Ninigret Park | 4890A Old Post Road | Charlestown, RI 02813
The 18th annual Rhythm & Roots Festival announces its spectacular all-star lineup for 2015. Held at beautiful Ninigret Park in the oceanside community of Charlestown, Rhode Island every Labor Day weekend, the festival has become a destination event drawing approximately 10,000 roots music and dance fans from all over the country over the course of the weekend. This year the festival is held Sept 4-6, 2015. Ninigret Park is located at 4890A Old Post Rd, (just off Route 1), Charlestown, RI 02813.
For tickets and info: www.rhythmandroots.com, 1-888-855-6940. Hours: Friday, 5:00 pm to midnight and noon to midnight on Saturday and Sunday. Gates open one hour prior to start time each day.
The festival has camping available and the park contains a swimming area, nature trails, and a recreational area for kids. Tickets: $40 – $225
Growing more and more each year in popularity, thousands look forward to Rhythm & Roots as their annual Labor Day weekend party where music fansgather in Rhode Island to listen to a wide spectrum of roots music, dance the day and night away, and feast on gourmet food and drink while enjoying a wide variety of musical styles such as Blues, New Orleans R&B, Zydeco, Cajun, swing, Americana, folk and more. Among the four stages is a Family Stage and two dance floors. It’s a family friendly event and great for dancers.
The festival kicks off with a bang and a hot FRIDAY night lineup which includes a special 20th Anniversary Signature Sounds celebration, headlined by the attention grabbing Lake Street Dive, with their Billboard Top 20 single “Bad Self Portraits,” and their video of “I Want You Back,” casually shot on a Boston street corner now hurtling past 3 million views. Joining them is labelmate and Americana starEilen Jewellwhose song “Hallelujah Band” was recently found on NPR’s “Heavy Rotation: 10 songs Public Radio Can’t Stop Playing” list for June 30th, and Dustbowl Revivalwhose peppy tune “Never Had to Go” is up to 2.2 million views on youtube with a little help from the dance steps of fan, Dick Van Dyke. And it keeps getting hotter with festival favoriteSarah Potenza who has vocal chops sounding like a cross between Janis Joplin and Susan Tedeschi. She knocked ’em dead when she first played the festival a few years ago and now comes back having been a Top 20 “The Voice” contender and with a new fan funded album in progress. Sarah will play all 3 days of the festival and will headline the Heritage Stage on Friday. Then there’s some rockin’ zydeco dancing to be done with Corey Ledet & His Zydeco Band, Ruben Moreno & Zydeco Re-evolution and theDog Hill Stompersfeaturing the grandsons of Boozoo Chavis.
SATURDAY, it’s a Main Stage blowout with The Mavericks, Los Lobosand boogie woogie piano queen, Marcia Ballplus perennial favorites Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboyswho arrive with their brand new CD, Voyageurs, and a Cajun/Zydeco/swamp pop mix that dares to go in new directions and keeps the dance floors filled wherever they play. The Cash Box Kings, bring a dose of old-school Chicago blues in the spirit of the 40’s and 50’s and Delta Blues in the spirit of the 20’s and 30’s. Multiple award winner and powerhouse performer with a giant soul-filled voice, Matt Anderson, whose 40 city Canadian tour last year grossed over a million dollars, wowed Rhythm & Roots audiences and is back for a return performance. He will host a Blues Showcase and a Canadian Showcase as well as perform on the Main Stage. Filling up the dance floors with Steve Riley will be Roddie Romero & the Hub City All Starsamong others.
On SUNDAY, three time Grammy winner Keb ‘Mowill rock the stage with tunes from his new album BLUESAmericana as well asRoyal Southern Brotherhoodfeaturing the smooth vocals ofCyril Neville andguitar slinging from Tyrone Vaughan, son of Jimmie and nephew of Stevie Ray. They just released their third album in May.
Among the festival’s four stages, apopular feature at Rhythm & Roots is the dancing, with two 4400 square foot tented wooden dance floors – one near the Main Stage and one in theDance Pavilion, featuring afternoon dance instruction followed by dancing until midnight with Main Stage bands as well as popular regional bands. Dance instruction in Cajun, Zydeco and Two Step is provided during the afternoon.
The Family Stage provides storytelling for the kids, mardi gras mask making for the mardi gras parade on Saturday and Sunday, and creative art workshops, sing-a-longs, and evening movies for both kids and teens – plus the ever expanding Kids Cajun Academy instrument learning program with free advance signup on the website.
The Heritage Stagefeatures special showcases and workshops with an up close and personal experience of the artists. Special evening music showcases this year will include Canadian and Blues Showcases hosted byMatt Anderson, an Americana Showcase hosted by Jim Lauderdale, and a Louisiana Showcase hosted by Steve Riley.
In addition to being renowned for its impressive lineup of artists, Rhythm & Roots is also
known its wide array of food and drink with festive atmosphere provided by theHot Tamale Brass Band. Vendors offer a variety of delicacies ranging from Cajun & Creole cuisine to southern style barbecue, Greek and Middle Eastern foods and fresh native seafood, and a variety of beverages plus gourmet coffee and desserts.
Merchant vendors have hard to find recordings, authentic handcrafted instruments, vintage posters and other festive items on hand.
Selected among the Top 100 Events in North America by the American Bus Association, Rhythm & Roots has been called “an incredible experience, a perfectly organized, flawlessly run major destination event that music fans from all over the country will be drawn to” and the patrons who return each year bringing newly made festival devotees would agree.
Sept 4, 5, 6, 2015
The Mavericks (5)
Keb Mo (6)
Los Lobos (5)
Royal Southern Brotherhood (6) Lake Street Dive (4)
Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys (5 & 6) Sarah Potenza (4, 5 & 6)
Marcia Ball (5)
Kitty, Daisy & Lewis (4, 5)
Corey Ledet & His Zydeco Band (4, 5,& 6)
The Cash Box Kings (5, 6) Eilen Jewell (4)
Matt Anderson (5, 6)
Ten Strings & A Goatskin (5)
Roddy Romero & the Hub City All Stars (5,6)
Della Mae featuring Jim Lauderdale (5)
Nora Jane Struthers & the Party Line (4)
Dustbowl Revival (4 & 5)
Del Barber (5, 6) Ruben Moreno & the Zydeco Re-evolution (4, 5, 6)
Howell Devine (5, 6)
The Strumbellas (5,6)
Dog Hill Stompers (4, 5, 6)
Miss Tess & The Talkbacks (4)
Parsonfield (4)
The Bombadils (5,6)
Yvette Landry & Richard Comeaux (5,6)
The Mike & Ruthy Band (4)
Hello Strangers (4)
David Greely (5,6)
Ed Poullard & Preston Frank (4, 5 & 6)
VIDEO FROM LAST YEAR’S FESTIVAL!
Critics say that, “Rhythm & Roots is an incredible experience: a perfectly organized, flawlessly run major destination event that music fans from all over the country will be drawn to…” So, if you’re looking to “let the good times roll,” the Rhythm & Roots Festival in Charlestown, RI is the place on Labor Day weekend. See you there!
Among the festival’s four stages, a popular feature at Rhythm & Roots is the dancing, with two 4400 square foot tented wooden 
dance floors – one near the Main Stage and one in the Dance Pavilion, featuring afternoon dance instruction followed by dancing until midnight with Main Stage bands as well as popular regional bands. Dance instruction in Cajun, Zydeco and Two Step is provided during the afternoon. 
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