On the down side, it appears the gas prices have impacted attendance; during the day, at least, crowds at some of the performance tents were on the thin side (it picked up in the evening). I suspect a lot of the out-of-town audience that would normally travel in to check out Folkfest stayed away due to the high gas prices. (Anybody who was at Cambria City Ethnic Fest, how were crowds there on Saturday?)
On the up side - while all the entertainment I saw at Folkfest on Saturday was great, for me this year's Folkfest can be summed up in two words - RED ELVISES! These guys are incredible - and insane! Imagine Southern Culture On The Skids if they had come from Soviet Russia, and you'll get a general idea what Red Elvises are about. Surf rock flavored with Russian folk music and a wild sense of humor a la Emily's Toybox (who opened for Red Elvises at Crowbar not too long ago). Simply put, these guys were a blast! If the gas prices don't scare you, Red Elvises play Folkfest again Sunday night from 9 to 11, I highly recommend them! Absolutely crazy!
Below are some pictures of Red Elvises during their Saturday Folkfest performance. And in the third picture, you'll note that none other than Rockpager ZappasXWife is dancing with the band onstage! Woot!
