Culturefest - Performers

Stay tuned for the 2013 Line-Up Announcements... Coming Soon!!!
My Pet Dragon Alternative Rock Recently featured in Filter Magazine's 'Discover The Undiscovered' and nominated by Deli Magazine for Best of NYC 2011 Emerging Artists, My Pet Dragon’s anthemic songs and powerful live show has drawn comparisons to Arcade Fire, Coldplay, Smashing Pumpkins, and the Flaming Lips. MPD is led by singer/guitarist Todd Michaelsen and actress/dancer Reena Shah. They are joined by Mario Padron on bass and Rajeev Maddela on drums. Michaelsen's soaring vocals and strong pop melodies define My Pet Dragon's latest LP, Mountains and Cities. Deli NYC describes the album as "the ideal soundtrack for that cross-country, convertible drive under Augusts’ everlasting sunshine”. MPD’s unique performances include Shah’s dancing influenced by the classical Indian dance style of Bharata Natyam, and nods to electronic music and stadium rock. My Pet Dragon headlined the 2012 Breckenridge Beer Festival in Colorado in April presented by KSMT - The Mountain and is scheduled to appear at numerous music festivals this summer including Summerfest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin -- NXNE in Toronto, Canada -- the inaugural Catalpa Music Festival in New York City -- the KahBang Music Festival in Bangor, Maine -- and SAWFest in Salem, New York -- with more Festival appearances being announced soon. Fuse TV featured My Pet Dragon’s official music video for their single Moonshine, which is currently in-rotation on radio stations across the United States. MPD is honored to have their song Love Anthem as a part of the Music for Occupy compilation Occupy This Album to support the movement. The compilation includes songs by Yoko Ono, Mogwai, Patti Smith, Tom Morello, Ani Di Franco, Thievery Corporation, Yo La Tengo, and more. Also, Todd Michaelsen was also chosen as a finalist for the 2011 Peacedriven Songwriting Award for Love Anthem. Roll Magazine says, "As U2 and Muse are already packing stadiums around the world... it’s really only a matter of time before My Pet Dragon is doing the same. Thanks to Michaelsen and his musical compadres, they’ve already got the hooks and chutzpah to make it happen. Now all they need is opportunity to knock on the door." www.mypetdragon.net Songs of Water Experimental / World North Carolina's Songs of Water has been creating music together since 2002, yet their distinct and evocative sound carries roots from the most ancient of cultures. This seven-piece ensemble delicately blends instrumentation from across the globe in a uniquely American context. The uncommon use of the hammered dulcimer melodically leads many of the group’s instrumental pieces, followed by the resonance of various acoustic instruments and a brooding foundation of heavy percussion. Layers of orchestral strings and sparse vocals create a cinematic appeal to the otherwise raw expression of musical composition. Songs of Water has independently released two full-length albums to date which have been met with considerable praise. The band has been featured on NPR's "The State of Things", Fiona Richie's "Thistle & Shamrock", and WNCW's Music Mix with Martin Anderson. Reaching across the ocean, music from the band's sophomore release, "The Sea Has Spoken", has been aired on the U.K. radio show "Reach On Air". Songs of Water has performed on Michael Johnathan's WoodSongs Old Time Radio Show in Lexington, KY, The LEAF Festival in Black Mountain, NC, and Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival, and has shared the stage with artists such as bluegrass legend Ricky Skaggs, John Mark McMillan, Sounds Familyr recording artists Ben + Vesper, and Aradhna. Currently the band is performing in the Southeast and writing material for a fall 2012 release. www.songsofwater.com Spiritual Rez Reggae / Rock / Afro-beat The Spiritual Rez reggae funk dance experience is an unabashed display of musical virtuosity. When paired with a deep, sub-sonic groove and powerful heart felt vocalization; crowds are left dancing and screaming for more. The winners of the 2007 Boston Music Award for Best World Music Act and Alumni of the prestigious Berklee College of Music, the group is Boston based. Over the past 8 years, these six men have relentlessly toured the country to share their music and appreciation of the arts. Rooted in rock, reggae, and funk; their diversity exemplifies their love and desire to put on a live experience that will not only cut to your core, but also ignite the inner flame