Welcome to the This Is Boise Treefort Festival guide! Our staff has scrupulously combed through today’s schedule in order to bring you a top-picks list of must-see performances and events, alongside a handful of TIB Staff favorites to recommend. Let us know what you think!
STAFF PICKS
7:20 pm – 8:10 pm: Ealdor Bealu
Performing at The Shredder.
430 S 10th St, Boise, ID 83702
Birthed from a teenage obsession with classic garage rock and ’60s psychedelia, the Ealdor Bealu is a progressive heavy-psych quartet from Boise, ID. With a focus on shifting dynamics from the ambient to the massive and back again, their sound expands beyond the boundaries of genre to create a mosaic of sonic praise.
7:50 pm – 8:40 pm: Sugar Candy Mountain
Performing at KIN.
999 W Main St Suite P101, Boise, ID 83702
Sugar Candy Mountain gallops seamlessly from tripped out Tropicália, Shuggie Otis inspired grooves, kaleidoscopic psych jams, classic 70’s reverie, and nods to krautrock without ever skipping a beat.
9:30 pm – 10:20 pm: Smokey Brights
Performing at El Korah Shrine.
1118 W Idaho St, Boise, ID 83702
Fronted by husband and wife duo Kim West (keys and vocals) and Ryan Devlin (guitar and vocals,) Smokey Brights is a rock band out of Seattle, Washington. The couple’s entrancing bond shines through in their deeply personal cowriting as well as their ecstatic live performances. West, a barred attorney, and Devlin, who has a background in booking, publishing and punk bands, met working summers at a pizza restaurant in college.
10:40 pm – 11:30 pm: Gary V
Performing at Spacebar Arcade.
200 N Capitol Blvd, Boise, ID 83702
Originally from Durban, South Africa, Gary V (fka Prism Tats) relocated to the U.S. after years of playing in local bands and working on solo projects. Since his self-titled debut was released in 2016 on ANTI, Gary has landed support slots with indie-rock icons like Guided By Voices and Nada Surf, toured on his own and with a band, and continued to write and record steadily.
11:50 pm – 12:30 am: HE/LIUM SHE/LIUM
Performing at the Spacebar Arcade.
200 N Capitol Blvd, Boise, ID 83702
HE/LIUM SHE/LIUM is an 80’s inspired, synth pop, electronic, dance duo.
12:40 am – 1:50am: The Shivas
Performing at the Olympic Venue.
1009 W Main St, Boise, ID 83702
Fresno’s Jacq Maliq is a bright light in the burgeoning indie/rap hybrid scene, playing off of great vocal delivery, percussion, and guitar riffs to build his laid back sound. Maliq shinFor The Shivas, the show has always been the thing. That thing being a bombastic, explosive and thoroughly communal live rock and roll experience where barriers between the performers and their audience seem to dissolve into the sweat and sound.
SCAVENGER HUNT
SCAVENGER HUNT
Today is Day 4 of the This Is Boise’s daily Treefort scavenger hunt! We’ve got four boxes on the loose in downtown Boise waiting for you to find.
Prizes include items from:
Stay tuned to our Instagram stories for clues to find these goodie boxes!
GUIDE SPONSOR
Boise Fry Company
Boise Fry Company is not the normal burger and fry joint and is certainly not fast food! BFC specializes in fries and makes mighty fine burgers to go on the side. They locally source six different potatoes, which are cut daily and cooked to order in gluten-free sunflower oil and served with an array of house-made salts and sauces. With five different protein options, including Bison and a hand-crafted vegan patty, all burgers can be made gluten-free and/or vegan. Definitely a local darling, Boise Fry Co. is a sure stop on any Boise bucket list.
TREEFORT MAINSTAGE
The Main Stage is where the magic happens. Join us for the lights, the dance moves, the crooning vocals, dump truck beats, and warbling guitar solos… The Treefort Main Stage is where the magic happens – so join us for these amazing performances!
12:30 pm – 1:20 pm: The Still Tide
Anna Morsett has never been in one place for too long. Whether traveling in her mind or in actual transit, she has always been searching for the steadiness that her band name implies: The Still Tide.
1:40 pm – 2:20 pm: ROOKIE
ROOKIE is six matching jumpsuit-clad, shaggy-haired friends from Chicago who play rock-n-roll that’s more at home next to their parents’ battered LPs than on their friends’ streaming playlists.
2:50 pm 3:50 pm: Afrosonics (Staff Pick!)
Afrosonics creates music featuring a collective of musicians from the Middle East, Europe, Africa, South America and the United States.
4:20 pm – 5:20 pm: The Felice Brothers
The Felice Brothers are an American folk rock/country rock band from New York.
5:50 pm – 6:50 pm: Y la Bamba (Staff Pick!)
Y La Bamba has been many things, but at the heart of it is singer-songwriter Luz Elena Mendoza’s inquisitive sense of self.
7:20 pm – 8:10 pm: Chong the Nomad (Staff Pick!)
In each of her distinct compositions, Seattle electronic music producer, Chong the Nomad, unleashes storms of song that embody both the delicate raindrop striking the single tree leaf and the looming clouds that burst and quench an entire forest.
