ebony deschamps

adrienne nighingale

malcom rollick,

someone's sister

laura mclean

We came, we saw, we folked.

Thanks to all who had a hand in the coolness that was this year's CFFF.

Congrats to HEATHER LLOYD...the HIGHNOON SHOWDOWN winner!!!

Here are some pix for those who wanna reflect and those who missed it:

HEATHER LLOYD , highnoon showdown winner

mystery woman takes 2nd

malcolm rollick gets down with her bad self

joe woodson had smallest bleeps in the contest

Georgia Winfree chillin and flexin!!!

ADRIENNE NIGHTINGALE all the way from nyc

Laura McLean and The 17th Annual Cape Fear Folk Festival

By Paco Strickland

Laura Mclean’s reputation as a staunch advocate for independent musicians flies beneath most our radar. I know her as one of Wilmington’s more accomplished musicians. She was the first female to hold a steady gig at the infamous Ice House Beer Garden. Her career certainly predates most of us and is credited with the promotion of folk music locally.
She has something big in the works.

E: As Wilmington’s First Lady of Rock, how did you get this far?

Laura: I saw I couldn't follow in my dad's state employment footsteps nor my mom's subservient housewife tracks...I needed a plan...there was one black and white TV station in Wilmington … it didn’t offer many positive creative role model options for young guitar gurus. I saw the Beatles...bonded with the hair immediately- looked just like a botched 'pixie' my dad had laid on me...screamin chicks and guitars....I had my occupational therapy!...learned every Beatle tune at some point...now I actually have students who still dig them anew!

E: And the big event you have planned for us?

Laura: It’s the 17th Cape Fear Folk Festival and it’s happening April 27-30. We are parting ways with Airlie Gardens this year to reclaim downtown as our home base … WHQR to be exact. I wanted to give a little something special … so on Thursday evening we'll open the weekend with an inspiring seminar on ‘‘Indie Artist Survival.’’ All young musicians who want to make any money at it should come to the ‘‘Indie Survival Seminar’’...I'm giving out some really great info on gigs, downloads, networking, etc ... and it's FREE!

On Friday evening, ‘The Elders Speak Night’ is for all us who need a mentor and can't find one handy! These folks have put in enough quality time on our town...I thought they deserved a half-hour to comment on us.

Saturday night, it’s ‘’Indie Women In The Gallery’’ … the concert with Ebony Deschamps, a 16 year old from right here, me, Someone's Sister and the 2 girls from NYC will be a mini Lilith Fair. .. I've been playing guitar behind SS and they are generating a huge buzz on the east coast in support of their CD, Hand Me Downs. We got Winnebagos fulla fans following us around to the festivals...our entourage is wild and wacky.I dropped 3 CDs in one night my last time and have been selling quite a few of the Gone Guru acoustic ones as well as the Call Me Ms What? ...hip-hop CD. We're having [merchant] wars at the fest making crazy unauthorized t-shirts of each other's bands and selling them...(here's one of you puking on the roller coaster!) Ahhh ... happy times..

But Sunday is the big day. We’ve got the ‘’High-Noon Song Showdown’’ (entry form at guitarheel.com) and then the fab’’ Musician’s Covered Dish Jam’’ with visiting folksters from all over NC at 6pm. (Bring food to get in!)

E: This is the 17th year of you ‘nurturing’ this event. As a supporter of the arts, how has the demise of our Arts Council affected our scene?

Laura: The Arts Council needed to bite it ... We need a ‘nurturing’ soul who feels and sees the point of it all, who is good at making friends … to network with a positive manner. We need folks to see that we are among the best in the country and a big draw when it comes to art and tourism dollars … we need to organize and read up on the state of the Indie Nation.
I've been around when we had a fully functional cool arts council.
It makes a huge difference in the town and in the quality of the artists' lives.

Want to go … or cut teeth with other players?

It all gets started April 17-30 at WHQR, 254 N Front Street. Call 343.1640 for more info or go to www.guitarheel.com

William Paco Strickland is a professional Flamenco Guitarist, recording artist and freelance writer whose radio program “Flamenco Café” can be heard each Saturday at 1:00 PM on National Public Radio affiliate member WHQR, 91.3 FM.

Fellow ‘Voodoo Chile’ Laura McLean turned Paco onto his first gigs in town.

www.pacostrickland.com