8,000 Fans Celebrate WUMB's Sixth Annual Boston Folk Festival

By Anne-Marie Kent

"It was three days of everybody having a good time, not thinking about the war or any of the problems in the world. The music was just great," said one man who was among the thousands at this year's Boston Folk Festival. Produced by WUMB 91.9 FM, the nation's only full-time folk music radio station, the festival ran Friday night, September 19, through Sunday evening, September 21.

The Friday-night songwriting contest took on a coffeehouse feel in its new Lipke Auditorium setting, chased indoors by rain from the periphery of Hurricane Isabel. Anticipation grew as five contestants, chosen from more than 350 entries, each took a turn at the microphone to compete for the right to play on the main stage Saturday. Singer/songwriter John Schindler narrowly won the contest, besting second-place winner Carl Cacho and third-place winner Steve Roberson. All were praised for their talent. Contest judges included noteworthy performers Tom Rush and Joel Mabus.

On Saturday and Sunday, sunny skies prevailed. Vendors selling flags, windsocks, and kites shaped like gliding birds unfurled their vibrant wares in the autumn breezes. Children flew colorful kites they made in the children's craft area high above the field, which was filled with "folkies," sitting on folding chairs or stretched out on quilts and blankets. The perimeter of the field was lined with craft vendors and food trucks selling everything from the "benevolent burrito" to Pad Thai to Indian goat curry.

Between sets, throngs of fans wandered among the five stages, sampling from diverse music styles. Aside from the main field stage under Huru, where the headline performers played, there was a coffeehouse stage in the Ryan Lounge, another stage on the university plaza, a family stage at the Fox Point Pavilion, and yet another stage onboard a paddleboat. The harbor-cruising stage came complete with a band playing sea chanteys for everyone to sing.

Topping the festival's list of 37 acts and nearly 100 performers was 11-time Grammy Award–winner Emmylou Harris, who earned a standing ovation from the Sunday–evening audience. In return, she generously offered two extra songs, delighting the already won-over crowd. The night before, blues legend Koko Taylor and her Blues Machine hit a different note, delivering a booming performance, adding a taste of the Chicago blues to the Festival's diverse mix of traditional folk, contemporary folk, bluegrass, Celtic, and other world styles. Taylor's performance and the addition of a special blues workshop on Sunday signaled the celebration of 2003: The Year of the Blues.

"It was an amazing three-day weekend of music," said Pat Monteith, WUMB general manager. "This really was a first–class line-up: Emmylou Harris, Koko Taylor and her Blues Machine, Greg Brown, Tom Rush, and so many others." Other artists included Kate Campbell, Carol Noonan, the Tony Trischka Band, Richard Shindell, Greg Brown, Paul Brady, Catie Curtis, and Danu, an Irish band whose jigs and reels inspired many attendees to spring up from blankets and chairs and enjoy an old-country–style Ceilidh.

This year's festival was undoubtedly bigger and better than any previous festival. How will Monteith top this one? She's not saying for now.

Images from top down: 11-time Grammy Award-winner Emmylou Harris drew large crowds for her performance, the final act on Sunday, September 21; Koko Taylor and Her Blues Machine delivered a booming performance as part of "The Year of the Blues" celebration at the folk festival; One of the many harbor cruises featuring live bands, which departed from the UMass Boston's Fox Point Pavilion throughout the weekend. (Photos by Harry Brett)

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