Into every outdoor festival, a little rain must fall.
And if you’re unlucky…better fish out the hip-waders.
Actually, it wasn’t that bad at the 17th Black Potatoe Music Festival. A series of canopies seemed to keep everyone reasonably dry on Friday and Saturday nights at the scenic Red Mill Museum Village in Clinton.
A lot of great music filtered between the raindrops. And, as far as we know, festival co-founder Matt Angus’ new titanium hips are rust-proof.
Photos by Adam Casadevall, Dan Coughlin & Kevin Coughlin. Please click icon below for captions.
We heard good reports about Jimmy Vivino and the Barn Burners on Friday. On Saturday, we discovered some entertaining acts.
Katie Dill did a couple of charming original tunes on a 1980s-vintage Omnichord machine that reminded us of Dala’s Amanda Walther on the glockenspiel.
A Toronto native, Andy Sheppard of Find the Others, did some moody, introspective noodling that was intriguing. Check out Farewell to Winter.
When another act failed to show, keyboard player Karl Dietel gave the equivalent of a musical filibuster, playing nonstop for nearly an hour. No leaning on music stands. No bathroom breaks.
Willy Porter also stood out, and not just for his unusual nine-string guitar. He composed a song on the spot, from subjects suggested by the audience. It was quite amusing–as was his “tribute” to the financial industry, How to Rob a Bank.
The Matt Angus Thing cranked things up a few notches on the Quarry Stage. Fortunately, the rocky backdrop held firm.
All in all, a splendid festival. Our thanks to photographers Adam Casadevall and Dan Coughlin for their help capturing some of the excitement.
