Storyhill Fest 2013

Every year on Labor Day weekend, at a beautiful site in the wooded lakes area of central Minnesota, magic happens. It's been happening for five years now, and I've been lucky enough to be a part of it for four. This magic goes by the name of Storyhill Fest, and it's the best music festival in Minnesota (granted I've only been to a few music festivals, but I just can't imagine anything better). Local folk duo Storyhill (about whom Garrison Keillor recently said "setting a new high standard for male duet harmony") invite a dozen or so of their closest friends, who also happen to be incredible musicians, to hang out and play music for a few days. And lucky for us, we are invited to come and watch. Not just watch, but take part in, by participating in songwriting, guitar playing, or poetry workshops, joining in the nightly group campfire sing, or mingling with the artists between shows or in the food line. In short, it's my favorite weekend of the year. Connor Garvey (the fest's first act) summed it up best when he said, "we have made it through the year, all the meaningless days, and we're back at Storyhill Fest." That's exactly how I feel about it. Of course not literally (just scroll down this page to see the many meaningful ways in which I've spent the last year), but the sentiment is true. So without further ado, I present Storyhill Fest 2013.

The music started at 3 pm each day and the concerts continued hourly (or so) until Storyhill's show at 8 (or so), after which the music continued until the wee hours of the morning at the campfire. A dozen or so musicians performed at this year's festival, hailing from Maine, Texas, Nashville, L.A., Portland, Colorado, New Jersey, and right here in Minnesota. One of the cool things about this festival is that the artists all seem to be friends, and frequently join each other on stage to sing or play together. If you'd like to know more about a particular artist, please click their name to be taken to their website, where you'll find information about how to purchase music, see them perform live, or otherwise support them.

Connor Garvey

As previously mentioned, Connor Garvey opened the festival with some wise words and his wonderful music. I've been listening to Connor's music since I first heard him at my first Storyhill Fest three years ago. His songs are hopeful, thoughtful, clever, silly, or some combination thereof, and listening to his music just makes me happy. He's working on a new album (with the help of Kickstarter), so it was fun to hear some new stuff in addition to some old favorites. He brought his new toy, a looper, and sang a multi-part a cappella version of "Stand By Me" that was very cool. I also enjoyed his first "Irish Song," an amusing little ditty about embracing (or not) his heritage.

Cary Cooper and Tom Prasada-Rao

Next up was Cary Cooper, accompanied by her husband Tom on various instruments and Justin Roth playing percussion (more on him a bit later). She has a quirky sound, sometimes plays the ukulele, and sings funny or moving story-songs. Each song is preceded by an introduction telling the audience about how and why she wrote the song, which I always appreciate. My favorite was a song about a yellow VW bug. Cary recently participated in the TV docudrama Troubadour, TX, which I'm now going to have to check out.

Robby Hecht with The Sea, The Sea

One of the two emcees, the gorgeous-voiced Carrie Elkin (who, along with her poet singer fiance Danny Schmidt, performed on the newly added Friday night, which I sadly missed), introduced Robby Hecht as one of her favorite singers, with "a voice like butter." Coming from Carrie, that's high praise, and I have to agree. He has a beautiful, smooth voice, and his songs are sort of sad and wistful (a sound that I love). He was backed for a few songs by the duo The Sea, The Sea (more on them later too), creating some gorgeous three-part harmonies. Another highlight was a duet with Amy Speace that they co-wrote, a love song between the sea and the shore, which we fortunately got to hear again the next day during Amy's set. In the video below, Robby is joined by a bunch of other singers for "A Reckoning of Us."



At this point the outdoor segment of the day concluded as the rain came in (it might have been a "Good Rain," but we were not waiting for it). After about an hour's delay, the music continued in a covered pavilion, at which point the rain naturally stopped. But it turned out that the pavilion was a cozy and cool place to listen to music.

Tim and Kate (aka Sweet Talk Radio)

The first of several male/female duos that we would hear during the festival was Sweet Talk Radio. Tim and Kate have very different voices that blend together beautifully, and both play the guitar (Tim also backed up several other artists on the electric guitar). Kate has a very unique sound that I don't have words to describe, but my friend (who is more musically knowledgeable than I) said that she has a rich alto tone with some similarities to Billie Holiday. In fact, they sang a song called "Dance With Me" that they had been tasked with writing to sound like a well-known song, perhaps this one. Their newest album State of the Union is not about politics, but rather about relationships. They also sang a completely charming version of "If I Only Had a Brain."

