When Labor Day rolls around and kids heads back to school, it’s easy to assume that the outdoor music and festival season is wrapping up. However, the month of September has a lot to still to offer — including some brand new festivals you may not have heard about. I figured I should take this week to let you know about some of the exciting options.
First off, there’s a big new festival that is doing its best to ease the sting of the loss of the Summer Meltdown. Splish Splash is happening Sept. 6–7 at the Lookout Arts Quarry, featuring two performances each from Acorn Project, Whalien and the League of Sound Disciples, plus a bunch of other performers. There will be camping, swimming, an open mic, and a sunrise silent disco. If the absence of Meltdown left a hole in your summer, this is the event for you.
The same location will also host the Sh’Bang festival over Labor Day weekend. This wide ranging “festival of ideas” includes local musical favorites like Three for Silver, Dryland, CHRVNS and Von Wildenhaus, alongside a plethora of all sorts of other performances like burlesque, puppetry, drag and circus shows. This one does typically sell out, so get your tickets (and plan your carpools) now.
Another new-ish festival is Blackberry Jam, taking place out in Everson the weekend of Sept. 13–14. The organizers of this one have gathered a top notch lineup of African and Caribbean music acts, highlighted by Naby Camara, a Grammy nominee considered one of the best in the world at the balafon.
In Anacortes, AMP Fest is the annual showcase for the best that that music community has to offer. Taking place from noon to 9 p.m. on Sept. 7 at Seafarer’s Memorial Park, this year’s edition features Collins Beach, Ebb, Slack & Flood, Nurhachi and Nobody’s Peach among the headliners of the 20-plus acts who will perform. I continue to be deeply impressed by everything the Anacortes Music Project does for that city’s music scene.
Then we’ve got two other long running local festivals that I don’t want to take for granted here. North Cascades Bluegrass Festival is back at the Deming Log Show Grounds over Labor Day weekend with a strong lineup of regional bluegrass favorites, including the Kruger Brothers, Never Come Down, and Under the Rocks, plus jam sessions and workshops.
Bellingham Celtic Festival runs from Thursday the 19th to Sunday the 22nd, featuring its usual eclectic blend of concerts, workshops, sessions, pub sings and whatever else they can think up, at venues all around downtown. Much of this festival is free, so you can sample a lot of offerings without putting out a bunch of cash. This year’s out-of-town guests include Hildaland, San Miguel Fraser and Biddy on the Bench.
Finally, it’s not a festival exactly, but Beats on the Bay has two more shows left for one of the most distinctive performance locations you’ll ever encounter. Performers will be aboard the Schooner Zodiac floating in Bellingham Bay. You can book a spot on the Zodiac, float out in your own vessel to join them, or rent a boat from the Community Boating Center. On Wednesday, Aug. 28 it’s Inside Strait, and then Tuesday, Sept. 3 will feature Miles Ebony and the Deep Cuts.
We’ll have plenty of time to hang out inside during the rainy winter, so take advantage of these special opportunities while they last.
Jesse Stanton's music column, The Beat Goes On, appears weekly. Reach him at jsbhammusic@gmail.com; @JSBhamMusic. Check with individual venues to make sure events are still taking place as scheduled. Live music events in Whatcom County: http://www.cascadiadaily.com/category/living/arts-and-entertainment/music/music-calendar
