2023 Buddy Brown Blues Festival

Humboldt Folklife Society invites the public to the 21st Annual Buddy Brown Blues Festival, on Saturday, August 19, 2023, from 11-6p at Perigot Park in Blue Lake. The blues festival features all local bands and there will be a BBQ food truck! Tix HERE!

Lineup:
11a Oryan Peterson-Jones
12:15p Willow and the BlueTones
1:30p Anna Hamilton Trio
2:45p Buddy Reed
4:00p Jenni & David and the Sweet Soul Band
5:15p Blu Axis

Would you like to volunteer for our annual Buddy Brown Blues Festival? We need help putting on this event. Things like set-up, info booth, and clean up. This is your chance to see some great music FREE all while helping your community put on these fab events. We encourage you to sign up!

Volunteer sign up here!

Humboldt Folklife Society invites the public to the 20 th Annual Buddy Brown Blues Festival, on Saturday, August 6, 2022, Perigot Park, Blue Lake, CA. The blues festival features all local bands, and is the only fundraiser that the Folklife Society puts on annually. The festival was cancelled the last two years due to Covid restrictions.

Gates open at 10:30 A.M. and six acts perform hourly from 11 A.M. until 6:30 P.M. Tickets are $15 general public, $12 for Folklife Society members, $5 for children 12 and under, and can be purchased at the gate, or go to buddybrown.brownpapertickets.com

Festival scheduled performances feature the best of area acoustic and electric blues acts:

 *Back Seat Drivers, 11:00 A.M.

 *Mojo Rockers, 12:15 P.M.

 *Buddy Reed & the Rip It Ups, 1:30 P.M.

 *Jim Lahman Band, 2:45 P.M.

 *The Uptown Kings, 4:00 P.M.

 *Black Sage Runners, 5:15 P.M.

Festival organizers are looking for volunteers. For 4 hours of volunteering, volunteers will receive two complementary tickets, a beverage ticket, a Buddy Brown Blues T-shirt, and Folklife Society steel cup. Interested community members should e-mail humfolklife@gmail.com.

Festival sponsors are Green Diamond Resource Company, Six Rivers Optical, Pierson’s, and Lost Coast Communications. There will be local beer and wine and good food available, and the Blue Lake weather is generally sunnier than the coast.

The Buddy Brown Blue Fest began in 2001as the Blue Lake Blues Festival, and was renamed in memory of Richard Duggins (better known as Buddy Brown), who opened the festival its first year and passed away shortly after. .For over 40 years, the Humboldt Folklife Society has existed to teach, celebrate, and encourage participation in folk and traditional arts.

Humboldt Folklife Society invites the public to the 20th Annual Buddy Brown Blues Festival on Saturday, August 7, 2021, at Perigot Park in Blue Lake, CA. Gate opens at 10:30 A.M. and five acts perform hourly until 6:30 P.M. Tickets are $12 and can be purchased at the gate.

For the safety of festival attendees, performers, and volunteers, proof of Covid vaccination or negative Covid test taken within 72 hours will be required for entry. Either bring your documentation or a photo of the documentation. The state Public Health Department also has an app to obtain a QR code for a digital record of your Covid vaccination: https://myvaccinerecord.cdph.ca.gov/. 

Festival scheduled performances feature the best of area acoustic and electric blues acts:

• Back Seat Drivers, 11:00 A.M.

• MojoRockers, 12:15 P.M.

• Buddy Reed & the Rip It Ups, 1:30 P.M.

• Jim Lahman Band, 2:45 P.M.

• The Uptown Kings, 4:00 P.M.

• Blacksage Runners, 5:15 P.M.

Festival sponsors are Green Diamond Resource Company, Pierson’s, and KHUM - KWPT The Point. Lost Coast Brewery beer is the Festival beer sponsor, and Low and Slow BBQ Food Truck will serve it up. For over 40 years, the Humboldt Folklife Society has existed to teach, celebrate, and encourage participation in folk and traditional arts.

