Chords of indie, folk, bluegrass and Americana rock music will echo around Moscow on Aug. 12, the second annual Moscow Mountain Music Fest at the epicenter.
Starting at noon, musicians from the Pacific Northwest and West Coast will perform at the festival, located at the Latah County Fairgrounds.
Organizer Britnee Christen started the event in August 2022 to bring more live music to Moscow and develop a new tradition, she wrote in an email.
“Music is something that connects us all,” Christen wrote. “I think an event like this is an opportunity to showcase our area, our musicians, the regional musicians that help shape this part of the world. It’s just an opportunity to gather and come together as a community.”
The festival will also feature games, a merchandise tent and local food, beverage and artisan vendors, Christen wrote. Some musicians will be available for meet-and-greets.
Musicians performing onstage at the first annual Moscow Mountain Music Fest.
The following will perform at the festival:
- Noon: Matt Mitchell Music Co.
- 1 p.m.: Ice Cream Band
- 1:30 p.m.: The Dead & Down
- 2:30 p.m.: Blaine Andrew Ross
- 3 p.m.: Mother Yeti
- 4 p.m.: Owen McGreevy
- 4:30 p.m.: MAITA
- 5:30 p.m.: Will Fontaine
- 6 p.m.: The Quick & Easy Boys with Brad Parsons
- 7 p.m.: Corey Oglesby
- 7:30 p.m.: Blitzen Trapper
Taylor Burlage, who started the band the Dead & Down, said the closest genre that defines the band is psychedelic roots rock.
Burlage is the band’s songwriter and lead singer, and he also plays rhythm guitar. There are four other performers in the Dead & Down: lead guitar player James Burne, keyboard player Matt Angelo, bass player Dave Efries and drummer Josh Higginbottom.
“We definitely touch on a lot of themes of loss, or our place and impact in the world as humans, not just as an individual thing, and we talk about our relationships and our relationships to other people,” Burlage said.
The Dead & Down will perform at 1:30 p.m. on the festival’s main stage.
“We’ve got the full hour and it’s gonna be rowdy,” Burlage said.
Musicians performing onstage at the first annual Moscow Mountain Music Fest.
Artist Owen McGreevy (they/them) said they will play alternative folk.
McGreevy started playing guitar after attending a Desolation Horse show. Desolation Horse is McGreevy’s friend Cooper Trail’s band.
“I was blown away. The next day I picked up a guitar,” McGreevy said. “Through some artists I really liked at the time, such as Iron & Wine or Nick Drake, I started to develop more of a folky style, more finger-picking heavy. It’s just kind of progressed throughout the years.”
McGreevy will perform at 4 p.m. on the festival’s small stage.
McGreevy said most of the songs they are playing will remain a mystery until the festival, but “All The Beautiful Furniture Jesus Made” and “Magic For You” will be performed last alongside their friend and bass drummer Caleb Matson.
“It feels really special to play in a festival with other acts,” McGreevy said. “It’s a very short set but I promise it’ll be a good time.”
Festival tickets are available on the festival’s website, costing $25 for those 13 and older and being free for those 12 and younger.
“Last year we had over 400 in attendance, which was great for our first year,” Christen wrote. “We are hoping to continue to grow and have more people come out each year.”
The festival would not be possible without 30–40 volunteers, Christen wrote. Volunteers can register on the festival’s website.
