Believe it or not, it was technically last summer when the utterly loaded 50-act lineup for the second annual Riverwest FemFest was announced. It’s been more than two months since the four-day schedule was set. Each of the last two Fridays, a compilation featuring FemFest performers came out to prime people for the long weekend of female-focused music and philanthropy. Finally! Less than 48 hours from now, Riverwest FemFest will begin.
Before the main event, though, FemFest organizers have released one more compilation for good measure. Unlike the previous offerings that highlighted the diversity and raucousness of the lineup, this six-pack of delicate songs was recently recorded live and mixed by Cheston VanHuss in his Grapefruit Studios. Hear stripped-down songs from Sista Strings, Krystal And Kat, Cree Myles, Shelly Schauer, and a bonus track by Grasping At Straws from a 2015 Sofar session. The abbreviated release is anchored by FemFest co-organizer Johanna Rose, who says she “reclaimed” a version of her “Hell Of A Time,” and adapted the bluegrass number into an intimate and moving piano ballad.
All three comps can be obtained for a “name your price” download fee, and all money will go to Milwaukee Women’s Center and DRAM (Date Rape Awareness Milwaukee). Give each FemFest comp a listen and pre-order your FemFest weekend pass. If you buy today, you can pick your pass up at Company Brewing and receive a free pint of Flying V, a limited-release toasted coconut porter brewed by Barley’s Angels.