Welcome to another issue of PA Musician Magazine. We have a busy month and a lot to talk about so let’s get right into it.
A couple festivals to put on your radar: The Upstage Music Festival is coming up later in the summer—August 7th–9th—and it’s promising to be a blowout event with something for everyone, even some wrestling thrown into the mix! Check out the July issue for a full rundown on the event and also go to theupstagemusicfest.com for more details.
The Briggs Farm Blues Festival is taking place on July 10–12, and there’s a reason it’s been called “the best weekend of the year.” This three-day blues festival has become one of the can’t-miss events in our area. Located in the beautiful hills just outside of Nescopeck, PA, the Briggs family farm is transformed into a small town of sorts for the weekend.
With camping of all varieties—tent camping, car camping, RV camping, special sites that can see the stage, sites in the woods, and options for all types—plus lots of food vendors, craft vendors, two stage areas, shaded tent areas, pop-up spots, chair areas—you name it, they’ve got it! People even deliver ice and pizza. What more could you ask for?
This is such a well-run event, put on by Alison Briggs and her family/team. Once you’re on “The Farm,” it’s very clear they are all about the music and making sure everyone has a great time. With the dual stages far enough apart, it’s like attending two festivals at once. The schedule allows for some overlap, so you can casually switch from stage to stage and not miss much.
This year, they’re once again bringing in a diverse lineup featuring some new names as well as festival veterans. Guitar Zack is back—what an amazing performer, interacting with the crowd between mind-boggling songs that leave jaws on the floor. If you don’t know about Guitar Zack and you play guitar, then shame on you! The lineup includes something for everyone, with Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds headlining along with Victor Wainwright and The Train. Other acts include Nikki Hill, Lachy Doley, The Stephen Hull Experience, Brett Alexander & Friends, and many more. Go check out the webpage for more details and camping info at briggsfarm.com—that’s easy to remember, so type it in, check it out, and get your tickets today! Stay for the day or the whole weekend. For the full festival experience, camp. Even if you’ve never camped, you’ll have fun, meet great people.
Another event to put on the radar: The Burn It Down Music Festival on Saturday, June 28th, presented by Metal AF Jewelry. This event takes place at the Mechanicsburg Men’s Club picnic grounds and will feature nine bands, craft beer, food and craft vendors, and the infamous Jen Shade of 105.7 The X will be there as well. Bands include Emily’s Toybox, Coal, Almost Honest, Mawcore, and more. Check out the ad in this issue for more info and get your early bird tickets now!
We have two new advertisers this month: First up is Kirk M. Wise, recent winner of the CPMA’s “Iron Man” award for his devotion to the craft—he played 240 shows last year! One look at Kirk’s schedule and you can see he likes to keep busy. With 18 show dates this month, performing as a solo, duo, trio, or full band, Kirk has a little something for everyone. Check out his full schedule
The second new advertiser is The Floating Gems, a three-piece featuring Danielle Farhart (guitar/vocals), Joshua Hetrick (keys), and Zach Wolford (guitar/vocals). Danielle has a great voice, and they play a mix of your favorite covers and originals. You can catch them live this month on June 14th at the 2nd Annual Spring Festival @ Bucks Valley Winery, and also on the 27th at the Juniata Valley Winery on 2nd—that’s the Newport location. Check them out on Facebook, but more importantly—check them out live!
That’s it for this month—I’m out of space. Call, text 717-636-4203 or email joshnoll@pamusician.net to let the masses know that you exist and you’re into keeping music, LIVE!