Lawrence’s Free State Fest has something for everyone
Last year, Lawrence’s Free State Fest dropped “Film” from its name in order to more accurately represent what the organizers wanted to offer. No longer just a film fest, this weeklong arts extravaganza now includes stand-up comedy, author appearances and a healthy dose of music. We’ve rounded up a few highlights.
Musical Theater
Well, not quite musical theater. But some festival events blur the line between different media, or at least offer a combination. Tuesday night, following the screening of the Elliott Smith documentary Heaven Adores You, Get Up Kids lead singer Matt Pryor and friends (including Pryor’s bandmate Ryan Pope, along with Thom Hoskins and Heidi Gluck) pay tribute to the legendary songwriter with “Between the Bars: The Songs of Elliot Smith live.” Thursday, after a screening of The Damned: Don’t You Wish That We Were Dead, stick around for a live set from Mike Watt and the Missingmen.
Best Bets
Several big names are attached to this year’s lineup, demonstrating what a notable event Free State Festival has become. Monday features a stand-up set from the hilarious (and Grammy Award-nominated) Tig Notaro; Friday offers a screening of Call Me Lucky with star Barry Crimmins and director Bobcat Goldthwait; Saturday brings in best-selling author Dennis Lehane (Mystic River, Shutter Island) for a Q&A. Add serious discussions on “The Future of Technology in Higher Education” (Wednesday) or frivolously launching a rubber chicken during “Science Live!” (also Wednesday), and the breadth of the festival’s appeal becomes readily apparent.
Free Indeed
If you’re going to Free State Fest, you’re likely either cherry-picking individual events you’d pay to see or you’re saving yourself the trouble and getting an all-access pass for the week ($150, or $50 for just the movie pass). But there’s also an enticing selection of freebies for budget-conscious festivalgoers.
Some events — such as Jon Ronson, author of The Psychopath Test and the recent So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed, at Liberty Hall on Tuesday — require you to show up early in order to secure your spot. George Clinton and P-Funk’s show Wednesday in front of the Arts Center will require you to merely show up, hit it and quit it. The same goes for speedy bluegrass trio Split Lip Rayfield on Friday and R&B rockers Black Joe Lewis on Saturday. The week concludes Sunday with an awards show for the film festival, along with a live art jam from underground comics artist (and Kansas City Art Institute graduate) Jim Mahfood.