Temple Beth El is pleased to announce that it will be offering a reprise of its very well received Silver Anniversary Musical Celebration with Sam Reider on February 13, 2021.

This year’s celebration will be Covid-safe. Through the magic of Zoom, pianist, accordionist, and composer Sam Reider will perform for us solo at home on his accordion and grandfather's 100 year-old Steinway. Sam plays jazz, American folk music and his original compositions, interspersed with stories about his travels and the myriad connections between the music and cultures of the world.

Tickets to this event are $25 each and may be purchased here . Those purchasing tickets will receive a Zoom link for the concert prior to the event.

In light of the COVID-19 virus outbreak and current public health recommendations, dance organizers and musicians have decided to cancel this event.

Like the powerful mandolinist and composer at its helm, John Reischman and the Jaybirds fashion a stylish take on bluegrass that seamlessly blends original songs and instrumentals with Appalachian old-time music for a truly unique band sound. Now in their 20th year, with seven acclaimed albums and two Juno nominations, the Jaybirds are simultaneously innovative and unadorned, sophisticated and stripped-down, happily old-fashioned and 21st-century contemporary.

Tickets and additional information are available at Brown Paper Tickets

This concert, featuring Sam Reider and the Human Hands plus Beyond the Pale, is a musical celebration of Rabbi Naomi Steinbert’s 25 years with Temple Beth-El. Come enjoy this boundary-blurring acoustic music rooted in Klezmer, Balkan, Jazz, Classical, Bluegrass and Folk! 

Tickets are $25 available at Wildberries and at templebethel.brownpapertickets.com

The Folklife Society is hosting a Valentine’s Day Barn Dance! There is absolutely no experience necessary and no partner needed. The caller (Lyndsey Battle) will teach each dance in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. Then you get to try it out with live music from Striped Pig Stringband.

All Folklife Society dances are fun, friendly, no-pressure events that welcome and include all ages, genders, ethnicities, and abilities. There will be snacks and refreshments available for purchase. Many thanks to Mad River Brewery for providing the beer! Doors open at 6:30, with instructed dancing from 7:00 to 10:00.

$10 General Admission;
$5 for Humboldt Folklife Society members, Arcata Playhouse members, Seniors, and Students;
Vets and Children 12 and under are Free

This living history performance by San Jose Taiko and the HSU Jazz Orchestra combines taiko, jazz, swing dance, and immersive theatre to tell a hidden history of one way Japanese Americans maintained morale in WWII Internment Camps – through swing dances with live big band music. An immersive environment surrounds the audience with the sights and sounds of "camp,” their active participation pulls them deeply into the emotional trajectory of the story: the fear and loss of being sent to an Internment Camp, the struggle to maintain dignity and hope, and the ultimate victory of the human spirit.

Doors will open 15 minutes prior to the performance, which will begin with a 30-minute ‘talk story’ before audience members are immersed in a 90-minute Swingposium living history experience at the dance. Because attendees are ‘at the dance’, the audience will be standing for the duration of the performance, with only limited seating available upon request for persons with limited mobility.

Tickets are $10 at brownpapertickets and at Wildberries Market.

These performances are expected to sell out.

This living history performance by San Jose Taiko and the HSU Jazz Orchestra combines taiko, jazz, swing dance, and immersive theatre to tell a hidden history of one way Japanese Americans maintained morale in WWII Internment Camps – through swing dances with live big band music. An immersive environment surrounds the audience with the sights and sounds of "camp,” their active participation pulls them deeply into the emotional trajectory of the story: the fear and loss of being sent to an Internment Camp, the struggle to maintain dignity and hope, and the ultimate victory of the human spirit.

Doors will open 15 minutes prior to the performance, which will begin with a 30-minute ‘talk story’ before audience members are immersed in a 90-minute Swingposium living history experience at the dance. Because attendees are ‘at the dance’, the audience will be standing for the duration of the performance, with only limited seating available upon request for persons with limited mobility.

Tickets are $10 at https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4487253 and at Wildberries Market.

