The second annual Sawtooth Music Festival will take place Saturday, July 28, in the quintessential mountain village of Stanley, 60 miles north of Ketchum. The event is a benefit for the Stanley Community School.
Held in one of the most beautiful spots in the lower 48 states, the show features Boise-based musicians Kris Doty, Rebecca Scott Decision and Hillfolk Noir, as well as Matt Hopper & the Roman Candles from Alaska, Finn Riggins from Hailey, and the San Francisco-based band Free Peoples.
Travis Ward, known for his work in the region with other bands, fronts the new group Hillfolk Noir. After a show, a bartender at Boise establishment Pengilly's was quoted as saying, "You guys sound like Johnny Cash on Robitussin." At least that's what is says on the band's amusing Web site.
The Hailey-based Finn Riggins has been playing around the region for about a year. Originally from Moscow, the band is made up of Cameron Bouiss, Eric Gilbert and Lisa Simpson. The group is eclectic with a progressive folk, art, rock sound.
An institution in Idaho's folk rock music scene, Rebecca Scott played with many musicians of note including Jonatha Brooke, Shawn Colvin, Rosalie Sorrells and Dar. The band recently shared billing with Dishwalla, Shelby Lynne and fellow Boisean Curtis Stigers. She often appears in the Wood River Valley. For the third straight year, Scott was named Best Singer for 2006 in the Boise Weekly's coveted Best of Boise Readers' Choice Awards. And for two years running, she was also voted Best Local Singer, and earned second place for Best Band.
Free Peoples plays a fusion of bluegrass, folk and jazz. A true collaborative band, it consists of Tim Sawyer and Johnny Downer on lead vocals and guitar, Michael Dipirro on bass and vocals, James Foster on drums and Jason Thor on trombone, percussion, and vocals.
Matt Hopper is a musician who blends pop, folk, classic country and rock. When playing solo shows around the country, he plays with his band The Roman Candles, voted best local band in 2003 by Anchorage Press readers and top three by Anchorage Daily News readers. Described in print as "a musical prodigy" by the Fine Print magazine, Hopper has shared stages with the likes of Todd Snider, Tim Easton, Gin Blossoms and the Young Dubliners.
The festival will include food and craft vendors, and camping will be permitted in Pioneer Park on Saturday, July 28, only. Beer and wine will be available with an ID. Picnickers, blankets and low-back chairs are welcome. No glass will be permitted in the park. Dogs are permitted at the festival and in the camping area.
To purchase tickets, go to sawtoothmusicfestival.com. Tickets are also available at the Record Exchange in Boise, Chapter One Bookstore in Ketchum and Peaks & Perks in Stanley.
Free Peoples rock the Sawtooths in 2006 at the Sawtooth Music Festival in Stanley. Photo by Dana DuGan
