Four years ago, local old-time musician Eli Smith, host of the online Down Home Radio Show, dreamed up the Brooklyn Folk Festival to showcase the talent emerging from the exploding local folk music scene, as well as luminaries from the 1960s generation that sparked the New York City folk music revival. Smith teamed up with Geoff and Lynette Wiley of The Fabulous Jalopy Theatre, a Red Hook venue that quickly became a home to up-and-coming musicians and traveling bands after opening its doors five years ago in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Here is a sampling of previous years’ talent, many of which can be seen regularly playing at the Roots ‘n Ruckus show, hosted by Feral Foster, every Wednesday night at The Fabulous Jalopy Theatre.
3rd Annual Brooklyn Folk Festival 2011
Alan Friend • Black Sea Hotel • Boom Chick • Clifton Hicks • Elizabeth Butters • Feral Foster • Hubby Jenkins • Jackson Lynch • Jake Sanders • Jay Gandhi Nitin Mitta • Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton • Kerri Lowe • Lankandia Cissoko • Larry Hanks & Deborah Robbins • Litvakus • Major Contay and the Canebreak Rattlers • Nathan Salsburg • Peter Stampfel & The Ether Frolic Mob • Radio Jarocho • The Americans • The Brotherhood of the Jug Band Blues • The Dust Busters • The Little Brothers • The Newtown Gang • The Pearly Snaps • The Roulette Sisters • The Tillers • The Whiskey Spitters • The Whistling Wolves • Uncle Monk • Willy Gantrim • Winston Fleary and the Big Drum Nation Dance Company
2nd Annual Brooklyn Folk Festival 2010
Alan Friend • Banjorama • Blind Boy Paxton • Bobby D’amore • Bob Malenky • Brotherhood of the Jug Band Blues • Calamity Janes • Clifton Hicks • Danny Kalb • Dave Harvey • East River String Band • Eli Smith • Elizabeth Butters • Ernie Vega • Feral Foster • George Stavis • Hubby Jenkins • Isto • John Cohen & Annabel Lee • Mamie Minch • Pat Conte • Peter K. Siegel • Radio Jarocho • Rashad Brown • Sam Doores • Stephen Strohmeier • The Bill Murray Experience • The Dough Rollers • The Dust Busters • Willy Gantrim
1st Annual Brooklyn Folk Festival 2009
Alex Battles w/ Banjorama • Blind Boy Paxton • Bob Malenky • Brotherhood of the Jug Band Blues • East River String Band • Elizabeth Butters • Ernie Vega • Feral Foster • Frank Hoier • Hubby Jenkins • Jessy Carolina • John Cohen • Mamie Minch • Pat Conte • Sana Ndiaye • Semilla • Strung Out String Band • The Cangelosi Cards • The Dust Busters • The Whistling Wolves • Willy Gantrim