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Karen Wells Verlander

@kwvcreativecommunications

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Creative Director & Public Relations @kwvcreativecommunications for artists + festivals + culture. @blueoxmusicfestival. One more cup of coffee.

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Congratulations to Colorado singer songwriter, Xanthe Alexis as a recipient of the 2026 Sonic Guild Tour Support Grant Award.

Sonic Guild invests in musicians through grants and initiatives designed to support creativity, touring, and career growth.

Rising fuel costs, lodging, vehicle maintenance, merchandise production, and the countless unexpected expenses of life on the road can make even the best opportunities financially out of reach. Sonic Guild's Tour Support Grants exist to help independent artists say yes to those opportunities. Rather than funding a single project, these grants invest in career momentum, helping musicians reach new audiences, grow their fanbase, and continue building long-term careers.

Stay tuned for more information about artist Xanthe Alexis and her upcoming shows this year, including a stellar week in Tennessee!

September 15, 2026 – WDVX 89.9FM Blue Plate Special in Knoxville

September 15, 2026 – Later that night for the Writers’ Kitchen at the Inglewood Lounge as as part of AmericanaFest in Nashville

September 17, 18, 19, 2026 – CelloTree Arts Presents as part of AmericanaFest in Nashville

@xanthealexis @sonicguildcolorado @americanafest @inglewoodlounge @writerskitchenround @cellotreeartspresents @wdvx taken in Nashville, Tennessee by @kwvcreativecommunications

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23 days ago

Congratulations to Benjamin Cook and the Folk Cinema team on their Emmy Award nomination for the full length documentary, ‘The Best Of Us.’

‘The Best Of Us’ was nominated for an Emmy in the Outstanding Achievement in Documentary-Topical category.

Folk Cinema couldn’t have done it without the support of many. Including the Cornell Area Fire Department and the City of Cornell!

Directed by Benjamin Cook and produced by Benjamin Cook, Stacy Ray and Kyle Lehman– the film tells a story of a rural Wisconsin community dealing with death, family, and generational transitions, as told through the eyes of the volunteer fire department. Featuring Michael Perry and Matt Boulding.

You can watch ‘The Best Of Us’ on Amazon Prime.

You can watch the Emmy Awards tonight at 7:00PM CT on NBC.

@folkcinema @emmy_awards2026 @nbc @kyle_lehman_ @amazon taken in Cornell, Wisconsin by @kwvcreativecommunications

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23 days ago

We are celebrating the annual Campout in the Pines with The String Cheese Incident, taking place this Friday, August 14 and Saturday, 15, 2026, at The Pines Music Park in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, (the site of Blue Ox Music Festival)!

To get ready for the 2026 annual Campout in the Pines – Chicago radio station WZRD 88.3FM sat down and talked with Vince Herman of Leftover Salmon about all thing music, the band’s dedication to the fans and how they are looking forward to there return to The Pines Music Park this weekend. The String Cheese Incident will be joined by Leftover Salmon on Friday night, August 14.

Tune in today at 12:30PM CT to listen to this lively conversation with Vince Herman and veteran host Meagan Panici on WZRD 88.3FM.

WZRD 88.3FM is one of the Top 5 radio stations in Chicago according to The Chicago Reader in 2025 and 2026!

This epic weekend of music and camping features headlining artist The String Cheese Incident, the celebrated progressive jam-band—led by Bill Nershi and Michael Kang—and look forward to performing at The Pines Music Park to play four sets over two days.

Special guests include the legendary Leftover Salmon on Friday, August 14, and Lettuce on Saturday, August 15, 2026 with their signature funk vibe.

A highly anticipated part of the Campout in the Pines experience is the Late Night sessions taking place on the captivating Backwoods Stage, which this year includes magnetic jam-band Eggy on Friday, August 14 and psychedelic-tinged jazz-funk, Dogs In A Pile, on Saturday, August 15, 2026.

