"Thank
you for all the work you've done. We brought some friends
from overseas and this was their first festival ever.
They're planning to come back next year too!" Bill W., Salt Lake City, UT
Aaron Espe - For the fourth year in a row, FolkWest has welcomed submissions from hundreds of emerging artists from across the nation who are competing for the opening performance slot on Friday. This year’s selected artist is Aaron Espe, who was chosen from a field of more than 300 entrants.
Alighting upon the folk music scene two years ago from the upland wilds of Northern Minnesota, Aaron has begun to garner the attention that one might expect from a significant young talent. His recent nods include: Featured artist for the 2007 Volkswagen Auto Tour; showcased artist for the 2007 Folk Alliance Convention in Memphis, Tennessee; selected among the top-ranked unsigned folk artists on MySpace.com.
If such a thing as the clichéd “total package” exists, then attending one of Aaron Espe’s concerts offers attendees a hint as to what it may be.
The Belleville Outfit - With a tight, seamless, acoustic sound that's uniquely theirs — a mix of gypsy swing, big band jazz and cross-genre Americana music, original songs and some clever covers — the startling six-piece Belleville Outfit of Austin belies the tender age of its members and its vast experience garnered swiftly after its union around Merlefest 2007 in Wilkesboro, N.C. After that fortuitous performance, they each decided to give the band their all. Its name (“belle ville” means beautiful town in French) honors New Orleans and the dramatic influence Hurricane Katrina had on the city and the Loyola trio. And “Belleville” is also the name of a Django Reinhardt song, which exemplifies a great portion of the band’s sound.
In the six months after their formation, the band played for more than 10,000 people at shows all the way from Texas to Tennessee, from Colorado to New York, and sold out shows up and down the East Coast and through Texas.
Boulder Acoustic Society - Each member of BAS comes from a different musical world, and the resulting mix is what makes their music so special. Shredding guitar licks, soaring gypsy violin, a little ukulele and the thump of an old time bass bounce around with a jazz accordion and creative percussion to create a new sound. It is American Roots music with the edge of punk rock and the grace of chamber music.
This joyful chaos has defined BAS for the last four years of relentless touring, recording and rehearsing. They have crisscrossed the country countless times building a following the old fashioned way: by making connections with fans one at a time.
The Infamous Stringdusters - The Infamous Stringdusters represent a new generation of young bluegrass musicians. With Andy Hall on Resonator Guitar, Travis Book on bass, Chris Pandolfi on banjo, Jesse Cobb on mandolin, Jeremy Garrett on fiddle and Andy Falco on guitar, the band pulls together skill and experience well beyond their years. They boast a combined resume that includes collaborations with artists like Dolly Parton, Leftover Salmon, Earl Scruggs, Bering Strait, Ronnie Bowman and Levon Helm. Their Sugar Hill debut, Fork In The Road, was one of the most highly acclaimed bluegrass releases of 2007. It has been praised by fans of traditional bluegrass and newgrass alike, proving that the young Nashville-based band offers something for everyone. The disc features a diverse selection from the Stringdusters’ vast repertoire, with hard driving original instrumentals like “40 West” along with more contemporary arrangements like “Tragic Life”… The band has performed at some of the country’s biggest acoustic music festivals as well as large concert halls, intimate clubs, and everything in between.
