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Funky Rivertown Fest
April 1, 2023 @ 2:30 pm - 5:00 pm
One event on March 28, 2023 at 2:30 pm
One event on March 29, 2023 at 2:30 pm
One event on March 30, 2023 at 2:30 pm
One event on March 31, 2023 at 2:30 pm
One event on April 1, 2023 at 2:30 pm
One event on April 1, 2023 at 2:30 pm
The Funky Rivertown Fest will take place at the RAC Theater from March 28 – April 1st. The fest will feature six shows of live original music from Southeast Michigan’s finest Americana, Folk and Rock musicians. This premier event features a world class production team, talent from the greatest Michigan has to offer including a multitude of Detroit Music Award winners.
Tuesday @ 7:30pm
The first evening of the Funky Rivertown Fest will feature 2 groups of 4 singer-songwriters selected from the absolute best in Michigan!
– Mike Ward, Jo Serrapere, Dan Hall, Stuart Benbow, Kandy Fredrick, Morris Paul Lippens, Chris McGorey, Mark Jewett
Wednesday @ 7:30pm
Dirk Kroll’s songs are influenced by early British pop-rock, blues, funk, ska, and elements of Americana. He holds several Detroit Music Award nominations, and was awarded the Outstanding Rock/Pop Songwriter Award for 2020 and 2021. The Dirk Kroll Band spans genres and features horns, keyboards, and blended vocal harmonies.
Billy Brandt is one of the most decorated, celebrated singer songwriters and band leaders in the Detroit Music scene. He is bringing down his rock outfit, the Sugarees, to play a set of moving, thoughtful and celebratory music to the hall. His sounds cover the rock side of Americana, nodding back to greats like Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young to the Band, and so much more
Thursday @ 7:30pm
The third night of the festival features two of Wastenaw County’s supergroups: Delta 88 and The Crossed Lines! Indie folk rock band Delta 88 creates their own unique sound like haunted mountain spirituals played through a distortion pedal. The songs move through wide channels of dynamic, emotional arrangements, from dark and somber barroom ballads to anthemic battle cries.
With four studio albums, the most recent produced by Grammy-award winning Joe Henry, Delta 88 continues to mine for the new American songbook. The band’s music has been heard on stages through the U.S., Canada and Europe with the likes of Ralph Stanley, Richard Buckner, Emmylou Harris and Buddy Miller to name a few.
The Crossed Lines formed around a recording project, about two ideas and a story.
And like most things that happen it was a bit convoluted at its source. The first idea was to make their own version of the second side of Abbey Road merged with the Red Headed Stranger by Willie Nelson, to tell a single, direct narrative about a man going west a little over a century ago.
Well in to the recording project, and after a key member had left on sabbatical, the band realized that due to a technical glitch all the tracks they had laid down were corrupted. The idea of starting over was discouraging. So they decided to record the whole thing live, without rehearsal and with additional musicians that had never played together. They shared charts and demos, introduced themselves, and pressed record.
The liveness of the album fits the story. And in every aspect of the recording, arranging, mixing and mastering the story has been in mind. It’s a story of hope, violence and lost love.
Friday @ 7:30pm
The Friday night lineup at the Funkytown River Fest features two female-led Americana bands, Shannon Lee and the Silver Linings and the Whiskey Charmers. You won’t want to miss this show!
Starting the show off will be Shannon Lee and the Silver Linings. Shannon is celebrating the release of her debut album “Stars”. Her full band features herself on guitar, plus lead guitar, mandolin, bass, keyboards and drums playing intricate arrangements ranging from delicate to roaring as they find the feel and meaning of every song. This Ypsilanti-based act will carry you from joy to heartbreak.
The second band of the night is the multiple Detroit Music Award winning Whiskey Charmers. Fans have often compared their sound to riding through the desert with the top down, or the feeling of being in some lonesome smoky bar off the side of an abandoned highway, or music from a Spaghetti Western. Led by Carrie Shepard and Lawrence Daversa, the Whiskey Charmers are a favorite of music lovers in Michigan and across the country.
Saturday @ 2:30pm
The Saturday early show features J Michael and the Heavy Burden and a yet-to-be named band. J Michael and the Heavy Burden is an Americana, rock, funk-tinged outfit drawing influences from Bruce Springsteen to the Grateful Dead, with a hint of Dave Mathews Band. 3 part harmonies and rhythmic interplay will have you moving in your seats!
Saturday @ 7:30
Come celebrate the closing of this first biannual festival, featuring the Linden Thoburn Trio and the Billy King Band. Linden Thoburn’s songs are deeply moving examinations of the human condition. Her trio highlights the expressive quality of each song. A relative new-comer, Linden has already made a splash, performing at Broken Branch, Wheatland, and The Ark.
For lineup and to purchase tickets, visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/roof-top-arts-inc-60918876863
