Mavis Staples, The Lone Bellow, Immortal Technique Added To Clearwater Festival Line-Up
Mavis Staples, The Lone Bellow, Immortal Technique Added To Clearwater Festival Line-Up
The country’s oldest and largest music and environmental festival brings together major musical acts and Clearwater’s own brand of green activism in Croton-On-Hudson, NY on June 15-16
Legendary singer Mavis Staples, Brooklyn-based Americana artist The Lone Bellow, underground hip-hop artist Immortal Technique, and a host of musical artists have been added to the line-up of The Great Hudson River Revival (The Clearwater
Festival), returning to Croton-On-Hudson, New York on Father’s Day weekend, June 15-16. The country’s oldest and largest music and environmental festival, this year’s event will celebrate the 100th birthday of its founder Pete Seeger, as well as the 50th anniversary of the sloop Clearwater, the iconic ship Seeger built to advocate cleaning up the Hudson River. The Clearwater has become a symbol of environmental advocacy and of Seeger’s efforts to inspire, educate, and activate millions of people around environmental issues.
In addition to Mavis Staples, The Lone Bellow, and Immortal Technique, new additions to this year’s line-up include Arm of The Sea Theatre, Aztec Two-Step, Birds of Chicago, Chogyi Lama, Deadgrass, dNa, James Maddock, Joanne Shenandoah, LA CUMBIAMBA NY, Margo Thunderbird, Matt Calahan, Jaeger and Reid, Slambovian Circus of Dreams, Taj Weekes and Adowa, Jay Ungar and Molly Mason, The Vanaver Caravan, and Zen Tricksters. These artists join previously announced headliners Ani DiFranco, Railroad Earth, and The Wailers, as well as Antigone Rising, Cliff Eberhardt, David Amram, Guy Davis, Joanie Leeds, Joel Rafael, Josh White Jr., Kristen Graves, Leslie Mendelson, Los Cintron, Matt Pless, Roger Street Friedmam, Scott Sharrard, The Mammals, Thom Chacon, Tom Chapin, Tom Paxton and the DonJuans, Vance Gilbert, and many more.
The Clearwater Festival is a destination for music fans and families alike, featuring a variety of unique, family-friendly activities that no other festival offers. The Working Waterfront offers rides on small boats and the tall ship, sloop Clearwater, while the Crafts Area showcases crafters and folk artists with quality hand-made items, demonstrations and workshops. The Green Living Expo is the place to learn about sustainable lifestyle and business choices, and The Discovery and Tideline tents feature hands-on environmental education programs and Hudson River research. The Environmental Action Tent highlights Clearwater’s watershed and environmental justice initiatives, and the Artisanal Food & Farm Market offers food sourced from the Hudson Valley.
“Participation – That’s what’s gonna save the human race.”
This year’s event will pay special tribute to Seeger and the sloop, celebrating both of these milestone anniversaries throughout 2019. Inspired by Seeger’s words and actions, the organization seeks to inspire attendees through Seeger’s words: “Nothing beats putting the pieces together for your favorite festival in the world, especially when you are celebrating its biggest year yet, the 50/100 anniversary,” said Festival Director Jason Samel. “I hope to make Pete proud for his 100th birthday. We are super lucky to have Mavis as a headliner. Her message is one which we all need to listen to.”
The Clearwater Festival is wheelchair accessible and most stage programming is staffed with American Sign Language Interpreters. The Festival is dependent on almost 1,000 volunteers who work in all areas across the Festival. Volunteers experience the festival from behind-the-scenes and work on committees from performer hospitality to peacekeeping and zero-waste. Volunteer registration is open and a list of committee descriptions is available on Clearwaterfestival.org.
To stay up to date on all Clearwater Festival news and forthcoming ticket sales, please visit ClearwaterFestival.org.
The Great Hudson River Revival is produced by the nonprofit, member-supported, environmental organization Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc. All proceeds go directly to support Clearwater’s environmental education and advocacy.
History of the Great Hudson River Revival (Clearwater Festival)
Back in the mid-sixties, after centuries of accumulated sewage pollution and industrial dumping of toxic chemicals, the Hudson River, like many of America’s most important estuaries, was declared “dead.” The river’s fragile ecological system was devastated. Not a single fish was found in many areas, and the level of commercial fishing had dropped so dramatically as to be regarded as nonexistent. Recognizing this incredible social and environmental tragedy, in 1966, Pete Seeger decided “to build a boat to save the river” by holding small, fundraising river concerts throughout the Hudson River Valley where he opened his banjo case to collect contributions to build the sloop Clearwater, a tall ship that would become recognized as America’s Environmental Flagship and a symbol of environmental advocacy. Since the 1960s, the Clearwater Festival has grown into the country’s largest annual environmental celebration, its music, dance, storytelling, education, and activism attracting thousands of people of all ages to the shores of the Hudson River.
Past artists include: Pete Seeger, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Joan Baez, David Crosby, Citizen Cope, Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris, Natalie Merchant, Jason Isbell, Neko Case, Guster, Drive-By Truckers, Indigo Girls, Martin Sexton, Steve Earle, Bela Fleck, Lake Street Dive, Arlo Guthrie, Los Lobos, Angelique Kidjo, Richie Havens, Old Crow Medicine Show, Grace Potter, Susan Tedeschi, Taj Mahal, Billy Bragg, Hot Tuna, Josh Ritter, Punch Brothers, Dawes, The Lone Bellow, Blind Boys of Alabama, and thousands more.
About Hudson River Sloop Clearwater
Founded over 50 years ago by world renowned musical artist and activist Pete Seeger, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc. has been at the forefront of the environmental movement as champion of the Hudson River. Clearwater is a 501(c)3 tax exempt nonprofit, member-supported corporation whose mission is to preserve and protect the Hudson River, its tributaries, and related bodies of water.
Clearwater’s tireless work resulted in the passing of landmark legislation including The Clean Water Act. The organization provides innovative educational programs, environmental advocacy, and musical celebrations, including the renowned annual Clearwater Festival, to inspire, educate, and activate millions of people.
Today, Clearwater is carrying forward Pete Seeger’s legacy, partnering with schools and community leaders to raise the bar of environmental education, realizing that this time the health of the Hudson River must go hand in hand with creating a sustainable world of green jobs in a green economy. Clearwater’s unique approach to public outreach has made the sloop Clearwater a symbol of grassroots action through hands-on learning, music, and celebration.