NEW CUMBERLAND, W. Va. — Montani Semper Liberi — Music & Art at Oak Glen, a three day celebration of music, the arts, and our cultural heritage, will return to the Oak Glen complex (just outside of New Cumberland) for a sixth consecutive year, March 20-22. Once again, the event will feature a roster of nationally renowned bluegrass, folk, jazz, blues, Celtic and Americana touring artists, as well as a wide array of local performing artists. There will be between17 and 20 Little Theatre / Main Stage performances spread out over three days and four sessions. A family-friendly event, all students (age 18 and under) will receive free admission to all Main Stage performances. Those age 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult.
In addition to the Little Theatre offerings, the expansive Commons Area will be set up to showcase the talents of area crafters, vendors, authors and artisans. Plus, the Hall Gallery of Visual Arts will have the works of local and regional artists and photographers on display. The Porch, an alternate stage, will be utilized throughout the weekend with a full schedule of family-friendly entertainment. Admission to all Commons Area, Hall Gallery and Porch activities, events and displays will be free to all ages.
Touring headliners among this year’s Main Stage performers include:
— The Steel Wheels — Thanks to a robust tour schedule and their impeccable sound, this veteran string band from Virginia’s Blue Ridge has earned the “Band Most In-Demand”status of fans and peers alike. “Few groups have come as far in such a short period of time as The Steel Wheels…”
— NPR’s Mountain Stage / Driftwood — A quintet familiar to anyone who follows the Americana music scene, Driftwood is the hands-down favorite of those who flock to their frequent Purple Fiddle (Thomas, WV) shows. With a never ending tour schedule and a reputation for “killer” live shows, this upstate New York-based band has built a very solid underground fan base.
— The Po’Ramblin’ Boys — The International Bluegrass Music Association Emerging Artist of the Year and a 2020 Grammy nominee for Bluegrass Album of the year, this Tennessee Smoky Mountain-based band is “the real deal” and takes great pride in being ambassadors of their genre.
— The Lowest Pair — The duo of Kendl Winter and Palmer T. Lee are defined by their “world class banjo riffs, timeless folk songs, and haunting vocals.” (KEXP, The Current) “If you listen to no other bands or musical outfits in the Americana genre…listen to The Lowest Pair. This duo isn’t interested in merely making music of a moment that’s soon forgotten – these are songs well-lived in that aspire to last long after their writers have shuffled away.” (No Depression)
— Amythyst Kiah — “…one of roots music’s most exciting emerging talents, blending a deep knowledge of old time music with sensibilities spanning classic country to contemporary R&B.” (Rolling Stone Magazine) Her tune, “Black Myself” was recognized as the Folk Alliance 2020 Song of the Year and a Grammy nominee for Roots Song of the Year.
— Sunny War — A product of a nomadic and unconventional childhood, a self-taught guitarist with a style reminiscent of Robert Johnson, lyrics reflective of her teen years on the streets of L.A. and Venice Beach, and a voice with all the melancholy found in Billie Holliday, “Sunny is going to blow your mind. She is like no one else.” (LA Weekly)
— Hillary Klug — A fiddle playing prodigy and National Buck Dancing Champion, Hillary’s combined talents have made her an international celebrity. “There are good fiddle players and there are good dancers, but I don’t know anybody in the United States who dances as well as she plays or plays as well as she dances.” (Jim Wood, five-time Tennessee State Fiddle Champion)
Amythyst
— The Drowsy Lads — They’ve been mainstays on the Irish music scene in the US for over 15 years and their fire, exuberance, and undeniable genuineness has earned them the distinction of “Best Irish American Band of 2018.” “They get the crowd on their feet and deliver a good time, every time.” (Jack Baker – Irish American News)
— C Street Brass — What began in 2008 as a small project between five friends, C Street Brass remains as committed as ever to connect lovers of the arts from all walks of life around a highly energetic and engaging concert experience. “C Street is the new sound, look, and feel of the modern brass quintet.” (George Vosburgh: Principal Trumpet, Pittsburgh Symphony)
— Vivian Leva and Riley Calcagno — It’s rare to find such mature and confident voices in such young artists – whose music springs so organically from a grassroots connection to the traditional music community in which they were raised. Rolling Stone listed Vivian among their “10 country and Americana artists you need to hear right now.” Riley spent his formative years in traditional music playing with the widely recognized band, The Onlies.
