A spectacular line-up of musicians from all over the region are planning to join us for celebration and are offering their music to Eastern Oregon, right here smack dab in downtown La Grande.
Friday Night Street dance and Beer Garden!:
Wasteland Kings - FRIDAY NIGHT 7:30 pm on the festival stage.
Take a full dose of Americana, add some blues, a bit of reggae, a touch of punk, and a shot of country, you end up with The Wasteland Kings. If you like Drive-By Truckers, Old 97's and Steve Earle, you need to check out The Wasteland Kings.
From Motown to Nashville, Austin to SoCal, you will hear it all with The Wasteland Kings. Bob Dylan, Steve Earle, Tom Petty, and Hank Williams can all be heard when you listen between the lines--even in what could be a west coast punk tune. But what you will never hear is this band trying to sound like anyone else. Their straightforward, no gimmicks, rock-solid approach is showcased with the kind of strong lyrics, hard-sell vocals, and deft guitar playing that not only makes you listen, it makes you believe!
Saturday Night Music:
Tom Bergeron & Whirled News - SATURDAY NIGHT 8:15 pm on the festival stage.
Whirled News is led by Tom Bergeron and Keller Coker (on woodwinds and trombone, respectively) supported by one of several viciously groovacious rhythm sections usually comprising guitar, bass and drums. The band plays a groove-oriented blend of original compositions influenced by music from around the globe. Typical repertoire for the band can be heard on the Whirled Jazz recordings Leopard's Tale and Mukilteo, as well as on Foovy, Clovis, Jobim Now, Western Rebellion, and the newly-released Bugbear: Whirled News Plays the Music of Adam Bates.
Saturday Live Music (Festival Stage)
Finn Riggins - Kicks it off at NOON!
Finn Riggins continues to work it's heart out... with the completion of yet another U.S. tour, Idaho's Finn Riggins has played shows in over 32 states in the last year and with a continuously growing fan base for their high-energy live show and genre-defying compositions they don't appear to be slowing down anytime soon.
"Finn Riggins are a bold and joyous pastiche, returned from their wanderings across New Weird America with the dust on their boots from a thousand sonic territories." -- Noah Mickens, booking agent, Rotture, Portland, OR
"I think this is a fine example of a couple kids playing really freaking fun music. It's not too cute, it's not too trendy, it's not too anything. It's really solid and entertaining and uniquely it's own." -- Sam Karzin / Music Director, KUCI 88.9 FM / Irvine, CA
"If nothing else, Finn Riggins proves there’s a lot more diversity in Idaho than most people recognize. Blending catchy rock riffs with some electronic magic, a few fresh time changes, a little bit of intellect, and a number of genre-defying song structures, there’s a reason all the hip kids are going ga-ga for Finn Riggins." -- Matt Driscoll / Weekly Volcano / Olympia, Wa
Gregory Rawlins- 1:30pm
After spending three years with prolific Seattle-based rock band 'Sons of Guns', signer/songwriter Gregory Rawlins has broken new ground with the recent completion of his solo debut, "The Amazing Circle of Boxes".
Visit his myspace page >> http://www.myspace.com/gregoryrawlins
Test Audiences- 3:00pm
Test Audiences is a group of musicians that met as art students in La Grande Oregon, where they currently still live, work, and make music and art. It began as a knob-twiddling sound and songwriting experiment between Wayne and Bill and has evolved into a constantly changing and exploring live band. Their first self-titled, self-released debut is a showcase of their earliest experiments and shaping of their music. They are beginning to work on getting their new material in top form to record a new album when the funds and equipment allow them to do so. They just played their first show with new drummer Josh Schaffer and are sooooooooooo excited about the new dynamic the songs have taken with him at the kit.
Visit there myspace page >> http://www.myspace.com/testaudiencesmusic
Visit their website >> http://www.testaudiences.com
Charmparticles - Polishes of the day at 4:30pm.
Charmparticles are back and have triumphantly delivered their first full-length album, Alive in the Hot Spell.
An exquisite hour of swirling, dreamlike melodies and hooks, Alive in the Hot Spell retains familiar Charmparticles elements — Pamela Rooney’s haunting vocals, Sarah FitzGerald’s shimmering guitar work and Nathanael Merrill’s gigantic drums — but the album’s 12 tracks contain several surprises from the band mostly known for its shoegaze roots.
Songs range from spare ballads to bombastic, angry rockers — with a healthy dose of catchy, pretty pop songs in between.
With Alive in the Hot Spell, Charmparticles manage several new feats—and they sound more than ever like the band they were meant to be.
