{"id":45195,"date":"2018-06-15T13:13:14","date_gmt":"2018-06-15T17:13:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dcmusicreview.com\/staging\/?p=45195"},"modified":"2022-02-08T21:46:19","modified_gmt":"2022-02-09T02:46:19","slug":"kingman-island-bluegrass-folk-festival-celebrates-its-9th-year-on-the-anacostia-audio-video-photos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dcmusicreview.com\/staging\/kingman-island-bluegrass-folk-festival-celebrates-its-9th-year-on-the-anacostia-audio-video-photos\/","title":{"rendered":"Kingman Island Bluegrass & Folk Festival Celebrates Its 9th Year on the Anacostia [Audio\/Video\/Photos]"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

DC\u2019s 9th<\/sup> annual Kingman Island Bluegrass & Folk Festival <\/strong>was held last Saturday, drawing thousands to the banks of the Anacostia River in Northeast. The festival boasted a lineup of dozens of local and national artists across five stages for one day of live music and environmentalism to benefit Living Classrooms of the National Capital Region<\/a>. Originally created in partnership with DC\u2019s Department of Energy and Environment, the festival has grown significantly since its 2010 launch, and this year\u2019s installment was a testament to its impact on the city, officially partnering with the District of Columbia in celebration of the \u201cYear of the Anacostia.\u201d<\/p>\n

With the endless construction and gentrification of the nation\u2019s capital, it\u2019s easy to forget that Washington, DC was built in a swamp, but that history is immediately clear upon arriving at Kingman Island. Sitting in the shadow of RFK Stadium, many DC residents can spend years completely unaware of the existence of this scenic area, but for live music fans, this festival is a can\u2019t miss event.<\/p>\n

Entering Kingman Island is a refreshing reprieve from the hustle and bustle of Washington. Walking the hiking paths and staring into forests and small islands surrounded by the Anacostia, two stages are set-up between the entrance and the main festival grounds. The first, on the smaller Heritage Island, spotlighted independent artists and singer songwriters, giving them some exposure as attendees walk from the festival entrance to the 3 main stages on Kingman Island. The second stage, located on the dock between Heritage and Kingman Islands offered another space for small, local acts to be spotlighted. DC\u2019s own Dave James<\/strong> played a great early-afternoon set on the Dock Stage, bringing his distinctive, soulful R&B to Kingman Island and offering a different vibe than just about any other artist at the festival that day. His music made a small crowd on the dock dance during one of the sunny hours of the day, which would become fewer and further between as the afternoon went on.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

The festival\u2019s main stage, appropriately named the Kingman Stage, had the most extensive lineup of the day, with continuous music from 12noon to 8:30pm, with the final three acts serving as an exclamation point for the festival, including Dom Flemons\u2019 American Songster Review<\/strong>, featured artist Jonny Grave<\/strong>, and headliners Gangstagrass<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Two other side stages showcased some standout DMV area acts in beautiful settings. Both the Fraser Stage and Meadow Stage featured sets from outstanding acts from the Charm City. In the middle of the afternoon, the Dirty Grass Players <\/strong>offered a high energy set that closed with the children\u2019s classic \u201cJohn Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt,\u201d which got the crowd energized as the sun came out once more. After their set, the band told DC Music Review that they worked the song into their repertoire while \u201cimbibing at practice\u201d and \u201ctrying to do something silly,\u201d offering some kind words to fans who\u2019d have the song stuck in their heads for days to come, \u201cWe\u2019re the Dirty Grass Players. You\u2019re fucking welcome.\u201d We also caught the Dirty Grass Players at their Kingman Island Pre-Party<\/a> at Hill Country at the end of May.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

Closing out the festivities on the Meadow Stage, Baltimore jam-band legend Cris Jacobs<\/strong> (The Bridge, Cris Jacobs Band) played a great set, marked by some passing thunderstorms and featuring fiddle-player Nate Leath<\/strong> sitting in on \u201cOhoopee River.\u201d Cris\u2019s unique blend of blues, soul and southern rock was a late afternoon highlight of the festival, as expected. Be sure to check out our full interview with Cris backstage after his set here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In its 9th<\/sup> year, Kingman Island Bluegrass & Folk Festival demonstrated why many fans in attendance called it their \u201cfavorite day of the year.\u201d This festival is beautifully organized, benefits a great cause, and brings fans to a part of DC where it is easy to forget about the issues in the city, at least for an afternoon. In 2018, that\u2019s no easy task, but Living Classrooms and DOEE pulls it off, year after year.<\/p>\n

Enjoy audio and livestream recordings of performances from several bands courtesy of Will Urquhart<\/a>:<\/strong><\/p>\n