The Dedham Square Music and Art Festival has announced its biggest lineup yet for the free festival to be held on June 11, 2011. Now in its fourth year, the festival will bring headlining bands Entrain, Adam Ezra Group, and Will Dailey & the Rivals to the field behind the Dedham Community House. They will be joined by funk rockers Love in Stockholm, Dedham’s own Dirty Strange, and returning favorite Sarah Blacker. The event kicks off at noon and lasts until dusk on the field behind the Dedham Community House at 671 High Street in Dedham.
A grant from The Music Drives Us Foundation, a New England non-profit that supplies grants for music programs to effect positive changes for people in need, will allow the festival to expand its role in music education. Throughout the day there will be educational opportunities for attendees, including an instrument petting zoo where hands-on demonstrations will be given.
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“We’re fortunate this year to have the combined support of organizations such as Music Drives Us as well as our local sponsors who consistently come through to ensure that we can present this unique, free day of music, art and education for the community,” said Michelle Persson Reilly, executive director of the Dedham Community House.
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In addition to the musical lineup, the festival will include an artists’ tent with approximately two dozen artisans, including photographers, sculptors, painters, jewelry makers, and others. There will be games and activities for children. Radio 92.9 will be on hand to help host the event. Event parking is plentiful and free, and food will be available on-site, including healthy options from local restaurant b.good.
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About the Musicians
- Entrain is an eclectic six-piece band from Martha’s Vineyard who have been praised for their ability to shift effortlessly between musical styles - from rock, blues, calypso and ska, to zydeco, jazz and funk - often within the same song.
- Award-winning singer/songwriter Will Dailey & the Rival’s music has been featured on TV shows like The Hills, CSI: Miami, Eli Stone and CSI: New York, where Will himself performed on camera.
- Adam Ezra Group has been touring non-stop and packing venues across the country including a legendary, sold out show at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston (where Tom Hamilton of Aerosmith joined them on stage). Having shared the stage with Jason Mraz, Rusted Root, and Bela Fleck, among others, AEG is a festival favorite around the country.
- The seven-instrument rock n’ soul Love in Stockholm has gained a reputation for their wild live performances, complete with blasting horns and frontman Charlie Rockwell’s guttural wail. Their newest release, A King’s Ransom (Fall 2010), the band’s first full-length record, pays homage to classic rock greats like Joe Cocker, The Band, and Sly and the Family Stone.
- Led by Dedham-bred brothers Nik and Zandy Papps, Dirty Strange is a rising rock band known for its energetic live performances in Boston clubs.
- Often compared to Natalie Merchant and Joni Mitchell, Sarah Blacker’s music is a unique blend of acoustic rock, folk, and jazz with stand-out vocals.
About the Sponsors
The Dedham Square Music and Art Festival is a collaboration of the Dedham Community House and Dedham School of Music with grant funding from the Music Drives Us Foundation and the Dedham Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. The Music Drives Us Foundation is a New England non-profit foundation supplying grants for music programs to effect positive changes for people in need. The Foundation seeks out organizations and individuals that are interested in using music as a tool for all segments of society and for all age groups. Gold sponsors include Dedham Savings, Elite Orthodontics, Needham Bank, and Whole Foods Dedham. Silver sponsors are BJs, Ed and Paul Sivacek, and Michelle Apuzzio Communications. Bronze sponsors are Dedham Fence, DedhamRocks.com, Donahue Real Estate Company, and Noble & Greenough School. In-kind sponsors include A Tent for Rent, Boston Music Spotlight, Dedham Country Day School, Kerry Hawkins Design, and Radio 92.9.
