Keynote Speaker on the Main Stage
Amy Goodman - www.democracynow.org
 Amy Goodman is the host and executive producer of Democracy Now!, a national, daily, independent, award-winning news program airing on over 750 TV and radio stations in North America. Time Magazine named Democracy Now! its "Pick of the Podcasts," along with NBC's Meet the Press.
Goodman is the first journalist to receive the Right Livelihood Award, widely known as the 'Alternative Nobel Prize' for "developing an innovative model of truly independent grassroots political journalism that brings to millions of people the alternative voices that are often excluded by the mainstream media." She is the recipient of many awards and distinctions including the Park Center for Independent Media's Izzy Award, named for the great muckraking journalist I.F. Stone. With her brother, journalist David Goodman, she is the co-author of three New York Times bestsellers, Standing Up to the Madness: Ordinary Heroes in Extraordinary Times (2008), Static: Government Liars, Media Cheerleaders, and the People Who Fight Back (2006), and The Exception to the Rulers: Exposing Oily Politicians, War Profiteers, and the Media That Love Them (2004). We are honored to welcome her to SolarFest.
Stephen Morris - www.stephenmorris.us
 For more than thirty years Stephen Morris has helped companies and non-profit organizations define missions and develop effective marketing strategies in industries ranging from woodstoves to solar panels to books. He is co-founder of The Public Press, editor and publisher of the quarterly Green Living, and the author of six books, most recently the novel, /Stripah Love/. His next book, /The New Village Green/ will be published by New Society in 2007. For seven years Stephen was the President and Publisher of Chelsea Green, a publisher of sustainable living books, with previous executive positions at Real Goods and Vermont Castings. Stephen's connections with SolarFest go back many years to his days at Chelsea Green, and we are pleased to see him on the Main Stage.
Music on the Main Stage
Performers Listed Alphabetically
Avi and Celia - www.aviandcelia.com
"Avi & Celia create sexy roots swagger with populist fire" -The Boston Globe
 A raucous washboard, sliding steel guitar and two resounding voices bond together to deliver gritty, original music. Simmering with hip-bending, blue-tinged melodies, this powerhouse duo is creating something that is totally their own. Avi & Celia have delved deep, learning music of the delta and country blues, the activist folk songs of the Pete Seeger era, jazz from New Orleans, the soul music of the early Atlantic Records recordings, all the way to rock n' roll and today's pop music and weaving it through their dynamic personalities and experimentation. "You can tell right away that this music comes from the very fiber of their souls and it is absolutely spellbinding to listen to." -Rock and Roll Report
Break of Reality - www. breakofreality.com
"Break of Reality is going to win a Grammy someday. Bank on it." - Rochester City News, April 2007.
 Break of Reality is a cello quartet gone mad. The band's sound is cinematic, subdued and heavy all at once. Their live audiences are equally diverse; fans of Led Zeppelin, Radiohead, and Yo Yo Ma are finally getting acquainted. They bring their "take no prisoners" approach to the cello back to SolarFest by popular demand, touring in support of their just released album Spectrum of the Sky.
Caitlin Canty - www.caitlincanty.com
Vermonter Caitlin Canty is more often roaming the concrete jungle of New York City these days than here in the Green Mountains, but she will be returning home to kick off SolarFest 2009. Caitlin has recently left her job in sustainability consulting to focus on her budding music career. Among her recent gigs was opening for John Hammond at SolarFest's May concert at the Paramount Theatre in Rutland.
Caravan of Thieves - www.caravanofthieves.com
"Look out! Caravan of Thieves will cast a musical spell on you and then they'll steal your heart" - Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth (Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club)
Fiery violin arrangements, thumping upright bass and rhythmic acoustic guitar spanking counteract the sweet,
melodic, harmonious male/female vocals of Fuzz and Carrie. With diverse backgrounds in folk, jazz, and rock, and building on Fuzz's years in Deep Banana Blackout and The Tom Tom Club (Talking Heads without David Byrne), the Caravan of Thieves brews a bewitching blend of sweet harmonies, virtuosic playing and high energy stage shows that leave audiences pleading for more. Remember, you saw them here first!
