The first night of the 49th Ann Arbor Folk Festival was unique to the festival’s two-night format. Rather than an evening of five performers/bands and an MC, Friday night’s show featured two groups: Junior Brown and Greensky Bluegrass. The departure from past folk festivals proved to be a big hit: the audience cheered on both groups from start to finish.
Junior Brown opened the night with his band’s down-home honky tonk country style. Brown was backed up by three bandmates on upright bass, snare drum, and his wife, Tonya Rae, on acoustic guitar and vocal harmonies. Brown easily went from twangy to bluesy to country on his awesome self-designed instrument, his signature “guit-steel” double-neck guitar, an electric guitar attached to a lap steel guitar.
The 10-song set featured songs Brown is known for, including “Highway Patrol,” “My Wife Thinks You’re Dead,” “Secret Agent Man,” “Stupid Blues,” among others. His songs are riddled with his off-beat sense of humor. Brown’s stage presence evokes that of country stars from the 1950s such as Johnny Cash and Hank Williams, from his tight jeans, cowboy boots and white cowboy hat to his smooth performance style. If you missed this show, do yourself a favor and get to the Ark the next time Junior Brown comes around. He’s simply a delight to see live on stage.
Following Junior Brown was the evening’s headline act, Greensky Bluegrass. There’s no way the “new grass” bluegrass jam band could have pulled off a short set, as most songs segued from one into the next, each song lasting 15/20 minutes. The audience was dazzled by a psychedelic light show on the theater’s walls and arc ceiling that felt like being in Las Vegas’ Sphere theater. The nearly-sold out crowd was psyched up for a high time in Hill Auditorium!
Headed up by Paul Hoffman on lead vocals and mandolin, the Kalamazoo-based band featured Michael Bont on banjo and vocals, Mike Devol on upright bass and vocals, David Bruzza on guitar and vocals, and Anders Beck on dobro and vocals and kind of the band’s MC. Their first return to Ann Arbor since their 2013 Sonic Lunch appearance, Greensky performed 15 songs, including their cover of the Traveling Wilbury’s “Handle With Care” and cuts from their just-released 25th anniversary album, XXV. The show ended with an encore performance of Jerry Garcia and David Grisman’s “Drink Up and Go Home.”
After about an hour of non-stop songs, Anders Beck announced “it sure is good to be playing Greensky music in the state of Michigan,” telling the audience the folk festival is their only winter show and that the band was thrilled to be invited to play the festival. To many in the audience, it felt like old-home week, having their favorite contemporary southeast Michigan bluegrass band back in town. Paul Hoffman thanked Zingermans for the backstage goodies, reminiscing that when he spent nine years working at the Food Dance restaurant in Kalamazoo he used to drive to Ann Arbor to pick up bread for Food Dance. Can’t get any more down-home than that!
Though the announcement of Friday night’s 49th Ann Arbor Folk Festival lineup was a surprise to many, it worked. The theater was packed, people were singing and swaying, and the night felt complete with the two very different types of music filling Hill Auditorium with lots of songs and joy.
Saturday, January 21 (review by Anja Sheppard, Mia Lambert, and Will Richardson)
The second day of the annual Ann Arbor Folk Fest was fun, festive, and fresh. It was a long show, but covered many different styles and philosophical approaches to folk music. The night began with Rabbitology, a one-person soundscape created by University of Michigan student Nat Timmerman. This was one of my favorite parts of the night–Rabbitology’s music is so unique in its ethereal sound, yet so grounded in the folk tradition of taking what you have and making music from it. Timmerman’s samples come from found audio clips recorded in the Arb! With her unique dance style and captivating sound, Rabbitology is sure to continue making an impression on the folk world.
The next act was John Muq, a Ugandan folk musician now living in Austin, TX. Muq was so incredibly captivating, both through his sincere songwriting and his hilarious spoken interludes between songs. He is a masterful storyteller, and I was on the edge of my seat every time he started talking about his life story. With a compelling life story, music that is warm and sunny, and the sole accompaniment of his guitar, John’s set felt like a true embodiment of folk.
Michigan’s own The Crane Wives brought the bright youth energy with them this year in their second visit to the Fest. When we were mingling in the lobby before the show, there were young folks sprinkled among the seasoned Folk Fest crowd and it was refreshing to see the intergenerational mix of people in Hill Auditorium. Donned in flowing dresses and colorful makeup, one could tell they were ready to see The Crane Wives. As soon as they took the stage, you could feel the electricity of excitement and anticipation from all corners of the auditorium. With artful harmonies and tingling riffs, this Grand Rapids-based band played both new and old records of theirs, all with beats and bass that made you hum along. As someone who grew to love them in high school and still listens to them now, it felt full circle knowing that both old and young fans shared this experience of seeing The Crane Wives live together.
Tasked with tying all of these acts together was Ryan Montbleau, the singer-songwriter from Massachusetts. As MC, he played a few tunes, cracked a few jokes, and kept the audience locked in for the four hour long show. I always find that the MCs shine at the Folk Fest when they compose their own tunes especially for the set, and we got a taste of Montbleau’s sense of humor through his compositions this year as well.
Hailing from Laurel Canyon, Dawes brought their unique, Americana/Folk Rock sound to the Ann Arbor Folk Fest. The 5 piece band brought a rich, jangly rock vibe, populated with alternating guitar solos, catchy drum beats, and fun synth keyboard sounds. Lead singer and guitarist Taylor Goldsmith’s stage presence was lively, dynamic, and absolutely unlike any other performer at the second night of the Ann Arbor Folk Fest. While Dawes’ setlist, including tracks like “Front Row Seat” and “All Your Favorite Bands,” was a rock-heavy departure from the some of the more traditional acts that night two had to offer, their uptempo songs and energetic performance kept spirits high throughout their 7 song set.
Amos Lee’s closing set tied a nice bow on the evening, with his powerful, timeless voice echoing throughout the Hill Auditorium. Lee’s songs were woven together with a graceful storytelling of his journey from the world of education, to his long career as a touring musician. Lee’s musical roots in early soul were evident in his performance, yet his contagiously chill demeanor and acoustic setlist (including an untitled, unreleased song, and a glorious cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide”) couldn’t have been more authentic to the Ann Arbor Folk Festival. The entire audience, first timers, long timers, and everyone in between, was entranced by his performance, giving Lee not one, but two standing ovations, bookending his encore (“Windows Are Rolled Down”) and yielding an emphatic end to a beautiful night of folk music.
This year’s Ann Arbor Folk Fest shone a light on the ever-changing nature of the folk genre. Every artist brought their own version of the music, whether it was on an acoustic guitar or a mini controller, and reminded us that folk is music that reflects the people. A quote from Rabbitology said during her set still sticks with me ever since the show ended: “I believe that folk music should be accessible for everyone.” The mixing of acoustic and electric, one-man and full band, and local with global in this night of folk shows how experimentation with, exploration of, and passion for this music helps it to grow with more life and love every single year.