Thanks to all those who came out to support Silk City Fest 2021! Grab a t-shirt to commemorate the awesome day while supporting future fests for only $15 including shipping – just click here!
Silk City Fest 2021
Saturday, August 28, 2021, 2-10pm
Purnell Place
Manchester, CT 06040
The fourth Silk City Fest is a FREE event for live music, local art vendors, interactive activities, games, food trucks, and a beer tent offering craft beers from local breweries! We will be located in downtown Manchester, CT, on Purnell Place (follow the signs for the Orange Lot; the fest’s approximate address for GPS directions is 12 Purnell Place, Manchester, CT 06040) There will be plenty of free parking in the nearby lots, as well as on Main Street and various side streets.
Come join us for the artiest, musicalist, beeriest, Silk City Fest to date!
New England native, Michael Suddes, who goes by the name of Coleus, is a singer/songwriter/guitarist on a mission. An up-and-coming artist based out of Hartford, CT, Coleus has been showcasing his sound throughout the local scene, one that he feels is unique to him. While integrating elements of Folk, Rock, Soul and more, he tells heartfelt stories relating to love, life’s beauty and overcoming one’s own troubles, unveiled through dynamic musicality, subtly catchy melodies and an anchoring groove. While playing everywhere from breweries, festivals and local clubs, Coleus is quickly building a strong fanbase.
Over the last year, Coleus recruited a top-notch band to accompany his sound live and in the recording studio. Whether you see Coleus as a solo actor with his full band, you will not be let down. Coleus recently released his debut EP in January 2021 and has an exciting calendar of live shows coming up.
Up until now, Frank Viele has been something of a regional secret throughout New England. His quadruple-threat reputation as a singer, guitarist, songwriter and performer is unrivaled there, as recognized by the New England Music Awards for Album of the Year, Male Performer of the Year, and Live Act of The Year he has stashed somewhere in his Connecticut home.
Of course, musically tuned-in folks throughout the world have been hearing reports of Viele’s prowess for several years. No Depression might have piqued their curiosity with its praise for his “vivid storytelling.” Or maybe they read about his singing in The Alternate Root, which observed that his “street growl” could rivet passersby. Howl Magazine even called his shows “transcendent” and predicted that his music “will rattle your bones and penetrate to the core.”
Truth be told, audiences around the country have begun taking notice as Viele plays in further-flung venues. Since his first album, Fall Your Way, dropped in 2015, he’s been called to open for Will Hoge, Blues Traveler, Lee DeWyze, Zach Myers of Shinedown, The Marshall Tucker Band, and in his somewhat wonderstruck words, “artists who have been on my personal playlists for years.”
“The Soulful, Gravely Voiced Sincerity that Frank Viele is Hooking Audiences with Up and Down the East Coast is Nice To Hear Pumping Through Your Stereo. But Live Hes Transcendent!”
~ Rita Savard (Howl Magazine)
HannaH’s Field brews a musical medicine that can be described as Roots Reggae with a One Love message. Nominated best female vocalist in Hartford for many years, this powerful songstress has shared the stage with such great acts as Derek Trucks, Sound Tribe Sector Nine, the Average White Band, Donna Jean from the Grateful Dead, the Samples, Gov’t Mule featuring members of the Allman Brothers Band, Indubious, Shakedown, Dub Apocalypse, Spiritual Rez and The Brothers Johnson. They have performed at festivals such as The 50th Anniversary of Woodstock, Ziontific, Unifier, and Project Earth.
The band’s release, Revolutionary Soldiers, featured Brett Wilson of Roots of Creation and had songs in regular rotation on SiriusXM, The Joint. Their music also charted #11 on Relix/Jam Bands radio chart.
“bringing their mix of jam-band, drum-circle, healing-chant, beach reggae, and gypsy folk to audiences who are open to the idea of sound waves and music as a form of sonic medicine that works through vibrations. This is unhurried music that urges listeners to connect with each other and with the earth, and to stay creative as a way of making better sense of our lives.
