Maplewoodstock 2014 dates announced

Dates have been set for Maplewoodstock 2014. Our annual two-day free festival of music and art will be held on Saturday and Sunday, July 13 and 14, 2014. More info about the event is on our website FAQ page.

Maplewoodstock 2013 headerliners announced

Joan Osborne

Singer Joan Osborne was born in Anchorage, KY, but it wasn’t until relocating to New York City in the early ’90s (to study at N.Y.U.’s film school) that she began to take a singing career seriously after singing Billie Holiday’s classic “God Bless the Child” at a local bar’s “open mic night.” In addition to Holiday, Osborne looked to such legendary vocalists as Etta James and Ray Charles as role models, as the up-and-coming singer decided not to cater to major record companies and formed her own label, Womanly Hips, which resulted in such releases as 1992’s in-concert Soul Show, among others.

But eventually, Osborne decided to sign on with a major label, Mercury, which in turn issued the singer’s next release, ‘Relish,’ in March 1995. The album eventually racked up sales of three million copies and proved to have a long life, as almost a year after its initial release the track “One of Us” became a massive MTV and radio smash, camping out at the number-one spot on the U.S. singles chart for 2 weeks. Additionally, the singer managed to connect with a large and appreciative audience while touring as part of the 1997 edition of Sarah McLachlan’s Lilith Fair tour. Osborne received numerous Grammy nominations in both 1996 and 1997.

Bring It on Home is a collection of vintage blues, R&B and soul songs that make up the seventh album from the Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum artist. It’s an apt title—for Osborne, Bring It on Home marks a return to her musical roots.

Joan will bring Maplewoodstock to an end with an 8:00 pm Sunday night set.

» Read more about Joan Osborne at http://www.joanosborne.com

Brother Joscephus and the Love Revolution

Winners of the Independent Music Awards “Best Live Performance” Category 2011, Brother Joscephus and the Love Revolution is on a mission to make the world a more righteous place. The two main visionaries of this 12-piece explosion of love – Brother Joscephus and his eccentric cohort, The Right Reverend Dean Dawg – dip heavily into a musical gumbo rich with old school soul, roots, classic rock stylings, New Orleans rhythms, and feel-good “secular gospel” music. BroJo combines all this with a message of righteousness, urging us towards acceptance and loving one another.  When you combine the music and the message with a one-of-a-kind, high-energy stage spectacle, you got yourself one hell of a revolution on your hands. Their brand new album, Revolution of Love, was entirely funded by fans through Kickstarter.com, and is slated for a June 4 release.

Brother Joscephus will bring Day One of Maplewoodstock 2013 to a close with a 9:30 pm Saturday night set.

» Read more about Brother Joscephus at http://www.brotherjoscephus.com

The Iguanas

The word “Americana” gets tossed around rather loosely these days; it can mean anything from a hipster with a recently-discovered acoustic guitar to a decades-long denizen of the Grand Ole Opry. But when you set aside the Johnny-come-rootly types from the real deal, it’s a sure bet that you’re going to stray into Iguana territory. Based out of New Orleans for the past couple of decades – save for a short, Katrina-imposed exile in Austin – the Iguanas define a sound of Americana that crosses cultures, styles, eras… and even languages.

Their latest album, Sin to Sin, is their first studio recording since 2008’s If You Should Ever Fall on Hard Times, and its release coincides with their appearance at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

The Iguanas will help bring Maplewoodstock to a crescendo with an 8:00 pm Saturday night set right before final Day One act Brother Joscephus and the Love Revolution.

» Read more about The Iguanas at http://www.iguanas.com

Our full two-day lineup of free music is at maplewoodstock.com/music

We are pleased to announce our headliners for Maplewoodstock 2012

Shamekia Copeland

At a young age, Shemekia Copeland is already a force to be reckoned with in the blues. She’s opened for the Rolling Stones, headlined at the Chicago Blues Festival and numerous festivals around the world, scored critics choice awards on both sides of the Atlantic (The New York Times and The Times of London) and shared the stage with such luminaries as Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Taj Mahal and John Mayer. Heir to the rich tradition of soul-drenched divas like Ruth Brown, Etta James and Koko Taylor, Copeland’s shot at the eventual title of Queen of the Blues is pretty clear. By some standards, she may already be there.
Shamekia and her band will bring Maplewoodstock 2012 to a close with a 7:45 pm Sunday night set.
» Read more about Shemikai at http://www.shemekiacopeland.com