that exists in us all. A constant festival favorite, The Rez can shake a stage like a psychedelic dance earthquake. Evoking their personal power animals, they fearlessly forge into the musically unknown, creating a masterpiece every performance. It’s this power, this creative desire, that has fans traveling across the nation to experience this raw and intoxicating display of musical bliss. “Start with a dose of old-school, Marley-Toots-Tosh reggae and infuse it with everything from Sun Ra Arkestra freak jazz to Steve Vai guitar pyrotechnics. Inventive intersections like these define Spiritual Rez” -Michael Witthaus, Hippo Press Their latest album, The Nexus (2010), is a perfect example how the band has developed a sound all of their own. After two independent releases with strong foundations in the positive ideals of reggae; The Nexus was created by combining elements from a multitude of influences gained from years on the road. The result is an album that showcases how they have grown into a primed party machine; ready to churn out hard-driven guitar solo’s, inspiring vocals and powerful, funkified dance grooves. While creating a style of their own, The Rez has been lucky enough to share the stage with many of the originators of the reggae music culture. Artists such as Gregory Issacs, Toots and The Maytals, Steel Pulse, and Barrington Levy have given their time and knowledge to share the one love that we all hold. Showing their diversity as artists, The Rez has also rocked with George Clinton and The Parliament Funkadelic, Golgol Bordello and Jah Wobble. www.spiritualrez.com
Antioquia Afro-Colombian Psychedelic Lovefunk Birthed in Colombia and bred in the San Francisco Bay Area, Oakland-based Antioquia makes music that inspires raucous dancing and deep listening. With influences ranging from Mahavishnu Orchestra to Primus, Antioquia’s primary mission is to unite humans in the healing act of dance through a genre that they have dubbed, “Afro-Colombian Psychedelic Lovefunk.” Their earnest let-it-all-hang-out stage presence encourages the same from the audience, creating a feedback loop that builds momentum as standers-by are sucked into the dance floor. Antioquia’s debut album Gringolandia, released in 2008, was called “a wild ride to the center of the earth and the depths of the soul.” (Brian Echon, West Coast Performer Magazine). Their second full length album, My Piano Ate the Front Page of the San Francisco Chronicle was released in early 2010 to critical acclaim including Jambase Albums of the Week, March 5-11 and one of DirtyImpound.com’s Albums of the Year. Dennis Cook writes “SF’s Antioquia possess a distinct socio-political bent but shimmy about like kids on Pixie sticks and Kool-Aid as they prod and peel away at entrenched infrastructures. Echoes of Fela, Pere Ubu and Talking Heads ping around in their sound, but none so much to overshadow the original voice rising in this young band.” Since their formation in 2004, Antioquia has toured extensively throughout the U.S. quickly becoming a festival favorite. They have appeared at Floydfest, Groovefest, Lovefest, and several other established festivals. Their highly anticipated third studio album is set to be released on April 20th, 2012. Peppered with fits of improvisation, bouts of silliness and fiery percussion pieces performed amidst the crowd, an Antioquia set is high energy, captivating, and anything but predictable. You can count on each show to bring the audience closer to the stage and closer together. www.antioquia-band.com The Soil & The Sun New Mexican Space Music / Experiential Spiritual Folk The soil & the sun are, of course, great partners in the mystery that is creating life, making things grow. We're talkin' corn-fed, Michigan-made New Mexican Space Music, or Experiential Spiritual Folk. Originating in 2008 as two-piece, the band has grown and matured into an eight-piece community of friends and musicians. Oboe, violin, cello, guitars, accordion, percussion, piano, and vocals, cooperate to create complex harmonies, layered melodies, and driving rhythms. The careful orchestration and intentional instrumentation is generously crafted to please ears of all kinds. www.thesoilandthesun.com Option 22 Space Folk / World-Funk Option 22 is an Americana/Worldbeat ensemble with a revolutionary vibe. Dubbed by one listener a “new age jam band,” their broad style spans from newgrass to space-folk to roots-rock world funk, faithfully employing one genre after another to deliver performances you can't ignore or forget. On the