By SALINA POST
Main stage acts have been announced for the 46th annual Smoky Hill River Festival.
The epic arts party is scheduled for June 9-12 in Oakdale Park.
"Entertainment this year is an all-embracing mix of cultural influence, including country, bluegrass, and Latino influenced folk and rock," said Anna Pauscher Morawitz, festival entertainment coordinator. "We are thrilled to introduce festival goers to this energetic group of performers."
Main stage acts announced today include the following, with descriptions provided by Salina Arts & Humanities.
Jason Boland & The Stragglers – Friday headliner
For the past 20 years, Jason Boland & The Stragglers have dazzled audiences as one of the leading ambassadors of the Oklahoma and Texas music movement known as red dirt country music.
Gangstagrass - Saturday headliner
Gangstagrass brings together different kinds of American music and creates a whole new category, greater than the sum of the parts.
SunDub – Sunday headliner
Brooklyn-based SunDub, an inventive and collaborative mix of New York City musicians, offers a classic reggae repertoire peppered with soul and funk selections.
Armchair Boogie
Rising from the forests and rivers of central Wisconsin, Armchair Boogie's high-energy take on the Jamgrass genre fuses intricate arrangements of acoustic guitar and banjo with the funky backbeats of electric bass and drums.
Las Cafeteras
Born and raised east of the Los Angeles River, Las Cafeteras remix roots music and tell modern-day stories of Latino and immigrant lives. Using traditional Son Jarocho instruments like the jarana, requinto, quijada (donkey jawbone), and tarima (a wooden platform), Las Cafeteras sing in English, Spanish and Spanglish, and meld styles, from rock to hip-hop to rancheras.
The RT's
Brooklyn-based five-piece band The RT's are known for their eclectic take on rock n' roll, which mixes punk rock energy, horn-drenched soul and precise musicianship with a lighthearted but sincere delivery.
Carter Sampson
Carter Sampson is an Oklahoma-born and raised, award-winning musician and songwriter blessed by a musical family legacy that includes talents like Roy Orbison. As the self-penned "Queen of Oklahoma," her voice is rooted in country songwriter-driven music traditions.
Ayllu
Ayllu (pronounced I-U) is a Pan-American musical ensemble. Its essence lies in its name - the Quechua word for family. Through their unique instrumentation, uplifting rhythm, and vibrant melody, they celebrate the joy of creating community.
Love
A singer/songwriter/keyboardist with deep musical DNA, Rudy Love Jr. has developed a distinctive voice, giving his all with every performance. Seamlessly blending R&B, soul, funk, pop, and rock, Rudy is bringing his full band to the festival mainstages.
Relativity Brass
Relativity Brass is a Nola-style brass band playing soul classics, re-imagined modern pop, and original music. Catch them on the mainstages and roving through the park!
Additionally, Arty’s Stage and roving entertainers have been announced on social media and on riverfestival.com, according to Salina Arts & Humanities. The full list of entertainers will be available later in the spring.
Advance-price admission wristbands will be $15 for four days and will be available for purchase May 1 through June 7. After that, four-day wristbands will be available at the gate for $20, as will $10 daily wristbands. The daily wristbands will only be sold at the gate. Admission is free for children ages 11 and younger.