The Long Beach Folk Revival Festival transformed Rainbow Lagoon Park into a boot-stomping hoedown on Saturday. The haystacks, cowboy hats, country twang and bluegrass jam sessions made attendees feel as if they were somewhere deep in the Heartland instead of the California coast.
Thousands attended: a herd of mustachioed men, hipster cowgirls, banjo pickers and a slew of families danced at three different stages, scoped out vintage chic at vender booths between sets and those of age filled their plastic cups with craft brew. While it’s called a folk revival festival, the music meshed together many types of Americana, including rhythm and blues, country and rock n’ roll.
Concertgoers seeking more mellow acoustic sets headed for the festival’s Showcase Stage where lesser-known musicians played to a small and intimate crowd. One of them was solo female artist Jamie Wyatt, whose lyrics resemble Johnny Cash’s rawness.
“Being on the road a lot, playing honky-tonk bars [and] meeting tons of self-made people” has influenced her songwriting, Wyatt said.
Local band Sawtooth, playing for the third year in a row, took advantage of the home field and sang songs about Long Beach. It was the first Folk Revival Fest for Nikki Cole, the newest member of the 6-person string band.
“The folk scene seems to really be thriving here in Long Beach,” Cole said. “The folk jams at the Red Leprechaun Thursday nights are packed.”
Better-known artists that incorporated a more amplified sound played the Bose Stage, such as traditional folk band The Haunted Windchimes who travelled from Colorado.
“The folk scene is fun over here in California,” said Matt Clark, singer, banjo and harmonica player for The Haunted Windchimes. “The only difference is that Colorado has a lot more shredders… A lot of people can really pick a banjo in Colorado.”
Around midday, a dozen hungry people competed in a Polly’s Pie eating contest on the main stage. The winner of the contest, Matt Jackson, said he wasn’t planning on joining the ruthless competition, but saw that the competitors were all children and figured he could win.
“My wife and I came here for the music and to see the headliner Deer Tick,” said Jackson. “But, now I don’t feel so good. At least I get a pie a month for the next year.”
Over on the Main Stage, Moonsville Collective woke up the sweaty crowd, who danced around to “California Good Time.” The crowd took their simple lyrics and bluesy guitar riffs as an invitation, jumping up in front of the large stage to dance with each other for the entire set.
Upright bass player Seth Richardson has roots in Long Beach. His dad, “Dobro Dan” Richardson, plays slide guitar in Moonsville Collective and has been playing bluegrass music in the Long Beach for 40 years. While attending California State University, Long Beach in the late ‘60s, Dan would ride freight trains on the weekends and write music in his spare time.
“Even though the rest of us are all city slickers, we all love this music,” Seth said. “We love going up to the Sierras and just jamming.”
Headliners Deer Tick closed out the festival telling the crowd that they “haven’t played this good of a show in awhile.”