HUMBOLDT — When used intentionally, technology can bring people together. This year’s Middle of Everywhere music festival aims to create a fusion of social events, both live and virtual, for Labor Day weekend.
The three-day music festival features several activities across Humboldt, starting with a “music crawl” at local businesses and a cruise night in downtown Humboldt on Friday.
Saturday night, the fun moves into Revial Music Hall, a historic church renovated as a music venue.
An all-day blues-esque festival rocks Camp Hunter on the west side of town Sunday.
The festival drew about 400 people each of the past two years. Damaris Kunkler, organizer with A Bolder Humboldt, expects it could attract an even larger crowd this year. In fact, she guarantees it, even if it means many of those who enjoy the concert will be doing so virtually.
A Bolder Humboldt received a $7,500 Visiting Artist grant from the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, to pay for Sunday’s artists and to live-stream the music festival to senior care facilities across Southeast Kansas and a couple of Medicalodge facilities in Missouri. The videos will be recorded so anyone can watch them later. The long-term care and nursing homes will use the video for fitness classes and activities throughout the year. Kelli Frazell, director of Humboldt Fitness Center, has designed exercise programs targeted for senior citizens to match the songs. Lyric sheets will be provided so residents can sing along or play their own instruments.
“I hope they connect to the bands and the music,” Kunkler said. “I want everyone to be able to go along with us on this ride, even if they aren’t able to physically attend the festival.”
And what a ride it will be. Kunkler said she intentionally picked a diverse slate of performers who bring unique “vibes” to tell a story throughout the journey.
For example, Sunday’s slate kicks off with Tulsa-based Cassie Latshaw and her groovy, blues-y aura at 2 p.m., then shifts to Legerdemain, a Kansas City duo who offer a jazz influence while playing a steel pan drum at 3:30.
Next is a little “blues therapy” from Brick Fields of northwest Arkansas at 5.
The night picks up with a classic Oklahoma red dirt, southern rock sound. Cade Roth and the Blacksheep out of southwest Oklahoma take the stage at 6:30, followed by Tulsa icon Paul Benjamin at 8.
Sister Lucille, from southwest Missouri, rocks out to end the show starting at 9:30. The band, fronted by Kimberly Dill, opened last year’s festival “and she was on fire,” Kunkler said, prompting her to book the act as this year’s headliner.
The Middle of Everywhere festival taps artists within a two-hour drive of Humboldt, hitting about five metropolitan cities including Kansas City, Wichita, Topeka, Tulsa and Joplin. Kunkler estimates a few million people live within that radius.
“We have access to all of these talented people, so let’s bring them together in one central location,” Kunkler said.
THE TECHNOLOGY connections continue.
