Michigan favorites May Erlewine, Desmond Jones and Full Cord also are on the docket for the iconic Harbor Springs-area festival taking place in July. View the official poster and get details at Local Spins.
Leading the Charge: Blissfest will feature the rootsy music of The Wood Brothers. (Courtesy Photo/Shervin Lainez)
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The Wood Brothers, Sarah Jarosz, Donna the Buffalo, Amythyst Kiah, Vieux Farka Toure and John Craigie will headline the 2024 edition of Blissfest outside Harbor Springs.
The iconic July 12-14 festival also boasts an impressive roster of eclectic acts, including Michigan favorites May Erlewine, bluegrass act Full Cord and jam band Desmond Jones, along with California’s Rainbow Girls, Irish guitarist John Doyle, Massachusetts alternative folk singer Alisa Amador and Americana’s Truth & Salvage Co. featuring Frankfort’s Tim Jones.
“It feels really exciting to have several artists who are really in their prime. Artists like Sarah Jarosz, John Craigie, Amythyst Kiah and Rainbow Girls to start,” said Caroline Barlow, artistic and co-director for Blissfest.
“These artists are currently touring the country, playing well-known clubs and festivals, releasing edgy music, and growing a loyal fan base.”
Sarah Jarosz (Photo/Shervin Lainez)
Barlow also hailed “some of the best instrumentalists out there,” including Doyle, Missy Raines, Vieux Farka Toure, Taimane, Wood Brothers and Jarosz (who’s touring behind her new Americana album, “Polaroid Lovers”).
General admission weekend passes — $205 adults, $85 teens – currently are on sale here. Children 12 and younger are free. Saturday and Sunday passes are available.
Volunteer positions also are available, with Barlow calling it “a great way to get both entry into the festival and be a part of the community that makes it happen.” Details here.
A popular returning star for 2024 is Traverse City singer-songwriter May Erlewine, who’s been attending and performing at Blissfest for nearly two decades.
“Blissfest is a wonderful music festival, but I think what makes it so special is the community that has been cultivated within it over the years. It feels like a statewide musical family reunion on a sacred piece of land,” Erlewine told Local Spins.
“Each year, we meet again to celebrate the simple things and savor our moments together. I got to perform at my first Blissfest when I was around 22, I think.”
‘A TRUE DISCOVERY FESTIVAL’ MINING TALENT FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE
Erlewine is scheduled to perform on Saturday with a full band featuring Max Lockwood, Michael Shimmin, Joe Hettinga and Eric O’Daly, plus some likely special guests.
May Erlewine (Photo/Chelsea Whitaker)
Barlow said the wide array of 2024 artists includes a solid core of Michigan acts as well as performers unfamiliar to many festivalgoers – many of them pushing boundaries while staying true to the roots of Blissfest.
“We consider ourselves a true discovery festival, and to do that, we have to mine talent throughout the state of Michigan, across the country and around the globe. What has turned up this year are some true gems, even if their names might be new to some. We want you to be on that discovery train with us and be the first to find out about an artist on the rise, or an artist that more people should know.”
That also means covering “the gamut of the folk and roots tree with bit of quirk and innovation” – Celtic, bluegrass, zydeco, swing, jazz, African blues, old-time, funk, singer-songwriters, soul and more, all inspiring that “Bliss feeling.”
She added that the lineup boasts “a foundation of talent that is Michigan-grown, many of them inspired by Blissfest and the festival scene in the state. It feels right that they are the ‘hosts’ in a sense of the national acts that we bring. … I’m counting on the Michigan crew to really bring the dance party this year.”
Camaraderie, Community: Blissfest (Photo/Nicholas James Thomasma)
Erlewine echoed that sentiment.
“You really see the Michigan music scene’s personality at Bliss. Lots of spur of the moment collaborations and bands having the time and space to connect and hang out,” she said.
“You can hear it in the traditional jams walking through the musicians’ parking lot, or campfire sing-alongs out in the woods. Music is all around you. I was especially proud last year to see so many women represented on stage and also running the festival. It might have been my favorite Bliss ever, though it’s actually impossible to choose.”
Check Out Local Spins Coverage of Blissfest 2023: https://localspins.com/the-beauty-of-blissfest-molly-tuttle-the-crane-wives-gina-chavez-more-2023-highlights/
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