Few bands stick around for thirty-five years. Even fewer bands leave a legacy during that time that marks them as a truly special, once-in-lifetime type band. And no band has done all that and had as much fun as Leftover Salmon. Leftover Salmon has been a crucial link in keeping alive the traditional music of the past while at the same time pushing that sound forward with their own unique style.

@thepines_ec @wzrdchicago @leftoversalmonmusic @sci_official @eggymusic @lettucefunk @dogsinapileband @vinceherman.music @megpanici @redlightmgmt taken in The Pines Music Park by @kwvcreativecommunications

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2 months ago

Thank you to the team at Live For Live Music and Spin Magazine for consistently supporting The Pines Music Park and Campout in the Pines.

The String Cheese Incident returns to Eau Claire, Wisconsin, for its second-annual Campout In The Pines. The two-day camping and music festival, held at the home of Blue Ox Music Festival, will feature two nights of two-set SCI shows plus sets from Leftover Salmon, Lettuce, Eggy, and Dogs In A Pile.

Cheese and its fans will sprawl out across the 140-acre The Pines Music Park on Friday, August 14, and Saturday, August 15. Veteran Cajun slamgrass band Leftover Salmon will open the festivities on Friday ahead of two sets of String Cheese, followed by a late-night Eggy show on the Backwoods Stage. Then on Saturday, future-funk sextet Lettuce will get things started prior to two more sets of Cheese, before Dogs In A Pile close things down with a late-night Backwoods Stage set.

Two-day general admission tickets for the 2026 String Cheese Incident Campout In The Pines with Leftover Salmon, Lettuce, Eggy, and Dogs In A Pile include access to all performances, unreserved tent camping, and parking. Reserved RV and tent sites are also available.

String Cheese launched Campout In The Pines back in August with another eclectic bill featuring opening sets from The Del McCoury Band and STS9. Though stylistically opposed, the supporting acts reflected SCI’s past and present, from its early years rooted in bluegrass to the band’s more contemporary electronic experiments. Revisit Live For Live Music‘s coverage of the inaugural Campout In The Pines here, as well as our deep dive into how the mix of bluegrass and jamtronic highlighted String Cheese’s split musical identities.

Tickets are going fast. Get yours today!

pinesmusicpark.com

@thepines_ec @thepines_ec @sci_official @liveforlivemusic @leftoversalmonmusic @lettucefunk @eggymusic @dogsinapileband by @kwvcreativecommunications

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2 months ago

Gratitude to our friends at JamBase for highlighting the 2026 Campout In The Pines, bringing The String Cheese Incident to The Pines Music Park in Eau Claire, Wisconsin for two full days of music and camping on August 14 and 15.

Set on 140 beautifully landscaped acres among tall trees and rolling hills, The Pines Music Park has quickly established itself as one of the most picturesque destinations in the Midwest for a full-immersion music and camping experience.

The venue, also home to the Blue Ox Music Festival, brings together top-level national acts with the feel of an intimate, familial gathering, all set against a backdrop of pristine forest, walkable trails and green landscaped lawn.

The 2026 edition follows a memorable initial event in 2025, when SCI welcomed Del McCoury Band and STS9 to the same grounds for a weekend built on collaboration and cross-genre jamming.

This year, the band brings a new pair of collaborators into the fold: Leftover Salmon takes the main stage on Friday, August 14, and Lettuce brings their signature funk on Saturday, August 15.

Late night duties shift to the Backwoods Stage, where Eggy lights up Friday night and Dogs In A Pile closes out the weekend Saturday.

