Musikfest Today: Five Things to Know

Good morning, ‘festers. Today is Thursday, Aug. 11, 2011 – Day Seven of Musikfest.

1. On Channel 69 last night, Ed Hanna (apparently now growing a beard) was as giddy as a schoolgirl describing how nice the weather is going to be today. The National Weather Service agrees: Sunny skies, low humidity, a high of 81 degrees. Actually, it sounds like a perfect day to play hooky from work and go ‘festing.
2. If you take that suggestion, head on over to Plaza Tropical, where the theme of the day is “A Day at the Beach.” George Wesley will be dropping the reggae beats from noon to 2:30pm. Ya Mon! Wesley hails from that hotbed of island music, Kingston. No, not Jamaica – Pennsylvania (next to Wilkes-Barre). Trust us. He really is pretty good. The day at the beach turns into night with Jimmy Buffet tribute band Jimmy & The Parrots, starting at 8:30pm.
3. If you’ve got the kids in tow, the Kid-tastic theme for the day at the Cool Crafts Tent is medieval times. So get thee to Banana Island, with haste. The tunes will be provided by the Guitar Camp, which plays a showcase starting at noon. If that’s not making the little ones happy, the O’Grady Quinlan School dancers at Volksplatz, starting at noon, might. Later, check out the antics of street performers Wacky Chad and Daniel Forlano on Main Street.
4. The free stages tonight offer some delightfully eclectic choices. The Fabulous Greaseband plays its old-time danceable rock 'n' roll at Festplatz starting at 8; local blues diva Bev Conklin and the BC Combo are at Liederplatz at 9; all the way from Louisiana, Volksplatz features Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience at 9. Click here for the full schedule.
5. Tickets for John Oates at the Musikfest Café, at $49 and $39, are still available. We’re not sure what looks stranger – him without his '70s moustache or him without the tall blond guy who used to stand next to him. Show starts at 7pm. Straight No Chaser is your Sands Steel Stage performer this evening, starting at 8:30. Tickets at $37 and $29 are still available. With complaints mounting about the sonic conflicts between the Sands Steel and Americaplatz stages, an a capella singing group playing next door to Trampled Under Foot, a Kansas City blues band named for a Led Zeppelin song, could make this a very interesting night for ArtsQuest.