fly collaborative dynamics, rhythmic muscle and thematic inventions shower you with sound unmistakably Option 22. Their full-out drum jams send energy bouncing off the walls of any venue. Every audience moves to their beat wanting more of the messages they deliver. This is more than just a good time band. Based in Princeton, West Virginia, Lori McKinney (vocals, drums, djembe, spoken word) and Robert Blankenship (guitar, banjo, shamisen, hand-drums, didgeridoo) have been writing and playing music together since early 2004, forging songs from the creative blast furnace of the divine flow. Now infusing the mix are the intense, driving bass lines of Brandon Dunn (bass) and the intuitive, free form guitar stylings of Jordan Furrow (lead guitar, percussion). Their work as healing artists and arts organizers (they founded and run Culturefest World Music & Arts Festival and The RiffRaff Arts Collective) is fueled by a strong desire to build and contribute to community. Their music reflects that passion. With backgrounds in theatre, performance, yoga/meditation, and visual arts, the group comes together with an artistic mind-set and a vision for a better world. With three albums of original music, their newest release, "Choose The Music," is now available. It was nominated by HomeGrown Music Network for 2010 Album of The Year. One of its tracks was featured on the CD Sampler of the March edition of Relix Magazine. Their next release, "The Change," is due out in 2012. www.option22.net Appalatin World / Folk / Latin Appalatin formed in 2006 in Louisville through band members’ mutual love of the folk music sounds of Latin America and the Caribbean. Appalatin’s original music is a fusion of Latin and Appalachian folk music from the band member’s homelands in Central America, the Andes and Appalachia. Instrumentation features the guitar, charango, mandolin, Andean flutes, bongos, congas, and cajón. Their songs reflect messages of freedom, community, empowerment, human rights, spirituality, and environmental stewardship. Appalatin’s first self-titled CD was released in March 2011. www.appalatin.com
Brushfire Stankgrass Bluegrass / Stankgrass / Acoustic Rock Mixing analog effects with bluegrass backbeats, the music of Brushfire Stankgrass is instantly unique. With influences ranging from Hip Hop to Duane Allman, the group has fused their bluegrass chops with pinches of jazz, jam, reggae, and rock. They call their musical creation Stankgrass. The band’s debut album, “One for the Salamanders,” which was released in July 2010, is a hybrid of crystal clear multi-track live recordings and polished studio tracks. The album was voted by WNCW listeners as one of the top 100 albums of 2010 and was voted the #9 regional release of the year. It is currently available from all major online music stores (itunes, CDBaby, Amazon, etc). This Stankgrass sound has been called “quintessential modern mountain music,” and “raging bluegrass…seamlessly meshed into some good dancing music.” The band has indeed become a regional and local favorite on the Asheville, North Carolina music scene. The past year included several notable shows, including: Headlining downtown Asheville’s 4th of July Celebration, Bele Chere, Durham World Beer Festival, Shakori Hills, Asheville Winter Warmer Festival, French Broad River Festival, The Getdown Festival, and stops at several other notable venues throughout the southeast. Brushfire looks forward to an exciting year ahead, with more festival stops and their second album underway. www.stankgrass.com/ A Ghost Like Me Rock / Instrumental / Experimental A Ghost Like Me is an instrumental space rock band from Asheville, North Carolina that includes former members of Crystal Kind, Stankface, Blue Stone and current members of The Dark Shave and The Hermit Kings. The roots of AGLM started off in 2007 in California. With its home in Asheville now the band released its first full length recording "The New Paradigm" in May 2011. AGLM has been recently been compared to artists such as Ozric Tentacles, Gong, Tool, Critters Buggin, A Perfect Circle, Mogwai, Pink Floyd, Explosions In the Sky, The Mars Volta and Lotus. The band has self proclaimed itself to be "theme music for the human experience". Ashley Wilson of The Mountain Times in Boone, NC said, "Whether you call them psychedelic, spacey, experimental or strange, A Ghost Like Me only has one priority: To make music that awakens one’s consciousness. Asheville’s instrumental rock band, A Ghost Like Me, is now offering trips that extend far beyond