Great Hudson River Revival (Clearwater Festival) on June 21 and 22 in beautiful Croton Point Park, Croton-On-Hudson, NY marks the first event since the passing of its founders, musician and activist Pete Seeger and his wife Toshi Seeger.
Clearwater 2014 promises to be a special celebration of the Seeger’s and their legacy – hosting many Clearwater friends old and new, many of who will perform special musical tributes during the event.
“Pete and Toshi’s legacy is truly something to celebrate,” says Clearwater Festival Director Steve Lurie.
“We’re excited to host a variety of tributes throughout the weekend - both on and off the stages.”
Among the tributes planned is a set by the Clearwater Family Band featuring Clearwater friends Tom Paxton, Tom Chapin, Guy Davis, David Amram, Dar Williams, Holly Near, Josh White, Jr. and others.
There will also be a banjo tribute lead by Tony Trischka and featuring other great banjo players, and sets of both The Weavers’ music as well as the Almanac Singers, both of which Pete Seeger was a member.
In addition, a special set will feature songs from Seeger’s repertoire that were written in honor of the 3,000 Americans who volunteered to serve in the Spanish Civil War. Pete originally wrote the songs to pay tribute to those who fought against the fascist government led by Francisco Franco, and supported by the fascist governments of Italy and Nazi Germany.
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“A Square Dance in Memory of How Pete and Toshi Met” will be hosted by Clearwater friends Jay Ungar & Molly Mason on the Dance Stage. Pete and Toshi were very fond of dancing and personally funded the launch of Clearwater’s Dance Stage in the early 80’s, making it the first participatory dance stage at an American Folk Festival.
For 2014, the Clearwater Dance Stage will present global beats perfect for dancing with a wide array of artists, including Buckwheat Zydeco; Contra-Dance band Wild Asparagus; Congolese Salsa great,Ricardo Lemvo; Cajun band, The Revelers, featuring members of the Red Stick Ramblers and the Pine Leaf Boys; Cajun artist, Jesse Lége & Bayou Brew; Grammy award winners, The Klezmatics; Gnawa style Moroccan musician Hassan Hakmoun; NYC based Colombian band, The M.A.K.U. Soundsystem, mixing traditional music with psychedelic rock; and The Vanaver Caravan, paying tribute to Pete & Toshi on both days with special dance performances.
Last month Clearwater Festival announced its 2014 artist lineup, including:
Lucinda Williams
Puss N Boots (featuring Norah Jones, Sasha Dobson and Catherine Popper)
Rufus Wainwright
The Mavericks
Richard Thompson
moe.
Martin Sexton
Josh Ritter
Dar Williams
David Bromberg’s Big Band
Jake Shimabukuro
Bettye LaVette
Lake Street Dive
Laurie Berkner
Visit ClearwaterFestival.org for the complete list of performers by day.
Acoustic Nation is written by Laura B. Whitmore, a music industry marketing veteran, music journalist and editor, who has contributed to Parade.com, Guitar World, and others. She has interviewed hundreds of musicians and hosts the She Rocks Podcast. As the founder of the Women’s International Music Network, she advocates for women in the music industry and produces the annual She Rocks Awards. She is the Senior Vice President of Marketing for Positive Grid, making the world safe for guitar exploration everywhere! A guitarist and singer/songwriter, Laura is currently co-writing an album of pop songs that empower and energize girls.