Ollabelle

The origins of Ollabelle are familiar to anyone who has heard the band. The group started as a Sunday night jam session at an East Village club updating gospel material with a semi-consistent group of regulars.
The group is composed of five singing multi-instrumentalists, who's individual talents and musical tastes fuse together to provide a unique musical experience influenced by various genred such as gospel, traditional/folk, blues, bluegrass, rock, soul, and even jazz.
Ollabelle will help bring Maplewoodstock to a crescendo with a 6:15 pm Sunday night set right before final act and co-headliner Shameikia Copeland.
» Read more about Ollabella at http://www.ollabelle.net

Chris Berry and Panjea

“Chris Berry picked up where Paul Simon left off,” says Michael Kang, violinist and mandolin-player for The String Cheese Incident. “Chris’ music glides across all racial and ethnic lines making everyone feel at home within the music. The conscious lyrics are a road map for humanity and Chris is one of the few people able to carry this message to a wide audience.”
Berry’s story “sounds like it was written by a Hollywood script writer” (Steve Leggett, All Music Guide). Maybe that is because it is hard to believe that a California White boy moved to Africa, became a spirit caller, and went on to sell over a million records in Southern Africa, where he still sells out stadiums. Now he is positioned to do the same in America.
Chris Berry and Panjea will bring day one of Maplewoodstock 2012 to a close with a 9:00 pm Saturday night set.
» Read more about Chris and his band at http://www.myspace.com/chrisberryandpanjea/

James Maddock

British born James Maddock was first recognized in the U.S as leader of the band Wood. Their debut album, Songs From Stamford Hill, produced a Top 5 Triple A hit ("Stay You") and remains a fan favorite 10 years later. In 2009 Maddock released the exquisite collection of songs, Sunrise On Avenue C, for which he won the 2010-11 NY Music Award for Best Americana Album. Maddock followed Sunrise in 2011 with Wake Up and Dream. NYC’s WFUV 2011 Listener's Poll named Wake Up and Dream (#13) as one of the top albums of 2011. The Mike Scott (Waterboys) co-written single "Beautiful Now" was named the #9 Song of the Year in the same poll. Maddock has become a mainstay on non-comm and satellite radio and continues to tour extensively in the U.S and Europe. His new single, "My Old Neighborhood" is available on iTunes.
James Maddock will help bring Maplewoodstock to a crescendo with a 7:15 pm Saturday night set right before co-headliner Chris Berry and Panjea.
» Read more about James Maddock at http://www.jamesmaddock.net

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The band application process for 2012 is now CLOSED! We thank you for your interest.
As always, we will be trying to curate the best lineup of free music of and for the community.
There are 3-4 slots reserved for regional or national acts. The other 18-19 slots are for a calibrated mix of new sounds and old faves, with an emphasis on acts from our local/community.

Maplewoodstock schedule

SCHEDULE: DAY 1

Saturday, July 9, 2011

• noon — Almost Canadians ( … acoustic folk rock and blues; soft with an edge)
• 12:42 — Pyroclast ( … the result of individuals with chemistry creating their own intense brand of charismatic rock with a decidedly funky aftertaste)
• 1:24 — Mark Murphy Band ( … Paul Simon meets Sting, meets Nick Drake)
• 2:06 — Shaky Ground ( … rock, funk, and soul covers …)
• 2:48 — Backspin ( … one of Maplewood’s favorites …)
• 3:30 — Rock the Houses of the Holy ( … Rock The House’s collective Led Zep tribute band)
• 4:12 — Vibe Merchants ( … If Stevie and Bruce had a four-headed step child …)
• 4:54 — Good Luck Mountain ( … Americana or Alt-Country band, but we think of it as Folk Rock; not unlike The Band but with more atmospheric treatments and guitar sounds …)
• 5:36 — AUGUST ROSE presents teau ( … R&B, Nu-soul, Jazz, and Hip-Hop rhythms)
• 6:18 — featured artist Seth Walker ( … the driving delivery and infectious down-home style of Walker’s voice and songs resonate with blues and roots music …)
• 7:15 — featured artist Alex Kariotis and The Rock Opera Orchestra (… Combines grand arias and the emotional subject matter of operatic masters with compositional wizardry, electric guitars and vocal pyrotechnics …)
• 8:30 — headliner Raul Malo ( … a lifetime’s journey, from the Cuban neighborhoods of Miami through years with The Mavericks to one of the most intriguing and talented artists in the Americana and World Music scenes …)