the ears; it is music that stimulates inside and out." www.aghostlikeme.com Qiet Indie/Rock Qiet started their rise on the Huntington music scene in 2009. What started out as an eclectic arrangement of musicians and instruments has recently grown in to a driven and focused collective, incorporating vastly different music genres to create their unique style. Such a wide range of influence makes for an audibly diverse concert, but the energy that the band brings to the stage make each Qiet show a force of nature. Definitely not an experience to be missed. While their staple sounds invoke a mixture of gypsy punk and amped-up rock & roll, Qiet has tackled nearly every style of music and are finding that audiences appreciate the effort. Playful, inventive, and yet surprisingly serious about producing q...uality work, the band continues to push the boundaries of how music is consumed. Performance art, sculpture work, film—all forms of artistic exposure seem to be at the whim of this eclectic band’s creativity. It’s Qiet’s dedication to their work that draws people in, but it’s the quality and instant appeal of their songs that have caused the Qiet fan base to grow exponentially with every show they play. If you ever discover a chance to see this group in action, see them. Qiet is not an experience to be missed. —James Maddox, The Anchor Magazine www.qietmusic.com Po' Folks Cabaret Fire Performance/Gypsy Americana Po' Folks Cabaret is centered around Pixie and Davi Della Fiamma and also includes a revolving group of other wonderful musicians and performers including Cimmerone, Danielle Williams, Vicki Kerestes, and others.Po' Folks Cabaret has performed for festival crowds, private parties, street fairs, and about any other venue to be imagined. When the circus disappeared, it ran off to join Po' Folks Cabaret. Primal drumming, fire performance, cabaret style entertainment, and more. With a unique musical stage show, side show, workshops, and vending Po' Folks Cabaret is everything you need in a show. Po-Folks-Cabaret Cari Cohen Fire & Light Dance Cari began training as a fire & light dancer while living in Japan, 2001-2003. Prior to moving to West Virginia, she spent several years performing, teaching and choreographing for Firefleye Productions, a professional fire dance troop in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She's choreographed and performed for live and televised audiences of up to 40,000 people. She has been performing, choreographing and teaching fire & light dancing to children and adults, ages 5-70, since moving to Lewisburg, West Virginia, in 2010. Cari has also organized the community's first fire & light dancing and drumming gathering. She's delighted to be a part of people in the community experiencing tremendous joy and life-changing personal evolution through fire & light dancing. Indoor and outdoor performances in New Mexico include: Zozobra, Rainbow Vision Dance Club, The Railyard Dance Club, Salsa Festival, Michael Franti Concert, Metaphysical Film Festival, Aid and Comfort Aids Benefit, Pink Adobe restaurant, Sunrise Springs Resort Spa, Warehouse 21, Wisefool and other various benefits, art gallery openings, holiday parties, private birthday parties and weddings. Indoor and outdoor performances in West Virginia include: Fankford Autumn Festival, City National Bank Grand Opening, Shepherd's Center, First Fridays, Trillium Performing Arts Garden Party & Friday Night Alive, Sonic Temple, WVSOM Follies & International Festival. She has performed with her West Virginia students for Trillium's Friday Night Alive, First Fridays, Joyful Noise Afterschool Program, Carnegie Hall's TOOT, WVSOM's International Festival & Follies and the Greenbrier Roller Vixens half-time show. Teaching venues include: Trillium Performing Arts, Carnegie Hall, Joyful Noise Afterschool Program, Pocahontas County Parks & Recreation and West Virginia 4-H. www.caricohen.net Chally Erb Dance and Movement Theatre Chally is a founding member of Trillium Performing Arts Collective in Lewisburg, WV. He is a performer, musician, prop and set master, mask maker, choreographer and supporter. He studied at the Dell’Arte School of Physical Theatre and has performed throughout Appalachia at many festivals, fairs, hospitals and schools. Chally combines his talents as a “Walkabout” on stilts with juggling clubs, fire, knives or anything handy, engaging children to participate in the show. He likes to create work that is both meaningful and entertaining and hopes to continue creating outrageous bits