Music fest offerings
Program of local, international artists aims to please (and surprise) audiences
If you’re looking for a summer cultural excursion, consider the Hudson Music Festival (Aug. 3-12), which also overlaps with the Off-Island town’s annual street festival this weekend.
The 12th edition of the music fest hosts 23 shows with performers from various genres over a 10-day period. The fest commences Friday at 6 p.m. with its youth music competition at the Mews concert stage (422 Main Rd., Hudson).
“Twelve years means a lot. Every year is a whole new ball game (organizing show details),” said Blair Mackay, artistic director and co-founder of the festival.
“The hardest part of the entire thing is keeping the quality up with a minimal budget,” he added. “Another hard part is bringing in as much activity with the community musicians and artists. That’s a great part but it’s also hard to rally the local troops.”
Mackay said each year he aims to offer an eclectic program of local and international artists who will please — and may even surprise — the masses.
“I try to be diverse, within limits,” he said, noting that jazz, folk and Celtic and roots rock are often represented.
“All of the music that goes on is fairly accessible. It is a summer festival. But I do want to give them things they might not otherwise go see,” he added.
While many shows are free to the public, there are several shows that require tickets, ranging in price from $10 to $35.
Saturday’s headliner is Busty and the Bass, at 8 p.m. under the Big Top, which is set up near Main Rd. and Selkirk St. Tickets cost $20.
“They’re an amazing nine-piece band from Montreal. It’s a huge production. They’re really contemporary; a mix of hip-hop, jazz and funk,” Mackay said, adding he recruited them after seeing their performance at last year’s Montreal International Jazz Festival.
“I thought they would be a really neat way for us to look at a younger demographic (for the Hudson fest), but frankly, the older demographic would love it, too. It’s great dance music. A very together band.”
Saturday’s free shows include the Cajun Music Collective at 3 p.m. and the Cantrip band from Scotland at 5 p.m., both at the Mews concert stage.
Folk-rock recording artist Shawn Phillips performs a solo show next Tuesday, 7 p.m. at the 2 Barn Owls space. Tickets cost $30. Another anticipated highlight is set for next Wednesday with Perla Batalla. The Grammynominated singer will interpret songs by the late Leonard Cohen, the Montreal-born icon with whom she had once performed as part of his backup band. Tickets for Batalla’s In the House of Cohen show (at the Hudson Yacht Club) cost $35.
Mackay said the music fest has been linked to the town’s long-running street fair since its inception in 2007. He added the fest also collaborates with local businesses, including Cunninghams Pub (bluegrass jam on Monday) and the Château du Lac bar (Hopping Penguins on Saturday), which also host several shows. The Auberge Willow Inn hosts the Sons of Italy band (in collaboration with Montreal’s Italian Week) at 7 p.m. on Aug. 9. Tickets cost $10.
“We don’t have a specific venue. The town is our venue,” Mackay said of the scope of the festival. “It’s rewarding, everything comes together.”
There are also crowd-pleasing homage shows at the fest.
A Persuasion Santana tribute starts at 8 p.m. on Aug. 5. Tickets cost $20. A Tom Petty tribute concert (free), with various local artists, is set for 12:30 p.m. on Aug. 5 at the Mews concert stage. A celebration of the Tragically Hip by local musicians is set for Aug. 11 at 8 p.m. on the terrasse at Cunninghams Pub.
Goto hudson music festival. ca or call 450-458-6699 for the schedule and for info on tickets, including an $85 festival pass for access to eight ticketed shows.