Entrain - www.entrain.com
"Perhaps the best live band I have ever seen. An Entrain show is a beautiful, tribal, positive, uplifting experience that shouldn't be missed." - Jayson Cornish, Face Magazine
 Epic in sound and kaleidoscopic in vision, the eclectic Martha's Vineyard-based six piece Entrain has been thrilling critics and fans alike since its inception. Formed by drummer Tom Major in 1993, Entrain has recorded seven albums all of which have been praised for their ability to shift effortlessly between musical styles - from rock, blues, calypso and ska, to zydeco, jazz and funk - often within the same song. "The whole Entrain concept is based around the drums and infectious rhythms. Once we've got that.... anything goes, everything goes," explains Major. "There's enough negativity in the world, let's spread a little joy around and watch how infectious it can be."
Geoffrey Gee - www.vitalartsmedia.com
"… serious, passionate solo piano." - Keyboard magazine
 Geoffrey Gee, multi-keyboardist, composer and sound designer, plays the strummed, struck, plucked and found sounds of his original virtual instrument Plectrum along with rich deep soundscapes created especially for SolarFest. Every performance is unique--a structured, spontaneous response to the time and place of his playing. . Whether playing for a large concert audience, an intimate club crowd, or students in a classroom, this kinetic performer offers a memorable experience of music-making that inspires listeners to make their own.
The House Jacks - www.housejacks.com
"A battery of sounds that make mincemeat of the traditional limits of the human voice...a bonafide rock band …"
- Oakland Tribune
 The House Jacks of San Francisco are the original "rock band without instruments." Using nothing more than their five voices (and mouths), they deliver everything from blistering funk to screaming rock to heart-melting ballads for their ever-growing legions of fans. These pioneering musicians have performed thousands of shows around the globe and have shared the stage with some of the biggest names in music, from Ray Charles and James Brown to Run-DMC. They bring their outrageous talent and generous hearts to SolarFest for the second time.
The Kort McCumber Band - www.kortmusic.com
"One of Colorado's finest songwriters" - Daily Camera, Boulder Colorado, 2008
 Multi-instrumentalist Kort McCumber has been writing and singing his form of Americana roots music for over ten years now, blending bluegrass, folk, country, rock, and blues into something both fresh and familiar. As well as playing guitar, mandolin, banjo, bouzouki, bass, cello, and harmonica Kort has won or placed in a number of prestigious songwriting competitions over the past few years. He's a pretty good golfer too!
The Lissa Schneckenburger Band - www.lissafiddle.com
"World class fiddler. far from just offering one dance tune after another, simple settings allow the true beauty of the music to shine through." - Sing Out!
 The traditional music of New England can be as warm and comforting as a winter fire or as potent and exhilarating as a summer thunderstorm. Fiddler and singer Lissa Schneckenburger is a master of both moods, a winsome, sweet-voiced singer who brings new life to old ballads and a skillful, dynamic fiddler who captures the driving rhythm and carefree joy of dance tunes old and new. Lissa, guitarist Bethany Waikman and accordionist Chris Stevens, will play a concert set on the Main Stage and will joined by caller Rebecca Lay for the Saturday evening contra dance.
Mawwal - www.mawwalmusic.com
 Mawwal performs original world fusion music and new arrangements of traditional Middle Eastern music. Inventive vocal arrangements in English and Arabic weave through a Laouto (Greek Lute, with Bass and Drums, augmented by traditional percussion (tabla, dumbek, frame drum, riq) and Violin in what has been called a "new genre" by Progression Magazine.
The word "mawwal" is a form of popular song, often critical of society and introducing morals and values related to the common person. Based in Hartford, CT, Mawwal is long established on the New England festival circuit.
