By Debbie Gardner
debbieg@thereminder.com
What started out as a publicity stunt has morphed into one of the country’s “must see” summer music events. And this year, the Green River Music Festival hits the big 3-0.
Jim Olsen is one of the few organizers who has been with Green River since the beginning. Now CEO of Signature Sounds in Greenfield – and in charge of booking the talent for this year’s show – Olsen shared a retrospective on the birth of Green River, and what’s in store for this big anniversary.
Humble beginnings
According to Olsen, the three-day confluence of music and hot air balloons wasn’t always known as the Green River Festival. It didn’t acquire that moniker until either 1997
or 98.
“The first fest that happened was in 1986, and that was actually a birthday party for a local radio station.” Olsen recalled, adding that the station – WSRI– is now know as The River. Back then he was WSRI’s program director, the station was approaching its fifth anniversary, and everyone was looking for a stunt to publicize the milestone.
“One of the employees hit on the idea of having a free concert to celebrate the birthday, so we booked NRBQ and 10,000 Maniacs and did this free concert on a Saturday afternoon [at Greenfield Community College] and people loved it.”
The following summer, Olsen said Greenfield’s Chamber of Commerce wanted to host a hot air balloon festival, and asked the radio station if it could provide entertainment for the event. The station booked a few local bands to play the balloon fest and “we were off and running with an annual event that mixed music and hot air balloons,” he said.
For a bunch of years Olsen said the festival – which has always taken place on the campus of Greenfield Community College – was a one-day-one-stage event showcasing local bands. It was also free.
“Then for a while is was pay $5 at the gate, then it became a fully ticketed event in 1994, and it has just grown,” he said. “It went to two stages, then three stages – now we are up to three stages and three days [and] we’ve pretty much maxed out the crowd we can comfortably fit on the field.”
In 2015, he estimated approximately “5,000 people a day” traveled to Greenfield to hear music at Green River.
“Last year we had people from 17 states, from England and from Canada,” Olsen said. “People come from all over to attend.”
Hitting the big time
As the festival has grown, so too, has the kinds of talent that takes its stages, Olsen said.
“We’ve been able to draw bigger names,” he said. “At first it was mostly local bands and folk artists. Now we have some well-known, nationally known acts that come to Greenfield to play.”
In 2015, the Green River Festival officially hit the big time, racking up kudos and recommendations from media movers and shakers like the New York Times and USA Today.
Rolling Stone gave the festival this review: “Bring the blanket and the baby: Green River is the rare festival designed to welcome families, where kids can hang in the play tent while mom and dad try not to get caught passing a joint to Steve Earle or the Wood Brothers. Don't expect late-night dance parties or light-show adorned DJ sets – this is a relaxed, guitar-centric vibe where you'll more likely spot a fiddle than a turntable. There are even hot air balloons.”
Olsen said the recognition was gratifying.
“There are so many music festivals, and being a small festival – relatively small, and in Greenfield – getting that kind of recognition from the New York Times and USA Today, it’s a confirmation that all this work we’ve done over the years is worth it,” Olsen said.
Sure, national recognition is nice, but Olsen said ultimately it’s the army of loyal festival attendees – which any given year range from teens to grandparents – that really keep him booking acts for the annual event.
“What’s really kind of fun is watching the generations of people who come out for the festival,” he said. “I get approached by some adult all the time who says their parents brought them to the festival, and now they’re bringing their kids.”
The big 3-0
For the 30th anniversary Festival – July 8 to 10 – Olsen has tapped some former talent, including one from that original birthday party concert in 1986.
“We’re bringing back NRBQ,” he said. “We thought it was kind of cool that the band had been together that long, that we could bring them back.
Of the Friday night headliner band, Olsen said. “We’re looking forward to welcoming them back.”
Another Green River alumni, Los Lobos, are also coming back for a second appearance, filling a spot on the Sunday night lineup.
Peter Wolf, former front man for the J. Geils Band – is also headlining Friday’s opening night card. Wolf recently released a new solo album, and in addition to Green River his solo act, is touring this summer with his band, The Midnight Travelers.
“We like to bring in somebody who is legendary, but who has fallen out of the public eye,” Olsen said of Wolf’s appearance. “People like (R & B singer) Mavis Staples, (New Orleans Jazz great) Allen Toussaint … Peter Wolf falls into that category.
“Beyond that, it’s pretty much fresh music,” he added.
By “fresh music,” Olsen means a mixture of acts that range from “rock to pop to folk to indie” over the course of the three festival days. “There’s also blues and jazz [and] we have an evening of Latin music of Friday evening. It’s a pretty eclectic mix of music,” Olsen said.
As for surprises, Olsen said attendees know anything goes.
“There’s always surprises when you book 35 bands to play,” he said. “Some of the musicians will bring an extra guest, or you have musicians playing together. There’s always surprises, and that’s the fun.”
On a more somber note, Olsen said this year’s festival would also be paying tribute to longtime festival coordinator and local musician Jeff Martel, who died in a tragic motorcycle accident in West Springfield earlier this year.
“It was really sad, he was a wonderful guy, “ Olsen said. “[Jeff] was the behind-the-scenes guy who got the festival up and ready to go, bounding around on a golf cart fixing problems.
“He had a sunny personality, everybody loved him,” he said.
And as always, there will be hot-air balloons. Liftoff takes place between 6 and 6:30 a.m. – weather permitting – on July 9. This part of the event is free. Full-flight rides – at a cost of $225 per person – are available, but must be pre-scheduled. (Call 413- 773-5463 for more information or visit http://franklinccdev.chambermaster.com/events/details/hot-air-balloons-at-green-river-festival-4784)
For a complete listing of the musical acts performing at this year’s Green River Festival, and information on passes and camping, visit www.greenriverfestival.com
“It’s not just me, we have a great staff of dedicated people, Olsen said of the army of workers it takes to run the three-day music fest every year. “It takes a lot of work. We have a staff of 30 and about 250 volunteer.
He added, “It’s a real community effort.”
