Falcon Ridge Folk Festival – 2007 Emerging Artists Showcase
In the folk music “industry”, emerging singer-songwriters wish for a handful of opportunites that exist to give them more exposure. Singer-songwriters will work hard to get a showcase spot at a Folk Alliance showcase, or to be picked as a new talent at the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival, or here on the east coast – the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival’s Emerging Artist Showcase has become the gig that garners the attention. Artists chosen perform on the mainstage on the Friday afternoon of the festival. Many of the artists who have appeared in this showcase in previous years are now headliners on the folk circuit.
This year, approximately 450 artists applied for a spot. 24 were chosen.
This year’s Falcon Ridge/Grassy Hill Emerging Artist Showcase are (in alphabetical order):
Anthony da Costa
Beaucoup Blue
Bob Sima
Chris O’Brien
Dawn Kenney
Derek Aramburu
Edie Carey
Five2
Heather Waters
Jennings & Keller
Joe Crookston
Joe Jencks
Judith Avers
Ken Bonfield
Lindsay Mac
Nick Annis
Randall Williams
Ryan Fitzsimmons
Sandy Cash
Siobhan Quinn & Michael Bowers
Stephanie Marshall
The Whispering Tree
Vienna Teng
Zoe Mulford
Beaucoup Blue
Bob Sima
Chris O’Brien
Dawn Kenney
Derek Aramburu
Edie Carey
Five2
Heather Waters
Jennings & Keller
Joe Crookston
Joe Jencks
Judith Avers
Ken Bonfield
Lindsay Mac
Nick Annis
Randall Williams
Ryan Fitzsimmons
Sandy Cash
Siobhan Quinn & Michael Bowers
Stephanie Marshall
The Whispering Tree
Vienna Teng
Zoe Mulford
The showcase will take place on Friday July 27th from noon until 4:30pm. I know most of the performers, but there are several who I’ve not had the opportunity to hear. Of those whose work I am familiar with, I highly recommend Joe Crookston, Joe Jencks (who has a new CD coming out – details to come shortly), Nick Annis, Ryan Fitzsimmons, Zoe Mulford. Anthony Da Costa is also an artist to watch. He is only 16 years old, but he writes songs that speak of worldly experiences far beyond his years. Falcon Ridge is liably to be a breakout performance for him as well as the other selected artists.
This is the 16th year of the Emerging Artist Showcase, and it has become a “must see” event. This year judges who had to choose from approximately 450 submissions. The judges were Susan Forbes-Hansen, host of the Sunday Night Folk Fest on WHUS, Jake Jacobsen from Circle of Friends Coffeehouse in Franklin MA, Carole Metsger, former chief cook and bottle washer of the Falcon Ridge Performer Music Sales.
For more information about Falcon Ridge, visit their website at http://www.falconridgefolk.com/