The Southern Fork Americana Fest 2016 line just got supersized with a stellar line up of support acts to compliment our feature artists.
7 October: Skyscraper Stan and The Commission Flats w/ Ravens
8 October: Hayes Carll w/ Adam McGrath
12 October: Robert Ellis + Joe Pug w/ Matthew Mitchinson
13 October: Josh Rennie-Hynes + Liam Gerner w/ Milly Tabak
14 October: Lindi Ortega + The Cactus Blossoms w/ Brendan and Alison Turner
16 October: ‘The Shape I’m In’ ft. Ebony Lamb, Tom Cunliffe, Hopetoun Brown & more.
Skyscraper Stan and The Commission Flats open the festival on Friday October 7 at the start of their nationwide tour with all the grandeur of the international act they are. This is one show you don’t want to miss. And the rumours are true – Stan has handpicked the best in the country to kick off our festival. RAVENS are Reb Fountain, Alice Ryan Williams & Jess Shanks. Long standing members of iconic New Zealand band The Eastern these three are no strangers to the road, singing songs forged from folk yet etched with brazen punk sensibilities – catch RAVENS’ first flight at The Tuning Fork.
Saturday October 8 we have the mighty Hayes Carll – we can’t tell you how excited we are for Grammy nominated Hayes to grace our stage! And keeping him in fine company is our very own troubadour Adam McGrath (The Eastern). Between Adam and Hayes you’re in for one helluva show, a whole heap of stories and heartaches to boot.
Come Wednesday October 12 the genius of Robert Ellis with his band The Perfect Strangers and solo act Joe Pug take the stage. Both Texan Americana royalty in their own right these guys are the real deal echoing the spirit of a young Bob Dylan. We’ve teamed them up with Matthew Mitchinson – recently returned to his homeland from a decade of music making in the UK – having just played at the Tuning Fork last week with Tami Neilson we are excited to welcome him back.
We first met Josh Rennie-Hynes and Liam Gerner a couple years back performing at The Wine Cellar in Auckland fresh off the boat from Australia. Josh and Liam’s respective careers have since soared – Josh gracing numerous festival stages including Americana Music Festival (Nashville) and his good mate Liam, on the road touring with none other than Mr Ryan Bingham! Here’s Liam singing about Hank & Tammy an old couple who smuggled cocaine across the Mexican and US border. And you can check out Josh’s new single premiered exclusively in Rolling Stone here.
Milly Tabak is the front woman for The Miltones. Having recently opened for The Mick Fleetwood Blues Band, Milly was the perfect fit, fusing country-blues and early seventies rock, her unrestrained vocals will blow you away. She is a marvel, an up-and-coming star with the chops to warrant the accolades. We’re thrilled to host Milly at her first solo gig on Thursday October 13 opening for her soon to be new best friends Josh and Liam.
There might be something wrong with Brendan & Alison Turner. Ever restless and with no fixed abode, they seem to have developed a strange love of driving long endless distances across the country and throwing open the old guitar case to play a mix of original bluegrass infused Americana/folk, with Appalachian style harmonies. We reckon they’re fine company for the one and only Lindi Ortega with her band and the duo, The Cactus Blossoms on Friday October 14.
Lindi will be featuring songs from her recently released album Faded Gloryville, which sounds a little like it’s a soundtrack to a Willy Vlautin novel; all grit, gravel and heartache over an upbeat chorus.
Good fortune has followed brothers Jack Torrey and Page Burkum (The Cactus Blossoms), every step of their career. Their new album, You’re Dreaming, is the culmination of several years of songwriting. It’s old school music made by young guys who are talented and heartfelt enough to own the past, be in the present, and carve a new future.
Everyone loves a fiesta! And this year on Sunday October 16 we’re introducing ‘The Shape I’m In’ – an all-out musical extravaganza featuring as many great kiwi alt. country punk folk superstars as we could get our hands on – the perfect opportunity for us all to get loud and raucous and hoe into a whole bunch of BBQ to some seriously fine music. It’s only ten bucks a ticket* and you’ll be in for a relaxed home-style cook-off. We’d love you all to shine your shoes so you can scuff them up, wear your Sunday best but bring a bib and most importantly let yourself be entertained! Please note there will be opportunities to sing along, holler and/or enjoy yourself … immensely.
*with a red, white or blue ticket
Tickets are on sale now through Ticketmaster. Multi ticket discounts available.