An afternoon of bluegrass and folk in Meadowbrook Park
Jun. 11, 2009 - by Josh Fisher – buzz Writer
Are you busy Saturday afternoon? It should be a great day to lounge in Meadowbrook Park, especially when you can catch music from three solid folk acts for free. A hayride along the creek and ice cream with fresh strawberries are among the amenities. The entertainment is set to begin at 4 p.m., so don’t forget to pack the blankets to stay warm as the sun goes down.
First up at 4 p.m. is the bluegrass band Grass Roots Revival. To follow at 5:30 p.m. is one of the most authentic Celtic bands the Midwest has to offer, Exorna. Exorna is composed of Victor McMullan, a percussionist originally from Northern Ireland with a mastery of a plethora of authentic Celtic percussion instruments under his belt, Forrest Harris, a string musician from the heart of rural Illinois and Mark Butler, a guitarist/vocalist from Yorkshire, England. As Butler explained, "we play mostly Irish traditional pub music on traditional instruments along with other songs we feel connected with in some way." The act is looking forward to recording their 4th album, Exorna IV in the coming months. After Exorna, Urbana’s own Corn Desert Ramblers will take the stage at 7 p.m., playing a number of tracks from their ever-expanding repertoire of bluegrass traditionals.
If you enjoy nature and music from the acoustic era, don’t forget to head out to Meadowbrook Park at the corner of Windsor and Race this Saturday afternoon. Folk music is timeless, and the musicians who keep the passion alive deserve your support. "It's a lovely family event in a beautiful setting out there at Meadowbrook Park," Butler said.