MANSFIELD — There is no lack of musical talent in Mansfield, and the Folk in the Field looks to prove it.
The two-day weekend festival will begin Sept. 23 at Old Soul Vintage Apparel and Records (38 Fourth Street) with three acts: Noah Jones, Pale Criminal and headlining Tim Easton, an Akron-native. The following night at Relax, It’s Just Coffee (105 N. Main Street) will see the Kyler Morrison Band, Von Strantz, Chase Beaire and will headline Becca Richardson, who grew up in Mansfield, but resides in Nashville.
Tickets for the individual events are $5 at the door, or one can buy entry to both nights of music for $8.
“I’m really excited about it,” said Katy McClenathan, of Old Soul. “I ran into Tim Easton and asked him if he’d ever played in Mansfield. He said ‘no.’
“Then a couple months later, we had some interaction on Instagram and he said he was interested in coming to play. Then I went to talk with Paul (Kemerling, owner of Relax, It’s Just Coffee) because I needed help figuring it all out. It kind of evolved in to this great weekend of Folk, rock, great singer-song writer stuff.”
McClenathan said the event is an important step for Mansfield to take in order to show off all the possibilities of the city.
“I think this is important for our community, because what this does is it gets some one a little bigger, and people will come to Mansfield. People will see Mansfield is a neat place, and we have neat shops to stop at and good restaurant so eat at. This could be a draw for people.”
Tim Easton said he was excited for the show, especially because he’d never played in Mansfield.
“I’ve been a street musician in Europe for a while before touring intermittently 30 years ago,” the folk singer with nine solo albums said. “I’m basically a folk musician who travels lone-wolf style all over the planet. That allows me to be creative. I’m really lucky.
“I feel like part of the community (for Folk in the Field). I’m just traveling a little further. I’m from Akron and I’ve passed through Mansfield, but I’ve never played there. I’m happy to finally play there.”
Tom Hirst, who is working the Relax portion of the event, said when Richardson showed interest, the Sunday portion fell together.
“She’s fantastic. I’ve listened to some of her stuff online. Very beautiful stuff,” Hirst said. “It’ll be fun mix. I’m really excited because it will be our first show after about two months.
“It’s really cool. I’m stoked because we get to work with Old Soul and help them put on Tim Easton. My goal with wanting to put shows on at Relax is to be more community minded. And that is what I am most excited for in this weekend.”
