The 51st edition of the folk and roots music festival rolled out north of Grand Rapids in September. Our coverage of Wheatland ranked No. 20 in our top-stories-of-the-year countdown.
Musical Interaction and Camaraderie: Wheatland had plenty of it via jams and more last weekend. (Photo/Anthony Castillo)
EDITOR’S NOTE: Today, Local Spins kicks off the Top 20 countdown of its most popular stories of the year, starting with our coverage of the iconic Wheatland Music Festival. Scroll down for photo galleries and more.
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Wheatland Music Festival kept spirits warm in September.
An hour north of Grand Rapids (and a few degrees colder), festivalgoers wrapped themselves in flannel, blankets and winter hats … or a combination of all three. It was a full-on calm spectacle in terms of attire and atmosphere at the 51st edition of the festival outside Remus.
Highlights included acoustic bluegrass star Sierra Hull, the rising mandolin maestro with a top-tier backing band. With musical chemistry off the charts — and a cohesiveness only achieved from the kind of fine tuning that touring can offer — Hull swept the Main Stage with a masterful display of musicianship.
Folk/bluegrass/Americana act Twisted Pine created another of the festival’s reel-worthy performances, with their modern take on timeless instrumentation and harmonies.
Sierra Hull: A Wheatland highlight. (Photo/Ted Bergin)
A few paces from the Main Stage, through a wooded pathway, the ever popular drum stage encouraged community and participation by offering up a plethora of hand drums for audience members to play.
Then there was the dance hall stage, with a capacity crowd of folks who fought the evening chill by dancing to an eclectic array of musical variations, including Cajun and Latin styles.
West Michigan singer-songwriter Kyle Rasche, who performed several times over the weekend, cited other highlights such as the sets by tunesmiths Spencer LaJoye and Peter Mulvey on the Schafer Stage, Wilson Thicket playing the Centennial Stage, and all of those inspiring song circles.
Folk master Bruce Ling, of Comstock Park’s Hawks & Owls, noted he had a fiddle in his hand himself most of the weekend, but caught world music trio Whorled’s debut performance with special guests on the Centennial Stage as one of the festival’s standout moments — a set that earned a standing ovation.
Thom Jayne from Whorled, meanwhile, called Saturday evening’s performance by Celtic music’s Kila “fantastic.”
With upwards of 13,000 people on hand, the impact of the granddaddy of Michigan music festivals is indelibly imprinted on those who’ve made this September event outside Remus part of the fabric of their lives.
Jam-Happy: Wheatland was certainly that. (Photo/Ted Bergin)
The lineup of internationally acclaimed and regionally applauded roots, folk, bluegrass, rock, blues and world music acts lighting up multiple stages was further enhanced by dance performances, artwork and crafts, children’s activities, workshops, demonstrations and, of course, late-night jams across the festival grounds.
Organizers described the 2024 lineup as”spectacular,” with local and regional artists performing at the festival were honored to be a part of it.
“Been wanting to play Wheatland for well over a decade,” said Joe Hertler, frontman for mid-Michigan’s Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers. “If you peel back the production and pageantry of the Rainbow Seekers, our music has always been rooted in folk music and songwriting.
“Whether I’m playing solo or with the band in full color, both present different veins for folks to connect with our art. There is a language at the heart of everything – and we’re just doing our best to provide interesting and evocative translations. Playing solo forces me to play from that dark and tangled place from where songs are found. It’s a place within me that desires more than anything to create and to share and to connect my humanity to others.
“Events like Wheatland understand this, and that’s why their event has lasted the test of time. It’s an honor to be on the lineup.”
Beyond that, the little interactions among the thousands at Wheatland added to the magic: the warm welcomes, the new friends, the countless acoustic jams, the arts and craft vendors, and a familiar festival family — all of which were on display throughout the musical weekend.
VIDEO: Wheatland Music Festival – Some Highlights
PHOTO GALLERY: Wheatland Music Festival
Photos by Ted Bergin, Enrique Olmos, Bruce Ling, Jenny Nic, Sam Wilson
Angie Ward, Mike Ward, Dan McCarthy, Anthony Castillo, Keala Venema, Jane French
Copyright 2024, Spins on Music LLC
