Ocrafolk Festival 2014
“Ah. Maze. Ing.”
“Can you put a freaking in there? Ah. Freaking. Maze. Ing,” Shana Tucker gushed after a successful performance at this year’s Ocrafolk Festival.
Musicians and audience members alike seemed to share Tucker’s sentiments about the festival, which is now in its 15th year.
The air was filled with the rich sounds of local, regional, and world music, and the audience held onto every note, chord, and lyric.
During their Sunday afternoon show at the Live Oak Stage, Warren, Bodle, & Allen, a group that’s been performing for 30 years, said the audience at Ocrafolk is “the most receptive, loving group that just makes us feel good to be here.”
The atmosphere was upbeat, and the community welcomed the performers with enthusiasm. Mipso, a “renegade traditional” up and coming band out of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, affectionately described the festival as “kooky and particular.”
“There isn’t a separation between the performers and the audience; everybody’s hanging out together,” Libby Rodenbough of Mipso explains. “Lots of people here to watch are musicians, too.”
The island itself and its “friendly and intellectually intelligent” residents lend themselves to making the festival unique.
“It seems like one of those festivals where everyone knows each other and it’s very intimate,” Fuzz, a member of Caravan of Thieves, describes. “This is definitely a music lover’s festival.”
Fuzz appeared correct in his claims; people of all ages came to every show in droves. Young performers and sisters from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Cassie & Maggie MacDonald, enthralled the crowd with their snappy banter between their dynamic and captivating Celtic tunes.
Old favorites like hometown group and hosts of the festival, Molasses Creek, drew crowds of hundreds to their performances.
The festivals variety of music was impressive and appreciated.
“I love it. It’s one of my favorite places to be and one of my favorite groups of people to play music with,” Bob Zentz said.
Zentz is a national folk icon and host of the Ocrafolk Workshop Stage. Zentz views the festival as a place where musicians and audiences can come to grow, learn, and keep the spirit alive. A veteran of the event, Zentz likens himself a mentor for the more junior participants.
“The event becomes a learning ground for people as well as a reminiscing ground for old folks,” Zentz elaborates.
Zentz reminisces about the “golden years,” and recognizes how traditional folk influences and helps to sustain new music.
“Tradition is such and important thing in making contemporary music that has the ability to last for a long time,” Zentz explains. “It becomes a collage of old and new.”
While the musicians differ, Zentz recognizes what they all share. “It’s blues, it’s bluegrass, it’s singer-songwriter, it’s interpretive, but mostly it’s music that tells a story.”
As another successful festival comes to a close, many are already looking forward to next year. Many performers again echoed Shana Tucker’s feelings about the weekend, “I will come back as many years as they will have me.”
Editor's note: Ocracoke Current readers, please welcome our newest staff writer, Madeleine Bishop! Madeleine is a recent graduate of the University of Tennessee school of Communication and Information, and is spending her second summer working on Ocracoke. In the fall she plans to head back to Tennessee to complete her Master's Degree. We're really excited for her to write for us!
Also, many thanks to Jim Austin, who sent us his Festival photos. Jim was born in Portland, OR, grew up in Denver, Colorado, and lived in Kyoto, Japan. He taught photography and digital imaging at Colorado University and now teaches students worldwide courses in photography, Photoshop, and beginning film and digital imaging at Jim Austin www.Jimages.com