@thepines_ec @sci_official @leftoversalmonmusic @eggymusic @lettucefunk @dogsinapileband @jambase taken in The Pines Music Park by @kwvcreativecommunications

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2 months ago

@pertnearsandstone is a staple at @blueoxmusicfestival . Without them there is no festival. Their sets always have the best sun lighting and for that I am very thankful. I'd like to thank them for doing what they do and getting this fest together every year. taken in Blue Ox Music Festival by @kwvcreativecommunications

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3 months ago

@charleycrockett was the highlight of @blueoxmusicfestival for me. I was blown away by his music and the production was some of the best I've ever seen. I'm very honored to have captured this show. Hope you enjoy these as much as I do!
MANY MORE ON MY FACEBOOK taken in Blue Ox Music Festival by @kwvcreativecommunications

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3 months ago

Here's another round of sights to see at @blueoxmusicfestival . A couple bands represented in here are @moonshroomband and @maygenandthebirdwatcher . Many more albums to come! Stay tuned!!
MANY MORE ON MY FACEBOOK taken in Blue Ox Music Festival by @kwvcreativecommunications

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3 months ago

@thedanieldonato on the main stage at @blueoxmusicfestival
Need I say more?
MANY MORE ON MY FACEBOOK taken in The Pines Music Park by @kwvcreativecommunications

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3 months ago

On June 22, 2016, Shannah Boiteau disappeared into a Minnesota forest not to be heard from again—leaving behind a young daughter, a heartbroken mother, and many questions. Director Benjamin Cook, also a native of Wisconsin, deeply touched and compelled to learn more, examines the tragedy of Shannah’s disappearance and what would become a ten year journey. This is the story of a family looking for answers to what happened to their beloved Shannah—Searching for Shannah.

At the time of Shannah’s disappearance in 2016, Director Benjamin Cook had seen a posting on Facebook with speculation as to what happened. A few years later, and after listening to a podcast about these horrific events, Cook realized that indeed he knew Shannah’s mother, Angie, as well as the family from back home. This began the three years of researching and filming all of the wild twists and turns in the case.

It was immediately apparent that Angie and Bud were devoted parents and that would not give up on finding their daughter. In this emotional search and time period of twenty years, they had to endure media spin, false leads, bad testimony, gossip, and black mail, but they never gave up hope. One cannot imagine having to endure this magnitude of loss and pain. Cook felt moved by their compassion and courage to tell their story in Searching for Shannah. The powerful message and lesson in this saga—behind every “lost cause” is someone’s child.

Monday, June 22, 2026, we take a moment, ten years later to remember the life of Shannah Boiteau—her tragic disappearance and the family’s course to find her—with the announcement of the forthcoming documentary film, Searching for Shannah..

Portrait of Benjamin Cook by Kyle Lehman

SearchingForShannah.com

@folkcinema @ivy_media @shootonline @variety @ecleadertelegram @volumeone @people @pbswisconsin @independentlens @guardian_us @startribune @nytimes @npr @wisconsinpublicradio @weau @kyle.io @minnesotapublicradio @abcnews @wcco @mprnews taken in Cornell, Wisconsin by @kwvcreativecommunications

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4 months ago

🎻 🎶 Friends and past guests @pertnearsandstone are getting ready for their annual @blueoxmusicfestival June 25-27 in Eau Claire, WI, and they really outdid themselves this year! They have an incredible lineup of bluegrass, Americana and country talent that includes many of our past guests including @domflemons (new episode up now!), @thelowestpair, @maygenandthebirdwatcher, @roefamilysingers, @sprigofthat, @themollybrandt and Art Stevenson & High Water! Also keep an eye out for Back Catalog host @anthonyihrig who will be teaching a banjo workshop! 🪕 Advance tix close 6/23 at 11:59 pm CDT so get yours today...and make sure to take a listen our conversations with these artists ahead of the fest!

🎟 Tix + Festival Schedule: blueoxmusicfestival.com
🎧 Listen + Watch Episodes: backcataloglisteningparty.com by @kwvcreativecommunications

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4 months ago

🎟️ Tune in to #Womenfolkradio on @kfaifmradio Wed 8-10 am CDT as we preview the @blueoxmusicfestival and give away a pair of weekend passes! Plus new releases and songs celebrating #FathersDay and #pride🌈

🎧 Listen live or archived at KFAI.org/womenfolk by @kwvcreativecommunications

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