By SALINA POST
A wide variety of musical acts and entertainment are scheduled for the 2021 Smoky Hill River Festival.
The 45th Smoky Hill River Festival is scheduled for Sept. 2-5 in Salina's Oakdale Park.
READ: The epic arts party that is Smoky Hill River Festival 2021
Admission to the river festival is by weekend wristband ($15 in advance or $20 at the gate) available in 21 cities statewide starting July 26, or by daily wristband ($10 and sold only at the gate). Children ages 11 and under will be admitted at no charge. See a list of all Salina-area and regional wristband retailers at riverfestival.com/participating-retailers/.
In addition to this year's three headline acts, 18 other acts and entertainers are scheduled during the weekend billed as an epic arts party.
READ: Sunset Sinners to headline at the Smoky Hill River Festival
Following is information about and photos of the entertainers as provided by Salina Arts & Humanities.
Eric Stein Stage and Stage II entertainers
SunDub
New York City
Brooklyn-based SunDub, an inventive and collaborative mix of New York City musicians, offers a classic reggae repertoire peppered with soul and funk selections. Joanna Teters’ commanding and smoky lead vocals blend seamlessly with the super-tight arrangements of the SunDub rhythm section. The result is a standout expression of reggae’s classic undulating pulse and lush subterranean grooves, reinvented for festival listeners of all ages and fans of all genres.
That 1 Guy
Las Vegas
Mike Silverman, aka That 1 Guy, has set himself apart as a one-of-a-kind talent that rivals any other artist currently in the entertainment industry. With his pioneering main instrument The Magic Pipe, a monstrosity of metal, strings, and electronics, he dynamically creates live music and magic in ways only That 1 Guy can conjure. Expect to see magic integrated into his clever performances. With the addition of magic into his live shows, That 1 Guy has legitimately achieved an all-inclusive audio/visual performance unlike anything many have ever experienced.
The Marcus Lewis Band
Kansas City, Mo.
With his legendary trombone skills and a crew of skilled musicians from Kansas City, Marcus Lewis delivers modern jazz for music lovers of all ages at the Smoky Hill River Festival. Notable artists that Lewis has performed with over the years include Aretha Franklin, Prince, Janelle Monáe, and Bruno Mars.
Kyshona
Nashville
Kyshona (Kuh-SHAUNA) Armstrong, a music therapist gone rogue, has a natural gift for using music to tap into emotion. She began her career working in mental-health hospitals and correctional facilities, writing music with her patients, and using it to redirect behaviors and emotions. Kyshona soon found the need to write music independently, to process her daily experiences with clients. Audiences will find a common thread of overcoming, hope, and empowerment in her songwriting and storytelling, showcasing vocal stylings reminiscent of Aretha Franklin, Etta James, and Al Green.
The Hooten Hallers
Columbia, Mo.
The Hooten Hallers are a high-energy blues-rock band known for hard-traveling and wild live shows, with a seemingly endless tour schedule. The myriad of influences in their music incorporates elements of rhythm & blues, rock ’n’ roll, honky-tonk, jazz, soul, and punk, with a thematic penchant for the strange and unexplained. Their live shows take listeners on a seamless ride from raucous blues on the lap steel and bass sax, to sweet three-part harmonies to a romping dance number.
Jarabe Mexicano
San Diego
Jarabe Mexicano invites audiences on a joyride through a versatile songbook of Mexican folk as well as rock ’n’ roll, Tex-Mex, Latin rock and reggae-cumbia. Performing on stringed folk instruments accompanied by lively percussion, Jarabe’s dramatic, harmonized vocals in Spanish and English have gained them admiration from audiences across the country.
Acoustic Eidolon
Berthoud, Colo.
Acoustic Eidolon is what happens when you cross a guitar with two necks and a cello with attitude! Colorado musicians Joe Scott on double-neck guitjo and Hannah Alkire on cello, have graced stages throughout the U.S., Australia, Europe, and Canada. These masterful artists are Festival favorites and continue to captivate audiences worldwide with their signature “new acoustic” sound, sharing boundless possibilities in blending Celtic, folk, world, and Latin influences.
Haymakers
Wichita
Music made by the Kansas-based band Haymakers comes from the
intersection of blues, folk, bluegrass, country, and more. Dustin Arbuckle, a mainstay of the Wichita music scene, is joined by his band of esteemed bluegrass and folk musicians. With all members adding to the vocal blend, the Haymakers’ unmistakable appeal rests in its universality and diversity.
Children's and roving entertainers
Duke Otherwise
Madison, Wis.
Duke Otherwise is a playful wordsmith, a spirited performer, a skilled guitarist, and a captivating tap dancer. Using his distinct baritone, he sings hilarious and imaginative songs that all ages delight in together. Duke’s energetic live show is filled with improvisation, audience participation, dancing, and outrageous fun!
Drum Safari
Kansas City, Mo.
Brandon and Teryn Draper are no strangers to the Smoky Hill River Festival. This year, the Drapers and their Drum Safari program partnered with SHRF to design and curate more audience participation activities specifically for kids in Artyopolis. Additions for 2021 include a brand-new science show featuring Magic Bubbles, puppet shows, and the impromptu drum jams that make Drum Safari famous!
Happy Faces Entertainment
Kansas City, Mo.
Dennis Porter is sure to keep crowds laughing as he engages Festival fans young and old in a host of entertaining games and activities. Teaching, playing, and having lots of fun is what these shows are all about. Come give it a try!
The Science Shindig: Rockin’ Experiments!
Kansas City, Mo.
Festival-goers can sleeves, grab their lab coat, and prepare to experience SCIENCE like never before! Join Professor Conner (an amazing scientist, teacher, and inventor) as he uses rap and hip-hop rhythms to construct a hypothesis and test an experiment. Interactive, engaging experiments for all ages!
Magic Bubbles
San Francisco
Steve Treder brings giant bubbles and stilt walking all the way from the California coastline! With the help of a scientifically formulated bubble solution, you’ll witness one of nature’s thinnest and strongest geometric shapes. Performances include the cloud of tiny bubbles, bubble manipulation, bubbles inside of a bubble, giant bubbles, and a person in a bubble!
Hedge People
Lawrence
Have a tree hug with amazing real-life Hedge People! Introducing one of the planet’s most quirky, outrageous, and downright silly walkabout entertainment acts - The Living Topiary! Straight from the pages of a fairy tale, this human shaped bush comes to life to walk, talk, and cuddle his way around the park.
StatueEscapades
Kansas City, Mo.
StatuEscapade™ Statues are a work of art and more! What looks like a classic Greek or Roman statue when still becomes a modern scene-stealer when moving. Their absurd antics will make a grand impression as they interact directly with guests, then freeze motionless for minutes on end! It is art imitating life and life imitating art and both having a good laugh!
Martika Daniels
Kansas City, Mo.
With over a decade of sideshow entertainment industry experience, Martika is one of the most in-demand sideshow performers in the Midwest. From designing stunts to teaching classes and workshops, Martika eats, sleeps, and breathes sideshow entertainment.
Up Up & Away!
Liberty, Mo.
Festival favorites Johnna and John Perry interact with the crowd while twisting and turning plastic balloons into artistic 3-D creatures, hats, and more, as they rove throughout Oakdale Park. Even the youngest festival fans will be the stars, as these balloon masters deliver one-of-a-kind creations to enhance the festival’s 45th year of arts celebration!
Recycle Cycle
Lawrence
The Recycle Cycle is a crazy art car made of junk and recycled stuff and travels to teach and tickle the hearts of all.