Peter Mulvey - www.petermulvey.com
"Peter Mulvey is consistently the most original and dynamic of the US singer-songwriters to tour these shores… A phenomenal performer with huge energy, a quick fire, quirky take on life, and an extraordinary guitar style… a joy to see." - The Irish Times
 Peter Mulvey's musical career has taken him from rock bands in Milwaukee, to busking in the streets of Dublin, to recording in Boston's subways, to SolarFest and back, pausing along the way to write for theater, dance, and television projects. Always a passionate activist and long term road warrior, his recent "Look Ma. No Gasoline" Tour covered 300 miles traveling only by bicycle with a guitar rack on the back. Peter Mulvey's latest album, Notes from Elsewhere (Signature Sounds) is a retrospective collection of the very best songs Mulvey has written and performed over his 15 year recording career. Recorded solo in a studio, these are fresh takes on songs that have become fan and critic favorites over the years.
Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem - www.raniarbo.com
"A sparkling, high energy show marked by breathtaking musicianship." - East Bay Express, CA, July 2007
 So, what's a daisy mayhem? Wicked grooves, sublime lead singing, great harmonies, sparkling original songs, and a deep repertoire that spans 200 years of American music. Start with a fiddle, a guitar, and a standup bass. Add a cardboard box with a suitcase bass drum and tin can cymbals, played by an ex-rock and zydeco drummer. Over that fine groove, hang Rani Arbo's expressive alto, seamless four-part harmonies, and a splash of banjo and ukulele, and you have it. Sort of.
SolarFest House Band - Live Only! www.jimgilmour.com
 "The best band since Spinal Tap." - Robin Chesnut-Tangerman
The SolarFest House Band brings together many of the area's top musicians for a dynamic musical extravaganza. Start with a core group of players poached from a wide variety of the area's best bands: Jim Gilmour, Jeff Poremski, Jon Berman, Paul Carroccio, Jerry Dubeau, Charlie Rockwell, Becca Kodis, Melissa Chesnut-Tangerman, and Coloradoan Kort McCumber. Sprinkle with performances by Duane Carlton, Laura Molinelli, Phil Henry, and a few surprise guests, stir well, sit back, and enjoy.
Vital Spark Performance Art Group - www.greenhillstudiovt.com/vitalspark.html
 Vital Spark, an experimental, grass roots group that integrates dance, theater, sound scape, kinetic art and video, presents "Rays Converging". The 12 person person ensemble explores friction, momentum, gravity and inertia in things fixed and falling apart. Vital Spark is under the direction of internationally acclaimed artist and choreographer, Erica Schmidt.
Meg Willey - www.myspace.com/megwilley
 Meg Willey, the winner of SolarFest's Songwriter Competition last summer, is a classically trained vocalist from St. Albans, Vermont. She has just completed her fourth album of original music. In addition to performing in numerous events and benefits throughout the area, Meg has worked on over 30 musical theater productions with a variety of groups, including the Vermont Stage Company and FlynnArts.
Xande Cruz and Batukis - www.xandecruz.com
"My music is a mix of colors, feelings, scenarios, styles, it's positive something refreshing. It's like the warmth of hope, a new day, another chance, the sun rising…" - Xande Cruz
 Native Brazilian percussionist, singer, and songwriter Xande Cruz blends a rich combination of traditional Afro-Brazilian rhythms with homemade electronic beats and samples. The mix of percussion and electronics, horns, vocals, and guitars surpasses genre boundaries and redefines Brazilian music.
A descendant of an indigenous Brazilian father and a Bahian mother, Xande was born and raised in Sao Paulo. He was profoundly inspired by Popular Brazilian Music (MPB) that he was raised on and also the early years of hip-hop and electronica he was first exposed to in NYC in the late 80s. As a percussionist, he performed with samba schools, touring Japan and South Korea, Brazilian pop bands, African drum ensembles, dance troupes and theatrical productions. While living in New York, he formed his own percussion ensemble, Batukis, which continues promoting Afro-Brazilian roots music in his unique style.
