July 5-6, 2008: Mountain Keepers Music Festival Posted July 3, 2008, 10:21 am
On Saturday, July 5th and Sunday, July 6th, the annual
Mountain Keepers Music Festival will be held at Kayford Mountain's Stanley
Heirs Park . This concert is the premier music festival that celebrates environmental
justice in southern West Virginia. The two day event will feature local and
regional musicians playing a variety of bluegrass, gospel, country and old
time music, as well as children's games, a pot-luck meal and silent auction.
This is a free concert that will celebrate Appalachian life and attendees
are encouraged to bring a covered dish.
 The purpose of the concert, according to local citizen activist Larry Gibson,
is to show support for "human rights, health and water rights, and basically
everything that we have." Larry Gibson, whose family has lived on the
same land for over 230 years, has been working to protect his health, his heritage,
and his community from the ravages of Mountain Top Removal. The concert will
be for remembrance of the homes and jobs lost, while also celebrating communities'
efforts to resist MTR and promote sustainable jobs for a better future.
Schedule of Musicians
Sat, July 5th
Jen Osha between bands
1pm - Jim Savarino
2pm - Corporate Orange
3pm - Elizabeth LaPrelle
4pm - The Pitzers
5pm - The Lonetones
Sun, July 6th
Willie Dodson between bands
12pm - Molly Andrews
1pm - Jason Neff of Slate Dump
2pm - Mary Dailey
3pm - T. Paige Dalporto
The festival will feature many emerging artists who celebrate their homes
and heritage. Elizabeth
LaPrelle will be singing with her mother, Sandy LaPrelle, on the fiddle.
Jim Savarino, who has played
at festivals from Iowa to Texas, will be performing Appalachain roots contemporary
folk songs. Keith,
Joan and Jake Pitzer bring together traditional
and contemporary styles with down to earth lyrics. They play traditional Appalachian
tunes, Celtic roots music and original songs. The
Lone Tones, a popular Knoxville, Tennessee band, have garnered regional
and national attention for their unique style, literate songwriting, inspiring
live shows and fine
recordings. The Carpenter Ants have
been around for more than 16 years and have evolved into WV’s premier
rhythm & blues group. The band has unearthed a wealth of classic and forgotten
American music.
Stanley Heirs Park is located near Dawes, WV, which is about 35 minutes south
of Charleston off of Interstate 64.
For more information about the concert: www.myspace.com/mtkeepersfest
There is a potluck Saturday afternoon so please bring a dish to share. There
is also free camping available Saturday night. Bring camping supplies, water,
and snacks if you plan on staying.
This is a drug and alcohol free event.
This is a free concert, but donations are welcome and appreciated.
This event is sponsored by the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, Student
Environmental Action Coalition and Coal River Mountain Watch.
Directions
- From I-77 / I-64, take exit 79, Sharon-Cabin Creek.
- Go RIGHT at the bottom of the ramp.
- Make an immediate LEFT onto Cabin Creek Road.
- Go 7.5 miles to the "Y" at Leewood and take the RIGHT fork.
- After 3.2 miles, you will pass a white church on the right. Continue on for 0.8 more miles and bear LEFT on the one-lane bridge.
- Travel another 1.5 miles and bear RIGHT on the road with a guardrail up the mountain.
- If you look to your left, you will see some of the valley fills.
- At the summit, there will be a white rock and a fork in the road. Bear RIGHT and continue on for 0.1 miles.
- The Stanley Heirs Park is on the LEFT.
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