Folk festival furnishes foot-stomping fun

A largely out-of-town crowd enjoyed an eclectic range of music and storytelling at the third annual Sisters Folk Festival September 26-27.

The event was on stage Friday and Saturday evenings at Sisters High School and Saturday at two new venues at the Hotel Sisters and the Village Green.

A smaller-than-expected but highly enthusiastic crowd turned out Friday night to enjoy a program that moved from cowboy poetry and humor to the blues and on to bluegrass.

Cowboy poet and singer Gary McMahan's "cowboyin' and ranchin' stuff" delivered in a wry, down-home style drew applause even from fans of more traditional folksongs.

Chris Smither writes and plays folk music which is heavily influenced by Mississippi Delta blues. Playing a blue guitar and adding rhythm with his left foot, Smither awed the audience with his skillful picking, hammering-on and note bending, producing an avalanche of notes.

The evening closed with folk/bluegrass sounds from Kathy Kallick and the Little Big Band.

On Saturday afternoon in the Village Green, Portland storyteller Will Hornyak kept both kids and adults enthralled with a variety of regional and ethnic tales. Hornyak drew laughter by incorporating toddling infants and wandering animals into his stories.

"You always have enough to make a story and you can never wear it out," he said.

Festival headliners and local artists including A Scottish Heart added to an enjoyable afternoon in the park.

At the Hotel Sisters, finalists in festival's songwriting contest performed on the patio stage. The Hotel set featured previous years' winners in return engagements.

Dave Carter returned with a full band, including singer and fiddle player Tracy Grammer whose sweet fiddle could be heard throughout downtown Sisters. Carter and Grammer received an ovation from the Hotel audience for their rendition of Carter's original "Kate and the Ghost of Lost Love."

Darryl Purpose of Los Angeles, California, took top contest honors.

"I feel great," Purpose told The Nugget. "I like to participate in these competitions. There should be more competition in the music business, you know."

Purpose added that "the most fun thing about this showcase is getting to know the other writers."

On stage at the High School Saturday night was "Prairie Home Companion" guitarist and National Fingerpicking Guitar Champion, Pat Donohue.

Like all the Saturday night performers, Donohue was called for an encore with a standing ovation.

Greg Barnhill returned to the High School stage after a successful Starry Nights performance earlier this year with his brand of smooth, hard driving country/folk, and gravel-on-demand voice.

"You guys live in paradise," he told the audience.

Closing the festival was banjo and guitar picker John McEuen joined by Phil Salazar on fiddle and McEuen's son, Jonathan, on guitar.

McEuen and his sidemen roused the audience with a mixture of instrumental virtuosity and wry humor and pulled them into the show to sing along on "Will the Circle Be Unbroken."

Folk fans enjoyed the variety and the quality of the performers concentrated at a single event.

John and Barbara Halle and their daughter Melissa visited from Portland for the festival.

"There is an amazing amount of talent here," said John. "I haven't heard anything like this anywhere else."