of movement theatre with whoever wants to go out on a limb with him. www.trilliumperformingarts.org The Harpos Rock and Roll The Harpos are an American rock and roll band from West Virginia comprised of guitarist and songwriter Gyasi Heus and drummer Ben Hunt. The two musicians have played music together since a very young age and as a result have a uniquely powerful connection in their music. After forming a band in their early teens, they took a hiatus when Gyasi went to study at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and Ben stayed to work as a session musician. Gyasi performed all across the US and learned every chord known to man, and returned with songs created with a raw simplicity and energetic power that burns with the urgency of the blues and rock and roll. Combined with Ben's thunderous rhythms and the spirit of Appalachian Mountains, The Harpos create a distinct sound and live experience that crosses boundaries of genre and speaks to the passion of the human spirit. Miss Behavin' Rock Miss Behavin is an all girl rock band made up Kayla McKinney age 12, Bethany Keesecker age 12 and Ary’an Graham, age 13. You will find them switching instruments frequently throughout their set as they each play guitar, bass, drums, and piano. Miss Behavin formed at Stages Music School 4 years ago and since have played throughout the state of WV and beyond. Most recently they performed at the Hard Rock Cafe in Boston as part of the Music On & Up Showcase, and won the award for Best Band in the 14& under category. They have been featured at Floydfest World Music & Arts Festival and in front of thousands at the Second Chance Rocks the Two Virginia's concert, opening for Dierks Bentley, Montgomery Gentry, Craig Morgan and more. Other performances include The Tamarack in Beckley, FestivAll in Charleston, The Big Sandy Arena in Huntington, and Culturefest in Pipestem. They have played at numerous festivals, fairs, parties, and charity events across the state. In 2010, Miss Behavin received recognition for mentoring other young girls at The Girls Rock Appalachia Camp where they performed, provided instruction and led several workshops. They were recently invited by The WV Music Hall of Fame to travel with their mobile museum to area schools next year. Miss Behavin plays original music and cover by artists such as Paramore, Pink, Metallica, Bob Marley, Joan Jett, Blur, Ozzy Osborne, Green Day, The White Stripes, Kelly Clarkson, Avril Lavigne, Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Van Halen, Bill Withers, and Katy Perry. www.reverbnation.com/missbehavin22
Ron Perrone Progressive Folk "What makes music exciting and pleasurable for me is that as a solo artist, modern recording techniques allow me to dabble in just about any genre. And while I still perform as a solo acoustic musician, I can't resist dusting off my old Moog synthesizer and taking off in just about any direction. That's why I call my repertoire "Music for the Open Mind". So, take your pick. Old Timey, Folk, Progressive/Psychedelic. Instrumentals, songs, even a little bit of spoken word. Its all music to me and I hope you see it the same way." - Ron Perrone www.ronperrone.com Liberty High School World Percussion Ensemble The Liberty High School World Percussion Ensemble was established in 2007 by Jeremy Rodriguez, music teacher and a founding member of the West Virginia World Music Educators Cooperative. The group performs a large repertoire of music on percussion instruments that originate in Africa, Central America, and the Middle East. The ensemble’s primary purpose is to educate its audience about world music through its interactive shows. These interactive performances are facilitated by the students. The Liberty High School World Percussion Ensemble has performed throughout the state of West Virginia including the State Capitol in Charleston, West Virginia. The group has given world music clinics for Head Start programs, public school music programs of all ages, and Energy Express. They will be giving a drum workshop Saturday morning at 10 a.m. at Culturefest. www.myspace.com/libertyworldpercussion Melissa McKinney Blues/Folk Melissa McKinney is a highly praised vocalist who was based in the NC/SC region for several years and was a member of Charlotte Blues Society. Her career peaked with a performance at the famous Double Door Inn right before the West Virginia native returned home in fall 2008 to open her business, “Stages Music School,” a creative music performance school for children. Her business