These performances are expected to sell out.

This living history performance by San Jose Taiko and the HSU Jazz Orchestra combines taiko, jazz, swing dance, and immersive theatre to tell a hidden history of one way Japanese Americans maintained morale in WWII Internment Camps – through swing dances with live big band music. An immersive environment surrounds the audience with the sights and sounds of "camp,” their active participation pulls them deeply into the emotional trajectory of the story: the fear and loss of being sent to an Internment Camp, the struggle to maintain dignity and hope, and the ultimate victory of the human spirit.

Doors will open 15 minutes prior to the performance, which will begin with a 30-minute ‘talk story’ before audience members are immersed in a 90-minute Swingposium living history experience at the dance. Because attendees are ‘at the dance’, the audience will be standing for the duration of the performance, with only limited seating available upon request for persons with limited mobility.

Tickets are $10 at https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4487253 and at Wildberries Market.

These performances are expected to sell out.

In observance of the Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution, a 30-minute performance followed by discussion will be presented in the HSU Van Duzer Theater. This performance is free to the public, funded by the HSU Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the HSU Library Foundation.

This living history performance by San Jose Taiko and the HSU Jazz Orchestra tells the story of how the big bands in the Japanese American incarceration camps helped make life behind barbed wire more bearable for the young internees through the joyful escape of big band music and dance.

The week prior to January 30, banners explaining the history of the Japanese American incarceration camps and artifacts and ephemera collected from camp survivors will be displayed in the HSU Library lobby.

As a part of the week-long pro-peace Against the Wind Festival (November 11 - 17, 2019), Against the Wind is collaborating with some fantastic Humboldt musicians to produce two distinct nights of Songs of Freedom.

The Friday, November 15, concert is inspired by The Great March on Washington, of 1963, which was as seminal for its music, curated by Harry Belafonte, as for Martin Luther King’s I Have A Dream speech. From legends Mahalia Jackson and Marian Anderson to newcomers Bernice Johnson Reagon (singing with the Freedom Singers), Joan Baez, Bob Dylan and other’s, this night celebrates the great gospel, folk revival and civil rights music that came together in a desperate and inspired time.

Performances by The Nu Heavenly Tone Singers under the direction of James Harris, folk singer Chris Parreira, and folk jazz fusion of The Paula Jones Band.

General Admission $15, Students $8
OR
Buy a ticket for both music nights: General Admission $25, Students $12
Buy tickets for the event here:
https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4404273

Folklife Society members are eligible for a $1 refund on the ticket price, at the door.

As a part of the week-long pro-peace Against the Wind Festival (November 11 - 17, 2019), Against the Wind is collaborating with some fantastic Humboldt musicians to produce two distinct nights of Songs of Freedom.

The Saturday, November 16, concert is inspired by the movement toward peace brought about by the protests of the sixties and the heartbreak of the Kennedy/King assassinations. The music gave a voice to a sixties youth already feeling helpless from the tragic events of the time. We honor these brave musicians and poets for pushing the envelope of folk rock and reggae and leading powerful movements towards peace, continuing to influence the music of today.

Performances by Jan Bramlett, FireSign, and Asha Nan, drawing inspiration from the Woodstock generation, the Caribbean and the streets of America.

General Admission $15, Students $8
OR
Buy a ticket for both music nights: General Admission $25, Students $12
Buy tickets for the event here:
https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4404273

Folklife Society members are eligible for a $1 refund on the ticket price, at the door.

Performing with the Hanneke Cassel Band which features Mike Block on cello and guitarist Christopher Lewis. Fusing influences from the Isle of Skye and Cape Breton with Americana grooves and musical innovations, this group creates a cutting-edge acoustic sound that retains the integrity and spirit of the Scottish tradition.  Block is a pioneering multi-style cellist, singer, composer, and educator. Hailed by Yo-Yo Ma as the "ideal musician of the 21st-Century," Mike is part of the Grammy-award winning Silk Road Ensemble, a graduate of the Juilliard School, and an Associate Professor at the Berklee College of Music.

