Freight & Salvage Music Festival Gives Back To The Community With A Big, Bold Party

"Our focus for our 50th anniversary is playing with tradition, in ways many folks in the community may not be fully aware of," says Sharon Dolan, Freight & Salvage's Executive Director. "We've always been heavily identified with old time, bluegrass, and folk music, but we've been on a journey to expand traditional music, both geographically and style-wise. Instead of trying to pin down a definition of traditional music, we want to make it a conversation, one that's ever changing and evolving."

As a special treat, just for the festival, the organization connected some of its favorite, funkiest musicians, sparking the first-ever show by Bay Area funk supergroup powered by legendary Meters drummer Zigaboo Modeliste and Linda Tillery, one of the community's strongest artistic and activist voices and long-time Freight performer. The festival also marks the US premiere of the BKO Quartet, a wave-making contemporary ensemble harnessing Mali's musical riches.

To keep the party jumping, Bang Data will be joined on several tunes by the juggernaut of Non-Stop Bhangra, colliding hybrid, hard-hitting cumbia and beats with the upbeat glories of Punjabi pop and dance. F&S favorites Beausoleil will bring their signature Cajun tunes two-stepping back to fans.

Families will have plenty to savor, thanks to special early sets designed to get listeners of all ages involved and grooving. GRAMMY nominees and intergenerational social justice MCs Alphabet Rockers will rock the beat for everyone in the house, while Asheba's sunny calypso highlights stories of hope, as well as a fresh, uptempo take on classic children's tunes. Add food trucks, you have the perfect outing for young music lovers.

Another facet of the Freight & Salvage legacy will unfold inside the venue, thanks to the curatorial prowess of long-time Freight performer (and Berkeley Old Time Music Convention director) Suzy Thompson, bringing together several striking voices, young and veteran, local and touring, from the singer-songwriter world. This includes the country storytelling of Miko Marks, the jazz-inflected soulful songs of Quinn DeVeaux, the raw and rural tales evoked by Amber Cross, and Mark Graham's quirky big-picture songwriting.

Workshops by Non-Stop Bhangra and Beausoleil, plus food trucks on the street and historical displays inside the venue will ensure plenty of activities in addition to the music.

Inspiring both the fun and the thoughtfulness, tradition--however you talk about it--proves a thrilling point of departure for artists from around the world and across the generations. It's still intensely relevant, in a rapidly changing community, one where older forms can feel lost in the shuffle. "For us, especially as we celebrate 50 years, tradition can mean both looking forward and looking backward," muses Dolan. "We want honor the past but make clear we're on a trajectory of expanding what tradition can be, as we look toward the future."

This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov. The festival also receives support from our generous sponsors: Eventbrite, BARTable, Berkeley Patients Group, Downtown Berkeley Association, East Bay Express, KCSM Jazz 91, KRCB North Bay Public Media, Lagunitas Brewing Company, and Health Ade Kombucha.

Full Festival Schedule (subject to change):

SHATTUCK STAGE

11:00 AM Asheba

1:00 PM BKO Quintet

3:15 PM Bang Data

MILVIA STAGE

12:00 PM Alphabet Rockers

2:00 PM Beausoleil

4:30 PM Zigaboo Modeliste and Linda Tillery

SINGER-SONGWRITER STAGE

2:00 Maurice Tani

2:30 Claudia Russell with Bruce Kaplan

3:00 Miko Marks

3:30 Mark Graham

4:00 Amber Cross

4:30 Quinn DeVeaux

5:00 Terry Garthwaite

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