Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
The fourth year of the Palouse Music Festival will be Saturday, with a few twists added to the day’s attractions in Hayton Greene Park.
Formerly named the Palouse Bluegrass Festival, the event features a lineup of local acts with this year’s headliner Blue Funk Jailbreak closing with a performance slated to begin at 6:30 p.m.
“It’s very danceable, insane music,” said Paul Smith, the Festival’s music coordinator. “It should be perfect to finish.”
Bart Budwig, an Americana act on guitar, will play from 4:45 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The first musicians begin at 11 a.m. with the show closing at 8 p.m.
All day at the park the scent of wood-fired pizza will be in the air courtesy of Gear ‘N Cog, a Palouse operation who will set up a booth. Additional food options will be a walk downtown to the Green Frog and/or the new Palouse Caboose.
Palouse Music Festival entry includes an all-day wristband so attendees can roam. In addition, Paradise Creek Brewery will operate a beer garden, with all proceeds from the donated beer going to the Palouse Community Center.
The town’s municipal pool, at one side of Hayton Greene Park, will be open all day during the Music Festival, free to the public.
“We welcome families to come and hang out and enjoy the park and the music,” said Marie Dymkoski, festival director.
Arts and crafts sellers will be on hand, featuring items from painted furniture to jewelry and fine glass mosaics.
The musical lineup this year features one less act, for the purpose of allowing more time between later performances.
“In previous years the sound people have been rushed with some of the larger groups,” Smith said.
Another change for 2015 will be a “Shade Sail” over the stage to add more sun-break for performers.
In the later afternoon, while sound technicians set up headliner groups, youth performers will appear in the front of the stage, presented by Matt Zook, the Garfield-Palouse School band director.
Effie and the Echoes is the day’s first stage act, a group of five local women who sing a cappella.
“This is kind of half festival and half community variety show,” said Smith.
Next up, at 12 p.m. are the Panhandle Cowboys, a combination of Farmer Dave, a veteran songwriter and western singer from Pullman, along with J.B. Barber, a Genesee cowboy poet.
“It has to be high noon because it’s the Panhandle Cowboys,” Smith said.
Next on stage will be the local finger-style country blues of Jens Hegg, playing selections from Robert Johnson to Gordon Lightfoot.
“Anything could come out of there,” said Smith.
At 2 p.m. it’s Smith on fiddle and Steven Corbin on guitar as the Svenge Brothers, who have known each other since 1970s Los Angeles and played together on various occasions. Songs may include Billie Holliday to the country swing of Bob Wills to Ry Cooder, Patsy Cline and Hank Williams.
From 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. Lindsay Street will perform its four-piece Celtic folk with Elberton’s Robin Elwood on piano and button accordion.
Admission price to the Palouse Music Festival is $10 for adults, and $5 for kids age 6 to 15.
“I think this is a date you should put on your calendar every year, that you don’t want to miss,” said Dymkoski.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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