"The stages are set for this year’s Hot August Music Festival (formerly Hot August Blues & Roots Festival) scheduled for Saturday, August 16, 2014 at the picturesque Oregon Ridge Park. The family-friendly event will include three stages of live music and performance artists; an array of local artisans and crafters; food and beverage vendors; plus activities for the kids.
Now in its 22nd year, the Hot August Music Festival continues to benefit Common Ground On the Hill, a non- profit organization committed to the unifying power of music, as well as the Baltimore Blues Society, a 501(c)3 corporation dedicated to preserving blues music in our region."
To get ready for the fest, Root Down In The Shadow sat down with Event Founder and Producer Brad Selko to find out how it all started.
Root Down In The Shadow: How did Hot August Music Festival get its start?
Brad Selko: While I was doing a benefit in downtown Baltimore it was suggested that I do a picnic at my farm, perhaps with Charlie Musselwhite. And soon enough we had an event with Charlie and Brett Wilson, with a little stage and a little awning. It was a great time; we even sold 300-400 tickets.
Root Down: The festival used to be Hot August Blues & Roots. When did Hot August loose the "Blues"?
Brad: It started out, "Blues" at my farm 20 some years ago and it's slowly evolved, losing "Blues" from the title 3 years ago. Having the best blues is still a priority. Tab Benoit will headline the 2nd stage. That will never go away.
But, in recent years we had Dickey Betts, North Mississippi Allstars, J. Roddy Walston & The Business. We turned the wheel hard & ended up with this year's lineup. We are now Americana, Funk, Bluegrass, & Alt-Country. There's something for everyone!
This year, we've had more positive feedback than ever about the lineup vs the other 21 years. It can be so hard to get it booked, but I'm very happy with how it turned out.
Root Down: Wow, 22nd year of Hot August Music Festival. What makes it so exciting to want to do this year after year?
Brad: It's just a little addicting. It's producing something and seeing the accomplishments, being able to share the experience with a friend. Little things, like looking forward to dropping a friend and his wife in front of the stage for Chris Thile and Nickel Creek. That makes me feel good!
Root Down: Festival popularity in general is through the roof in the last few years. What factors have allowed you to add a second stage in '10, and now a third stage?
Brad: First, It's my great Hot August family, some people have been working the festival for 20 years. Nearly 200 volunteers - It's amazing. During the festival, for me, there's no walkie-talkie, just his phone, trust everyone to do their job
Second, it's the location. There's a one-minute walk from stage to stage. The multiple stages allow longer sets for everyone. All the sets on the main stage are 90 minutes to 2 hours. Fans should be able to see most of everyone, with the 3 stages. Expect a grand finale with Old Crow Medicine Show and a mix of other band members.
Root Down: Hot August Music Festival happens to fall on the same weekend year after year with the longest continuously running folk fest in the country (Philadelphia Folk Fest on year 53 for '14), yet you draw killer Philly bands such as Dr. Dog (this year) and Chris Kasper (2012). Is it hard to get Philly bands, or is it a bonus like Newport Folk Festival/XPoNential Festival/Floyd Fest all being on the same weekend.
Brad: Actually, I never even thought of it. We're just outside the radius to be a factor for each other. We're like-minded, but each is unique enough to get enough of our own bands. My sort-of focus group does a great job of suggesting bands, like Turkuaz and Sister Sparrow.
Root Down: Other festivals are expanding to 2 weekends (Coachella), more days, and official pre-shows (Newport Folk Festival), yet Hot August Music Festival is consistently and happily one day? Do you find it less chaotic without the camping and/or exhausted fans?
Brad: Yes! Really, I love the site. It's less than two hours from Philly and DC, but 10 minutes from my house, here at Oregon Ridge Park. The park is not conducive to camping, but that's really ok. One day, in and out, and done.
Interested in Hot August Music Festival? Let's seal the deal by going through some ARTISTS TO WATCH!
ARTIST PREVIEW
DR. DOG (drdogmusic.com)
Philadelphia-based Dr. Dog is renowned for their energetic and exciting live shows. But don’t confuse the word “energy” with physicality – these guys aren’t going to dance around the stage or break their instruments, but their vigor is unmistakable as it pours from their music through your ears and into your brain. Now a 6-piece outfit, they’ve been touring all over the U.S. in 2014, gracing grateful fans with lively and expressive renditions of tracks from their latest album, B-Room, along with fan favorites from the several albums they’ve released in their 15+ years. Dr. Dog’s members delight live crowds by mixing it up and playing different instruments for different songs, like when lead singer Scott McMicken (who shares the “lead” title with bassist Toby Leaman) hops from guitar to bass to organ, or when the keyboardist (Zach Miller) takes a turn on the slide guitar while guitarist (Frank McElroy) fills in on keyboard. Rumor has it the drummer (Eric Slick) has been known to do guitar solos. Three of the guys, including “multi-instrumentalist” Dmitri Manos, even play something called an “Omnichord.” These are musicians with too much talent to confine themselves to categories, and their audiences reap the rewards – the fun they’re having on stage is contagious, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a live show review that says otherwise. - Marye Isaacs
Dr. Dog will also be playing the Lawn of Mann in Philadelphia on September 13.
