Now in its 11th year, Denver Ukefest continues to gain momentum. This year, Swallow Hill Music challenged itself to present a lineup of artists completely new to the festival.
The festival runs Thursday, May 10, through Saturday, May 12, highlighted by Friday and Saturday night concerts in Daniels Hall at Swallow Hill Music, 71 E. Yale Ave.
Friday night headliner Taimane made a splash last year at Red Rocks Amphitheatre during her appearance with Michael Franti & Spearhead. Ukefest audiences will see firsthand how the Hawaii-based artist made a name for herself by shredding the diminutive four-stringed instrument.
“When I get onstage, people may not take me seriously at first. So when I play, the wow factor is much more extreme,” Taimane told Ukulele magazine.
Joining her Friday night are two-time Grammy Award-winners Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer, and modern interpreter of old time musical styles, Christopher Davis-Shannon.
Saturday night headliners Craig Chee & Sarah Maisel are partners onstage and off. The couple met on the ukulele festival circuit and got married several years later in 2015. They will bring a playful and modern sound to Daniels Hall.
Also performing that night are Gerald Ross, and the Swallow Hill Uke Ensemble, which is made up of Swallow Hill students and led by instructor Casey Cormier.
Passes for Saturday's workshops are sold out, but plenty of opportunities to join the festivities remain. Concert tickets for Friday and Saturday night remain available, and tickets remain available for Christopher Davis-Shannon’s pre-concert Friday workshop at 5:15 p.m.
The Thursday night festival kickoff party is also free and open to all. This gathering of the ukes happens at The Brew On Broadway, 3445 S. Broadway in Englewood, and features an open mic.
The 11th Annual Denver Ukefest runs Thursday, May 10, through Saturday, May 12. Visit swallowhillmusic.org for complete details.
