The Sound of Folk Will Fill the Shore
The halls, classrooms and auditorium of the Shore Cultural Centre will resonate with folk music on Saturday, February 25 from 1:00pm-10:00pm. The 2nd Annual Lake Erie Folk Festival (LEFF) will take place throughout the Shore on that day rich with FREE workshops, jam sessions, dancing, demonstrations, mini-concerts and activities for young people from 1:00pm-6:00pm. Then that evening at 7:30pm, the auditorium will come alive with the eclectic music of a headliner-day-ending-concert for only $10! Featured that night on the Shore stage will be Cleveland blues artist Austin Walkin’ Cane, Akron folk/rock group Shivering Timbers, Ohio resident and former contestant on The Voice Emily Keener and the indigenous music of the Tuvan throat singers Alash.
This roots music based festival debuted at the Shore last year and received enthusiastic reviews from the hundreds who attended. It is a joint venture of the Shore Cultural Centre and the Northeast Ohio Heritage Music Association (NEOHMA), the latter being a volunteer organization that produces the annual Blue Sky Folk Fest during the summer in Kirtland, Ohio. “We see this as a perfect opportunity to warm up the Ohio winter by sharing our love and enthusiasm for folk and roots music with music lovers of all kinds,” said NEOHMA artistic director Laura Lewis. “It also gave us the opportunity to partner with the Shore, another organization with deep roots in the community and the arts.”
Roots music has been defined as world music, authentic music or the early music of a particular culture. In the case of American music that would be Gospel, Blues, Country & Bluegrass and Jazz. The LEFF represents all of those music genres involving the attendees in jam sessions, sing-alongs and dancing lessons. People are encouraged to bring their own instruments and hand percussion to join in the music making throughout the day. “Nothing brings people together like the common ground of music,” said Chris Cipriani, Shore Director of Programming and Marketing.
Some of the artists featured during the day will be Rachel & the Beatnik Playboys providing live music for swing dancing, a drum workshop with Tam Tam Magic, beginning and advanced old-time banjo with Mark Olitsky and mini-concerts by Brent Kirby and Irish band The Auld Pitch. Young people will have the opportunity to participate in craft making, singing and dancing events throughout the afternoon led by Shore resident artists.
Food and beverage service will be available from 12 noon until 7:30pm in the Culinary Bistro on the basement floor of the shore. The Bistro is both a working restaurant and classroom for students enrolled in area schools’ culinary programs run by Chef Daniel Esquivel, former executive chef at the Chagrin Valley Country Club.
Tickets for the evening concert in the auditorium are $10 and available on-line at www.shoreculturalcentre.com or at the Shore the day and evening of the event. Advanced ticket purchasers will be allowed into the auditorium at 6:45pm to select their seats. Doors open for all others at 7:00pm.
The Lake Erie Folk Fest is supported in part by the Char and Chuck Fowler Family Foundation, Studio Strings of Medina and Village Blacksmith, Inc.
For further information visit www.lakeeriefolkfest.com and www.shoreculturalcentre.com or call the Shore at 216-289-8578. The Shore Cultural Centre is located at 291 East 222nd Street in downtown Euclid.
Jim Spittle
Jim is the Programming and Marketing Manager for the Shore Cultural Center.