After spending the lion’s share of 2024 on a quasi-sabbatical of sorts, Rising Appalachia made a triumphant return to Northern California the first weekend in June. Fronted by scintillating siren sisters/multi-instrumentalists Leah Song and Chloe Smith, the soulful folk ensemble headlined the inaugural Sonoma Wild Festival in Sonoma County. An environmentally focused, family-friendly gathering hosted June 7th at SOMO Village in Rohnert Park, Sonoma Wild fans were blessed with beautiful weather and a vibrant collective energy, as the community came together to connect, village, and dance under the sun until it finally raced over the horizon.
Rising Appalachia’s soothing, spirited 90-minute set capped a fantastic day of music marked by a riveting throwdown from Kat Factor of Gone Gone Beyond, plus performances from Broken Compass Bluegrass, Saritah, Painted Mandolin, and Ras K’Dee. Festival-goers enjoyed auxiliary experiences like a workshop on volunteering/activism hosted by Leah and Chloe, a Brazilian drumming workshop with Joe Craven and Mike Wofchuck, sound healing sessions facilitated by Danny Goldberg, and storytelling with the legendary psychedelic clown Wavy Gravy…