Albino Skunk Music Fest Returns

The War and Treaty

Back before my wife and I were Saturday morning farmers market people, we barely missed an Albino Skunk Music Festival for a good five years running. That said, life has a way of changing even your most committed habits and now I am resigned to listening to the artists in advance and asking friends that attended the actual event how a particular artist or artists were live and in person. Additionally, I have never missed an opportunity to tell anyone who would listen how great a damn time the festival itself is.

For this year’s fall edition of Skunk, I was going to take a different approach. Instead of telling everyone how much fun the festival is, how much talent promoter Glynn Zeigler attracts to the event, and how the event provokes a sense of community like no other, I was going to make a playlist. It was to include one track of every artist on the bill and I was going to share it here for you to hear the talent for yourself. Just as I sat down to do just that, a ringing truth ran through my head…

If I have had an idea, somebody else on earth has probably had it first.

One quick search of “Albino Skunk Fest” on confirmed my theory as a long tenured festival contributor “Karma D. Albino Skunk” had already beaten me to the task. Head over to Spotify for the Albino Skunk Artist Previews for not one but five tracks of every artist on the bill.  My son and his pals would call Karma a “Try Hard” for that move but, if I am being honest, I respect the commitment.

As you listen to the playlist you cannot help but be touched by the eclectic nature of the festival. War & Treaty’s R&B and soul influenced sound is a regular fan favorite while a band like Songs From the Road Band have all of the traditional bluegrass sound that inspired the original festival (once called the Albino Skunk Bluegrass Festival). The southern gothic sound of Adia Victoria is my favorite artist on the bill, but that may or may not hold true once I have listened to the entire playlist… and then listened to it again.

If you are going to Skunk Fest this weekend, there is likely very little I can tell you that you do not already know. Most everybody there seems like a regular attendee that knows half the people in attendance by name. First timers are usually those that are embarrassed by the fact that they have never been to Skunk Fest and will not make the same mistake going forward. The bands, the artistic vendors, the food and drink purveyors, and – most importantly – the volunteers all come together to foster a sense of community unlike any festival I have ever attended.

For those like me, whose life choices too often get in the way of a good time, listen to the playlist. It is an astounding collection of artists assembling on a little old peach farm out in Greer and a great representation of all that there is to love about the current state of new music in 2022. Attending, or even listening to Skunk Fest talent, is often a gateway to your next favorite artist and the fact that it happened here in the Upstate twice a year is something to celebrate, whether you attend in person or just in spirit.

When: Today Through the Wee Hours of Saturday Night

Where: The Skunk Farm, Somewhere Past Greer

More Info: Albino Skunk Music Festival

The Playlist: Albino Skunk Artist Previews