is now thriving and is part of a major arts movement which is revitalizing the downtown of Princeton. Melissa has been featured alongside blues legend Nat Reese several times in the past few years at the Blue Ridge Music Center, Floydfest Music & Arts Festival and more. She was crowned “Princeton Idol” in a 6 week long singing showdown sponsored by J104 and also won the Blues Portion of WV Finest vocal competition. She lights up the stage with her powerful and soulful voice. Watch for Melissa running the magical area of the festival known as “LaLa Land” and watch for her students, the wildly popular all girl kid band, Miss Behavin'. Margo & The Bluegills Eclectic Rockin' Folkin' Blues Margo and the Bluegills- the name has more to do with the bluesy flavor of their music than the lovely freshwater fish. The Bluegills have played at the Appalachian South Folklife Center and the Festival of the Rivers in Summers County, as well as local coffee houses, pubs, private parties, The Ramsey Bar and Bramwell Oktoberfest. They have also volunteered their time playing for REACHH and walk for cancer charity events. Margo and the Bluegills' first C.D. is "Off the Hook," from Odd Box Production. Margo & The Bluegills Captain Lazerblast Band Techno - Folk Captain Lazerblast (Athens, WV) writes original compositions for live performance on electronic instruments with a folk flavor; no loops, no drum machine, no keyboards, no clichés. Tim and Maggie Mainland's goal is not to become instrumental virtuosos, but to create something new. The beginning of this path has a strong foundation in the music of their pasts, including those labeled art, pop, folk, and electronic. Tim Mainland was educated at the University of California at Santa Barbara, the Université de Bordeaux, and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (DMA, 1977). He studied composition with Peter Fricker, Lukas Foss, Scott Huston and Paul Palombo. He became Professor of Music at Concord University in 1978, where he has been a prolific composer and teaches music theory, composition, classical guitar, and classic banjo. Maggie Jusiel began her education at the University of South Florida, and completed her Bachelors degree in music education at Concord University in 1998. She taught in the WV public school system from 1999 to 2003, and has taught private lessons in winds and strings since 1990. She also tunes pianos in Southern WV and parts of VA. The duo are also a central force in the RiffRaff Arts Collective. As resident artists, they find community and a happy artistic home within the space, which is helping to revitalize the downtown of Princeton, WV. www.captainlazerblast.com Speakeasy Rock, Blues, Soul Princeton based music ensemble Speakeasy is fronted by James Hart, one of the core figures of Stages Music School in downtown Princeton, WV. Musically, Speakeasy comes in many forms- you may hear some soul, some blues, and possibly some ska. But in whatever form it may be heard in, Speakeasy plays good-old, American Rock and Roll. Speakeasy's all original set-lists are tailored to reach a wide audience, young and old.They chose the name "Speakeasy" after the secret nightclubs (also called "Blind Pigs") hidden within American cities during the prohibition era. Just like the speakeasies of the past, they bend the rules, pushing back against the norms of modern rock. Fronting the band is the sometimes mellow, sometimes erratic James Hart (lead guitar, vocals, violin, and harmonica), the always cool Shawn Wagner (drums, vocals), and the classy Mr. Michael Testerman (bass, acoustic guitar). So ladies, grab your flapper gowns and cigarette holders. Gentlemen, grab your fedoras and cabbie hats, 'cause Speakeasy is in town! Speakeasy on the Web Kathleen Coffee Folk Medicine Kathleen Coffee is a song-writing folk singer who believes music is medicine. She is West Virginia grown and plans to stay in WV until she dies. Locally, she is known as a teacher, activist, and poet. Secretly, she is a gardener. Currently, she has taken the reigns of recording and producing her newest album, entitled Grow Love. Her first album, currently selling now, was made in 2007: a live re...cording from The Room Upstairs in Princeton, WV. To buy her album online, use CDbaby. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/kathleencoffee
