
The Nields, center
Falcon Ridge a back-to-basics affair
Published in Berkshire Eagle, 7/22/10
Words and photos by Jeremy D. Goodwin
HILLSDALE, NY—Once in a while, it's good to get back to basics. The Falcon Ridge Folk Festival is by some measures contracting this year. But it's also drawing on its deep reservoir of friends, talent and tradition, keeping the continuity alive for a 22-year old gathering that is still busy being born.
Having expanded to a four-day marathon of performances and activities since its 15th anniversary edition in 2003, Falcon Ridge this year is returning to a still-healthy three-day incarnation, setting up shop at Dodd's Farm in Hillsdale for July 23 through 25. The enterprise is still recovering from the financial strains of moving to a new location five years ago and then suffering serious weather events in recent years that have damaged the Festival's equipment and forced sets to be cancelled.
After hosting bigger names like Martin Sexton, Dar Williams, Patty Larkin, Railroad Earth, Kathy Mattea and Janis Ian the past few years, this edition is a bit of a back-to-basics affair, with perennial favorites like Gandalf Murphy & the Slambovian Circus of Dreams landing the prominent Saturday night Main Stage closing spot, and old friends like The Nields, Vance Gilbert, and contemporary folk icon John Gorka along for the ride once again.
These artists represent years of tradition at Falcon Ridge.
"It's almost indescribable how special it is to us," says Nerissa Nields, who first played the festival (with her sister Katryna, as The Nields) in 1993 as part of the Emerging Artists Showcase.
"I feel as though we grew up there. We've been nurtured by Falcon Ridge, we have so many dear, dear friends we're mad-—rich connections. Indelible events in our lives have happened there. We were pregnant there, we've brought our children there, we've brought our husbands there," she reflects.
Published in Berkshire Eagle, 7/22/10
Words and photos by Jeremy D. Goodwin
HILLSDALE, NY—Once in a while, it's good to get back to basics. The Falcon Ridge Folk Festival is by some measures contracting this year. But it's also drawing on its deep reservoir of friends, talent and tradition, keeping the continuity alive for a 22-year old gathering that is still busy being born.
Having expanded to a four-day marathon of performances and activities since its 15th anniversary edition in 2003, Falcon Ridge this year is returning to a still-healthy three-day incarnation, setting up shop at Dodd's Farm in Hillsdale for July 23 through 25. The enterprise is still recovering from the financial strains of moving to a new location five years ago and then suffering serious weather events in recent years that have damaged the Festival's equipment and forced sets to be cancelled.
After hosting bigger names like Martin Sexton, Dar Williams, Patty Larkin, Railroad Earth, Kathy Mattea and Janis Ian the past few years, this edition is a bit of a back-to-basics affair, with perennial favorites like Gandalf Murphy & the Slambovian Circus of Dreams landing the prominent Saturday night Main Stage closing spot, and old friends like The Nields, Vance Gilbert, and contemporary folk icon John Gorka along for the ride once again.
These artists represent years of tradition at Falcon Ridge.
"It's almost indescribable how special it is to us," says Nerissa Nields, who first played the festival (with her sister Katryna, as The Nields) in 1993 as part of the Emerging Artists Showcase.
"I feel as though we grew up there. We've been nurtured by Falcon Ridge, we have so many dear, dear friends we're mad-—rich connections. Indelible events in our lives have happened there. We were pregnant there, we've brought our children there, we've brought our husbands there," she reflects.

Many longtime fans feel the same way, For the veteran Falcon Ridge fan, the experience goes far beyond the main stage, workshop stage, children’s stage, dance tent, and extensive vending of food and crafts. It’s also about the community that comes together for those few days in July, and more specifically, it’s about the various campsite mini-neighborhoods (some, like Happy Town, with their own names) that reunite.
In fact, when Falcon Ridge announced it was returning to a three-day format this year, artistic director and co-owner Anne Saunders reports she heard from many perennial visitors that they didn't mind there'd be no performances on the Thursday—just as long as they could still show up Wednesday night and hang out.