–John Adamian (Hartford Courant)
Johnny Mainstream is a four-piece Indie Rock and Americana act out of Central CT. Born in the Marist College dormitories of songwriter Matthew Maynes and bassist Dan Garaffa, Johnny Mainstream began writing honest folk songs inspired by Bob Dylan, Bright Eyes, and Kevin Devine, but infused with the punk rock ideals on which each was raised.
After graduation in 2007, Maynes and Garaffa returned to CT with the Johnny Mainstream brand intact. Through continual exposure at local venues like the Main Pub and Grady Tavern in Manchester CT, Johnny Mainstream began to amass a small following from fans, as well as the attention of other local musicians. Brendan Donnelly and local mainstay and “Flu” alum Michael James Anderson now round out the group on drums and lead guitar respectively.
Connecticut based singer and songwriter, Lisa Lawrence planned on becoming a professional dancer until she was inadvertently hit by a truck while crossing the street. While her dancing dreams were put on hold, she picked up a guitar and began writing music. Lisa is a classically trained vocalist with a degree in music theory and composition. She has performed on stages from Carnegie Hall to The Flying Saucer in Memphis, TN and extensively throughout New England.
Lisa grew up in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and has a love of nature which is a common theme in her lyrics. Thomas Pizzola of the Hartford Advocate says; “Like any good folk singer, her songs tell stories, but I am not going to overlook Lawrence’s musical abilities. She has a sweet, sensitive voice that helps to drive home the emotional content of her music. Lisa Lawrence sings from the soul.” It varies from Alt Country to blues and folk rock. “Her music is sweet, gritty, and confessional.” (My Emu is Emo her) Throughout her 20 year recording history, Lisa has released numerous Cd’s as a solo artist and with with her former band “The And Band.” Her most recent CD “Good Love Gone Bad” features various Connecticut musicians and was recorded by Manchester CT native Charles Uzanas. She is currently pursuing her goal of recording and producing her own music in her home studio which began over 20 years ago on a Fostex 4 track mixed in her car stereo. Lisa will be performing throughout the summer and fall of 2021 as a solo artist and with her band “The Lost Royals.”
Low Ceilings is the Connecticut-based musical project of Ben Mueller, who has been playing living rooms, clubs, bars, and empty swimming pools since early 2014. In that time, he has developed a distinctive brand of folky alternative rock with a progressive tilt, over which he explores love, loss, and the profundity in banal and everyday happenings.
In April 2021, Low Ceilings released the 11-song album Passenger Side. The album was written over the past year and a half in, around, and about life in a New England suburb. It builds on the band’s previous effort, Learn to Sew, thematically and musically, incorporating full-fledged rock band instrumentation to the long-standing acoustic elements that have defined Mueller’s songwriting for years.
Low Ceilings’ music has always been about taking everyday moments and turning them into vague ponderings of love and life in general. But today’s pandemic-shrouded context gives Passenger Side’s musings an entirely different feel, one that is at times cynical and downtrodden but ultimately hopeful (and grateful).
~Colin Vallee (Digital Wheat Paste)
MARMO features three Connecticut singer-songwriters with a Folk/Americana/Roots feel employing a variety of instrumentation and strong vocal harmonies. Since 2017, MARMO has performed at festivals, markets, brew pubs, and private parties, as well as on TV, providing audiences with thoughtful, witty, and soulful songs about love, life, and beverages. MARMO features Bill Ludwig (Current Official Troubadour of Manchester CT), Christian Loftus (Music Director at Silk City Coffee, singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist), and Dan Thompson (Troubadour Emeritus).
The Podunk Throwbacks are a “throwback” to a time when songwriters did not “woo” listeners with familiar covers while slipping their own works in between but believed in their songs enough to allow them to stand on their own. Songwriter, Todd Skilton, combines life experience with jazz, rock, country, folk & classical influences, providing a little something for everyone. Together, the Podunk Throwbacks take these musical perceptions of life and “throw them back” with a unique sound, no “gimmicks” or formulation & an energy that keeps the audience engaged.
