Bearfoot to perform free in nyc

[jk245]

Unless you do not know, Bearfoot, the Alaskan acoustic bluegrass group, won the 2001 Telluride Bluegrass Festival Band Competition. They combine mandolin and guitar in their playing.

They will perform in a free concert in the Folks on the Island: Concert Series on Governors Island New York City.
July 19, 2008. 1:30.

The ferry to the island, on the East River just north of the Staten Island ferry terminal, runs about every half hour. From past experience there will be a long line to get onto the ferry. Try to get to the ferry terminal at least an hour before the concert. Bring your own chairs or blankets ... and food.

The folk festival has many other great performances on this land this year, along with a NY Philharmonic concert July 5 (how are they going to get allllll those visitors to and from the island???)




Folks on the Island

Visit the Island info

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[bradeinhorn]

unfortunately, all the new yorkers will be up at grey fox that weekend....

[MikeEdgerton]

Most likely a good portion of New Jersey as well

[jk245]

unfortunately, all the new yorkers will be up at grey fox that weekend....

$170 (+gas) vs free (scenic free boat trip)

(:

[jferg9]

I am up here in Gambell on the NW Cape of St. Lawrence Island in NW Alaska as I type. Having been around Alaska off/on since 1993 I have had some exposure to Bearfoot up here and I love Bearfoot. We had them up in Nome for the Midnight Sun Folk Festival a few years back.....they are awsome and well worth seeing. They've got at least 3-4 CDs out by now (definitely 3 I am aware of). I always loved their first CD as it really is true to the bluegrass style with some of their own tunes intertwined with some classic bluegrass tunes. Lots of fun.
For those who can make this concert in NYC.........enjoy!!!!!!!!! :-)

[hattio]

I'll second jferg. Also live in AK, and have seen them several times. They are pretty awesome. Some really good harmonies among their many singers, great picking....especially mandolin.

[jk245]

I am up here in Gambell on the NW Cape of St. Lawrence Island in NW Alaska

Forgive me for asking, but on Google Maps Gambell seems to be some sort of a baron military outpost with a runway between AK and Russia. What is it like up there?

[jferg9]

Hi there....thanks for the interest.....let me give you a wee bit of the flavour of life on St. Lawrence Island.
I'll keep it short......it all started when I was 5 years of age.....kidding of course........
St. Lawrence Island is about 80 miles long between its longest points and maybe 40 miles wide at its widest points. There are two villages on the island inhabited by Siberian Yupiq Eskimo folks-Savoonga and Gambell. Savoonga is on the north shore about midway down the island (~700 pop) while Gambell (where I have been rotating on/off for the past 2 years serving as the medical provider for the ~700 folks in the village) is on the NW cape......literally built on a gravel bar!!!!! We have a 4,000 ft airstrip but that is it.
There was some military presence here many decades ago around WWII (the BIG ONE as Archie Bunker would say....:-) but that is long since gone and swallowed up by the tundra.
We are a mere 45 km from the Russian coastline here though. I am sitting here now looking out the window from today into tomorrow.
I tell folks to rest assured that I am your 1st line of defence if anything heads our way from this remote corner of the world......:-)
Somehow I don't think that makes my friends sleep any easier at night though.....:-)
Peace.

[SternART]

WOW! Interesting post there Jim. I'm thinking mandolin players are probably
pretty scarce there on St. Lawrence Island.

[jferg9]

Hi SternArt.....:-)
I am the only mandolin player on the island. For 2 years I have been trying to find someone in the village who plays guitar but no luck. I did come across a guy last summer who showed up to do some water/sewer project in the village who was a novice fiddle player....:-) That was great fun for me as a novice mandolin player. We both knew the same tunes (soldier's joy, old Joe Clark, Angeline the Baker, etc etc etc....:-)
I am in the process of heading south for good though......off to OR where there is some great access to bluegrass music.
I've been meaning to get to the Rivercity Bluegrass Festival (Portland, OR every Jan) as I hear that is a blast......maybe this Jan.
Peace,