Dr. Dog - "That Old Black Hole"
NICKEL CREEK (nickelcreek.com)
Nickel Creek is something special. Not many bands can take a 7 year hiatus and come out swinging like they did. 25 years ago, they formed as a bluegrass trio - Siblings Sara and Sean Watkins, and close family friend, Chris Thile. For 18 years they played together with little outlet or even side projects. They had played with acts like Alison Krauss, Dolly Parton, and The Chieftains, and on A Prairie Home Companion (Which fiddle player Sara Watkins hosted - the only other person aside from Garrison Keillor to do so). They even won a Grammy for their 4th album, Sides. Yet they had no diversity, even though they were billed as a progressive bluegrass band. In April 2014 they released Dotted Line. This sixth album clearly shows that no matter how good an act is, they can grow and comeback with something great. Dotted Line is a great album. It includes a lot of original work, like “Destination” and “21st of May”, and brings the long missing diversity to the forefront with a cover of Mother Mother’s “Hayloft”. Look forward to hearing a very cohesive set at the festival, with rich three part harmonies, tons of energy, and varied sounds that will give absolutely everyone in the crowd something to smile about and deeply enjoy. - Jeff Coon
Nickel Creek - Destination
Nickel Creek - Hay Loft (Mother Mother)
SISTER SPARROW & THE DIRTY BIRDS (sistersparrow.com)
The eight-piece soul-funk super-troop Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds have been wowing crowds with their fiery, groovy live shows. Based in NYC, with Arleigh Kincheloe (Glamour magazine described her as what you get when you “cross Amy Winehouse and Tina Turner with Mick Jagger”) leads a pack of seven musicians that includes the expected guitar, bass, drums, and harmonica – not to mention a 5-man horn section – none of which can drown out Arleigh’s impressive and powerful vocals. The bad released the EP Fight last October and have been touring in support of it ever since, building a passionate grass-roots fan base. Their sound pulls the best elements from blues, rock, gospel, funk and soul, mixes it all together and comes up with a pleasantly dirty but polished product that invariably turns their live shows into crazy dance parties. - Marye Isaacs
Don't Be Jealous (Live) - Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds
TAB BENOIT (TabBenoit.com)
Tab Benoit is a Cajun with the blues - and he’s taking you with him into his world. One does not simply listen to Tab Benoit. When he fires up his gravelly world-worn voice and beat up Fender Telecaster, you experience every lyric with him. Rarely does a modern bluesman carry forward the true sensibilities that formed the genre. Like most true bluesmen, it never seems to be about the crowds or lime light; it is about the form and feeling of the music. His voice and simple style carry you off to another place. Your problems don’t seem so bad, things slow down, and suddenly you realize things are what they are, and we all just carry on. It’s that shared catharsis that brings his cult like fan base together. While he’s not as well-known as some of his contemporaries, he is the sound and of the bayou. Probably most well known of his work is “Shelter Me”, which is the theme for Discovery Channel’s “Sons of Guns”; however he has a discography worthy of any large label artist. Tab has 18 albums - all of which he penned himself. Better still, he connects with every crowd. At some shows he’s been known to stop and talk with the crowd like they’re his friends, tell stories and make them laugh. “A sense of humor is about the best thing you can have” he says. Tab Benoit is about to bring the true essence of Louisiana style blues to Oregon Ridge. - Jeff Coon
Tab Benoit - Shelter Me
Tab Benoit - Louisiana Style
HOUNDMOUTH- (Houndmouth.com)
Houndmouth is a folk-rock-gospel-country quartet from outside Louisville, Kentucky. Heavily inspired and shaped by the late-60s (their self-proclaimed major influence is The Band) and drawing on old-fashioned folk music and classic country sounds, they might remind you of Alabama Shakes, Cowboy Junkies, or the Lumineers. They recently played a show with another Hot August lineup star, Dr. Dog, and impressed the crowd with their “ragged charm.” All four members contribute to vocals, allowing them to produce lush harmonies on top of their memorable guitar riffs and a generally gritty, backwoods blues sound. - Marye Isaacs
Houndmouth - Penitentiary
OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW - (OldCrowMedicineshow.com)
Roots. Americana. Bluegrass. New-grass. Folk. Alt Country. All of these terms have been used to describe Old Crow Medicine Show. They are in fact all of these. OCMS is a band that grew up busking on street corners and developed a truly individual style that crosses genres, yet manages to embrace them all. Their big break came in Boone, NC. when they were playing on the very corner that Doc Watson used to play in the 50’s. Watson’s daughter heard them playing and brought Doc to hear them. Once they were finished, he was quoted as saying “Boys, that was some of the most authentic old-time music I've heard in a long while. You almost got me crying." He asked them to play at the 2000 MerleFest music festival and they have been ascending since then. Among their many influences was Bob Dylan, and in 9th grade, Critter Fuqua came back from a trip to London with a bootlegged rough outtake from Dylan, called “Rock me Mama”, which he passed on to Ketch Secor. They worked it through and have been playing "Wagon Wheel" since they were 17. Critter noted in an interview that, technically, Dylan is listed as co-writer, but they've never met him. Amazingly the band was able to get the track to go gold without any radio airplay and it has now gone platinum since being covered by Darius Rucker. Their songs are infectious, their style is authentic to them, and they cut their teeth on live performances. This deeply multi-dimensional group is the Hot August Music Festival’s headliners - with good reason. - Jeff Coon
Old Crow Medicine Show will also be playing Philadelphia Folk Festival in Schwenksville, PA on August 15th!
Old Crow Medicine Show -Wagon Wheel
Old Crow Medicine Show - Down Home Girl
#HAMF
No food, cans, bottles or coolers are permitted. For a complete list of guidelines and restrictions, including nearby accommodations, visit www.hotaugustmusicfestival.com.
General admission and VIP** tickets are on sale now at www.hotaugustmusicfestival.com. Kids under 12 get in free. Re-admittance not permitted.
**VIP tickets are only available in advance (none sold day of show) and include: One parking pass, VIP wrist band, special entrance to the tented VIP area, complimentary soda/water/beer/wine, two meal tickets, a designated Main Stage viewing area, VIP only rest rooms, and a festival poster. Group pricing available by contacting 1-877-321-3378.
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