— Rasta Rafiki — Formed in Morgantown, WV, in late 1989, Rasta Rafiki “strives to produce music that is equally appealing to the mind as well as the body…with the express purpose of promoting peace, equality and understanding in an ever desensitized world, while at the same time supplying a healthy dose of fun!!” Through the years, the band gradually disbanded as members relocated across the country, but they reunite, on occasion, for special events.
— The Nick Horner Family — Returning to Music & Art at Oak Glen, Nick Horner performed at last year’s festival as part of the Nick and Luke duo. This time, it will be with a cast of characters rotating around the Brookln-based Horner. Expect roots rock and folk jazz with a tinge of the unpredictable. / Dirty Dishwater Revival – An upper-Ohio Valley based trio among the festival’s featured artists, Dirty Dishwater Revival is comprised of Brad Gibson (guitar and vocals), Alex Wudarski (mandolin), and Ian Varlas (upright bass).
— Bill Schilling with Rich and Kathy Small – Bill has been singing and playing various folk instruments (at least 20 with variations of several) for fifty years. Rich and Kathy are folk singers and instrumentalists from Canton. Together, they have been performing as a trio since about 2014 in a variety of settings and venues.
— Robert Logan — An accomplished solo acoustic instrumentalist, Robert hails from East Palestine, Ohio.
— ELHS Renaissance Singers — Under the direction of Lisa Ensinger, they will be performing some of their annual “Nights on Broadway” celebration. / In a special two-song presentation, well known local artist Doug Smith will open the fourth and final session of the festival on Sunday, March 22.
Adult passes, both Single Session and Full Event, for the Little Theatre Main Stage shows can be purchased online at http://www.musicandartatoakglen.com.
They can also be purchased by mailing a check payable to: “M.S.L. – Music & Art” / 39 Golden Bear Drive / New Cumberland, WV 26047.
Robert Logan
A self-addressed envelope must be included. Passes may also be purchased at Oak Glen Middle School during regular school hours. Single Session passes are $20. Admission to the midday Session II, Saturday, March 21, will be free to all. For more information, call 304-374-7474.
FESTIVAL HISTORY
- Amythyst
- Robert Logan
The first Montani Semper Liberi – Music & Art at Oak Glen festival took place on March 21, 2015. (Montani Semper Liberi is the West Virginia State Slogan – translated: “Mountaineers are always free.”) The event is billed as a “celebration of music, the arts, and our cultural heritage.” The festival has evolved from a one date event to a three day festival.
The roots of the festival actually go back to the mid-1990s and the frequent individual concerts that were hosted at Westgate Auditorium in East Liverpool, shows that featured legendary performers in folk, jazz, blues and traditional music, artists such as Richie Havens, Tom Paxton, Maynard Ferguson, R.L. Burnside, the Count Basie Orchestra and many more. The common theme from those earliest shows to the present format has been that students have been involved in varying capacities, from performing to maintenance to the actual production of each and every endeavor.
You will find students serving in the following roles, working seamlessly side-by-side with the professionals: emceeing our Little Theatre main stage sessions; performing on both the main and alternate stages; taking care of the needs of touring musical artists, as well as our guest vendors; video documenting the performances and interviewing the musicians; overseeing their own vendor/crafter tables; managing the Little Theatre stage and spot lights; displaying their own paintings, sketches and photographic works, side-by-side with the professional Hall Gallery artists; and more.
There is a committee of approximately 20 Tri-State citizens which plans and organizes the festival each year. It entails a year -round effort of fund raising and coordination to stage the annual weekend event.
The festival survives from year to year thanks to the generosity of many private individuals, small and large business owners, endowments and community service organizations, and the support of Hancock County commissioners, as well as through numerous creative fund raising initiatives.