NERFA 2024 Review

NERFA 2024

The 30th annual NERFA folk conference is a wrap. Coming at the end of a convulsive period, there was concern about how the conference would play out. Whatever dysfunction NERFA may have experienced as an organization, the conference was a resounding success. Credit the team of Ethan Scott Baird, Natalia Zukerman, Heather Lloyd, A.J. Kiernan, and countless volunteers for their yeoman work. Credit the Holiday Inn, which despite some glitches, provided a large ballroom for formal performances with great sound and easily-accessed small rooms for late night showcases. Credit the city of Portland, with its fertile music scene and culture of fine restaurants. Most of all, credit the 500-some folks (young and old, straight and gay, Black and white, Canadian and American) who attended, while others boycotted, in the interests of forging a vibrant community.

I can’t possibly list all the highlights. There were compelling and funny keynote speeches by Melissa Ferrick and Garnet Rogers. There were outstanding performances in the Curators and Formal Showcases, including, but not limited to, Stacia Thiel, Olivia Ellen Lloyd, Frank Critelli, Tragedy Ann, Ryan David Greene, Katie Dahl, Eleanor & Dario, and Ash & Eric (all former On Your Radar alums), plus Alex Radus, Abigayle Kompst, the Flax Boom Chick Trio, Jenna Nicolls, Buggy Jive, RJ Cowdery, and Moonfruits. And special mention to Spencer LaJoye, Julian Taylor, and Travis Knapp, who performed songs that particularly reached into my heart.

There was a sense that, in spite of the politics of NERFA and the United States, we would make the conference an antidote to despair, offering open-hearted songs of hope and resilience. That carried through many of the late-night showcases, where I don’t have the stamina that I once had. Standouts included some I knew, like Mark Douglas Berardo, Erin Ash Sullivan, Conor Garvey, Caroline Cotter, Laurie MacAllister, Sean Kiely, and the Rough & Tumble, and some I hadn’t heard before, like Peaceful Means, Darlin’ Corey, Barker & Genfan, and the Porch Party Mamas. And that’s just scratching the surface.

As always, some of the best moments included spontaneous group sings in the lobby, dinner with friends, and catching up with Ellis Paul, Laurie MacAllister, and Catie Curtis. NERFA proved that folk is a big tent. We’d like to think of it as sacred space, though the organization is comprised of fallible human beings. After all the turmoil of the past year, the conference could be a crucible, offering much-needed healing. With a new board starting fresh and many willing to step up and do the necessary hard work, I’m hopeful for the future of a community that I cherish.