The band Orakular came together as 8th grade students at the Marblehead Veterans Middle School. These guys really love music and the thrill of performing! Orakular is Tyler Pedersen on vocals, Ben Webber on lead & rhythm guitar, Tyler Beck on lead guitar & Sean Kenahan on drums. Tyler Pedersen and Ben Webber have been playing together for about two years and have been friends since early childhood. At the school talent show in the fall of 2007, Tyler and Ben wanted to participate and felt they needed to add musicians to complete their sound in came Tyler Beck who had been interested in expanding his playing by joining a band. They also needed a full-time drummer so they hooked up with Sean Kenahan and the boys have been playing together ever since. In the past year they've performed at The Plummer Home for boys in Salem and at the Middle School.  With musical influences from bands like Pearl Jam, Stained, and Radiohead, the Festival is proud to debut the boys on our stage. Bring your kids to see the next generation of Marblehead home grown talent!

Lisa Landy’s music encompasses dynamic funky blues with classy folk-rock. Coming back to her New England roots after travels to Europe and Southern California has provided her with great musicianship as well as empowering experiences. Lisa will be performing with her band playing renditions of 60s and 70s music with some originals mixed in. Her style includes a full spectrum of songs to take you on a new classic journey with a blend of R & B , bluesy and soul-folk styles, from Donovan to Etta James, Little Feat to Led Zeppelin; Brian Auger, Willie Dixon, Laura Nyro, and Jobim

Trucker Mouth is a Boston based rock band established in 2006, who are rapidly gaining recognition in the Boston music scene at venues such as The Middle East Downstairs, TT The Bear’s, and Oliver’s Nightclub at The Cask’N Flagon. The band consists of four native Marblehead residents and MHS graduates (’94 & ’95): Tim Atkins (vocals, guitar), Chad Raleigh (guitar), Joe Landry (bass), & Patrick Barrett (drums). The music of Trucker Mouth is rock 'n roll combined with a southern rock influence resulting in a guitar driven rock sound full of from the heart vocals, catchy hooks, blazing guitar solos, driving bass lines, and high energy percussion. While Trucker Mouth is focused on writing original music, they are often seen covering songs from bands such as The Black Crowes, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, and several other classic and modern bands. Trucker Mouth has recently completed recording their debut album at Chillhouse Studios with Sound Engineer & Producer Eric Welsh whose credits include The Pixies, Billy Idol, Soulive, Dead Can Dance, Fall Out Boy, Devo, & Kenny Loggins.  Trucker Mouth’s full length album is expected to be released on July 4th, 2008.

Amy Fairchild is an award winning singer-songwriter who creates catchy pop songs with thoughtful, well crafted lyrics that make you feel as if you've known these sounds forever. She captures you with her grace on the stage, her passionate voice carrying the melodies straight to your heart. Backed by some of the regions best musicians, Amy Fairchild holds her place among the top tier of local performers with world class talent. "Beautiful Secret" and "Humble Pie" have been featured in national television and stage shows (Joan of Acadia, Spiderman Live & Dawson's Creek). "Falling Down" and "Renee", the first two tracks on her superb, self-released CD (Mr. Heart 2002), have won "Song of the Year" honors at the John Lennon Songwriting contest. Tonight Fairchild opens our 4th of July celebration with Kimon Kirk (Aimee Mann, Session Americana) on bass, the legendary (and Marblehead resident) Dave "DM" Mattacks on drums (Google for his lengthy resume), and Russell Chudnofsky (Lori McKenna) on guitar.  

When James Montgomery played Nashville TN recently as a member of the Johnny Winter Band, the Nashville Tennessean wrote “If ever the time came to use two “legendary” tags in one story, it is to describe both Winter and Montgomery.  They are blues masters of the first and highest degree”. Harmonica ace James Montgomery has earned that “legendary” tag through a stellar career that spans five decades. In the blues world, he is truly “of the first and highest degree”. He started his first band in the 1960’s while learning the blues first hand from the likes of John Lee Hooker, James Cotton and Jr. Wells.  After graduating from Boston University with a degree in English Language and Literature, James and his band rose to the top of the New England scene along with Aerosmith and J.Geils.  James signed with Capricorn Records and toured extensively with the Allman Brothers, Steve Miller, Bruce Springsteen, Aerosmith, Bonnie Raitt, and B.B. King among many others.  In the 80’s, he teamed up with Alex Taylor to start the East Coast Funkbusters, a combination that eventually led to an invitation for James to play harmonica with the Blues Brothers on a Texas tour. In the 90’s, James continued to spread the Blues Gospel with his band as well as a syndicated radio program, “Backstage With the Blues” which featured over 100 interviews with Blues greats ranging from Bonnie Raitt, John Lee Hooker, Dr. John, and Koko Taylor to newer artists like Keb Mo and Rod Piazza. Also in the 90’s James received a Gold Record for his recording with Kid Rock and Uncle Kracker, made a Handy nominated CD entitled “Bring It on Home”, became President of The New England Blues Society, and started charitable organizations that assisted children with AIDS and provided medical care for blues artists.

In the 2000s, James is busier than ever. He tours as a member of the Johnny Winter Band throughout Europe and the United States, performs with Steven Tyler and other Aerosmith members at fundraisers, sits in regularly with Les Paul in New York, and plans benefit concerts to fund health care for blues musicians featuring artists such as Dr. John, Jim Belushi and Delbert McClinton.  He has also been nominated for a Boston Music Award, and a W.C. Handy award – the highest honor in Blues.

In the recent past Steven Stills played in James’ band as part of a UNICEF event honoring Mr. Stills. James also played in a band with G.E. Smith for the Reel Blues Fest, and was invited to play with Dickie Betts at the same event. Even more recently, the Johnny Winter CD, “I’m A Bluesman”, which features James and songs he co-wrote with Winter, was nominated for a Grammy in 2005. He also sat in this year with Bonnie Raitt and once again with the Blues Brothers.

James Montgomery brings his “hotter than ever” band to the our Festival and it our pleasure to see the band up close as they debut many new songs from their upcoming CD that features Aerosmith members, blues legend James Cotton, Johnny Winter and Rapper DMC.  James and the guys just retuned from Clarksdale Miss. where they were guests of actor Morgan Freeman and will play a song they wrote for a movie slated to film at Morgan’s nightclub, Ground Zero.  Morgan said they were the best band he’s ever had at his place. The band recently teamed up with Jim Belushi to help raise money for health care for blues musicians, and recently James played for Judy Belushi, John’s wife, at a benefit with Kate Taylor among others.  In the past year James was asked by Dennis Leary, Michael J. Fox and Cam Neely to put a band together for their huge charity event in Boston. James and the guys also played Symphony Hall twice last year, once to open for the legend B.B. King on his eightieth birthday, and again at the invitation of Doug Flutie and Keith Lockhart to honor Doug’s contributions to the community.  James is also featured in a documentary about Delta Blues that opened the Memphis Film Festival, and will close the Newport International Film Festival. Also featured in the film are Morgan Freeman, Willie Nelson, Honeyboy Edwards (who James jammed with last year at Berklee School of Music), Charlie Musselwhite, Mose Allison, Super Chickan, and many Delta blues greats.  James also headlined the Blues segment of the Boston Music Awards and many said it was the highlight of the evening that included Extreme and Bobby Brown.  James will bring David Hull to play bass who was Aerosmith’s bassist during Tom’s medical leave, along with George McCann on guitar and Marblehead resident Seth Pappas on drums – both the best in the business.  James’ band and career are red hot right now and feature lots of new songs….so bring your dancing shoes – They’ll be Firework overhead AND on our stage!