Last week we gave you a look at a few of the artists and craftspeople who will be selling their wares at the arts festival. We’ll be posting about more artists soon, but today, we wanted to give you a preview of some of the musical performances.
The arts festival is actually one of three festivals taking place in Polish Hill on the weekend of July 17-18. The church festival is on Saturday, and the arts festival on Sunday. The third and newest festival is the Free4All Music Festival, which takes place on both days. There will be music workshops at Project 53, the musician’s resource center on Melwood Ave, and performances at outdoor locations.
Above, Joy of Project 53, plays a song with the Kitty Cats, who composed a song and performed on the spot at the 2009 arts festival.
On Saturday, Free4All will have music performance in the upper parking lot at the West Penn Recreation Center. On Sunday, the music festival performances will be in the big tent at the arts festival–which means that there will be great live music for all 8 hours of the festival, some of it from bands that residents might already have heard.
At last year’s arts festival, Timbeleeza (above), with their infectious Brazillian drumming, was a big hit. We’re very excited to have them come back this year. It’s completely impossible to stand still while they’re playing.
The Slavic-tinged marching band Good Game (above) livened up Polish Hill on May Day, when they and a crowd of costumed revelers marched through the neighborhood and down to West Penn Park for a springtime celebration.
Coaltown Noir, a trio playing dark old-timey songs complete with washboard and banjo, was one of the winners at the Silly Little Talent Show, organized by Erin Peebles, back in February.
Buddy Nutt is a one-man band, playing ukelele, musical saw, silver cornet, spoons, vibraslap, and electronic gadgets.
Midge Crickett plays “silly and sad” songs and plays the cello. She’s super-cute and charming; you can see one of her performances here.
Evil Twin is another solo act; aka Polish Hill resident and biofuels activist Gina Favano.
And Mother of Fire, from Minneapolis, with a violin, bass, and guitar, describe their sound as “spitting sulfur, churning heat”. You can hear their music here.
There may be another band or two, TBA. For more information about the Free4All Music Festival, check here. And for information about the Polish Hill Arts Festival, Sunday July 18, look here.
