Saturday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. — LUDLOW — On Saturday, Oct. 11, at 7 p.m., the 2nd Annual Black River Folk & Blues Fest will bring an eclectic group of musical acts and talented musicians to the stage at the Ludlow Town Hall auditorium. Hosted by the non-profit community group, FOLA (Friends of Ludlow Auditorium), the music fest has lined up three top-notch, New England-based musical acts for this, its second annual event.
The three performers are:
The Meadows Brothers, from Chester, Connecticut, are as the critics say, “Talented and polished, their sound somewhere between the ‘high lonesome’ of Bill Monroe, the simple sophistication of Woody Guthrie, the haunting melodies of the Appalachian Mountains, the backwoods blues of Robert Johnson and the hard driving country of Johnny Cash. It’s American music in its truest sense, drawing heavily on a myriad of influences to create something new and authentic.’”
Boston-based Sarah Blacker was named “Female Performer of the Year” in the New England Music Awards last year, was the Boston Music Award nominee for Singer/Songwriter of the year, and was also a nominee for Songwriter of the Year for her single, “Shiver,” in this year’s New England Music Awards. Her heart-felt version of songwriting has been coined, “Sundress rock,” and she was recently called “one of the brighter artists to grab our attention recently,” by national Roots publication, No Depression. The Boston Herald’s Jed Gottleib said of her, “Sarah Blacker makes some of the most interesting folk music in Boston — mostly by making ‘folk’ the starting point and reaching out toward rock, Americana and progressive music.” She is a prolific singer/songwriter currently in the studio recording her 3rd full-length album.
The Dave Keller Band, from Montpelier, Vt., should be well-known to blues and soul aficionados everywhere. One music critic called Keller “one of the finest soul anYd blues men of his generation.” His new CD, “Soul Changes,” earned a 2014 Blues Music Award Nomination (BMA) for Best Soul/Blues Album. His previous CD, “Where I’m Coming From,” won the 2012 Best Self-Produced CD Award at the International Blues Challenge.
Doors open at 6:30; the show begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 advance at The Book Nook on Main St.; People’s United Bank in the Shaw’s shopping plaza; and Wine & Cheese Depot, in Ludlow; online at www.fola.us; or at the door the night of the event.
