Fresh Grass Festival 2015
September 18-20 at MASS MoCA
By: Philip S. Kampe - Sep 14, 2015
Before attending the 2014 Fresh Grass Festival, I barely knew what the term, Fresh Grass meant. It didn't take long before the vibe of the festival captured my soul.
I wrote, ' Every nook and cranny was filled with true to the bone bluegrass musicians playing what they are best at, their unique, yet, traditional version of bluegrass music mixed with Celtic, Cajun and whatever style of music that achieves their goal. Dads, with their kids, some as young as six ears old, were strumming away in the corridors and hallways of the old mill. Crowds gathered and joined in to become part of the foot stomping music that made its way around the museum grounds'.
'Yes, the headline entertainers were on the various stages, as they are the heart and soul of the festival. Fresh Grass is a merry-go-round of music, each area on the grounds of MASS MoCA is the stage'.
As you can see, this is not your normal festival, but, a true interactive event. Besides the multitude of strolling musicians that occupy the grounds and museum, which has free admission for the three day event, the stages will be filled with amazingly talented musicians.
The lineup includes:
Friday, September 18th
6pm Freshscores with Alison Brown & Mamie Minch
7pm Twisted Pine (my favorites)
8pm Flatt Lonesone
9:05pm Punch Brothers
10:30pm Houndmouth
Saturday, Septembr 19th
11:30am Freshgrass Duo, Banjo & Fiddle Award Finalists
11:30am Cat & The Moon
12:15pm Quiles & Cloud
12:45pm Berklee College of Music Bands
1:30pm Birds of Chicago
2:15pm Mr. Sun
2:30pm Freshscores with Lost Bayou Ramblers & Mamie Minch
3:15pm Ballroom Thieves
4:15pm Alison Brown
5:15pm Lost Bayou Ramblers
6:15pm Vieux Farka Toure & Julia Easterlin
7:50pm Sarah Watkins, Sarah Jarosz & Alfie O'Donovan
9:10pm Dwight Yoakam
10:30pm Lftover Salmom
Sunday, September 20th
11am Fresh Grass Band Award Finalists
11:30am Rani Arbo & Daisy Mayhem
12:15pm Peter Rowan
1pm The Man in Grass: A Tribute to Johnny Cash
2pm Jerry Douglas Presents: Earls of Leicester
3pm Willie Watson
4pm Greensky Bluegrass
5:30pm The Del McCoury Band
In addition to the lineup, admission to the fabulous MASS MoCA museum is included. Add banjo, bluegrass, fiddle, mandolin, blues guitar workshops to the agenda and you have, as I mentioned earlier, a 'true interactive music festival'.
Tickets for the 2014 Fresh Grass Festival can be purchased at www.freshgrass.com
$300 FreshPass-The Ultimat Experience$ 99 (advance) $115 day of 3 Day Festival Pass
$ 89 3 Day Festival Student Pass
$ 46 3 Day Festival Age 7-16
$ 38 (advance) $42 day of 1 Day Friday Pass
$ 28 1 Day Friday Student
$ 20 1 Day Friday Age 7-16
$ 52 (advance) $56 Day of 1 Day Saturday
$ 40 1 Day Saturday Student
$ 28 1 Day Saturday Age 7-16
$ 40 1 Day Saturday Student
$ 28 1 Day Saturday Age 7-16
$ 46 (advance) $50 Day of 1 Day Sunday
$ 36 1 Day Sunday Student
$24 1 Day Sunday Age 7-16
Kids are offered opportunities to play through the museums FreshKids activities.
Programs include music-making, art projects and pop-up projects.
Kidspace at MASS MoCA is the museums child-centered art gallery. Kidspace will move its ArtBar outdoors with a variety of fun art projects for the younger set.