The Boston Folk Festival

It felt strange as the sun rose on Saturday, September 22, 2001. It was only a week and a half after the September 11th World Trade Center tragedies. We were very concerned about whether or not anyone would be in the mood for a Festival. To make matters worse, the day before the Festival began, the U.S. Attorney General had issued a warning about additional terrorist threats in

Boston this weekend. With tightened security, the curtain rose to a very emotional, and much-needed reason to gather.

The Boston Globe review of the Festival summed up the attitude of the musicians best, "Performers confessed they had worried all week about how to address the World Trade Center tragedy. Old songs took on new meanings." Vance Gilbert started off the Festival to only hundreds of people. But the need to gather with friends and neighbors won out, and within the hour, several thousand people flocked to the various stages -- folk music became a healer. The 4,000-5,000 people who did attend both Saturday and Sunday experienced a truly great event.

Saturday's main stage never stopped, from Vance's set through to the Laura Love Duo, Bill Morrissey, Rosie Flores, Robert Jones, Chris Smither, Tim O'Brien and Marcia Ball. The grand finale was a very moving rendition of "We Shall Overcome" sung by dozens of the day's performers and led by Robert Jones.

The rest of Saturday's seven stages were no less captivating with folks like Shirley Lewis, Aoife Clancy, and Amy Gallatin & Stillwaters and Rani Arbo & daisy Mayhem. The song-swap stages were simply unbelievable -- imagine putting together the likes of Marcia Ball, Rosie Flores and Jimmie LaFave all together in one room at one time! The "Blues Avenue" song-swap was equally amazing with Brooks Williams, Shirley Lewis, Robert Jones and Laura Love. The Bob Dylan Tribute featured Chris Smither, Tim O'Brien & Darrell Scott and Jimmy LaFave digging deep into Dylan's repetoire. And, let's not forget the Harbor cruises, which were packed throughout the day.

The Sunday schedule started with an opening set by local favorite Kerri Powers, moving into the rockin' sounds of Jimmie LaFave, and then the sweet sounds of Livingston Taylor. The rest of the afternoon was breathless going from Eddie From Ohio, The Holmes Brothers and the Irish legends, Altan. All the while, the Harbor Stage featured storyteller Sharon Kennedy and contra-dancing with The Sevens.

During the Festival, an "Art from the Heart" tent was set aside so that Festival-goers could express their feelings about the 2001 World Trade Center tragedies. Hundreds of attendees drew pictures and wrote poems & letters.

The following performers appeared at 2001 Boston Folk Festival:

Altan (photo above)
Atwater-Donnelly
Marcia Ball
Rani Arbo and Daisy Mayhem
Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer
Aoife Clancy
Eddie From Ohio
Rosie Flores
Amy Gallatin & Stillwaters
Vance Gilbert
Green O'Leary School of Dancers
The Holmes Brothers
The Kennedys
Robert Jones
Jimmy LaFave
Bernice Lewis
Shirley Lewis
Laura Love Duo
Lori McKenna
Mondo Sweetie
Bill Morrissey
Mustard's Retreat
ShanteyBlast! with Lynn Noel and Friends
Tim O'Brien and Darrell Scott
Paved Country
Barbara Phaneuf
David Rother
Claudia Russell
Bill Shontz
Chris Smither
The Spirit of Africa with Mohamed Kafifa Kamara (photo below)
Taproot
Livingston Taylor
The Sevens
Chris & Meredith Thompson
Freddie White
Brooks Williams

In the end we felt that the 2001 Boston Folk Festival was a HUGE success!!!! Several performer photos are also available through Copley Media's web site, with special thanks to George DeLuca.