Slyfest Attendees in for a World of Great Music

Friday, Aug. 11

With a name like Slyfest, it's no wonder that this music festival has sort of flown under the radar since starting a dozen or so years back. But if it hasn't made a blip on your summer's sonic to-do list yet, it should.

That's because Slyfest — now in its 12th go-round at the beautiful Great Blue Heron grounds in nearby Sherman, N.Y. — is an amazing, one-of-a-kind gathering of some seriously world-class world musicians and way-out-there (in the best way possible) masters of the national progressive jam scene: Toubab Krewe, Consider the Source, Mike Dillon Band, Sophistafunk, Critt's Juke Joint featuring DJ Logic, and, of course, the Slyboots Circus featuring musicians and performers from Ghana, Guinea, Senegal, Nigeria, the U.S. and various points in between.

It's a multi-faceted gathering, too, with a healthy emphasis also placed on interactive drum and dance workshops, live art-making, fire dancing, artist lectures and more, all designed to make the experience truly hands-on for festival-goers.

And, as always, Slyfest is happening for a more-than-worthy cause: supporting Buffalo's Slyboots School of Music, Art & Dance in its mission to unite people from throughout the world and inspire greatness through the arts.

It's all about "promoting positive social change through cultural arts education and performance," Slyboots School states in its mission; in other words, "bringing the world together, on the sly."

We can definitely get down to that.

— Ryan Smith

Aug. 11 through 13 // 2361 Waits Corners Road, Sherman, N.Y. // www.slyfest.com // $25 (single day), $75 (weekend camping), $200 (weekend VIP)