I was talking with Annie Mack, an amazing performer who had just finished a spectacular closing set following performances by Chicago Farmer and Greg Gilbertson. Somehow we stumbled onto the fact that we both had energetic 4-year-old children waiting for us back at our homes. We shared a moment of understanding at the duality of magic of parenthood as well as struggle to find time, energy, and inspiration while still being a good parent to young children.
The Joy and Benefits of Volunteering at the fest.
We are very excited for the Great River Folk Festival to be back in person at the north end of Riverside Park along the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Because we are an all-volunteer organization, we can't pull it off without you. Thank you in advance for participating and supporting the festival by being a volunteer. It is truly a joy to see smiling faces again, even if some will be smiling eyes behind masks. Plus we've been told long term friendships have blossomed through volunteering.
Fest is on Rain or Shine
Rain or shine has been the life of many a festival and the Great River Folk Fest has a wealth of experience in that matter since they have been putting on the annual fest since 1976. Of course it’s only been since 2014 that they had to re-think the festival rain site indoors at the University of La Crosse, to series of Site tents with the largest for the main stage. Per Dave Schipper the fest chair, “You plan on having tents to provide shade and comfort but when the rain comes, the show goes on and people don’t flee.”
Siena Christie takes first prize at The Great River Folk Festival Songwriting by David Franklin
Kyle Rasche/Siena Christie/Sam RobbinsGRFF/Dave Schipper. So, the performers have all gone home, the songs have been sung, the judges have mused and the votes have all been counted. That leaves only one thing left to do. Announce the finalists of this year’s Great River Folk Festival Songwriting Contest.
Songwriter Special
The August 27-29, 2021 Great River Folk Fest (GRFF) is going to be a treat if you enjoy excellent songwriting. First, the GRFF has had a tradition since 2009 that on Sunday there is a songwriting contest with 12 participants. The winners have been a wonderful eclectic mix and it was always a fun time. Back in 2020, the fest saw the pandemic as an opportunity to take the contest on-line and frankly the world opened to it. The 12 finalists didn’t have to make it to the fest, so they ended up with musicians from Spain, Germany, Canada, and all parts of America. Shanna in a Dress from Boulder CO won the contest with Amanda Pascali Houston TX and The Sapsuckers Soldiers Grove WI taking the other two spots. Shanna being the winner is booked for the 2021 festival.
Open Mic Returns and stronger
Open Mics are probably the most interesting or taxing on your patience that you can ever attend. Comedians love them to test out material and musicians hone their abilities to sing and remember songs in front of a live crowd. The audience is in for an experience either way. A few years back the fest chair brought up his history with the fest committee and recalled when they used to have an open mic on the main stage right before the Friday night concert. Specifically, Dave Schipper said, “I still vividly remember this banjo player who understatedly came on stage and played a simple song that repeated “Big Muddy, muddy deep deep” for about 2 minutes. It was both funny and perfect song for La Crosse; plus I never have forgotten it.”
Mary Mack to Emcee concert
Do you tune into the Academy or Emmy Awards for who is hosting them? Probably not. So, is it a big deal that the Great River Folk Fest landed the comedian Mary Mack for the Emcee of the Saturday night concert? Yes, it is! If you have had a chance to listen to her routines on the Big River Radio Wave show out of Alma WI, you would immediately agree. Mary is one of those Midwest people you fall in love with immediately. Her travels and job opportunities take her to California many times including on Last Comic Standing and the Conan show, and sometimes she finds herself in a world of salad instead of tater tots. She gets us and she is one of us.
Carrie Elkin and Danny Schmidt—August 29th: Carrying on a Long GRFF-UU Tradition by Ron Malzer
What do Peggy Seeger, Ann Reed, Johnsmith, Peter Mayer, and Bill Miller have in common? Each of them has done a dedicated service for UU La Crosse as part of the Great River Folk Festival (GRFF).
Driftless Makers Exchange returns to the fest
Since their first show Dec 1st at the Pearl Street Brewery in 2017, the Driftless Makers Exchange have been a pop-up arts and crafts show with handcrafted beer while they browse. Organizer Jill Parker found the idea of matching the show to a brewery after a visit to Portland, Oregon. The Great River Folk Fest chair known both for his love of Pearl Street beer and the husband of Lori Ella Elements, quickly found the format was wonderful, and the crafters were outstanding. He then facilitated the partnership of the Fest’s crafts with the DME and the 2019 Craft addition was super well received.
Hey Siri... Congrats
Twin Cities native and LaCrosse favorite Siri Undlin of Humbird recently was named to the prestigious 2021 Kerrville New Folk list whose past winners are household names like James McMurtry, David Wilcox, John Gorka, Robert Earle Keen Jr., Johnsmith, and Lucy Wainwright Roche. Dave Schipper, the Great River Folk Fest chair, sat down to talk to her about that and other news plus she had fun with the Great River Folksinger Factoid survey since she is booked for the August 27-29th fest coming up at Riverside Park.
Jake La Botz featured Sunday at the fest
The daytime song swaps at the Great River Folk Fest have always been a fan favorite because the interaction between the musicians can be magical. One tends to inspire the other, and in too many other festivals, they don't get a chance to listen to each other. This year on Sunday, both the other artists and the audience are going to meet Jake La Botz for the first time and are they in for a treat. During the pandemic Jake moved to Winona MN for family reasons, and is just starting to get gigs at the Icehouse and Minnesota State Fair, and has not made his way to La Crosse yet. Jake has truly travelled and lived a full life in New Orleans, the Mississippi Delta, his home of Chicago, and of course a stint in Los Angeles. His time in LA was even filled with a little acting and making friends with Steve Buscemi who wrote an endorsement on his web page.
Bluff View House Concert series restarts
The Great River Folk Fest is sponsored by one of the 3-4 house concert series in the LaCrosse Area, the Bluff View House Concerts run by David & Lori Schipper from their home in Holmen since 2008. If you have never heard of a house concert, it is as old a Mozart and the Renaissance period. Even Turlough O’Carolan, the Celtic blind harper of the early 1700’s, would write compositions for many house concerts as he was hosted. Now today they are the intimate listening rooms where artists entertain 20-50 people. The Bluff View has booked 40 different national and regional artist like comedian Mary Mack, string bands like Lindsay Lou and the Flatbellies, folk legends of Bill Staines and Steve Gillette, award winning Irish vocalist Norah Rendell, Nashville stars like Emily Earle, and great regional talent like Pigtown Fling and Andy Hughes.
Songa touches on Jazz & Folk
The pandemic shut down many festivals and events including the Great River Folk Fest which had been an annual La Crosse WI tradition since 1976. What didn’t get shut down was the Songwriting Contest which moved online and boy was it a blessing. One blessing was a new relationship with Songa, Sherry & Mario Friedel, a couple from Chippewa Falls WI. During the contest the couple submitted many wonderful acoustic ballads, and easily made their way into the Finals Round. At that time Dave Schipper the Fest chair interviewed them and found out the rich music history and that Mario was an original member of the Jimmy Buffett Corral Reefer Band. Plus, when you stop at their website you also quickly see a picture of them with John Hiatt who Mario played with back in 1971. While Sherry is no fluff being a performer, vocal music educator, church music director, and co-producer of children’s recordings, Mario’s history stretch’s back to many bands from the 70’s to the today, and included Howard “Guitar” Luedkte and Janet Planet. You can listen to the interview here:
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Bringing acoustic, folk Americana musicians and news to the LaCrosse WI area. A year round lover & promoter of musicians that have played the festival the weekend before Labor Day.
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