EVERETT — Are you a blues fan? More into hip-hop? Is indie-rock your vibe? Do you get emotional singing folk songs on country roads?
Everett’s annual Fisherman’s Village Music Fest announced its lineup Monday, sketching out a sweep of genres that will bring Everett to life May 19 to 21.
Headlining the festival are American hip-hop trio Digable Planets; Portland songwriter Haley Heynderickx; Austin blues group Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears; Seattle-based indie band Deep Sea Diver; and Issaquah-born indie pop project SYML.
Roughly 50 bands from here and across the country are slated to help celebrate the festival’s ninth consecutive year.
“This is definitely a bigger, more expensive lineup than we’ve ever had,” Everett Music Initiative organizer Ryan Crowther told The Daily Herald.
A $99 wrist band will get you into three days of music on two outdoor stages and in four downtown Everett venues: The Historic Everett Theatre, Black Lab Gallery and Bar, Lucky Dime and Tony V’s Garage.
Single-day passes will also be up for grabs. And locals who just want to “dip their toes” in the fest, Crowther said, can still enjoy its night market for free, where food trucks, art vendors and a beer garden are open to the public.
The event will also mark EMI’s 10th birthday. The initiative started in 2012, trying to bolster the city’s music scene and attract touring bands to play in Everett.
“As I walk through town it’s like, ‘Yes, there are local bands. They’re here and they play music,’” Crowther said. “But what is the quilt of this scene? How can it be stitched together in a better way, to have representation and actual resources for bands?”
Since its inception, EMI has hosted over 400 shows and now considers Fisherman’s Village its flagship event.
Everett bands featured this year include punk group Bad Optics, alt-rock band Clothing Optional and singer-songwriter Sylvi. Homegrown groups Steel Beans and I Will Keep Your Ghost are also in the lineup.
Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears
Hailing from Austin, Texas, this group’s soul will be perfect for the festival, Crowther said.
“Everett’s such a blues town,” he said.
While booking the festival, Crowther said, he wanted to “keep it Everett” while also thinking outside the box and bringing in bands locals haven’t heard.
Frontman Joe Lewis reportedly learned to play guitar while working in an Austin pawn shop, according to Songkick. In 2017, the group’s album “Backlash” was No. 3 on the Billboard Top Blues Album Chart.
Deep Sea Diver
This three-piece Seattle-based indie-rock group has made a name in the Northwest music scene the past 10 years. Frontwoman Jessica Dobson (vocals, guitar, keys) is joined by Elliot Jackson (guitar, synth) and Peter Mansen (drums).
“Impossible Weight,” the group’s third full-length album, was voted KEXP Seattle Listeners’ Top Album of 2020.
Digable Planets
Formed in 1987, this Brooklyn-based hip-hop group took home a Grammy for their first hit single, “Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat).” Their debut record released in 1993, “Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space),” was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. The trio is known for their nicknames: Ishmael “Butterfly” Butler, Mariana “Ladybug Mecca” Vieira, and Craig “Doodlebug” Irving. (Fun fact: Butler is originally from Seattle.)
Haley Heynderickx
This Portland-based singer-songwriter-guitarist’s first full-length album, “I Need to Start a Garden,” received critical acclaim.
“Often, she pulls delicate, melodic tendrils and driving bass rhythms from her instrument simultaneously,” wrote Olivia Horn in a 2018 review of the album for Pitchfork.
Lavender Country
Lavender Country’s self-titled album from 1973 is considered the first gay-themed album in the history of country music. The group has been featured in pride events throughout the Pacific Northwest, including Seattle’s first city-sanctioned event in 1974.
After a decades-long hiatus, the group has re-entered the music scene in recent years. In February, they released their first new album in 50 years, “Blackberry Rose.”
Wristbands and tickets can be purchased on the festival website or day-of at the festival.
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