Effervescent and engaging, Boston-based fiddler Hanneke Cassel is a performer, teacher and composer whose career spans over two decades. Her style fuses influences from the Isle of Skye and Cape Breton Island with Americana grooves and musical innovations, creating a cutting-edge acoustic sound that retains the integrity and spirit of the Scottish tradition. Hanneke’s music is a blend of the contemporary and traditional, described by the Boston Globe as “exuberant and rhythmic, somehow wild and innocent, delivered with captivating melodic clarity and an irresistible playfulness.”

Ticket link: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4314725 

Humboldt Baykeeper is celebrating 15 years of protecting Humboldt Bay, and they're having a party featuring music by Kenny Ray and the Mighty Rovers, PLUS special guest Tara Stetz, who will sing with the Rovers and play a mini-set with Pete Nichols!

The Folklife Society is hosting a Harvest Barn Dance in October! There is absolutely no experience necessary and no partner needed. The caller (Lyndsey Battle) will teach each dance in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. Then you get to try it out with live music from Striped Pig Stringband.

All Folklife Society dances are fun, friendly, no-pressure events that welcome and include all ages, genders, ethnicities, and abilities. There will be snacks and refreshments available for purchase. Many thanks to Mad River Brewery for providing the beer! Doors open at 6:30, with instructed dancing from 7:00 to 10:00.

$10 General Admission;
$5 for Humboldt Folklife Society members, Arcata Playhouse members, Seniors, and Students;
Vets and Children 12 and under are Free

Abbie Gardner, the fiery Dobro player with an infectious smile has been touring with Americana darlings Red Molly for the past eleven years. After gracing stages from Denver to Denmark, from Australia to Austin, the band decided to take an indefinite hiatus in 2015, so Abbie is striking out on her own! If you missed her at Kate Wolf this summer with Red Molly catch her at the Playhouse.

“Abbie Gardner shows her prodigious writing chops in her album, Hope. Tales of love and loss, both gritty and sweet, ride the back of her by-now familiar, formidable slide guitar licks. She channels Lucinda and Bonnie, but remains pure Abbie.” – Richard Cuccaro, Publisher, Acoustic Live

 Ticket link: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4314722

The Crooked Jades are a Bay Area string band who have created an innovative modern sound drawing from the roots of American traditional music. Founded in 1996 by Jeff Kazor (vocals, guitar and ukulele) and Lisa Berman (vocals/slide guitar/banjo/harmonium), the band also includes Erik Pearson (vocals, banjo, ukulele, harmonium, slide guitar), fiddler Emily Mann, and adjunct Jade Charlie Rose, who plays bowed bass. The Crooked Jades have performed at rock clubs, festivals and concert halls across the US and Europe and have released 8 critically acclaimed albums, including 2019’s “World’s On Fire”, drawn from their collaboration with modern dance choreographer Kate Weare.

"This San Francisco quintet keep true to their old-time string band heart, yet in subtle, weird ways, they exaggerate the slightly-crazed aura of the rural pre-radio era music. It makes for a haunting, sophisticated trip to Appalachia. Mixing originals and traditional songs flawlessly, this might be the finest band to come out of the string-band resurgence."  – Boston Herald

Ticket link: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4314718 

Humboldt Folklife Society will be hosting a St. Patrick’s Day Barn Dance and Ceilidh (kālē) at the Arcata Veterans Hall, 1425 J Street, Arcata, on Friday March 15th with live Celtic music by Covered with Moss and caller Summer McCall.

A ceilidh is a social event at which there is Scottish or Irish folk music and singing, traditional dancing, and storytelling. The doors open at 6:30 p.m. with instructed dancing from 7:00-10:00 p.m. The cost is $5 for Humboldt Folklife Members, Students, and Seniors. $10 for General Admission, and free for children under 12. No experience or partner needed, and all ages welcome! Beer, cider, and non-alcoholic beverages and snacks available.