The Second annual Big Wood Folk Music Festival will feature a mix of Wood River Valley musicians and bands as well as a number of Boise artists. Having grown into a two-day event, the festival will kick-off at Bellevue Memorial Park on Friday, July 18, at 5 p.m. and will continue on Saturday, July 19 at 1 p.m. Buttons for the two-day event are $10.
Headlining on Friday is The High Desert Band, an acoustic group from Boise, which plays music ranging from the Celtic roots of old-time mountain music to bluegrass, folk, cowboy and comedy music. The band features Randy Helton on lead guitar, Cathy Bourner on upright bass, Jerry Firth on mandolin and Kayleigh Jack on fiddle.
The High Desert Band combines intricate vocal harmonies with toe-tapping Irish and Appalachian fiddle tunes, as well as original instrumental and vocal numbers. It fuses old songs and music with its own progressive touch in an upbeat, creative mix of old and new sounds. Opening for The High Desert Band will be the Wood River Valley's own Slow Children Playing.
The festival will continue on Saturday featuring Boise musicians Gayle Chapman and Steve Eaton. Eaton is the headline act for Saturday evening and is a unique and innovative songwriter and musician.
Eaton has written songs for The Carpenters, Art Garfunkel, Lee Greenwood and others. Some of these songs have made it to Billboard Magazine's top 20, appeared on albums which have achieved gold and platinum status and have been re-released on multiple best-selling compilations.
He composes instrumental music for film and video productions for organizations such as the Nature Conservancy, CBS After School Specials, National Wildlife Federation, National Endowment for the Arts and The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Eaton has received Emmy Award nominations for two PBS television specials. He has played on stages in a variety of venues all over the country and was a member of several popular 60s bands including The Fabulous Chancellors, and performed as lead guitarist for Paul Revere and the Raiders.
Eaton was the founder and co-creator of Fat Chance, a power horn and acoustic rock band originating from Idaho and signed on the RCA/Victor label. He has opened for Ray Charles, Blood Sweat and Tears and Carol King.
Additional artists performing at the festival include valley bands and musicians such as The Boulder Brothers, Rosewood County, Aaron Baker, Public Radio, Bruce Innes, Michael White and Ted Macklin.
Festival schedule
The Big Wood Folk Festival is a two-day event at Bellevue Memorial Park. Buttons are $10. For details, call Michael White at 788-1526 or 309-1528 or Steve Fairbrother at 788-3424.
Friday, July 18
· 5 p.m. Slow Children Playing
· 7 p.m. High Desert Band
Saturday, July 19
· 12:15 p.m. Jesse White & Nate Gibson
· 1 p.m. Public Radio
· 2 p.m. Bruce Innes
· 3 p.m. Aaron Baker
· 3:30 p.m. Ted Macklin
· 4 p.m. Boulder Brothers
· 5 p.m. Gayle Chapman & Terry
· 6 p.m. Rosewood County
· 6:30 p.m. Michael White with help from Gayle & Terry
· 7 p.m. Steve Eaton
The Wood River Valley trio, Public Radio, will play on Saturday, July 19, at the second annual Big Wood Folk Festival.