The Podunk Throwbacks began as a duo in 2012 and evolved into a 4-piece band over the years. They have taken their 3 hours of originals from coffee shops and hardware stores to over 60 gigs a year all over CT, MA & RI, including the Dream Away Lodge, the Meriden Daffodil Festival, the Podunk Bluegrass Festival, the Durham Fair, the Hebron Fair, the Still River Music Festival, Locapalooza, the Goshen Stampede, the Glastonbury Apple Harvest & Music Festival and CiderConn. They released their first CD, “Emotional Hemophilia,” in 2017, and are in the process of recording their second, due to be released in the upcoming months.
Personnel:
Todd Skilton – guitar, vocals, songwriter
Lou DiBacco – bass, vocals
Amy Jones – violin
Xavier Pietri – percussion
“The Podunk throwbacks are an artistic force to reckoned with. Heartfelt • savvy • so artistic ; their music is perfect for any event.”
~Torrington ARTSWALK
Punchbowl Astronauts is a vibrant American alt-rock four-piece band with an eclectic sound that veers from head-banging guitar heaviness to emotive, melodic acoustics and piano. Punchbowl Astronauts thrive on the contrast and have used it to create music that is uniquely theirs. Based out of New Haven, Connecticut, the band is comprised of guitarist/pianist/lead singer Aaron Montiel, bassist/backup vocalist Chris Vincent, guitarist Jonny Ribbons, and drummer Alex Hayowyk.
Aaron and Chris met at the University of Hartford and formed a cover band together shortly before graduating in 2014, but as the other band members began to go their separate ways, the two began to focus on writing original music. As recent college graduates, Aaron and Chris created songs about their place in the world and their life experiences. In 2021, their music still focuses on their observations about people and society from the perspective of young adults expected to prioritize career over adventure. Their songs touch on feeling completely lost, not knowing what to do next, chasing dreams, destructive relationships, being in debt, making bad decisions, and being terrified of the future. But they also like to share the good things that come after college like wisdom, strength, and love.
The group has drawn comparisons to Hüsker Dü, The Temper Trap, and Snow Patrol but displays a high level of artistry that keeps its sound firmly in its own creative space. The band prioritizes great melodies over all else and each member invests himself deeply in the craft of writing their material. Punchbowl Astronauts hope to connect with listeners and create a community of like-minded friends who joyfully share in the vibe and message of the music.
Best known as a local Connecticut Blues Rock Band, Thankful Soul Revival and their sound have developed and grown in popularity since 2019. Influenced by the community, culture, and sounds of their hometown, they perform music that speaks to fans across the musical spectrum. Their signature style has become synonymous with a diverse collection of melodies and compositions. This Blues Rock Band is on the rise, and nothing can stop them from achieving the success they work so hard for.
AND TWO SUMMIT MUSIC CENTER BANDS: FLYIN’ FORTRESS and NKMC
We at East Hartford Brewing Group are not only a group of hard-working entrepreneurs – we are beer enthusiasts.
Much like you we love craft beer – we love drinking it, discovering it, learning about it. We consider the craft beer community our friends and family. We spend our weekends traveling to different breweries, immersing ourselves in their own unique atmosphere and brews. Sadly, as the craft beer world expands we’ve had to say goodbye to some of our favorite brews to make room for new favorites and experiences. However, we’ll always look back fondly of those first craft beers that got us into this wonderful world in the first place. In fact, we decided to do more than simply reminisce about the beers of our past – we’ve revived them. After years of research and dedication we bring you East Hartford Brewing Group.
Here at East Hartford Brewing Group, we plan to build off the history of Old Burnside and create a new and exciting brewery experience in the eastern corner of the state. Owned by a couple of UCONN Alumni, East Hartford Brewing Group is excited to bring Ten Penny Ale back to life. While we have resurrected some other old school favorites, our brewer Joe has begun producing some crushable new beers as well. While this year has taught us all that the world is unpredictable, one thing has remained the same – craft breweries are here to stay, and we invite you to find comfort in that, and in the quality of our brews to be a constant in a time of change. You can find our cans at your local package store or down at the infamous 776 Tolland Street East Hartford Location.