Raina Rose lights up the pavilion

The last time I saw Raina Rose, at Storyhill Fest 2011, she was pregnant, and now she has the most adorable curly-haired little boy. But other than that, it was the same old Raina, which is to say a lovely, warm, lilting voice and beautifully written songs. Entertaining, personable, and a great storyteller, it's such a treat to listen to her, whether on her own or joined by Storyhill's Johnny or her good friend Carrie (on clarinet!). Her beautiful new album Caldera came out a few months ago.

ellis joined by Chris and Johnny

Past Storyhill Fest participant ellis was not officially on the schedule, but that didn't stop her from showing up when the guys called, sharing just a "sprinkle" of songs between sets. And I'm so glad she did. She has the most joyful spirit and conveys that joy through her music. Even my friend who had never seen or heard her before agreed that she's a unique spirit. She's completely disarming with her adorably awkward laugh, and sings songs that are both simple and profound. ellis radiates pure joy in a way I've never seen.

At this point we were about two hours behind schedule, but the evening concluded as planned with a nice long set by the stars of the weekend, Storyhill, and a shortened (at least for me) campfire session. The second day of Storyhill Fest 2013 was a welcome 20 degrees cooler than the first day, with no rain to speak of, so all concerts could be held outside under the partly cloudy sky, trees, birds, and later, stars.

Kim and Quillan Roe

The last time I saw day two's first artists, the Minnesota-based Roe Family Singers, they were performing with Dan Chouinard in his Trail of Two Cities concert last year. Husband and wife Quillan (banjo and guitar) and Kim (auto harp and Appalachian clog dancing) were accompanied by a couple of musicians on bass and fiddle. The band has a wonderful "old-time" sound, unique at the fest which mostly consisted of modern and traditional folk. And when they say "old time," they mean it; they sang a traditional song that was over 600 years old! With a mix of genre standards (like Bill Monroe and Johnny and June) and original tunes, delivered in a playful and engaging way, I found them to be quite enjoyable. See for yourself in this video of "Jackson."

Justin Roth

Justin Roth is another frequent Storyhill Fest participant, having known Chris and Johnny for 20 years, although he's missed the past few years. He's an incredibly talented guitar player, and the only artist to perform not one but two solo instrumental songs. Justin is also a great singer/songwriter, so much so that two of his songs have been featured on the number one soap opera (and my personal favorite) The Young and The Restless - "Surrender" and "Now You Know." (The intersection between folk music fans and soap opera fans may not be very big, but it includes at least one person.) He was joined on stage by several of his friends, creating gorgeous harmonies on the song "Shine."

Mira Stanley and Chuck E. Costa,
aka The Sea, The Sea

I first heard the duo The Sea, The Sea, consisting of Mira Stanley and Chuck E. Costa, on the radio show Mountain Stage a few months ago, and was instantly captivated by their sound. Knowing that they were on the Storyhill Fest line-up, I bought their one and only album and have been listening to it ever since. Unlike some of the other duos, Chuck and Mira have a very similar tone to their voices, so much so that in "Boat Song," when they sing alternate words, it almost sounds like one person singing. Maybe that's why when they sing harmony, it sounds so right. They're also multi-instrumentalists (electric and acoustic guitar, banjo, percussion). I look forward to hearing more from these young artists, who have written a palindrome song:

Amy Speace

And now - a theater connection! I loved listening to Amy Speace sing and tell stories, because she spent many years as an actor and playwright in NYC (-ish, aka New Jersey) before deciding to go the folk singer route. Her background in theater is obvious in the songs that she writes, which are like little plays in themselves, and she often talked about the play (mostly Shakespeare) that inspired the song. She also told us the beautiful and heart-breaking love story of her grandparents, that also inspired a song. And besides her songwriting skill and her great stage presence, she has a beautiful voice that's somewhat reminiscent of Judy Collins. No surprise that Ms. Collins chose her for her record label and covered one of her songs.

