Returning to the Porkies for the third straight year was Doris
and the Day Dreamers. Doris & the Day Dreams is a musical trio
from the Chicago area that was originally formed in 2008. This
is a restyled group formerly known Buster's Dream. This was
actually Doris' sixth year at the Muscial Festival.
Each
member of Doris & the Day Dreams has been influenced by their
own unique musical influences, and together they offer an
eclectic mix of traditional and contemporary folk music, blues,
jazz, swing and original compositions. The band members include
Kathleen Ehrlich, who provides the vocal talent, as well as
playing the concertina and various rhythm instruments. Linda
Garrett plays acoustic guitar, banjo and sings backup vocals.
Brad Fagala plays electric bass and acoustic guitar.
The Ragbirds
The Ragbirds have become one of the most popular touring bands
in their home state of Michigan, and can also be seen performing
all over the Mid-West and beyond, growing a loyal fan base in
regions throughout the country.
The Ragbirds have played between 120-150 shows per year for
the past few years, and have no intention of slowing down. In
2009 they went abroad to tour Japan and perform on the main
stage at the Green Room Festival in Yokohama. The Ragbirds have
been featured at some of the Mid-Wests largest music festivals,
including Rothbury, 10,000 Lakes, Summercamp, Hookahville, and
more.
The musical roots of The Ragbirds sound are complex - with
Gypsy, Middle-Eastern, Americana, Rock, and Latin influences,
all stirred with a Celtic fiddlers bow. In live performances the
band incorporates variations on traditional African drum pieces,
Charlie Parr of Duluth, Minnesota plays original and traditional
folk and Piedmont-style blues, accompanying himself on National
resonator guitars, 12-string guitar and banjo. Parr was raised
in Austin, Minn, in a household that prized traditional American
folk music and his style bears the influence of hours spent
listening to country blues records and Smithsonian/Folkways
field recordings. Charlie has performed publicly since 1988 and
he has shared stages and opened concerts for Haley Bonar, The
Black-Eyed Snakes, Baby Grant Johnson, Dan Rumsey, Paul Metsa,
Dakota Dave Hull, Cam Waters, Bob Brozman, Catfish Keith and
Greg Brown.
Lonesome Dan Kase
Lonesome Dan Kase – grew up in rural southern Michigan, where
listening to the radio he became hooked on the country blues.
Dan was listening to, he acquired a wander-lust and began
traveling around the country busking on street corners. After
spending time in California and New Mexico, Lonesome Dan ended
up in Denver, Colorado where he started playing in coffee houses
and drinking establishments.
Dan has put out 4 solo CDs as well as 2 with Crush Collision
Trio and one with 32-20 Jug Band. His most recent CD, "So Glad
I’m Livin’," was released in early 2009.
In August 2009 Javier Matos and Hurricane Harold Tremblay joined
forces to present a powerful Delta Country Blues duo. Javier,
from California, moved to Minneapolis in 2006 and has been
turning heads ever since. "Hurricane" Harold Tremblay is known
throughout the Twin Cities as one of the premier harmonica
players. He's graced the stage at the Porkies Festival twice
before, with Cool Dispositon , a Chicago/West Coast Blues Band
and more recently with the Summit Stunt Pilots, an acoustic trio
playing Roots/Americana. Together they play in HUD (Javier's
Delta band soon to be renamed to reflect its growth).
Po' Girl
Po’ Girl - Allison Russell, Awna Teixeira, Benny Sidelinger, and
Mikey "Lightning" August, make up the group Po’ Boy. This one
knock your socks off group, and one of the real favorites at
this year’s festival.
They are distinct voices with incredible harmonies; multiple
instrumentalists who bring the perfect sound to each song and
songwriters who pen poetic tunes you’ll find yourself humming.
Po’ Girl showcases a wide array of instruments-from gutbucket
bass, accordion, clarinet, banjo, dobro, guitar, to electric
bass, glockenspiel, piano, harmonica, bicycle bells, drums --
and they all frequently trade off instruments with each song.
This is one band hard to put a label on. They’re equally at home
in Douala, Cameroon playing the Massao World Music Festival, as
they are at the International Jazz Festival in Montreal, the
Winnipeg Folk Festival, the Woodford Music Festival in Australia
or just playing for fun for the people in Vondel Park,
Amsterdam.
This is a truly wonderful band and one our reader’s should see
and hear the next chance that they get to do so.
With heart, soul, and determination, Sam Corbin has traveled and
performed for the last decade, with no signs of slowing down.
Touring across the northeast and within his home state of
Michigan, he plays music with hints of Americana, Blues, and
Folk. His songwriting is strong and honest drawing inspiration
from personal experiences of love, loss, traveling, and
Michigan, from its beautiful countryside to it's struggling
economy. In the summer of 2009 Sam released his second album
"Michigan's Waltz". Although Sam has played in several
configurations over the years, he is usually found sharing the
stage with Jen Sygit, an incredibly gifted singer/songwriter
from Lansing, MI. With rich harmonies and tasteful arrangements,
they're a strong combo that is quickly becoming a favorite in
the Michigan music scene.
That 1 Guy
That 1 Guy—real name Mike Silverman—amazes audiences with
performances that are equal parts innovative sonic spectacle and
entertaining visual showcase. The
classically-trained-jazz-bassist-turned-musical-mad-scientist
performs with his Magic Pipe, a homemade instrument concocted
out of steel plumbing tube that allows Silverman to deliver a
mind-bending amalgamation of percussive rhythm and sound.
With an audiences that range from psychedelic warriors to
families and folks of all ages, he has played the Magic Pipe in
locales as exotic as Noumea, Istanbul, Scotland and Australia,
where That 1 Guy is celebrated as a modern folk hero. At the
prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Festival, he was presented with the
Tapwater Award for Best Musical Act.
This performer re-defines the term One Man Band. This is an
act you must hear to believe. Hopefully our video coverage will
give you an idea. It’s hard to describe and simply amazing.
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