NorthAmericana Festival Digs Its Roots Into Harvard Square This Weekend (9/16-17)

For a number of years roots and Americana lovers and musicians looked forward to September for a massive bash celebrating the ever growing mass of talent in Boston in a conduit called “The New England Americana Festival”. Last year the festival was put aside onto a shelf and the absence was certainly evident to a number of folks, including a couple of the previous committee members who have decided to pick the torch back up and rebrand a new event under the clever moniker “NorthAmericana“.

Though in size it may be smaller, the line up consists of some of the best and brightest that New England has to offer ranging from the soulful pipes of blues badass Julie Rhodes to the rich and rootsy harmonies from the gals of Lula Wiles and the rocking, creamy guitar riffs of The Silks, its an event that has a little something, something for every lover of music and then some.

From the planning board, “The NorthAmericana Festival will take place on the week-end of September 16 and 17 in Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts and will feature a kick-off concert at Club Passim and an all day free open air concert. The Festival is part of Revival Week and will showcase a combination of veteran and emerging artists representing the full spectrum of American roots music, from blues to bluegrass and all in between.”

We caught up with festival planner and committee member, Patrick Coman, who just so happens to be bringing his Okie-bred, red dirt brand of bluesy folk to the fest as well.

RLR:I am real happy and excited to see a festival being revived in Harvard Square again this year. There is just something about the area in this time of year. How do you feel about using it as the backdrop for such a great event in September?

PC: I’m thrilled that we’ll bring this festival to Harvard Square. Over the years the square has been so identified with our area’s music history especially with the folk revivals of the 60s and 90s, that it makes perfect sense. The setting is beautiful as well and the Harvard Square Business Association has been so helpful in making this happen that it really makes you feel welcomed into the space.

RLR: There is a killer line up this year too. You guys kept it smaller than the NEAF had been in the past but still managed to highlight the broad spectrum of what “Americana” music is, particularly in New England. How did you come about curating the line up? Was there an open submission or was it more of a “these are the bands we love right now and think would make a real splash”.

PC: I think what was so special of the NEAF was that we could put together a huge line up of 60+ bands in a lot of different venues that it had a real SXSW-type vibe. Unfortunately with the changing economics of the square many of those smaller venues are no longer open, so we decided that an outdoor street festival was the best way to bring people together. With the smaller number of bands we really felt it was important to cover a wide range of “Americana” music with everything from blues to bluegrass to roots rock and country as well as mixing up-and-coming artists like Lula Wiles and Julie Rhodes with vets like Peter Parcek and Tony Savarino.

RLR: . So give us the details. Is there a big outdoor stage again? Vendors? Beers? Etc.

PC: We’ll open the festival with a Friday night kick off concert at Club Passim, again featuring a veteran performer and a younger up-and-comer, specifically Chuck McDermott (who was recently inducted into the MA Country Music Hall of Fame) and Jay Psaros. On Saturday, the festival will take place on Brattle Street with an outdoor stage featuring 10 acts from 12-9pm, which is free and all ages. We’ll have a beer garden on site for those 21+ and of course plenty of music and merch for sale from all of our bands.

RLR: What are you most excited these days about as someone who both performs and curates events that highlight musicians within this broad umbrella of “Americana”? Is it a good time for roots music?

I think this is a great time for roots music, especially in our area. If you travel around the country you hear people talk a lot about our scene and bands like Della Mae, Lake Street Dive, Margaret Glaspy, etc. are making a huge splash and definitely repping their Boston roots, which I think is a great thing for other bands and performers following in their wake. I’m excited for this event to put acts on the same stage that maybe wouldn’t normally bill together because sometimes you catch lightning in a bottle in a way that is hard to replicate in any other setting.

RLR: This will be a tough one, but who are you most excited about on the line up?

PC: Oh damn, that really puts me on the spot. I think I’ve heard everyone on the bill at least once before. Lately I’ve really been enjoying new albums from Lula Wiles, Julie Rhodes, and The Silks, but I’ve only seen them play smaller clubs so it will be fun to catch them on a big outdoor stage. Also my man Peter Parcek always seems to give you at least a few “how did he do that?!?!” moments on guitar so my advice to anyone watching him is to have your camera ready.

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Info:

September 16th – Kick off Concert 8pm at Club Passim ($15/18):

Jay Psaros
Chuck McDermott
TICKET LINK: http://clubpassim.org/club/north-americana-festival-featuring-chuck-mcdermott-and-jay-psaros

September 17th – Brattle Street Festival Stage 12-9pm:

Tony Savarino & The Savtones
Lula Wiles
Citizen Slim
The Wolff Sisters
Comanchero
Julie Rhodes
Patrick Coman
Peter Parcek
Miriam
The Silks