SCHEDULE: DAY 2

Sunday, July 10, 2011

• noon — New Dakota ( … fun, eclectic mix of modern and classic rock, blues, and country …)
• 12:42 — Three Citations ( … four-piece funky bluesy rock band …)
• 1:24 — Thursday Habit ( … modern progressive rock; Foo Fighters meets King Crimson …)
• 2:06 — Third Gear ( … a tasty stew of rock, blues and alt-country plus a few originals …)
• 2:48 — Mophat ( … funky, rockin’, dance friendly, reggae, jazzy, family …)
• 3:30 — Jimmy Lee Ramblers ( …classic country music from the 40′s through the 70′s …)
• 4:12 — Ray Adkins ( … blues- and reggae-influenced original singer songwrtiter … )
• 4:54 — featured artist Rich Pagano ( … Maplewoodstock adopted son; New York city drummer, singer, performer, producer, writer, and member of The Fab Faux ...)
• 5:54 — featured artist The Revelations (… no auto tune, no samples: nothing but pure, unadulterated soul sung by a red dirt artist ...)
• 7:24 — headliner The Smithereens ( … Jersey legends, with heavy guitars and an unabashed fetish for British Invasion pop …)

NOTE: Schedule subject to change. If weather interrupts the schedule we pick up the schedule as per the “clock.” In other words, if it pours rain from 4 pm to 5:45, we pick up the schedule with whatever band is scheduled to be playing at 5:45. We stepped it up to a professional covered stage in 2010, so light or moderate rain shouldn’t stop us.

Updates to the schedule will be announced in real-time on our Twitter channel — twitter.com/maplewoodstock

Pray for sun. ;-)

Maplewoodstock merch for sale! T-shirts, hats, lawn signs

Our merchandise is in! You’ll be starting to see Maplewoodstock folks out and about town selling our gear. We will occasionally post to our Facebook and Twitter pages where and when we’ll be selling.

Look! Here's Gary Shippy and Tom Kerns at last week's Maplewood Duck Race selling our gear! Be the first on your block or the first in your class to sport the 2011 version of our merch.

Purchase via PayPal on the Maplewood Online site.

We’ve got t-shirts, hats, and lawn signs. As we’ve done in past years, we are offering Pledge Packages to help support Maplewoodstock.

• Package A ($25.00) – one shirt, one lawn sign
• Package B ($25.00) — one hat, one lawn sign
• Package C ($40.00) — one shirt, one hat, one lawn sign

Additional hats and/or shirts for $10.00 each are available to Package C pledgers only.

See more photos of our merch on our maplewoodstock.com website.

The Smithereens to headline Maplewoodstock 2011

Dressed in leather, brandishing heavy guitars, and an unabashed fetish for British Invasion pop, New Jersey’s own The Smithereens was an anomaly in the American college rock scene of the late ’80s.

For the past quarter century, this iconic rock band has toured non-stop, recording and releasing Gold and Platinum albums that spawned countless Top 40 radio hits.

The Smithereens will close out Maplewoodstock 2011 on Sunday night, July 10.

» The Smithereens official website

Raul Malo to close day one of Maplewoodstock 2011

Malo’s latest album (Sinners & Saints) was self-produced in his home studio and is brimming with deeply personal beliefs and passions. It is the most intimate, honest and complex album he has made in an already distinguished career. You will hear in it a lifetime’s journey, from the singer and songwriter’s youth in the Cuban neighborhoods of Miami through his years with hit country band the Mavericks to his place today as one of the most intriguing and talented artists in the Americana and World Music scenes.

Malo will close out Saturday’s schedule (July 9) for Maplewoodstock 2011.

» Raul Malo official website