On the river

I got a call yesterday from Josh Christopher, the front man for the band I Am Love and one of the brains behind the first-ever Brandywine Folk Festival, which is going to be held from 2 to 11 p.m. Saturday, July 28, at Brandywine Outfitters in Mortonville.

I asked Josh how he came up with idea for the festival, and he said it was a collective attempt to bring together local bands with higher-profile ones. One "given" was that it simply had to be held along the river because "we spend all summer in the Brandywine."
"By inviting national and internationally touring bands to play alongside local, this festival aims to collude the tasteful stylings of many different musicians, while creating a family friendly atmosphere, giving back to our community, and providing aid for charity," says the festival's website.
The lineup will be Paleface, the Pretty Dittys, Kit Colt, Tim Celfo, Sidney Joseph, The Hundred Acre Woods, Pedro & Pearl, Echoes Talk Back, Pete Bush and the Hoi Polloi, and (of course) I Am Love.
Funds from the festival will go to a nonprofit agency that benefits Haiti, an issue that is close to Josh's heart: he has been to the beleaguered nation several times and is planning to make another relief trip this fall.
Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 on the day. Josh said they are being sold at Fennario's coffeeshop and Moonflower, both in downtown West Chester, and at Del Bittle's music shop along Route 842 near Unionville. Lots more information is on the website.