Ah yes, Memorial Day weekend – act one in the trilogy of big summer barbecues. While the 4th of July and Labor Day get most of the glory, Memorial Day offers you that first taste of summer. Whether you’re sitting in traffic while heading to the beach or swatting at mosquitoes in your backyard you’re probably going to need a soundtrack. What better way to accompany burgers and brews than with a playlist featuring some of the funkiest tracks on OurStage? Be sure to check out this video of “Tha BBQ” by DK aka Wayne Watts from his album Tha Firelane Project. Bring on the potato salad!
Tag Archive for 'summer music'
Traditionally, summer implies a feeling of bliss and a time to relax, but it can go by so quickly. Do you ever have that feeling when you’re having such a good time that you just want to put things in slow motion, take a step back and relish the moment? I call it the Dawson’s Creek moment. Every teen show has it; the slow motion, happy montage that wraps up the season.
Now, when your lying on the beach or driving in your car with the windows down catching that warm scent of freshly cut grass and the summer blues wash over you, OurStage will be right by your side with this perfect soundtrack.
It seems like it was just yesterday that Bob Dylan riled up a lot of die hard acoustic fans by switching to an electric guitar at the Newport Folk Festival. In reality, this memorable event took place 44 years ago in 1965, six years after the very first Festival in 1959.
Pete Seeger and His Banjo
A lot has changed since then but as the Festival celebrates its 50th year this summer, much remains the same. Renowned folk artist Pete Seeger, one of the original founding members of the Festival, will take the stage once again. (Seeger recently hit another milestone himself: his 90th birthday!) Joining him will be fellow folk classics like Judy Collins, Joan Baez, and Arlo Guthrie.
This year the full lineup says “In with the old, but in with the new too.” Folk fans of all ages are sure to find something they’ll love with the addition of popular current artists to the classic event. Neko Case will be there, along with Ben Kweller, The Decemberists, and Iron & Wine. You can see the full lineup at folkfestival50.com.
The Newport Folk Festival has a rich history filled with hugely famous names. It helped get Bob Dylan off the ground; his 1963 Newport appearance is widely regarded as his first major national performance. Dylan returned the next year with singer/songwriter Joan Baez, who had performed back at the very first Festival in 1959. So many huge names have performed in Newport over the years, the list would make any summer concert event tremble. Try Johnny Cash, Howlin’ Wolf, Emmylou Harris… if you’re looking for classics, this New England staple has got your number.
Ben Kweller and His Guitar
This year it all takes place July 31st through August 2nd at Fort Adams State Park in Newport, Rhode Island. Tickets go on sale TODAY at 10 AM! You can go just one day or multiple days. Don’t miss your chance; more information about purchasing tickets is available here. There will be arts and craft vendors selling their products at the Festival, plenty of open air space to enjoy and surely some good food and drink.
We hope to see you there for a weekend of great music and memories to last a lifetime. Fifty years from now when the 100th anniversary rolls around, you’ll want to be able to say you were there.
Break out the coolers and start planning those road trips because summer is on its way. There are few things in this world that can draw masses of people halfway across the country to spend their minimal savings on a single weekend. A summer musical festival is one of them. From hippies craving nostalgia to college students scraping together their loose change for months, these festivals see such a draw of people that I’m sure they aren’t giving too much thought to these rough economic times. On that note, I’m going to take you on a tour of the five most notable warm weather festivals that deserve your attention this year.
SXSW:
First on the itinerary is the week-long party of southern hospitality that is the SXSW music festival in Texas. The unique thing about this festival is its location: it doesn’t really have one. Rather, this celebration of music scatters mainstream and up-and-coming acts all across the Lone Star State to select bars, clubs, and outdoor spaces. Unfortunately, here comes the bad news, this festival happened a few weeks ago. If you went this year you probably enjoyed such names as Third Eye Blind and Ben Harper and Relentless7. If you’ve been following our coverage you know that over 80 OurStage artists played SXSW. Make sure to check out this festival next year if you missed it; it’s a great way to start off your own tour of summer music fests.
** Special Note: In honor of the last day of Finals Week, we (Alyssa, Julie, and Quinn) are profiling the artists who made it to the number one spot in their respective channels. **
The Honors are boys after my own heart! Their tune ‘Fantasy is Easy‘ is at the #1 spot on the Newport Folk Festival channel as I type. Now I, personally, got about 2 hours of sleep last night and it’s been a super stressful day at OurStage (I mean it’s the last day of finals week … so it’s to be expected). But I’m listening to the track as I type to capture the feeling in my post … and, I’m not even kidding, this song is actually de-stressing me!
Fantasy is Easy has got a mellow, folky vibe that makes you want to get your friends together in a park for a lazy game of frisbee or wiffle ball … or maybe just watch other people play … regardless of the activity there’s definitely lemonade involved… and people are laughing… and it’s sunny. The harmonica interlude is a nice touch too! There’s no doubt that The Honors bring some serious musical competition to the game right now. You can listen to them here in my blog but if you want to help them win the $5000 grand price go to OurStage.com/judge and show your support.