John Gorka sings as the sun sets

I feel like I must have seen Minnesota-based John Gorka before (possibly opening for Mary Chapin Carpenter or at a MPR Morning Show concert). I've certainly heard his music on Radio Heartland (the only radio station I listen to), and I love his cover of "Just Like a Woman" on Redhouse Record's Bob Dylan tribute. So I was looking forward to seeing him as the penultimate show of Storyhill Fest 2013, and I was not disappointed. With 11 albums (some of them recorded in the late 1900s), he was the most experienced musician to take the stage, and it was great to hear a selection of his many songs. In addition to these songs and his soothing mellow voice, he's incredibly entertaining and very funny; he had me cracking up for the whole show. He's quite the storyteller, and his light-hearted banter is a bit of a contrast to his admittedly more sober songs. John dedicated one of his songs to the other artists, and it perfectly describes Storyhill Fest: "when you sing, you make the world a better place."

Storyhill and friends

And now we come to the musicians for whom the festival is named - Storyhill. I've run out of words to describe how much I love their music, so I'll just say that they're my favorite local artists and I never tire of listening to their music. Whether I'm happy or sad or anything in between, listening to Storyhill always makes it better. Chris and Johnny have a decades-long camaraderie that is evident on stage, as if singing together has become second nature for them. As Garrison Keillor said, their harmonies are incomparable, and their songs are often nature-based and invoke feelings of wide open spaces (they grew up in Montana), wistful nostalgia, love, regret, simple joy, and even sometimes a spiritual connection to the universe. On the final night of the fest, the concert continued at the campfire, where they sang another half dozen or so songs, before other artists arrived and started trading songs across the campfire. The magic of Storyhill Fest is most evident at these campfires, with the unamplified music from voices and guitars ringing out into the clear Minnesota night air. There's nothing else like it.

Storyhill Fest has ruined me for all other concerts; any other venue pales in comparison to this festival. As usual, I left Deerwood with a handful of CDs to make the two-hour drive home a little more interesting, including some "new" Storyhill music - their 2005 cover album of 1970s duos, which I did not previously know existed (how I've lived this long without hearing Storyhill sing the Carpenters, I'll never know). I'll be downloading a few more albums this week I'm sure, as I try to make the magic last a little longer.

So there you have it. Storyhill Fest is over for another year, but it sounds like it's going to happen again next year. Until then, I'll have to find something else to do to fill the 360 or so meaningless days in between. Maybe some of these artists will be passing through Minnesota again in that time, and although they didn't mention it this weekend, Storyhill took the year off of touring to focus on writing for a new record that's supposed to come out next year, so hopefully I'll be seeing them before next fall. And besides that, I'm sure there will be some brilliant, innovative, moving, hilarious, entertaining, heart-breaking, fascinating, thought-provoking, unsettling, comforting, creative, heartfelt, amazing local theater to help me fill the time.

one of the benefits of staying in the VIP lodge
is a private Storyhill concert

View these and other concert videos on the Cherry and Spoon youtube channel. I also found some great Storyhill Fest videos here.

Storyhill Fest 2011

I'm going to diverge from the theater world for a bit to tell you all about my favorite music event of the year: Storyhill Fest.  This was my second year attending this lovely little gem of a folk music festival in the beautiful wooded lake country of Minnesota.  I enjoyed the fest so much last year that there was no question I'd be back.  It's a wonderful respite from the world and a nice transition from summer to fall.  To borrow the tagline from Woodstock, it's two days of peace and music. Top musicians from the folk community in Minnesota, Austin, and around the country gathered to share their music with each other and the audience, both from the stage and around the campfire.  Nine singer/songwriters joined the main event, local duo Storyhill.  The fest is small and intimate with a community feel, and the musicians seem to be having just as much fun as the attendees.  All of these artists write their own songs, and each has a unique sound and style.  Some of them are old friends, some just met, but they play and sing together beautifully.  It's really a wonderful variety of music that I will be having fun listening to in the coming weeks and months.

Click on each artist's name to be taken to their website, where you will find information about how to buy their music, when and where to see them perform live, and more fun stuff.

