1998 Lyons Folks Festival

August, 1998 festival review by Kate Rice with photos by Melissa Henke

It's that time of year again, folks. Even though I've long since passed the age of buying school supplies (at least for their intended use), I sense a change in the air. No matter how old I get, I'll always feel a bit of melancholy at the end of summer.

Here's the good news: I've found a cure for what ails me -- a way to look forward to this time, instead of resisting Mother Nature. In fact, the cure is nature. And music -- though not necessarily in that order.

The cure comes in the form of the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival, held each August in Lyons, Colorado. This was my third year, and although I attended as a member of the press, the festival is much more than a forum for articles. It's a way to relax, catch up with my favorite musicians and their music, and find new artists whose music I must possess!

Lyons is a small town nestled in between Longmont and Estes Park. It was dark when we arrived Thursday night, but even the shadows of the cliffs were beautiful. Standing in line the next morning, I stared at the now-familiar red rock, looking for the policeman who always stands guard at the top of the cliffs. It's probably not the same guard from year to year, or day to day, but from a distance they all look the same. What they can possibly be guarding against is anyone's guess. The folk crowd is the least aggressive crowd I've ever witnessed, or been a part of. Besides, what's a guy to do from hundreds of feet in the air? Shoot someone for dancing outside of a designated area? Hmm.

We found a shady spot in the tree line, which was a miracle in such a small area. There were people in attendance from all over the United States -- Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, even New York. Since it was an intimate setting, I caught bits and pieces of many "getting to know you" conversations. Not that I'm into eavesdropping. It was unavoidable. All right, it was fun, too. Many of the reviews I wrote are blended with other people's opinions.

First on Friday's agenda was the New Folks Showcase. Ten singer/songwriters were chosen to perform a couple of songs, with prizes awarded to the top five finalists. First prize went to Don Conoscenti. Although not my favorite, his was the most distinctive set. His music was more upbeat, and he created a comfortable rapport with the audience. Due to his energy level, crowd response was high (yes, I know because I overheard the people around me!).

Dave Boylan, last year's winner, was the first to perform after the showcase. He was great last year, and I was happy to listen to him for longer than the ten minutes he was allowed as a contestant! His voice and guitar playing made him worth the listen, and his stories about the songs had the audience hooked. He played one he'd written for his sister, bragged about his baby daughter, and did I mention that his good looks didn't hurt any either?

There were several other performers that night, leading up to John Gorka and Keb Mo. I did an interview with John Gorka, and though it's a long story, I ended up asking him to marry me during our brief time together. Apparently I wasn't insistent enough, because he's now married to someone else. I saw the band around his finger and knew that from now on, I would have to remain in love with his pudding smooth voice and give up the dream of having a song written for me.

His performance was being taped for PBS, so I of course chose to sit in the press seats, hoping the rain would hold off until his set was over. No such luck. Although I heard the first few songs (performed with Michael Manning on bass and Lucy Kaplansky on backing vocals), I fled from my seat when it started to downpour. Due to a cracked tooth incident – my own – I missed the rest of his set. I did return in time for Keb Mo, who put on a folky/bluesey set that had everyone out of their seats, regardless of the "No Dancing Outside Designated Areas" mandate. Keb Mo was sly with the audience, and they loved him as well as his music.

Saturday, we arrived too late to sit in the shade, so we threw our blankets down in the sun and prepared to bake our bodies and brains. The first few sets were typical singer/songwriter performances. Good, but mellow. It gave me a chance to wander around the festival grounds, wishing I could find a tie-dyed dress to my liking, or a toe ring that wouldn't fall off the first time I took two steps forward. The booths were filled with all sorts of trinkets, but I managed to not spend my money on items I would only wear once. I did, however, spend plenty of money on food! There was a cajun food vendor who happily took money from my friends and me all three days of the festival. The jambalaya, gumbo and etouffe were all incredible! I also spent some time down in the St. Vrain River, wading on rocks too large for good balance, and too small to be comfortable. It didn't matter. Standing in the middle of the rushing water and listening to live music was peaceful.

Then it was time for Natalie MacMaster. I could tell right away that this was not your everyday folk act. She was dressed in a powder blue tank top and flowered pants, and her curly blonde hair fell into her eyes as she played the hell out of her fiddle! I sat up front to watch her show, because her energy level was so infectious. She comes from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia way. Her music is rooted in Celtic tradition, and she had the entire crowd on its feet! She also had a guy up on stage, clogging to a couple of her songs. It was a great performance!

The Tim O'Brien Band was next, including his sister Mollie on vocals and John Magnie on accordion. I listened to the country/folk sound, glad for more down time to think of brilliant questions to ask John in our scheduled interview later that day.

The last group of the evening was Sweet Honey in the Rock, an African-American group of five female voices with only percussion as accompaniment. Their music was thought-provoking, political, and socially conscious. It was a great experience, but the night ended on a more subdued note than I would have liked.

Sunday, we were in the shade once again. Most of the music had an Austin City Limits feeling -- that Texas thing. The exceptions were Karen Savoca, who was groovy, and the Laura Love Band, who upgraded groove to funk and beyond. Then there was Peter Himmelman, who performed a wedding on stage! It was the strangest, yet most engaging performance that evening!

The festival closed with Steve Earle, returning to the Texas sound. Although I like his music, his performance lacked spark. His band was on the way home after being on tour for several months, and it was pretty clear they wanted to be on their way.

Once again, I wished someone with more energy had closed the show. Especially since my friends and I had to travel four hours to get home, and we were exhausted!

Exhausted, yet recharged. Ready to face the fact that soon the days would be shorter and the leaves would be blowing instead of the cotton. If any of this sounds like an ideal time, I promise you it is. Maybe in late August next year, those of you who are reading this now will be driving home from Lyons, ready to face the end of summer.