Labyrinth Brewing Company is located the historic district of Manchester, CT. Our 130+ year-old space houses our production facility and tap room, along with an art gallery to feature works by local artists. We aim to deliver a brewery experience unlike any other through an unsurpassed focus on quality, creativity and community.
New England Cider Company has been in business for 8 years and is one of the largest craft cider producers in Connecticut. NECC ciders are made with real fruit and no added sugar. We’ve offered staple fruit flavors like Apple, Blueberry, and Strawberry all the way to novelty flavors like Maple, Basil, and Spruce. We are in the middle of a huge expansion, as well as about to release our most popular Fall flavor, Pumpkin, so keep an eye out for more fun events to come!
Phantom Brewing Company began as a daydream between two friends just 2 years ago. Jon and Bo would throw ideas back and forth as they stood in the store sipping and evaluating their latest creations. What could a brewery look like right here in the store? Would there be a way to connect our home-brewing customer base with the professional industry? Could we teach aspiring professional brewers, while running our own brewery and taproom? We’ve met so many great Connecticut Brewers who started their dream with us, and now we’d like to join them. We have designed a dual-use space, where we can have our store serving and mentoring our customers, and our brewery serving delicious beer!
Legend has it that the recipe was created by Benedictine Monks at the Nesvyzius Monastery (who says monastery life is sedated?!) which was founded in the 16th century in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. It became popular among Lithuanian Nobility and today is a wildly favorite family concoction with a coveted secret family recipe that has been passed down through the generations.
Our recipe started on Grandma (Bobute) Genovaite Sriubaite-Setikas’ stovetop as a special drink she and Grandpa (Senelis) Antanas made for friends and family. We still make it the same way, using only whole spices, wildflower honey, and pure grain neutral alcohol. Lovingly blended with a mysterious array of earthy spices and a touch of naughty…
2nd Bridge Brewing is a concept we came up with for local and regional fans of crafted fresh beer in our hometown of Manchester, CT at the historic Hilliard Mills. We are focused and dedicated to hop forward ales, porters, and stouts, coffee and iced teas. We figured a place to enjoy it, or a visit to take some with you was a great way to live and give. A passion for the freshest beer with a respect for the art to brew something great with. We want to create a haven for the soccer enthusiast that would like to share with their fellow community on watching matches live together. A dream my late brother and team mate shared. We look forward to tickling your taste buds! Cheers!
Whether your personal escape is a cabin in the woods, or within the hustle and bustle of the concrete jungle – you will always find tranquility with good friends and good beer at Urban Lodge Brewing. Community is our passion, craft beer is our medium. Come as you are, we’ll take care of the rest.
FOOD VENDORS:
The Comfort Zone
Curdside Pickup
Dukes’ Delish
Keifer’s Kettle Korn
Manchester Cheesecake Company
Thomas’ Smokey Pit Stop
The August Gallery
BREAKFASTGIRL ARTS
The Candle Collaborative
Center Street Soap Co.
Crafted to a T
Craftiemix Studio
Daddyfatstack Designs
ERJURSELF
The Firestone | Art Studio + Cafe
Flame Licked Designs
Focksy Rox
Gone Rogue Co.
Joey Batts
Knotty Bliss
Lisa Maree Designs
Little Bird Clay Company
Little Feet’s Opus, LLC
Loving Every Little Exception
MelRose Denim
Mijumi Art
Nevermore Designs
Oddball Newt
Parker Papercrafts
Purple Dragon Artwork
The Quintessential Quill
Rakoczy Photography
Ratlum Mountain Wood Craft
Really Just Shae
Soto’s Lab
Stable Studio
Timeflies by Lauralie
Verdilune
The Silk City Fest is made possible by a grant from the Town of Manchester’s Downtown Arts and Culture Grant Program.
Event’s approximate address for GPS directions:
12 Purnell Place, Manchester, CT 06040
Parking available in nearby lots and along Main Street and its sides streets as shown on this map.
