Fisherman’s Village Music Festival 2022

It’s always a great feeling when we’re headed to Everett for Fisherman’s Village Music Festival. It had been a few years for me and I couldn’t wait to be a part of the event which is more like a huge music community hang out. The people responsible for creating and innovating the Everett Music Initiative have done a marvelous job hosting and putting creative events together. There is no doubt that they have added so much to the city and have given local talent a much needed platform for visibility.

This year would be no different, hosting a variety of local and national talent, all in downtown Everett. We headed there on Thursday night for the kickoff event that was also celebrating the 10 year anniversary of EMI. Walking up to the Historic Everett Theater we felt flooded with great vibes and surrounded by the artist community. You couldn’t turn your head far enough and you could find another person you knew.

This beautiful venue hosted Tilson XOXO first who gained some new fans with their lively performance, then Shaina Shepherd the wonderful siren who captivated with her incredible charisma, and Deep Sea Diver. DSD, who was the headliner for the night made you feel like you were watching a stadium show. Jessica Dobson never misses a beat as she sings and shares guitar swings. I always forget just how much I really like them and how talented they are as a band. After a few tunes the band was joined by Alie Renee of Byland and it brought even more fullness to the songs. Sometimes while looking at Dobson one thinks, “How can someone riff so good, all the time?”

We closed out the night with Acid Tongue at Tony V’s Garage who did make for a great after party. The band is so radiant and they always bring 100% to every performance no matter how big or small. Guy Keltner is singing from the deepest part of his soul and the additions of Alyssa Martini on keys, Sam Morrison on sax, and tonight drummer Faith Stankevich the music took off. They were even joined by Shaina Shepherd for the last tune that brought the place to a roaring end.

We headed back on Friday to check out some incredible talent again. Tony V’s hosted the Freakout Showcase which included, Biblioteka, Mala Suerte, The Shivas, Tropa Magica, and Death Valley Girls. Do we need to say more about what happened there? Well,  each of these bands brought so much energy to the festival, it was like each of them were playing their own headlining show. We walked around and saw what was going on at the night market where there was also a stage hosting more talented people. The Everett Historic Theater hosted the talent of Syml, Haley Heynderickx, The Cave Singers, and Esme Patterson, all a joy to watch perform.

Saturday started off with sunny skies that brought folks down for the night market and we saw so many people out supporting the event. It was so nice to see this while walking around and noticing folks enjoy local food trucks, handmade items, and good music. Today we had the addition of the main stage which was greatly set up with a lot of space and visibility.

We caught S.G. Goodman, Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, and the main headliners, Digable Planets. DP were on a little late as it started to rain right before their set but with a little luck it cleared just in time to close out the stage. Tony’s hosted the local talent of Bad Optics, Tres Leches, and closed out with a raging Monsterwatch set. The Night Market Stage hosted impressive acts like Smoker Dad, and The Little Lies, a Fleetwood Mac tribute band. So many folks enjoyed this set and sang along to some of their favorite tunes. We also had the chance to see Margo Cilker for the first time at Blacklab Gallery which was a very chill vibe.

This year’s event was a step up once again and we can’t wait to see how this festival goes in the years to come. There is so much effort and talent going into the planning and it’s very noticeable. The fact that it feels like a community and that you are there to enjoy the music makes it even more special. Great job to all the people involved and put this up for all of us to enjoy. We can’t wait for the next one!

Words: Sophia Barkalakis

Photos: Becki Thorley, Sophia Barkalakis