Belting out the bluegrass
Special guests, as well as 12 P.E.I. bands set to perform at 2018 Summerside Bluegrass and Acoustic Music Festival
The 2018 Summerside Bluegrass and Acoustic Music Festival will be held on Nov. 2-4 at the Causeway Bay Hotel in Summerside.
Festival chairman John Campbell promises a weekend filled with bluegrass and acoustic music beginning at 12;30 p.m. on Friday and ending with the finale at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday.
“We are really pleased to have the Maple Hill Bluegrass Band from Ottawa as our feature band this year,” said Campbell. “The Oxbow Mountain Boys from Harbourville, Nova Scotia, will be our regional band, and we will have 12 Island bluegrass bands entertaining as well. It will be a jam-packed weekend of great entertainment. “
Now in its sixth year, the indoor festival continues to grow in popularity and attracts fans from across the Maritimes filling hotel rooms and restaurants in city.
“Bluegrass fans enjoy listening to great music and eating good food, and Summerside has both to offer,” said Campbell.
The feature band, Maple Hill Bluegrass, is an award-winning bluegrass band that brings energy, emotion, fun and the lost art of entertainment to their show. Built on the foundation that “it’s all about the song”, the band delivers powerful vocals with strong supportive instrumental backup rooted in a traditional sound. Maple Hill covers the full range of bluegrass from the early hard-edge blues through gospel and on to today’s great songwriters as well as some original compositions.
The band is comprised of cofounders Garry Greenland (guitar, vocals) and Pat Moore (bass, vocals), Kevin Golka (mandolin, vocals) and Sean Lundy (banjo). Greenland, Moore and Golka share the lead and harmony vocals, keeping things fresh and interesting throughout the performance. Moore’s unique ability to distinctively “sing-the-story” is always a crowd favourite.
Over the years, Maple Hill has honed a sound whose foundation is Greenland’s solid driving guitar coupled with Golka’s mandolin work – the perfect fit for the bluesy driving rhythm that sets Maple Hill apart from others. Moore’s traditional slap style bass gets both band and audience in a great groove, and Lundy’s banjo will bring a smile to hardcore and new bluegrass audiences everywhere.
Members of Maple Hill will also host a workshop, 9:30-10:30 a.m. on Saturday. All guests are invited to attend the jam sessions held throughout the hotel every evening following the stage performances. To book tickets, contact John Campbell, 902-439-6830 or email jctailpipe@hotmail.com.
“Bluegrass fans enjoy listening to great music and eating good food, and Summerside has both to offer.” John Campbell