CD Review
Various
Main Stage Live - Falcon Ridge Folk Festival
(Signature Sounds, 2000)
This collection of performances from 1996-1999 is a real treat
for fans of the northeast's finest folk & songwriter festival.
Not only does it capture the live feel and energy of sitting on
the big hill, but it generally captures the performers in an upbeat
mood. And the performers are all audience favorites: Dar Williams,
Greg Brown, Patty Larkin, Richard Shindell, Moxy Fruvous, The
Nields, Vance Gilbert, Peter Mulvey, the Kennedys and June Rich
among them. All the festival's main genres are represented here:
serious songwriters, the big folk-pop contingent, world music
represented by Central American and Celtic groups, and the upbeat
political singers. All the tracks work, though the Moxy Früvous
parody of the Dead's brand of home-smoked wisdom gets a little
old ("What's in the pot? I said / It's not a pot, it's a
tureen..."). All in all, a nice collector's item and a perfect
companion for your road trip this summer.
-HB