The musical artists of 2022
August 12 - 14, 2022
Pat Wiley was chosen to be Honorary Director for the 2020 Festival, but that was “the year that wasn’t,” so he’s back in ’22. Pat’s a singer and songwriter with long Shawano Folk Music Festival roots. He was on stage our first year, in 1979 and he’s come back many times since. Bluegrass, Old Time, guitar, fiddle, banjo and a little button accordion – He does it all. Welcome back, Pat.
Papa John Kolstad is a legendary folk-blues singer, guitar player and entertainer who’s been performing more than 40 years, blazing a musical trail across these United States. He uses a variety of styles in his performances; folk, swing, jazz, ragtime and what John calls, “happy blues.” While his shows are great fun, he also presents the creators and history of American roots music He last appeared on our stages in 1988. Papa John will be joined by Gary Schulte, one of the Midwest’s most sought-after violinists. He’s an improv artist and composer and performance composer, a master of Gypsy Jazz and many other musical styles. This is his first time at the Festival.
Anne Hills is one of the most beloved voices in folk music and one of the best songwriters. Whether she’s singing her own songs, the words of six-year-old Opal Whiteley, or her song settings of the Hoosier poet James Whitcomb Riley, she puts her whole heart and soul into it. Anne tours widely, pleasing audiences with warm, lively and humorous performances. More at www.annehills.com
Wade Fernandez / Wiciwen Apis-Mahwaew (Walks With The Black Wolf) is a multi-award winning international touring artist from the Menominee Nation. Wade is a songwriter and a master of both the guitar and Native flute. Whether he’s performing or teaching, his Menominee Reservation roots shine through. More at www.wadefernandezmusic.com
Andy Cohen is a virtuoso finger-style guitarist who has been described as “a walking, talking folk-blues-roots music encyclopedia.” He describes his music as “Country Blues 101,” covering material from before the twenties to about the fifties. Along with other instruments, he plays a Schroeder-sized grand piano called a Dolceola, made in 1905. andycohenmusic.com
Jahmes (Tony) Finlayson is a performing artist, mystic, musician, poet, teacher, percussionist, master accompanist, collaborator and Reiki practitioner. No matter who he's performing with, bringing people together is at the heart of his work. As Jahmes says, he comes from the root that brings people together. We welcome his return to Shawano.
Art Stevenson and High Water is Pat Wiley’s “Director’s Choice.” They’ve kept traditional bluegrass music alive in Wisconsin and surrounding states since 1993. They take their repertoire from many sources: the bluegrass classics of Bill Monroe and the Stanley Brothers, early country music, mountain songs, and new material. More at www.highwatermusic.com
Indigie Femme is from Santa Fe. They connect the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, weaving cultural matrilineages of Dine (Black Mountain, Arizona, USA) and Maori, Samoa (Aotearoa - New Zealand). Tash Terry and Elena Higgins perform with joy as they combine thought-provoking lyrics with powerful voices, guitar, harmonica & percussion. Find more at www.indigiefemme.com
Bounding Main is a maritime-themed acapella group that sings richly harmonic versions of traditional songs. Their shows are filled with spirit, humor and harmony; their arrangements of traditional and contemporary nautical music bring the listener into the world of pirates, adventure and romance. More at www.boundingmain.com
Crystal River Trio perform the kind of folk music many of us grew up with. With guitar, banjo, ukulele, mandolin, bass, bodhran, penny whistle and fiddle, they bring back memories music we know so well. Sing along with Gary Arndt, Peter Bartman and Jay Smudde. More at www.crystalrivertrio.com
Fox and Branch create an atmosphere of fun and high spirits wherever they play. The audience is invited to sing along, dance, and try the washboard and other musical instruments. Based in Milwaukee, Dave Fox and Will Branch delight audiences wherever they go. They’re winners of five Parent’s Choice recommended awards. More at www.foxandbranch.com
Zander Raymakers is a 10-year-old “concertina playing kid” from Pulaski, WI. He started bouncing around to polka music when he was a baby and he never stopped. He formed his own band, Zander’s Music RayMakers’s, and he’splayed with many of the area's most popular polka bands. He’s played at Pulaski’s Polka Days, and we’re thrilled to welcome Zander to the Shawano Folk Music Festival.
Door County Sound is the “unsung” artist that makes the weekend work for all of us. Steve Ellmann and his crew take the music that comes out of the instruments and voices onstage and they make sure you hear it exactly as the musicians want you to hear it. It’s a tall order because every musician, instrument and stage comes with its own set of challenges. Steve and his crew meet them all.
Cory Arndt comes from Appleton, WI. He heard traditional songs growing up, and when he started playing guitar as a child, those tunes were what he learned. He has a love for the romantic tunes that weave their way through folk music. Cory is also a luthier, and the owner of Ardent Guitars in Appleton. This is Cory’s first time in Shawano.