John Elliot

Most of the artists in this year's line-up were new to me.  That's true of the first artist to perform on day one - John Elliot.  John grew up in Minnesota and now lives in L.A.  Several of his songs are about that idea - going home, missing home, remembering where you came from.  Some of his songs are funny and crazy, with lyrics like "my mom is a dog" and "I left my grandpa for dead," and some are poignant and will make your heart ache a little.  Some are both.  In one song he named several members of the '87 and '91 World Champion Twins, a surefire way to win my heart (Frankie V!).  He's very charming and entertaining, and sometimes his songs turn a little angry too.  I walked away with a $5 download card for his new CD plus lots of extras - a great deal!

Andrew Pressman and Raina Rose

The next artist to perform was Raina Rose, accompanied by her fiance Andrew Pressman on upright bass (he also accompanied many of the other artists for all or part of their sets).  Raina has a sweet voice reminiscent of folk singers from the 60s.  I particularly like her Jewish/Unitarian/gospel song "Let Me Down Easy."  Raina and Drew's next production is the baby they're having soon.  :)



Anthony da Costa

John and Raina regularly perform together along with Anthony da Costa.  They did a set together on day two under the name "Elliot Rose da Costa" (aka "Beggars and Mules"), in which they took turns singing one of their songs while the other two backed them up.  But back to Anthony.  He's surprisingly young for someone so talented and so comfortable on stage, and who's already released five solo albums.  He's a college kid (he's currently attending Columbia University in NYC), but his sound is much more mature than his age.  He writes great songs and has more of a country or country-rock sound.  He also played the electric guitar behind many of the other artists, which I didn't think was allowed at a folk music festival, ;) but somehow it worked!  I just downloaded one of his CDs and I'm listening to it thinking, this guy is 20 years old?  Unbelievable.  I'll be keeping my eye on this one.



Ellis

I first heard Ellis on the dear departed MPR Morning Show a few years ago (which, incidentally, is where I first heard Storyhill, so thanks Dale and Jim Ed!).  I was captivated by her sound so I bought a few of her CDs, but I'd never seen her perform live.  It's a whole different experience.  She performs with such joy, it's infectious.  She talked about making an effort to cultivate wonder and possibility in her life, and that's evident in her music.  She sings a lot about being present and slowing down and enjoying your life as it is right now.  And she has a laugh that can't help but make you smile, which is the effect that her music has on me too.

Peter Mayer

The penultimate performance of day one was Peter Mayer.  I've been a fan of his for many years and seen him in concert several times, and even talked about him here.  So I was excited when I found out that he'd be joining the fest this year.  He was his usual storytelling, obsessively tuning self.  Which is to say, wonderful.  There's no pretense with Peter; he's real and present.  He sang my favorite song, "Holy Now," along with several other selections both silly and profound.  I was disappointed that he didn't make it out to the campfire; his songs are so perfect for a campfire.  I was hoping to hear one of his classics like "Yukon Sally" or "Camping Round the Sun" in the campfire setting, or maybe "Bountiful" with everyone joining in for the hu-nana chorus.  Maybe next year.

Day one ended with a nice long set by Storyhill, followed by an even longer time of sitting by the campfire listening to the day's artists trade songs and stories.  But more on that later.  On to day two.  (By the way, there's lots to do at the camp when the music stops - hiking, swimming, kayaking, all the usual Minnesota fun.)


Carrie Elkin

Carrie Elkin is the one (scheduled) repeat performer from last year's fest, and I couldn't have been happier about that.  She is perhaps my favorite find from last year.  She has a powerful, clear, gorgeous voice.  She's this tiny little thing, and she opens her mouth and just blows me away.  She had Andrew, Anthony, and Raina on stage with her for most of the set, but ended it with a solo, a cappella, unplugged performance of "Amazing Grace" that was just stunning.  In addition to her considerable musical talent, she also was an entertaining emcee on day one.  And she wears super cute dresses.  She'll be performing at the Landmark Center in St. Paul on Sept. 16 with her lover (as she likes to say) Danny Schmidt.  Danny's an amazing songwriter, a poet really, and Carrie has a voice like no other.  If you're free that night and in the area, you really should check them out.


