The Friday Night Concert
~ Friday starting at 8:00pm in the Scandinavian Ballroom ~
The Friday Night Concert is free to all attendees with a weekend registration and a Friday-only registration. You can buy tickets for just the concert for $15, but that is only necessary if you do not have a registration otherwise.
This year at Paganicon, we are pleased to welcome
Sharon Knight and Winter to the stage!
Festival Favorites Sharon Knight and Winter are internationally touring musicians in the mythic-Celtic vein. Their penchant for combining fierce and gutsy bravado with ethereal beauty, a hearty dose of fantastical lyrics, and an obvious love of storytelling has inspired their own style, “Neofolk Romantique”. This often sounds less Celtic and more “Folktales that ran away with the Faeries at the turn of the century and took cover in an old trunk bound for the circus, which was then commandeered by pirates.” This suits them fine.
Sharon’s distinctive voice and striking poetry have won her a loyal following across the country. She and Winter tour internationally several months out of the year, performing at festivals, masquerades, conventions, cafes, shops and house concerts.
They have shared stages with mythic music favorites such as Wardruna, Faun, Omnia, Corvus Corax, SJ Tucker, Tricky Pixie, Heather Dale, Wendy Rule, Stellamara, and many more. They are currently working on their eighth studio album together, called Undertow, which they anticipate being completed in Spring 2023.
The Equinox Masquerade Ball
~ Saturday starting at 7:00pm in the Scandinavian Ballroom ~
Now strikes the balance betwixt the seasons – when the brightness of day equals the darkness of night. The Lord of Misrule and the Maiden of Spring dance together through the Halls of the Seasons, winter to summer and back again. Reveling in darkness while also welcoming brightness, they invite you to join them on this magical evening to celebrate the In Between.
Come clothed in moonbeams or veiled in stars, alight like candle glow or wrapped in shadows and mystery. Mask yourself in dark glamour or shine like the dawn. Wear an elaborate ball gown, or a t-shirt and yoga pants. Be yourself, or be someone else. On this night, all are welcome.
There will be a cash bar in the Viking Lounge, a hotel catered food bonanza in the Plymouth room at the end of the hall, and a bonfire outside.
The Equinox Ball is free to all attendees with a weekend registration or a Saturday only registration. You can also purchase tickets to just the Ball for $25, but that is only necessary if you do not have a registration otherwise.
We will open this year’s ball with
The Mechanist & The Star Goddess
7:00pm – 9:00pm Saturday
The Mechanist & The Star Goddess is a dynamic music & dance project with Tempest, Nathaniel Johnstone, and Davis Petterson. The band combines electric violin, heavy percussion, and mesmerizing movement to create a profound sight-and-sound experience. The inspiration and title of the project evokes the exploration of the liminal space between the confines of the precise concrete world and the limitless divine.
Tempest is a world-renown bellydance performer and instructor, focusing on sacred and darkly inspired fusions that pull from the traditions of North Africa, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean. She is also an artist, author, blogger, and designer.
Nathaniel Johnstone is a multi-instrumentalist virtuoso (violin, viola, guitar, banjo, mandolin) whose music pulls from myth, fantasy, and folklore with a vibrant sound crosses boundaries & borders, resulting in a blend of multicultural folk rock.
Davis Petterson is an Atlanta G.A. based drummer who has performed and recorded with groups such as The Ghosts Project, Juliana Finch, The Sweet Meat Love and Holy Cult, and The Changelings.
Their album Begin Transmission is on sale now via the online music community Bandcamp.
Art Show Awards and Costume Contest
9:00pm – 10:00pm Saturday
There are four categories of awards for the art show:
People’s Choice (cast your vote before 5:00pm on Saturday)
Guest of Honors’ Choice (each GoH picks their favorite)
Best Representation of Theme, and Best in Show (juried by TCPP Board)
If you want to participate in the costume contest,
make sure you are in the Ballroom at 9:00pm.
There are three categories for the costume contest:
Best Individual
Best Couple/Group
Best Representation of Theme
All candidates will be brought up on stage and the winners will be determined by audience applause, so make sure you are there to cheer for your favorites!
But wait…the night isn’t over yet! The party continues
with the amazing local band Open Investigation!
10:00pm – ????
Open Investigation is to Pagan and Pagan-Friendly music what Jon Snow is to House Stark: the next generation and best-kept secret.
Well, the secret’s out now!
A fusion of 60’s to 70’s style Classic Rock and Blues with Folk-Rock harmonies, gutsy vocals, and a Psychedelic backbone. Open Investigation has taken it to the next level with original music, and original arrangements of classic songs.
After touring nationally and regionally for 12 years with Murphey’s Midnight Rounders, Brad Murphey and Teresa Frank took time off to feed the cats and plant a garden. But, since music is an evolutionary process, Brad had to keep writing (or go insane…or both). They found Lead Singer Dana Freund online and Open Investigation was born. They added Drummer Billy Cooney and Guitarist Nick Peters into
the mix (who knows more about music than anyone cares to admit) and the result was a full sound with lots of emotion. Open Investigation takes a Classic approach to their music. Where better to start than Classic Rock and Blues? What better to add in than 2- and 3-part vocals, hard-driving, foundational Bass lines and sensitive, melodic Guitar riffs?
It’s the Blues baby. And we’re here to groove!