Folk fest thrills crowds in Sisters

Austin songwriter Slaid Cleaves (center) looks on while his bandmates Oliver Steck (left) and Ivan Brown (right) turned on the Sisters Folk Festival crowd with some athletic stage antics.

Several hundred fans of American roots music gathered in Sisters last weekend for the sixth Sisters Folk Festival.

Those musical roots run deep and have spread wide, across many genres and styles of music -- and those styles were well-represented at a weekend full of shows on the Village Green and at Bronco Billy's Ranch Grill & Saloon.

From the Western music of Saturday evening's headliner Ian Tyson to the wailing Delta blues of David Jacobs-Strain and the bluegrass of Portland's Sam Hill, there was something for just about any audience member's taste.

The audience itself was diverse -- cowboys in big hats and Wranglers, hippies in tie-dye and overalls, old folkies and teenagers just discovering the pleasures of acoustic music. They had one thing in common: a clear appreciation for the music.

Austin songwriter Slaid Cleaves was astounded at how attentive the audience was.

"They were a great audience," he said, noting that they were really listenting to the music from the first note.

Cleave's Friday night set was a highlight for many festival-goers, combining sharp songwriting with humor -- and some crowd-pleasing athletic antics. Bass player Ivan Brown astonished the crowd by leaping up to stand on the sides of his upright bass -- continuing to play without missing a beat.

Cleaves dispatched accordian (and trumpet and harmonica) player Oliver Steck to rouse some audience support during "Breakfast in Hell," an epic recounting of the tragic fate of logger Sandy Gray who died breaking a logjam on a Canadian river in the 19th Century.

The crowd -- 800 strong -- bellowed "Hooo.... Hah!" as Cleaves sang: "Sandy Gray was not afraid/ He let out a mighty yell/ I'll be damned, we'll break this jam/ Or it's breakfast in hell, boys/ Breakfast in hell..."

Ian Tyson lived up to his legendary stature, offering songs covering a more than 30-year career in folk music. Tyson also stepped outside his well-known "cowboy culture" music to offer stunning vocal performances on American popular music chestnuts "Blue Moon" and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."

Tyson made special note of the quality of the sound provided by Stew Dodge Sound from Portland.

"You can really sing when the sound is that good," Tyson said.

Other musicians concurred.

"This festival has the best sound I've ever heard in any music anywhere," said Sisters guitarist Patrick Lombardi, who performed two sets with The Haymakers.

The Haymakers were one of several local acts, including Sisters' Big Eddy, that performed at the festival.

Local artists whose talents run to the visual arts and crafts were also on display in a seperate tent at the Village Green main venue site. Their displays were a popular attraction and added to a festive atmosphere that was enhanced by balmy sunshine.

Breedlove Guitar Company of Tumalo raffled an Ed Gerhard signature model guitar as a fund-raiser for the festival. Gerhard himself, one of the finest fingerstyle guitarists in the world, drew the winning ticket for John Pewther of Redmond.

Following the raffle drawing, perennial festival favorites Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer closed the show, leaving an audience that was reluctant to see the musical weekend end.

Many were already making plans for next year.

One man from Portland said he and his wife have attended every Sisters Folk Festival since its inception.

"God willin' we'll be here next year," he said.