Special to The PREVIEW
Excitement continues to build around the 13th annual Pagosa Folk ‘N Bluegrass festival, which gets underway in just two weeks on Friday, June 8, on Reservoir Hill.
The three-day outdoor event will bring music lovers from around Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, Texas and beyond for amazing live performances from a stellar lineup.
This year’s performers include Tommy Emmanuel, Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper, Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley, The Giving Tree Band, Luke Bulla Trio, Caitlin Canty, Bonnie and the Clydes, Coral Creek, The Good Time Travelers, The Arcadian Wild, FY5, Sugar and the Mint, Tallgrass and this week’s featured artists: The Way Down Wanderers, and Thunder and Rain.
http://www.pagosasun.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/ff-Waydown_Wanderers_web-300x188.jpg Photo courtesy FolkWestThe Way Down Wanderers
Equal parts fast-paced and soulful, five-piece modern-folk Americana act The Way Down Wanderers draw listeners in with energy, originality and soulful generosity.
Playing, performing and writing together for just three short years, the Wanderers have built an enthusiastic and fast-growing following. Youthful and professionally trained, these young men captivate audiences with soaring instrumentals, foot stomping sing-alongs and a lively stage show and have created a buzz for themselves with their unplugged, off-stage encores and propensity for performing self-titled “restSTOMPS” — free acoustic sets at rest and truck stops along their tour routes.
The band’s debut, self-titled album was produced by Mike Marsh of the Avett Brothers and recorded at Sonic Ranch in El Paso, Texas. The group’s single “Dead Birds” is an International Song Writing Competition finalist.
Front-men and founders Austin Thompson and Collin Krause met in their hometown of Peoria, Ill., when they joined the same folk band and embarked on their first tour at the ages of 14 and 18. The two became fast friends and soon began writing music together, ultimately forming The Way Down Wanderers when Krause was 16 and Thompson was 20.
Thompson fills guitar, lead and harmony vocal roles, as well as percussion in the studio. Thompson studied music at the collegiate level, where he grew as a musician. He finds much inspiration for his lyrics in the beauty of nature and his love for hiking. He adds his unique musical influences of rock, folk and the spoken word to the music he writes and performs.
Krause plays mandolin, fiddle and sings lead and harmony vocals for the band. Krause became involved in music when he began taking classical violin at the age of 3. Growing up around traditional roots and bluegrass music had a big influence on him. Krause enjoys writing, co-writing and arranging music for the band.
John Merikoski has been playing drums since age 9 and is featured on dozens of recordings, ranging from jazz and metal to hip-hop and bluegrass. In 2012, he was awarded a full-ride scholarship to study jazz performance for drum set at the University of Illinois. He’s currently on break to pursue The Way Down Wanderers full time.
John Williams provides rhythm on the upright bass plus backing vocals. He’s a former classical upright bass performance major who also enjoys singing, songwriting and entertaining a crowd.
Travis Kowalsky got his start in music at a very young age in his family’s band. He is entirely self-taught and can play pretty much any instrument he picks up, but focuses on banjo and fiddle for The Way Down Wanderers, who were lucky enough to meet Kowalsky at his hometown festival in Alpena, Mich. He has been touring with the group ever since.
The Way Down Wanderers will close the main stage on Friday, June 8, at 8:30 p.m., and have a second set on the late night stage on Saturday, June 9, at 10:30 p.m.
http://www.pagosasun.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/ff-thunderrain_web-300x188.jpg Photo courtesy FolkWestThunder and Rain
Thunder and Rain is an alternative country band that released their debut album, “Holler Out,” in the fall of 2015. They followed up with an EP, “Run With You,” in the summer of 2016 and their second full length album, “Start Believing,” in November 2017.
While the band made headway in the Colorado bluegrass scene, “Run With You” premiered their sound as a bona fide country/rock unit with pop hooks and powerful lead vocals. “Start Believing” expands upon that; it’s an exploration of rock and country music using bluegrass level acoustic musicianship. In their short run as a band, Thunder and Rain has captured a sound that accentuates their talents and is accessible to fans both young and old. There is depth and unexpected emotions in their unforgettable melodies, as well as wide range of subject matter and situations in their catalog of original songs.
Thunder and Rain will play the main stage on Sunday, June 10, at 1:45 p.m.
More festival information
A limited number of volunteer spots are left for individuals age 17 and over. Work two four-hour shifts in return for complimentary three-day admission.
The festival is produced by FolkWest, a nonprofit company, and is supported in part with matching funds from Colorado Creative Industries.
More information about volunteering, tickets, camping, schedules and more can be found online at folkwest.com.
