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Ninth Annual
THIRSTY EAR FESTIVAL
August 29-31, 2008
Eaves Movie Ranch, Santa Fe


Shemekia Copeland works the crowd at the 2008 Thirsty Ear Festival
Photo by David Goldberg

RICHARD THOMPSON * PATTY GRIFFIN * BUCKWHEAT ZYDECO
SHEMEKIA COPELAND * JUNIOR BROWN * RYAN MCGARVEY
LITTLE FREDDIE KING * ALEX MARYOL BAND * SANTA FE ALLSTARS * HUNDRED YEAR FLOOD * SAMUEL JAMES
BILL HEARNE'S ROADHOUSE REVUE * ROGER LANDES
PLEASURE PILOTS * ROUND MOUNTAIN * RANDOM FAMILY * JOE WEST
KEN VALDEZ * LAURIANNE FIORENTINO * AFRICAN DRUM TRIO
TONE & COMPANY * TRADITIONAL IRISH SESSION
& more folk, blues, bluegrass, Cajun, zydeco, alt-country & roots rock artists on three stages all weekend long. Plus camping, kids' activities, arts & crafts, healthy local food, NM small-batch beers & wines, educational demonstrations, Cajun & zydeco dance lessons, solar & sustainable energy exhibits.

Richard Thompson at the 2008 Thirsty Ear Festival
Photo by David Goldberg


Buckwheat Zydeco at the 2008 Thirsty Ear Festival
Photo by Jennifer Esperanza


Junior Brown at the 2008 Thirsty Ear Festival
Photo by Jennifer Esperanza


Round Mountain at the 2008 Thirsty Ear Festival
Photo by Elena Gomez


Santa Fe Allstars at the 2008 Thirsty Ear Festival


African Drumming workshop in the Kids' Corral, 2008 Thirsty Ear Festival
Photo by David Goldberg


Happy crowd at the 2008 Thirsty Ear Festival
Photo by Jennifer Esperanza

WHAT TO EXPECT & WHAT TO BRING

NM's premier roots festival takes place at the famous Eaves Movie Ranch, where many westerns have been filmed. In addition to three days of internationally acclaimed roots music on multiple stages all weekend long, the festival features camping, kids' activities, healthy food, NM microbrews & wines, educational demonstrations, arts & crafts, sustainable energy exhibits, a community food drive for the needy, and more. There's plenty of opportunity for a cool drink in the saloon and to get out of the sun, but the main stage is outdoors. So remember to bring lawn chairs (full size is fine), sunscreen, blankets, umbrellas, warm clothes for the evening, and anything else you might need for an outdoor event. We do not allow tents or viewing obstructions, coolers, alcohol, glass, flash cameras or pets. You can bring in food, but must leave coolers in your car (you will have open access to your car in the adjoining lot). We care about our patrons' health; the festival is a non-smoking event. Like any festival, our lineup is subject to change. We'll see you out at the ranch!

BRING THE KIDS: Kids under 12 get in free. So bring the young ones and set them loose in the Kids’ Corral, featuring arts & crafts 3 to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. There’s also a hands-on African Drumming Workshop on Saturday from 6:00-6:30 & Sunday from 4:00-4:30 featuring some 50 African percussion djembes, shakers and bells.

On Friday, admission is $2 and two cans of food. Our annual food drive for the needy kicks off at 6:00 and features five of New Mexico's best bands, including local luminary BILL HEARNE and his hardcore honkytonk ROADHOUSE REVUE; the swinging, horn-driven R&B of THE PLEASURE PILOTS, a favorite among dance enthusiasts; and the SANTA FE ALLSTARS, featuring local luminaries Joe West, Sharon Gilchrist (of Peter Rowan Trio fame), Ben Wright & Susan Holmes. “Tweener” sets by JOE WEST and ROUND MOUNTAIN round out Friday night's festivities. Huge thanks to the Santa Fe New Mexican, our sole media sponsor for Friday’s food drive.

The blues are strong on Saturday with an opening performance by LITTLE FREDDIE KING, a return to the hardcore, lo-fi Fat Possum blues on which the festival was founded. Word to the wise: do NOT miss Freddie's set. HUNDRED YEAR FLOOD, New Mexico's most powerful roots rock outfit, weighs in with a midday performance, followed by blues diva SHEMEKIA COPELAND, who can belt it out like nobody else. Then, at 6:30, it's one of the most influential musicians in pop history: a guitar virtuoso, a songwriter of the highest order, a thoroughly engaging performer. We are proud to welcome RICHARD THOMPSON for his first Thirsty Ear performance. NM's own RYAN McGARVEY will close the night with a dose of with no-holds-barred blues licks. On the Grand Hotel Stage, the best local talent, including blues guitarist KEN VALDEZ, singer-songwriter LAURIANNE FIORENTINO, AFRICAN DRUM TRIO, and TONE & COMPANY, play "tweener" sets all day long.

Sunday kicks off with an intense acoustic set by SAMUEL JAMES, a master of fingerstyle, slide, banjo, and harmonica, with an intuitive grasp of pre-war blues (acoustic blues lovers should not miss this set). Then brace yourself for the high-octane country-rock hybrid of JUNIOR BROWN, whose instrumental prowess often leaves the uninitiated wide-eyed. New Mexico's most beloved blues outfit, the ALEX MARYOL BAND, will be pulling out the stops with the energetic blues-rock that made Maryol a local hero, but he will also showcase a quieter acoustic side that most fans have never experienced. It doesn't get more beautiful than the gorgeous melodies and superb songwriting of singer-songwriter PATTY GRIFFIN, back with a full band for her second Thirsty Ear performance. Rounding out the night is a high-octane dance set by zydeco's reigning master, BUCKWHEAT ZYDECO. Bring your dancin' shoes, and don't forget to check out the zydeco dance lessons in the Saloon prior to Buckwheat's set. On the Grand Hotel Stage, look for "tweener" sets by James, ROGER LANDES, THE RANDOM FAMILY, and a special circle-style TRADITIONAL IRISH SESSION unlike anything we've presented before. There’s music everywhere. Enjoy!