Andrew Pressman, Anthony da Costa, A.J. Roach, Raina Rose

I first heard A.J. Roach sing at the campfire at the end of day one, but didn't get the full experience until day two.  He has this crazy weird brilliant voice that I can't even begin to describe.  Our day two emcee, J Matt, said it best - mesmerizing.  Something about it just draws me in.  His songs are kind of dark and twisty; at one point he asked the audience, "is this too weird for you?"  It's just the right amount of weird for me.  I listened to his most recent release, Pleistocene, on the drive home, which features a haunting song I first heard at the campfire, "The Poet."


Tom Murphy and Connor Garvey

Next we had a "surprise treat."  Connor Garvey, who was at last year's fest, wasn't on the line-up for this year but just couldn't stay away.  He stopped by after a gig in Duluth the night before and sang a few songs from his just released album Where Ocean Meets Land.  He's another one whose music just makes me happy when I listen to it.  Anthony demanded that Connor sing "Soul on the Line" at the campfire, which turned into a sing-along.  He almost lost control of the song when everyone wanted to keep singing the chorus even when it was time for the bridge!  He's coming back to Minnesota this fall and will be performing on October 22 at the Ginkgo Coffeehouse in St. Paul.


Anthony da Costa and Grace Pettis

Grace Pettis has a lovely voice, and writes really thoughtful, beautiful songs.  She's another young one, and she sounds youthful and hopeful, but also plaintive at times, as in the song "Haley's Comet," which she wrote about her parents' divorce.  She's from Alabama, but like a lot of people in this group, has spent some time in Texas.  She wrote a beautiful song called Abilene inspired by the name of the town.  Grace has won a few up-and-comer songwriting awards, so she's one to watch as well.

Ray Bonneville shares a label with Carrie Elkin and Storyhill - Red House Records, based in St. Paul.  They recently released their second tribute album to another Minnesota folk singer, Bob Dylan.  Ray and Storyhill are both featured on A Nod to Bob 2, and it's fabulous.  I think it's safe to say that Ray is the veteran of this group, and it shows.  He has a rootsy, bluesy sound and was switching back and forth between multiple different guitars and harmonicas.  He sings his story-songs as if he's lived them.



Chris Cunningham and John Hermanson, aka Storyhill

I could listen to Storyhill all day every day and never tire of it.  I don't know why that is.  Maybe it's their gorgeous harmonies (as Garrison Keillor said, they're "setting a new high standard for male duet harmony").  Maybe it's the songs they write that capture a specific place or feeling.  Maybe it's the camaraderie that Chris and Johnny share from singing together since they were kids.  But whatever it is, they have won over a legion of loyal fans, of which I am only one.  They played for about 90 minutes or so at the end of each day, singing old favorites (even a few I'd never heard, being a relatively recent convert) as well as selections from their newest CD Shade of Trees.  On the second night Johnny gave the audience permission to sing along, which was all I needed to join in (especially after a few beers from an excellent local brewery).  Too many favorite songs to mention, but "Steady On," their anthem (as Chris put it), is always thrilling to hear.  And a little bit sad, because it always signals the end of the concert.  But in this case, the end wasn't the end.  The music continued at the campfire.

There's something about campfires.  You can just stare at the fire and get lost in it.  I find that there's also something wonderful about the unamplified human voice.  It's always my favorite moment of any concert if the artist puts the mic down to sing a song.  So when you combine a campfire and the human voice, magic happens.  The musicians gather around the large campfire, with festival attendees behind them (although the divide is blurred at this festival in general and at the campfire in particular).  They take turns singing, usually something they've written but occasionally covers.  Passing guitars and capos (a word I learned last year) around the circle, backing each other up on guitar, mandolin (Tom Murphy was another unscheduled attendee and can play along with anything), harmonica, or vocals.  The night sky overhead was littered with stars that you never see in the city, and the call of the loons on the nearby lake mingled with the music.  Magical.  There's no better word to describe it.

I'll leave you with "The Storyhill Band" singing a Storyhill song, "Sacramento."  Chris and Johnny are joined by Andrew on bass, Anthony on electric guitar, and the sirens Raina and Carrie on vocals.  To see even more videos from Storyhill Fest, including a clip from the campfire, visit the Cherry and Spoon youtube channel.  And if you don't have any plans for next Labor Day, consider attending Storyhill Fest 2012.  It's not 100% for certain yet, but my fingers are crossed that they'll be back.  And so will I.  Steady on.