The Brother Sisters The Brother Sisters feature the original music and selected cover songs of Douglas Imbrogno and Albert Perrone. The Brother Sisters feature Douglas Imbrogno on guitar, keyboards and vocals and Albert Perrone on amped-up classical guitar and vocals. Albert’s guitar is called Cody. Doug’s guitar is called Taylor because, well, it’s a Taylor. And Taylor’s a nice name. Right now, as we are a toddler band, we are just getting started toddling around to places to play. But you can usually catch us every Thursday night at the Open Mic at Boulevard Tavern in downtown Charleston, W.Va., hosted by Sweet Lou Argento. We usually play 4th or so, sometime after 10:30 p.m. It’s a fine scene with a house full of musicians bearing instruments, from Hobo Clay’s jamming harmonica to Casi Null’s multinstru-mentality and much more. Sometimes, Barrelhouse Bonni is in the house. Sometimes, we play at River and Rail bakery and coffeeshop at Heritage Village in Huntington, W.Va., where there’s music every Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. The Brother Sisters are now booking appearances for 2012 and beyond. www.thebrothersisters.com Four 14 Four 14, returns with their unique jam sound for the third consecutive year to Culturefest. The band consists of Lead Singer Kyle Rowland, hand percussionist Mark Ashley, lead guitarist Spencer Bonezzi, bass guitarist Blake Hamby, saxophonist Tyler Bryant, and full drummer Chris Bradley was added in late 2011. They consider themselves a very opened minded band with a unique sound and great live shows. Their positive energy has brought sunshine to the Culturefest grounds year after year. www.reverbnation.com/four14#! Cygnus X3 Rock Formed in the Spring of 2012, Cygnus X3 is Steve Hill on guitar, vocals and keyboards, Nick Hill on Bass and vocals, Barry Cline on guitar and Chase Kretzer on drums. With many influences and musical backgrounds they have forged a unique sound to become a jam band that plays a wide variety from Progressive Rock to Blues and Alternative and all points in between. They perform original songs from Steve's "Midnight Sun Chronicles" solo album, a mixture of classic rock favorites as well as brand new original music yet to be recorded. They have been playing regularly to very receptive audiences in a variety of venues. www.stevohill.com Kirbie This talented young singer/songwriter will be hanging out in LaLa land during Culturefest giving workshops to the little ones and having a fun time, in addition to appearing on the stage during the festival. She says of her music, "If you are looking for fun, catchy music and good vibes, you have found the right girl. Kirbie is a 20-year-old waitress armed with a portastudio, and she’s not afraid to use it! She writes contagious songs loaded with memorable hooks and lyrics that will make you laugh and nod your head--responses that are usually found amongst the growing crowds she serenades. For about two years now she has been writing compelling, fun pop with a bouncy ska influence that's unexpected, a vocal delivery that's fresh and sassy with clever lyrics, and a fun groove." Check her out here: Kirbie's You Tube Cassidy Rae Ponton From the artist: "My name is Cassidy Raye Ponton. Although my roots are planted in Southern Maryland, I am residing and flourishing, musically in the pan handle of West Virginia. I proudly maintain the role as a college student, solo musician, and experimental artist. Aside of my many passions and aspirations, music has always been the foundation on which my soul has thrived. Through all twenty chapters of my life, music has accompanied me throughout the complexities of life while growing up. Today I am ready to be a part of the evolutionary process of developing musicians and song writers that contribute to the better good of society. Although my repertoire is purely based off of original music that has naturally sprung from the depths of my heart, I am cultivating a variety of covers to reach many different audiences. Even though I am in the prime of finding my inner artist, my loves for musical genres stretch in all directions and I am open to all creative possibilities. I am in the early stages of creating demos, as well as, reflective art work that can collectively enwrap a total package of Cassi Raye. If none of my goals are reached, I can only hope that I will have created a healing and inspiring ripple of vibrations in the ever changing musical pond. Besides the seven years that I have been locked away in my room playing guitar and singing, I am at the beginning of my journey and I hope to meet and inspire all who reads this one day soon. Thank you!" "Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything." -Plato www.reverbnation.com/cassiraye