If you’re within driving distance of the Catskills in New York (or even if you need to use some of those frequent-flyer miles!), head just north of Woodstock on Saturday, June 28, for Marco Benevento’s fourth annual “Follow the Arrow” festival.
Keyboardist and vocalist Benevento (Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Phil Lesh & Friends, and countless other projects) is just one of many acts on this family-friendly day-long event. Say She She will be there with their hypnotic harmonies and infectious disco grooves. Azymuth will get the summertime crowd dancing with a Brazilian jazz-funk groove.
Benevento promises that “Follow the Arrow” will be “a great day of music with some new friends.” “Traditionally, I’ve brought in longtime collaborators. This time, it’s a bunch of new homies.” Those new homies also include Brainstory, a fusion of soul, jazz, and psych-rock with a timeless feel, and Cochemea, billed as “a sonic journey weaving jazz, electronic, and experimental sounds.”
“It’s a whole new crew,” Benevento says, “and everyone is so talented. I’m hoping to connect scenes in a new way.” Humbly, he adds, “This is the fourth year, and we’re still learning what it means to run a festival.”
DJ sets (including one by El Michels Affair) and storytelling are also part of the scene. The bill also promises “a uniquely immersive experience with live art, vibrant visuals.” When asked about those “vibrant visuals,” Benevento was coy about what to expect. “There are a lot of cooks in the kitchen.” With the quality music on tap, the bar is high indeed for equally creative visuals.
A performance by the Benevento Family Band will kick off the day. That’s part of the magic for Benevento. “I love that I can bring out all my cousins, aunts, uncles, and my dad. Every year, they look forward to it. We love playing together, but we don’t see each other as often now with kids and life. We always play first, around 2 PM when the gates open, and maybe 35 people see us—but it’s worth it.”
This is the first time “Follow the Arrow” will be held at Griffin House in Palenville, NY, which is owned by Benevento’s friend and fellow musician Simon Felice from the Felice Brothers. Benevento is thrilled about the new location. “They’ve got a great spot. I’m psyched to move the fest here. I mean, it’s called ‘Follow the Arrow’—I could see doing it at a different place every year! We even talked about moving it to the West Coast next year.” (Your humble author says, “Yes, please!”)
Follow the music. Follow the energy. Follow the Arrow.
For more information and tickets, visit https://www.tixr.com/e/132329.
