Like all epic days, this one starts with glitter. It is scattered on shoulders and faces, hopefully along with sunscreen, on young bus patrons smushed together traveling between Brighton and the Harvard Athletic Complex in Allston.
When it comes to Idaho autumn, people think of Hemmingway
A Ketchum legend that appreciated the “tawny and grey”
With a straightforward tone and a voice unequivocal
“Best of all he loved the fall,” says his memorial
As the temp drops and the leaves start to change
And sprinkles of snow dot the Sawtooth mountain range
There comes a reminder, it is undeniable:
While unexpected, and with color, fall is reliable.
And in just six months time, about half a year from today
The next Treefort Festival will get underway.
It’s colorful, too, and there’s always questions to tease:
There’s a music festival hosted in the City of Trees?
Over the years, Treefort has managed to snag performers
From all walks of life, and they fill every Boise corner
The breadth and the depth is what fans appreciate:
The mixture of acts is what makes Treefort great.
Concert-goers have seen combos of acts established and new
From main stages to small stages, outside, inside too.
From Lizzo to Liz Phair, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings,
Japanese Breakfast, Run the Jewels…all amazing
The 2023 Treefort was no exception,
Margo Price and Ani DiFranco had quite the reception
Unknown Mortal Orchestra, and local band Built to Spill
Came through Julia Davis Park at the top of the bill
This year, among the graupel and shows
A clear theme emerged; somewhere in the prose.
For multiple reasons and through my thoughts that amassed:
2023 Treefort felt firmly rooted in the past.
Now, Treefort doesn’t just mean music shows
There’s so many forts now, from kids types to prose
Looking to try beer? Hack things? Eat something great?
Watch films? Bring the kids? Tell stories? Or skate?
Thirteen different forts happens during the fest
Not including the all the shows alongside the rest!
There’s no shortage of bands that you’re able to see:
Over the 2023 festival, there was a whopping 460
Before we deep dive, and before we forget
It feels right to share Idaho’s political climate
For Treefort to exist and to celebrate all
Was a stoic response and something quite special
Just weeks before Drag Fort, which celebrates all things queer
Idaho lawmakers introduced something here:
A proposed ban on drag shows was introduced in this state
Just mere steps from The Balcony was this capitol debate
And so while this law was criticized and thrown virtual blows
(the full law didn’t pass, but minors can’t attend shows)
Dragfort continued as planned, proud and strong
Celebrating LGBTQIA+ culture saying we all belong
Highlighting queer culture, as well as the 90’s,
Became a theme in this festival in the city of trees
From Ani Di Franco vocals ringing in the Idaho dark
To TeZATalks, performing next to the skate park
I’ve worked with TeZATalks before on a music video shoot
Her different sound now has taken a new route
Giving Limp Bizkit’s cover of “Faith” a tone that’s brand new
(And the viral Idaho skateboarder/Fleetwood Mac lover was there too!)
“I think I’m just giving a younger generation something that was gifted to me by Limp Bizkit,” TeZATalks shared with The Knockturnal. Regarding her newer sound, especially explorations of color and shifts, TeZATalks additionally added that “I’m just putting more development to the characters that I’ve created within myself and introducing them in a way where I’m showing the emotions of their world.”
Despite the cold weather and the wintery crud
Revelers came to the park and tromped in the mud
Every artist had support, yells screams and shouts
As people rocked on the grass and slipped about
From the children’s bandshell where the mixture of sounds
Were future rock stars and musicians echoing around
There were bands rocking breweries, skate parks and hang outs
A temple, an outside deck, bars, and even the bus routes
The main stage was rocked by ferocious talented women
Margo Price and Ani DiFranco brought the crowds in
They sang with their idols, they lived in the moment
The shows felt comfortable, accessible, intimate.
Somehow at the same time as everyone’s singing
(And you know that delicious feeling of ears ringing)
You can still find your friends, and make new ones too
You can take pictures, sing out, and drink local brew
When you step back and reflect on the impact of Treefort
From new friends to fun times, to discovery and support
From crafting to drag brunch, to getting brand new Fort gear
There’s a reason patrons come back year after year
It feels like the best known secret, and an honor you keep
When you leave the fest, you carry it with you deep
You were at something special, a few favorite times too
Here’s to Treefort 2023, And May The Forts Be With You
Sun Valley Film Festival updates its programming with new year-round events, a student pass, and more.
At 7,000 feet of elevation, and a top space on any filmmaker’s bucket list, Sundance is already an elevated festival. Revered, renowned, and revolutionary, Sundance is ground zero (but at thousands of feet above sea level) for independent films and those that love them.
The power of gratitude fuels many a holiday gathering, an end of year list, or the bestowing of gifts. With the St. Jude’s Thanks and Giving campaign, it impacts quite a bit more: financial support to the yearly Thanks and Giving campaign contributes to the public funds necessary for the family care, patient treatment, and research that are key parts of St. Jude’s Research Hospital.
Predicated on a unique model where no family is turned away because of financial status, St. Jude’s was founded, developed, and started by actor Danny Thomas of The Danny Thomas Show. His daughter, Marlo Thomas, continues the legacy as the National Outreach Director for the institution.
Founder Danny Thomas on the left; Daughter Marlo Thomas on the right
I personally happen to know how important St. Jude’s is to Marlo Thomas: In 2010, I was a videographer and video editor for MarloThomas.com. It was my first real job after graduate school. You don’t forget that first step, and you don’t always have the chance to say thank you to the person that helped jumpstart creative career.
And so, the power of gratitude compelled me to talk with “That Girl,” to jump at the opportunity to say thank you not just a person who helped me, but someone who has also been instrumental to the lives of children and families here and internationally by strengthening, fostering, growing, sharing, and supporting the St. Jude’s community.
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For more on the Thanks and Giving, head to the St. Jude’s website (https://www.stjude.org/media-resources/news-releases/2022-fundraising-news/thanks-and-giving-launch.html) or visit a participating store.
When AFC Richmond legend Roy Kent returns to the pitch in Season 2 of “Ted Lasso,” he is enveloped by a raucous cheer. The experience is perhaps not unlike the Microsoft Theater audience celebrating a 2022 Emmy win, multiplied by the many viewers watching at home. That re-entry onto the field was Brett Goldstein’s favorite to film in Season 2. And the most challenging? “Dealing with Phoebe’s breath because she’s a method actor,” Goldstein shared with The Knockturnal in the Emmy Press Room.
We caught Jake Shimabukuro in-between shows to chat about his work with the Fender Play Foundation and the power of musical connection.
Holy motherforting shirt balls! Is this the good place? Alefort, Artfort, Comedyfort, Dragfort, Filmfort, Foodfort, Hackfort, Kidfort, Skatefort, Storyfort, and Yogafort. Oh, and that’s in addition to the almost 500 bands that hit the Boise indoor and outdoor venues for Treefort 2022.
After months of COVID and the emotional whiplash from shifting of one emotion to another, or a remote task or meeting to another, a beloved in-person event can provide a bit of a respite. It doesn’t happen without recognition of the obvious: Sun Valley, Idaho, had one of highest per capita rate of COVID in the states in March 2020. Since then, like many cities that have shifted and strained over the last two years, it has reflected on its identity and recognized the difficulty of the COVID experience.
The name Meteora could refer to a Marvel Avenger; maybe Nebula’s long lost cousin from deep in space. In actuality, that’s not actually far off: the original Fender Meteora came from the Parallel Universe collection, a futuristic set of instruments released in 2018. And now, in 2022, the Fender Player Plus Meteora HH has returned from its otherworldly adventures, complete with a unique look and agile engineering, to help players stand out in both character and speed.