| at UMass Boston | September 13 & 14, 2008 | Call (617) 287 - 6911 for info |
©2008 Boston Folk Festival
WUMB's 2008 Boston Folk Festival - the rain didn't dampen the spirits!If you missed the 2008 Boston Folk Festival, you can still access the Program Book here. You can find the cover of the program book here. You can find the interior of the program book here. Rain at the beginning of the 11th annual Boston Folk Festival, Sunday September 14th at UMass Boston couldn't dampen spirits. Then the rain let up and things really kicked into gear. Eilen Jewel had the festival crowd dancing between the rain drops, with her Billie Holiday flavored vocals. Susan Werner showed off her strong voice, John Gorka, Eliza Gylkison and Cliff Eberhardt performed as “Longing for Eliza,” and Henry Butler wowed the crowed with his blues-based, New Orleans funk-style piano. Meanwhile on the Coffeehouse Stage, Annie Lynch and the Beekeepers exhibited their unique brand of alternative folk, and New England's own Jason Spooner Trio entertained the audience before the beautiful backdrop of Dorchester Bay. The "Songwriters in the Round" facet of the Coffeehouse Stage featured "New Songs/Old Roots" with Jud Caswell, Andrew McKnight and Chris O’Brien and "Shades of Blue" with Emily Elbert, Danielle Miraglia and Pat Wictor. Back at the Field Stage, David Buskin and Robin Batteau’s performance included the winners of the fifth annual Boston Folk Festival Songwriting Contest. The contest finals and concert were held Saturday night at UMass' Lipke Auditorium, and featured songwriters from as far as Texas and California, and as local as Lexington and Dighton. For the first time the contest featured two divisions, Nick Lattanzi of Belmont was the winner of the Youth Division, and Oen Kennedy of Paris, Maine won for Adults. The festival reached a crescendo with the performance of headliner Kathy Mattea. Featuring songs from her stunning new album "Coal," as well as past hits such as "Goin’ Gone" and a cover of Nanci Giffith's "Love at the Five and Dime," Kathy's set had the crowd dancing, clapping and cheering for more. Once again, great music was just a part of the 11th annual Boston Folk Festival. Each tent that dotted the outer edge of the Field Stage area offered a different experience for festival-goers. From handmade crafts and jewelry, to clothing, gift boxes, and even music instruments, there was something for everyone.Great food mixes well with great music. Festival-goers could enjoy top-notch barbeque, great cheese, gourmet coffee, and delicious Pad Thai and Indian food. The Boston Folk Festival has always been a family event, and this year was no different. If the kids got antsy, all it took was a trip to the children's activity area to produce a smile. An assortment of arts and crafts, helped along by volunteers, kept the kids happy and content. Folk festivals should always include helping others, and the Boston Folk Festival is no different. Visitors were encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item, and festival goers responded with several hundred pounds of food for the Pine Street Inn. Whether it was the music, the backdrop or the food, the 11th annual Boston Folk Festival was once again a feast for the senses.
Find the lists of 2008 Songwriting Contestants here. Congratulations to the five finalists in both the adult and the youth division.
|
And, the Songwriting Contest winners are... The First Place winner of the Youth Division is Nick Lattanzi of Belmont (photo left); the First Place winner of the Adult Division is Oen Kennedy of Paris, ME (photo right). Photos by Richard Danca. Both winners will perform their winning song on the main Field Stage of the Boston Folk Festival September 14th in addition to winning cash prizes. More details about the Songwriting finals contest soon. Congratulations to all the contestants - everyone one of the finalists did a great job!