Performers on the Family Stage
Performers Listed Alphabetically
Happy Dan the Music Man - www.happydanthemusicman.com
 In 1993, on his 40th birthday, Happy Dan decided to change his entire life. "I needed to get back to the basics: children, music and nature." He met a clown who said he, too, could be a great clown if he wanted to. At first he was dubious of clowns in general but after his first children's birthday party, dressed up, made up, and accompanied and encouraged by his new clown friend, he had a personal epiphany. Clowns have been around since the beginning of civilization. Currently, our society doesn't really understand clowns as anything more than, at best, merry makers. Happy Dan had set off for a future as a clowning messenger of fun, joy and creativity.
Jennings and Ponder - www.folktale.net
 Tim Jennings and Leanne Ponder have been with SolarFest since its inception, and we wouldn't have it any other way. Their storytelling is most marvelous; the way they share the threads and weave the tales captivates our audiences and has been doing so for years. Since the first SolarFest, when Jennings and Ponder invited the audience up onto the main stage to get out of the rain, they have been among our most warm and flexible performers. One year they cast their spell on hundreds as they told a scary, macabre, and wonderfully mournful story from the main stage at night. We have great affection for these two masters. Over the years, Jennings and Ponder's presence has thickened the SolarFest stew considerably, adding a flavor much appreciated by both audiences and organizers and helping to make SolarFest the unique event it is.
John Porcino - www.johnporcino.com
Each year John Porcino spins some 200 performances, workshops and in-service trainings throughout the Northeast and beyond. His performances are a mix of stories and songs, sparked to life with warmth, humor, a playful touch of audience participation, a twist of music from around the world, and a message of caring for our planet and each other. John is co-editor of the book Spinning Tales, Weaving Hope: Stories of Peace, Justice and the Environment, and gives many performances and workshops on these themes for groups such as Educators for Social Responsibility, Audubon Society of New Hampshire, The Lacawac Wildlife Sanctuary (PA), The Clearwater Revival (NY), and The Presbyterian Family Services (KN).
Puppet Pageantry - www.jravenarttile.com
 Once again the AllTogetherNow! Puppet Troupe will bring to Solarfest a dramatic puppet performance offering humor, inspiration and insight into our human nature. The Troupe, led by artist Janice Walrafen, is a collection of people who, " in recognizing life's interdependence, dance, sing, and make merry."
Rick Davis - www.totallyuselessskills.com
 Rick is delighted to return to SolarFest. He spent four years as a clown with Ringling Brothers Circus and has performed at Epcot Center, Radio City Music Hall, The White House, and on the Bill Cosby Show. For 27 years he has been touring colleges and festivals, teaching us all the skills we didn't learn in 5th grade.
Roger the Jester - www.ijest.com
 "What?!? You haven't heard about Roger the Jester yet? You will. You can't really describe him in words. You have to see him in person. In open-mouth admiration of his work." - Pete Seeger
Roger Reed discovered his inner Jester 27 years ago on the streets of Boston. In 1979 he joined the Swiss theatre troupe Mummenschanz. After their Broadway engagement, Roger took to the road to "recreate the wandering lifestyle of a Medieval fool." That decision has left a trail of laughter throughout 23 countries. Roger now bases his buffoonery in the Berkshires of Massachusetts.
Singer/Songwriter Finalists
In addition to the Main Stage "Playoffs" each of the ten talented finalists in the SolarFest Singer/Songwriter Competition will also perform a set on the Family Stage.
The Swing Peepers - www.swingpeepers.com
 A vocal-harmony and multi-instrument duo, featuring fun, earth-friendly and water-loving interactive songs and stories, The Swing Peepers perform lively and improvisational energetic World Folk. Instruments strummed, swung, and tapped include: guitars, mandolin, harmonica, accordion and egg-shaker. Many of their songs and stories are participatory, so come prepared to join in!
Off-Stage Events
Theater in the Woods
 Theater in the Woods director Glenn Tarbell is looking forward to another exciting production this year, harnessing the boundless talents of the extended SolarFest family. Over the years Theater in the Woods has become a "must see" event for many festival goers and the sight of 300 spectators moving through the woods from scene to scene with the cast is a spectacle in itself!
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