Sisters Folk Festival returns in high style

All the town's a stage in Sisters for one weekend every September, and for over two decades the Sisters Folk Festival (SFF) has celebrated the annual three-day event with Americana/folk music traditions and all the sensational variations - including bluegrass, blues, country, jazz, Celtic, and various styles of Latin American music.

The tradition continued last Friday evening under clear skies as fans welcomed an eclectic mix of festival newcomers and a few returning artists that performed in 11 venues throughout the town to entertain and delight a diversified audience.

The festival was returning to action after being forced to cancel last year due to smoke impact from the Milli Fire.

"I think there was great anticipation of seeing many of the folks that were scheduled to play last year like Justin Townes Earle, Robbie Fulks, Amy Helm, Gangstagrass and more, and also to see artists that have been added to the lineup," said Sisters Folk Festival Creative Director Brad Tisdel.

"There was a lot of musical and cultural diversity, and we were excited to create an experience that celebrates the many strands of influence on what has become Americana music," he added.

The theme for this year's festival poster, "A Pickers Paradise," an original painting by Dennis McGregor, captured the true spirit of the festival.

McGregor said, "I wanted to do a tribute to the town that created this wonderful festival."

McGregor wanted to bring out the idyllic sense of a beautiful mountain town. This year's poster celebrates the Sisters community and environment.

More than 50 artists performed during the three-day festival, ranging from The Weather Machine - fronted by Sisters Americana Project alum Slater Smith - to the soulful sounds of Phoebe Hunt & the Gatherers; the powerful folk music of songwriter Dar Williams; Ben Hunter and Joe Seamons with their love for story-telling and 20th century folk songs (see related story, page 5); the honest and lyric-driven music of Anna Tivel.

There was something for everyone's taste.

Musicians took the stage with their guitars, saxophones, accordions, and every other imaginable instrument, including didgeridoos.

Trevor Green was surrounded by three didgeridoos, five guitars, and an array of percussion instruments. He's a one-man band, a multi-instrumentalist, and was pure energy as he brought the listener into the haunting mystical realms of his song "Rainbow Medicine," or to his foot-stomping tune "Let it Go." He weaved his love of the natural world with his passion for music.

This year's festival was full of fantastic music, free performances, workshops, and songwriters in the round.

"SFF hosted more songwriters 'in the round' than ever before, with three on Friday night and two Saturday," Tisdel said. "I think it is an engaging experience to see multiple artists in one setting and then hear the ones that resonate with you throughout the weekend doing their own sets."

"In the round" features a group of songwriters in a circle taking turns singing their songs. One writer sings a song and then the next sings a song and so on.

The festival offered over a dozen workshops - informal performances with Q & A between songs.

Talisk, known for their original and dynamic take on traditional Scottish and Irish tunes, served up a workshop at Sisters Coffee Co.

The audience learned that the trio are all from Glasgow. Fiddler Hayley Keenan and band-mate Mohsen Amini, who plays the concertina, met at a music festival and have been performing together for four years. They met guitarist Graeme Armstrong a year ago and now all tour together. Their fans also learned that the name Talisk derives from an area of Scotland.

"I really love visiting Talisker Sky, in Scotland, so we just took the 'er' off and it became our band's name," Keenan said.

Folks walking dogs, strolling babies and their entire families, made their way across the Village Green to eat a little or sit a spell in their chair or curl up on a blanket - with or without a wristband to get into a venue. Even without a ticket folks became part of the Sisters community, brought together by the event, enjoying themselves under the warm sunny skies during the day or under the starry skies at night.

Kelly Eldridge from Chico, California, was back taking in performances at SFF for the third time.

"The venues here are the most amazing festival venues that I've ever experienced," she said. "Some of the performances I've seen so far were just stellar. But honestly, I don't go to other festivals anymore because they tend to group people in one small area and the way this festival is laid out is perfect."

Earlier in the week, Sisters High School Auditorium stage came alive with the music of prolific folk festival artists that entertained Sisters High School and Sisters Middle School students during a dual school assembly coordinated by Tisdel on Friday.

Talented artists performed at all three Sisters schools throughout the week: Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley, Ben Hunter & Joe Seamons, James Hill & Anne Janelle, Trevor Green, Kaia Kater, The Accidentals and Phoebe Hunt & the Gatherers.

Tisdel said, "These artists will inspire the next generation of musicians, artists and creative thinkers, it is a phenomenal opportunity and experience to have our young people exposed to world-class musicians."

It was a sneak peek opportunity for Sisters students to listen to successful professional artists that enjoy giving back to the next generation of aspiring performers.

"When students can experience this music in their own school, in their school community, it gives them different perspectives on music, art, careers in the music industry and the music itself," said Kelley Moen, Sisters Folk Festival's new education program manager. "Sometimes it takes just one inspirational performance to have a lasting, meaningful impact."