Dear extended musical family,
We hope you are staying safe and healthy during this difficult season of uncertainty.
We wanted to let you know that after much consideration, and counsel from local, regional and state medical professionals (as well as careful review of the CDC recommendations) and after speaking with our confirmed artists and our team, we have made the decision to postpone Nowhere Else Festival for one year, until May 28-30, 2021, Memorial Day Weekend.
This decision is not being made out of fear but rather out of love, and a sense of responsibility to the most vulnerable among us.
We have folks planning to attend from over forty states and abroad. Some of our confirmed artists and festival team members have underlying health issues that are cause for additional concern. And we would never knowingly put the health and well-being of any of you at risk – you who have been so supportive of us and our life’s work.
Yes, the consensus is we should hold off, and get well on the other side of this before gathering together here at our home, lovingly referred to as Nowhere Else.
We are disappointed to be sure, and like many artists and musicians, we are concerned for our livelihood. One colleague said, We are going to have to get creative about our survival. (Now that the festival is postponed, Karin and I don’t have a paying gig until late June.)
We have already put hundreds of hours of work into this year’s festival. The infrastructure is all in place. It would have been our fifth annual festival, and it was shaping up to be the best one yet. We would love to not have to tear this beautiful fabric apart.
And we do have some amazing news: Our entire 2020 lineup has re-confirmed for 2021! Every single artist.
Patty Griffin, Joe Henry, Allison Moorer, Birds of Chicago, Mary Gauthier, Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley, The Steel Wheels, Anna Tivel, Willy Tea Taylor and Nikki Lerner (as well as Over the Rhine) are all confirmed for Nowhere Else Festival 2021! Our amazing lineup will be staying in tact. Every artist quickly agreed to be here next Memorial Day Weekend, because they either know from first-hand experience, or have heard repeatedly how very special and unique our gathering is.
But this is all still very much a labor of love. We don’t have a financial backer for the festival. It’s just us – two songwriters who have never been afraid to dream, and a handful of good friends who pitch in every spring to help pull it all together. And it’s you – our extended musical family, who come in from near and far for this beautiful reunion. We are all writing this story together.
To ensure the survival of Nowhere Else Festival, it needs to be said out loud: We need your help.
If you believe in what we are doing – offering a brave space for real conversation, community, healing and yes – some unapologetic, kickass beauty, here’s how you can help us get through this difficult season that lies ahead: Please hold on to your 2020 festival passes and make plans to join us in 2021 for what’s sure to be an especially celebratory and meaningful gathering. Your passes will automatically be rolled over and are valid for May 28-30, 2021 (Memorial Day Weekend). And what a reunion it will be. If you don’t yet have tickets, please circle the dates on your calendar and consider making a small investment in hope: a pair of tickets to join us next May.
(All 2020 ticket holders should have received an email directly from Port Merchandise with additional options.)
You can also head to the Over the Rhine Online Store and pick up a little music to share with friends, family (real or chosen) during this time of physical distancing. All music and merchandise in our online store is discounted and on sale!
Finally, please consider making a donation to Nowhere Else to support our work, the festival, the workshops and the ongoing plans we have for this brave space. If you have more than you need, and our music and the community that has coalesced around it has been meaningful to you, please consider helping us during this difficult season. Drop us a note at overtherhineofficial@gmail.com and we will gratefully pass along some more info regarding contribution options. Thank you.
Some things haven’t changed. We’ll be using this time to work on some unfinished musical projects. We’ll be offering some intimate concerts online. And we will continue holding all of you in the light.
It’s a surreal, sometimes frightening time. In spite of the hardships, may we all be surprised along the way by unexpected moments of goodness and discovery. And may we all learn more about taking good care of each other. We will get through this.
And we will see you at the festival in 2021 if not before!