The 2019 Rendezvous in the Park music and arts festival will be Thursday through Saturday in Moscow’s East City Park. The festival has proven to be a popular local tradition since beginning in 1983, and it has showcased some of the country’s top musicians. It’s always an eclectic array of artists, with no particular focus on genre or style, but rather on talent that inspires fresh energy and experimentation.
Each night’s program will include warmup acts by area performers who were selected in the Rendezvous Spring Showcase earlier this year, an opening act and then the headliner.
2019 Rendezvous in the Park Lineup
Thursday
DASH — Voted “Best New Local Band” by Bozeman Magazine in 2019, this Montana duo fuses funk, soul, rock and pop for a unique dance-party style they call “progressive electro-soul.” They recently released their EP “Desperate Electric,” following up their successful debut album “Super,” released last fall.
Sama Dams — Portland’s Sama Dams are all about honesty. The band’s latest album, “Say It,” takes inspiration from the ways in which failure to communicate feelings can compound on itself and eventually destroy relationships. With a singular atmospheric sound, the group blends riffs with ’80s soundtrack-style synthesizer to tell its stories.
Showcase Artist: Saticoy — Saticoy is a Moscow-based family folk outfit with a decade of performing and recording behind it. Featuring original folk tunes written by the Saunders siblings, band members include sisters Grace, Ruth, Noel and Katie; brothers Ben and Blake; and bass player Sam Taylor.
Friday
Org?ne — California’s Org?ne has spent nearly 20 years recording and touring with its gritty blend of funk and soul across the U.S. and Europe (see related story).
Polly O’Keary and the Rhythm Method — Polly O’Keary is a modern blues woman, rooted in tradition but informed by the 21st Century. Alongside her husband and drummer Tommy Cook and guitarist Dave Miller, this dynamic trio uses influences from zydeco, country, funk, jazz, rockabilly, surf and rock and roll to define today’s blues sound.
Showcase Artist: PickAxe Bluegrass — This energetic and original bluegrass band puts a contemporary twist on historical favorites. PickAxe Bluegrass includes Brian Zabriskie on bass, John Brunsfield on guitar, Paul Anders on mandolin and Sam Schumacher on banjo.
Saturday
Jelly Bread — With a style described as “desert twang meets the urban tones of funk and rock,” this band has risen from local favorite in the Reno and Lake Tahoe, Nev., region to a nationally touring powerhouse quintet. The band’s album “Here, There, and Everywhere” combines songwriting and storytelling with four-part harmonies, drum and bass grooves, steel guitar and organ.
Greyhounds — This Texas-based duo is returning to Moscow, having performed in the past with JJ Grey. Singer/guitarist Andrew Trube describes their sound as “Hall and Oates meets ZZ Top,” but they aren’t too concerned with musical classification. Singer/organist Anthony Farrell makes up the other half of the pair, which focuses on raw rhythms, rich grooves, and noisy amp tones for a gritty spin on classic soul and blues-rock.
Showcase Artist: Solid Ghost — Guitarist and songwriter Jaymz Dence (the Fabulous Kingpins, formerly of Cosmic Meltdown) joined drummer James Harwood (formerly of Blood for Master), and bassist Steve Farr (formerly of Over the Rail) in 2016 to form Solid Ghost. The band’s original and entirely instrumental music mixes blues, rock, psychedelia and riffy metal with elements of ambient, surf and world music.
-- Katie Higgins
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Rendezvous in the Park.
WHEN: Gates open 4:30 p.m., music begins at 5:30 p.m. Thursday (July 18), Friday (July 19) and Saturday (July 20).
WHERE: East City Park, Moscow.
COST: $50 three-day festival pass, $25 single-day general admission, $15 single-day admission ages 13-18 or valid college ID, free for children 12 years and younger with a paid adult. Tickets are available at the gate or at www.rendezvousinthepark.com/tickets. Festival passes are also available at Bookpeople of Moscow.
OF NOTE: All seating is on the lawn; bring blankets or chairs, if desired. Beer and wine will be available for purchase; valid ID required.
