Thousands came out to the second-annual Richmond Folk Festival this past weekend. The festival, which ran Friday through Sunday, attracted thousands and brought together musicians from many different genres including Irish, Western, Puerto Rican, gospel, zydeco, go-go and blues.
Hundreds attended Friday night to check out the sounds of Wylie and the Wild West. Serene yodeling put smiles on hundreds of people’s faces in front of the Ukrop’s/First Market Bank stage. The music was well structured and interesting without the poppy twang typical of songs heard on the radio.
The group’s stage presence also was something to behold. Children and adults alike bounced about to the group’s rockabilly sounds. Wylie did his best Mr. Blonde in “Reservoir Dogs” dance impression, while a Wyatt Earp-looking Paul Zarzyski recented some beautiful poetry.
As late summer bugs danced in the stage lights, bluegrass band Paul Williams and the Victory Trio took the stage. A Virginia native and long-time touring musician, the 74-year-old Williams put on a lovely set with gorgeous harmonies on traditional Appalachian songs.
Debashish Bhattacharya and his younger brother Subhasis wowed audiences with their virtuosic Indian music. Furiously fast at times and entrancing at others, the Indian slide guitarist and tabla player showed true synergy with one another.
The highlight of Friday night was one of the closing bands, East African vocalist Samba Mapangala and his Orchestre Virunga. The group had hundreds hopping up and down to the cheerful vibes. The entire band and its dancers kept the energy up from start to finish with catchy guitar riffs and lots of clapping.
Trouble Funk, one of the last acts to play on Saturday night, received a high level response from the audience-from dancing to shouting back energy-filled lyrics. Derrick Ward, a singer and rapper for Trouble Funk said he enjoyed playing at the Folk Festival because of the warm reception the band received.
“It was lovely,” Ward said of his experience at the festival. “You could see people from different shapes, sizes and colors.”
Clinton Fearon, lead singer of Clinton Fearon & The Boogie Brown Band also said he enjoyed the diversity at the festival. Fearon, who played earlier on Saturday night with his band, said the energy at the festival picked up when the rain, which affected the festival during the day, diminished.
Caroline Kaschak, a social work major, said festival go-ers had one goal in mind.
“There is music here for everybody,” Kaschak said. “Everybody here is doing the same thing and that is trying to have a good time.”
Ward said Trouble Funk hoped to unite people during their show.
“We want to make people step outside of themselves under one umbrella,” Ward said. “For 45 minutes, you put the world behind you.”