Kid Sister - Kid Sister is an independent, acoustic, eclectic, original singer songwriting act based out of Durham, NC. Made up of Ruth Vienneau and Piper Kessler, Kid Sister has been performing since 1991. Their shows are inviting and friendly, sometimes outrageous and always heartfelt. They have a sound and identity that is unique and powerful. The national magazine Curve agreed when they said "so you're tired of the folksy duo armed only guitars and harmonies. I thought I was too, until I gave kid sister a listen." Their listeners are as wide and diverse as their own musical taste and that's the way they'd like to keep it. They have performed at an eclectic variety of venues with an eclectic variety of performers throughout the US.
Venus Grrrl Trap - We are an alternative band that will take being alternative to the next level. Our style is not grungy, nor is it too poppy sounding. We have a pretty hard all out rock style, with more subtle poppier songs, and a few ballads. The style which would probably describe us most would be Pop/Rock/Punk, but saying that is like saying Led Zeppelin is just a rock band. Our influences range from a variety of sources, from 80's heavy metal and glam, grunge, funk, jazz, classical, country, pop, classic rock, you name it, it's probably influenced our band somehow!
Mary Sparks - Mary Sparks has been playing the hammered dulcimer for a little less than two years. Ever since seeing one being played about twenty-four years ago, it has popped in and out of her thoughts that it was an incredible instrument. Anyway, the thought of playing one was always just that...a thought...until about two years ago, when she move to NC from the Midwest. It was in Raleigh that she was officially introduced to the hammered dulcimer. Mary really loves the hammered dulcimer and discovering its potential as a percussion instrument as much as a stringed instrument. "It is perhaps the one instrument I could want buried with me."
Pierless (formerly known as Forever Young) - Duet group playing eclectic, melodic, PORCH music. Music ranges from Mama Cass, Gershwin, Indigo Girls, John Denver, Sarah MacClauglan, Karla Bonoff, Beth Neilson Chapman, and others.
Innocent Lisa - Innocent Lisa is acoustic folk music with a pop edge. Amber Hitchcock's melodic harmonies and electric fiddle lines intertwine with Lynda Wittig's powerhouse vocals and solid rhythm guitar to create music that will stick to your ribs and stick to your brain. If you're a fan of original music, Lynda's is true-to-life, lyrical and runs the gamut from light-hearted to evocative. Innocent Lisa has also been known to indulge in off-the-beaten-path covers from folk, country, pop, classical and traditional Irish music. The duo performs at various Raleigh venues including the Hideaway, Six String Café, the PourHouse, Border's Books and Music and Exploris.
Carrie Gerstmann - If you haven't caught Carrie Gerstmann's hilarious act, get ready for an extravaganza! Carrie combines her poetic antics with keyboard, guitar and percussion to create a big batch of otherworldly fun! Embark with Carrie on her Shaman journey in the supermarket and in her "Church of the Unabashedly Eccentric" and let her remind you that chocolate cake and spirituality always go together. Carrie, aka, "Inanna" has produced two albums. Her second album, Transcendental Floss, is a cosmicomical expedition integrating poetic wit with electronic music. Her publishing credits include The Durham/Kostroma, Russia poets Anthology, and "Raising Voices". Her first album, "Wild Wombon," was distributed throughout the eastern US; Ms Gerstmann lives in Asheville, NC with her husband, Michael and their daughter, Natasha.
ASU - Experiential workshop using movement, writing, and visual arts to foster personal growth and professional vitality.
Chellie Coleman - Singer, songwriter, producer. R & B artist, Chellie Coleman possesses that sweet mixture of sass, love and direct talk.
Megandy - All of Megandy's songs are written with spiritual overtones because she centers all things in her life around her relationship with God.
Yasmine White - Singer/Songwriter of folk, rock and alternative music. Yasmnie was a finalist in the 2001 North Carolina Songwriting Contest.
Kathy Fleischmann - A combination of raw introspection of the blues with the melodic touch of coffeehouse folk. Fleischmann has been named "Best Acoustic Performer" and "Best Acoustic Blues Duo".
AURA - An acoustical group whose repertoire includes an eclecic mix of original music, focusing on the blend of three distinctly different voices.
Alysson Light - In an era when young music artists are manufactured by corporate conglomerates for political correctness to sell vapid pop, there is one who is very different. The music she writes is more like Tori Amos plays Joni Mitchell meets Carole King, than Hanson, or "Miss Spears". She dresses in bell-bottoms and loves lava lamps, and love beads.
Al Asmar Middle Eastern and North African Dance Academy - Traditional middle eastern oriental dance; feminine, healing, and entertaining. A workshop that teaches simple dance moves with attention to physical, emotional, and communal benefits of ME dance.
Angela D. Smith - Oil and acrylic paintings. Also a modern dance performance entitled "Gossip".
Viva La Venus! - An all girl rock-n-roll band. With two electric guitars, bass, drums and lots of harmonies, you are sure to be pleased with their mix of original and cover songs.
Mary Rocap - With a voice often described as soul-full and rich, Mary Rocap finds inspiration from the natural world and her attempt to walk in faith, acknowledging that doubt is never far behind.
Laura Ferguson - A local girl, hailing from Traphill, NC, she will be performing her music on stage and displaying her artwork during the festival.
Renew Handbags - Handbags made by scraps of materials and fabric. The focus is making something beautiful out of something others may not have found useful.
Not Now Kats! Fine Art Studio - Handmade cards with reproductions of artists original art works.
Lactose Quervo - Trance-groove music fueled by self-reflection overlaid by haunting, soulful melodies.
Unicorn Designs - Unique one-of-a-kind wearable art using one of more of the following type of beads: handmade Bali silver, 14KGF, vermeil, gemstones, semi-precious stones, vintage/antique glass (German, Czech, Japanese), freshwater pearls, contemporary glass, Swarovski crystals, handmade furnace glass and handmade lampwork beads.
Ami Worthen offers an eccentric musical combination that brings a swing to your step and a smile to your face. The Mad Tea Party covers early jazz, cajun tunes, old-time and Hawaiian music as well as Ami's original songs. These whimsical originals evoke a magical world that is as profound and real as it is fanciful. Ami's witty lyrics and nimble fingers are enhanced by a performance that is infused with humor, an eye-catching wardrobe of coquettish nostalgia, and Ami's own uniquely ethereal presence.
