MagnoliaFest Midwest
at Bean Blossom July 22-24
With a clear focus on acoustic and roots music, the inaugural MagnoliaFest Midwest is poised to be a major player with the nationwide festival season now underway. Held July 22–24 at the Bill Monroe Music Park and Campground in Bean Blossom, Indiana, MagnoliaFest Midwest features some of the top performers in the Americana genre.
The festival features two nights of headlining sets from the Bela Fleck Acoustic Trio, led by multi Grammy-award winning banjoist Bela Fleck. His trio features the fancy fretwork of the virtuosic guitarist Bryan Sutton (Ricky Skaggs) and world-renowned fiddler Casey Driessen on exploratory compositions and improvisations that defy categorization.
The Peter Rowan and Tony Rice Quartet span the range of acoustic music from straight-ahead bluegrass to jazz-influenced new acoustic music to songwriter-oriented folk at their performances Saturday and Sunday.
The Duhks, “contemporary acoustic, progressive soul-grass,” and one of the scene’s newest gems, offer daily performances at MagnoliaFest each of its three days. The five practiced, risk-taking twenty-something musicians and singers from Winnipeg feature a sound the Boston Globe calls “a fresh update on some time-tested folk genres.”
Roots-country musician Buddy Miller and his band perform Friday night’s headlining slot, touring in support of his Grammy-nominated Universal United House of Prayer release. Saturday and Sunday evenings feature the Drew Emmitt Band, a creative, acoustic four-piece led by the mandolinist/guitarist/vocalist that originally cut his teeth with the ‘polyethnic Cajun slamgrass’ of Leftover Salmon.
The music of San Francisco’s Hot Buttered Rum String Band appeals to traditional bluegrass aficionados as well as the most discerning folk audiences and dance-hungry jam-band fans when they perform Friday and Saturday. Additional festival highlights include sets from the Pinkham Family Band featuring Josh Pinkham, the 13 year old mandolin prodigy and Bay Area singer/songwriter David Gans.
Known for his ability to straddle bluegrass, honky tonk, folk and roots-rock the Shawn Camp Band performs Saturday and Sunday. Quartermoon slays the crowd with their husband-and-wife duets and sweet sounding harmonies. The Stringtown Pickers offer a fresh new take on traditional folk and bluegrass while still embracing rock and roll during their set.
Diversity abounds within the acoustic music offerings at MagnoliaFest with shows from bluegrass-centric Sloppy Joe, Spud Puppies, Steep Canyon Rangers, Steppin’ In It, The Tumbleweeds, and Uncle Earl.
MagnoliaFest Midwest is the first exhibition by the Magnolia Music & Events north of their headquarters in Jacksonville, Florida where they’ve made successes in the Suwanee Springfest and MagnoliaFest held in Live Oak, Florida.
“We are looking forward to bringing the quality feel of our previous festival experiences and presenting world-renown performers within this legendary venue for our inaugural event,” says Magnolia Music promoter Randy Judy.
The festival features a covered, open-air stage area with on-site camping in an easy to find location about 40 miles south of Indianapolis in South Central Indiana.
Advance tickets to MagnoliaFest Midwest are available now for $95 which includes primitive camping, parking, and park access fees by ordering online, calling 904-249-7990 for credit card orders or visiting the website <www.magmusic.com> for complete mail order instructions.
Full festival tickets at the gate are $110, single day tickets are also available at the gate only and do not include camping or campground access. Patrons must purchase a full festival or a Saturday/Sunday ticket to camp. Friday only: $30, Saturday only: $40, and Sunday only: $30. The festival will be held rain or shine. Children 12 and under are admitted free with accompanying adult. All full festival tickets include primitive camping. No dogs or fireworks are allowed.