"On the Web forum there are a billion discussions about campsites hosting informal lineups and jams,” Saunders says. They are planning some major stuff for Thursday!”
Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams, who are participating in the traditional Sunday morning gospel set for the first time this year, have found themselves quite at home in the multiple artistic milleux afforded by Falcon Ridge. Frontman and guitarist Joziah Longo says the band's experiences playing its specially prepared "Land of 1,000 Dances" medley in the dance tent have shaped their evolution as a band.
"We're kind of a cerebral band. We didn't know we were 'dancey,'" he explains. "It really changed our whole set. We live too much in our heads— we were doing everything up in our heads. It connected us to the earth a little more. There's more of a balance in our show now because of the dance tent experience. To have that many people dancing and going nuts, it's had a big effect on us."
In fact, when Falcon Ridge announced it was returning to a three-day format this year, artistic director and co-owner Anne Saunders reports she heard from many perennial visitors that they didn't mind there'd be no performances on the Thursday—just as long as they could still show up Wednesday night and hang out.
"On the Web forum there are a billion discussions about campsites hosting informal lineups and jams,” Saunders says. They are planning some major stuff for Thursday!”
Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams, who are participating in the traditional Sunday morning gospel set for the first time this year, have found themselves quite at home in the multiple artistic milleux afforded by Falcon Ridge. Frontman and guitarist Joziah Longo says the band's experiences playing its specially prepared "Land of 1,000 Dances" medley in the dance tent have shaped their evolution as a band.
"We're kind of a cerebral band. We didn't know we were 'dancey,'" he explains. "It really changed our whole set. We live too much in our heads— we were doing everything up in our heads. It connected us to the earth a little more. There's more of a balance in our show now because of the dance tent experience. To have that many people dancing and going nuts, it's had a big effect on us."

John Gorka
As usual, this year’s festival will be a co-mingling of tradition and evolution. The Friday program begins with the traditional Emerging Artists Showcase, an orgy of two dozen up-and-coming acts getting a chance to show the discerning fans what they’ve got. The Most Wanted Song Swap is a regular feature that showcases prior years’ “emerging artists” who the fans have voted to have return. The Main Stage closes on Friday with the accustomed Summer’s Eve Song Swap, featuring Gorka and other longtime favorites Cheryl Wheeler, Eliza Gilkyson and Jimmy LaFave. (This will be the first time Gorka and Gilkyson share the stage after the release of their "folk supergroup" album "Red Horse," recorded in tandem with fellow singer/songwriter Lucy Kaplansky.)
Gorka, a leading figure in the contemporary folk revival that began blossoming in the 1990's, savors the loose approach of the song swap, with artists taking turns sharing stories and spontaneously selecting songs. "You can't really plan what you're going to do. You never know what's going to be right for the moment. To make that whole set work, people are playing off the song that's played before them." He says he's played Falcon Ridge more often than any other festival, and will "come there as long as they keep asking me."
"I see so many familiar faces. As somebody who mostly travels by myself, it's nice to connect with the other solitary types," he says with a chuckle.
Troubadours like Gorka may be “solitary types” elsewhere, but it’s a different story at Falcon Ridge. Though it’s only for a few days a year, when they’re here, they’re part of a community.
Gorka, a leading figure in the contemporary folk revival that began blossoming in the 1990's, savors the loose approach of the song swap, with artists taking turns sharing stories and spontaneously selecting songs. "You can't really plan what you're going to do. You never know what's going to be right for the moment. To make that whole set work, people are playing off the song that's played before them." He says he's played Falcon Ridge more often than any other festival, and will "come there as long as they keep asking me."
"I see so many familiar faces. As somebody who mostly travels by myself, it's nice to connect with the other solitary types," he says with a chuckle.
Troubadours like Gorka may be “solitary types” elsewhere, but it’s a different story at Falcon Ridge. Though it’s only for a few days a year, when they’re here, they’re part of a community.