STORYFORT
For those that love storytelling! Storyfort is all about the great writing of top-notch authors, poets, journalists, spoken word artists, memoirists, refugee storytellers, podcasters, and more!
Click here for more details about location and times.
12:30 pm – 2 pm: Turning your Trips into Tales: The Art of Travel Writing
Have you ever wondered how to become a travel writer? If so, this generative workshop will help you write about your journeys and adventures, past and future. Come check it out at Guru Donuts!
12 pm – 1:30 pm: Sound & Vision: Poets & Musicians on the Art of the Lyric
Poet Adam Davis and special musical guests bring a fascinating discussion of music’s influence on poetry and vice versa., along with the inherent differences.
4 pm – 4:45 pm: Behind Grey Walls
From inside the walls of the Old Idaho Penitentiary comes a podcast about Idaho history, true crime, and the stories of the inmates who lived here, written and produced by two employees of the Idaho State Historical Society, Anthony, and Skye.
DRAGFORT
A celebration of our best, most authentic selves, Dragfort is a safe space for everyone to express themselves and celebrate the A celebration of your best, most authentic self. Dragfort is a safe space for everyone to express themselves and celebrate the LGBTQ+ culture and build community through performance and dialogue.
Click here for more details about location and times.
12 pm – 1pm: Drag Queen Story Hour
Drag Queen Story Hour (DQSH) is just what it sounds like—drag queens reading stories to children in libraries, schools, and bookstores. DQSH captures the imagination and play of the gender fluidity of childhood and gives kids glamorous, positive, and unabashedly queer role models.
1 pm – 2:30 pm: Queer Community Building
Four queer people discuss their stories regarding the community. The liberating and challenging aspects of that, and discuss the potential directions the community can grow/change/evolve.
8 pm – 9:30 pm: Eleganza Extravaganza
Bring on the glitter, sequins and pasties as some of Boise’s drag and Burlesque superstars light up the stage at the Balcony Club.
YOGAFORT
We all could use a bit more peace and stability in our lives, and Yogafort is the best way to find some zen amongst the chaos. Drop in for a recharging yoga session and get your sweat on with our amazing events!
Click here for more details about location and times.
10 am – 10:30 am: Opening Ceremony
Open up the sacred container of Yogafort 2021 and invite in our mantra for this year!
11:50 am – 12:50 pm: Let Go & Flow with Christina Braun
Let Go & Flow In this Vinyasa practice we will flow with the breath (and the beats!) continuing to move the body throughout the class until blissful savasana (relaxation) at the end.
4:10 pm – 5:30 pm: The Dance Commander Experience with Celeste Bolin
This dance experience is born out of a deep mission to facilitate dance as a movement practice accessible to everyone.
HACKFORT
From data science and security to lockpicking and cryptology, Hackfort is for those who celebrate all things tech! Come to Hackfort for good conversation and engagement about all the unique things happening in the technology world.
Click here for more details about location and times.
10 am – 4 pm: Black Box VR- The Only Gym Made For Gamers
Come experience the only video game that turns you into a real-life badass! For this weekend only, Treefort and Hackfort fans can get a FREE demo of the Black Box VR fitness experience!
10 am – 10:50 am: Building a Game and Arcade Cabinet
Fledging game developers Dean Cohen and Aaron Christensen along with Spacebar owners Will Hay and Zak Roland talk about making the indie arcade game Devout Tournament and how they ended up collaborating to give it a physical location in Downtown Boise.
2 pm – 2:50 pm: Turning Dog Food to Drugs and other Digital Financial Crimes
Tens of millions of credit cards are compromised each year, if you have ever wondered where these cards end up, join for a deep dive.
ARTFORT
Artfort brings light to the fine arts, performing arts, public art installations, and more. Whether you want to catch a horror puppet show, a flamenco performance, or a theatrical ballet performance.
Click here for more details about location and times.
3 pm – 3:20 pm: Idaho Dance Theater
At the Sanctuary in the Grove, Idaho Dance Theater presents a season of public performances featuring the work of diverse choreographers and frequent collaborations with composers, musicians, and other artists.
5 pm – 5:20 pm: Flamenco Laishi
Performing at LED in the Grove, Estefanía Laishi, is a dancer, vocalist, and co-director of live Flamenco group Shimi Tree.
8:30 pm – 8:50 pm: Horrific Puppet Affair
At the Sanctuary in the Grove, a cabaret of horror puppet plays built to make your inner child squirm and scream.
ALEFORT
Wouldn’t be Treefort without Alefort! Feel refreshed and chill out with some local craft beers Located next to Main Stage – that’s convenient!
Click here for more details about location and times.
12 pm – 8 pm: Alefort Tent
Come check out all that Alefort has in store for you today!
FILMFORT
Lights, camera, action! This 3-day festival features independent and diverse cinematic perspectives for audiences of all ages! Check out the must-see movies and attend actor, director, and cinematographer panels today!
Click here for more details about location and times.
11 am – 11:55 am: Music In Motion #2
Come watch music videos, short films, and there will be Q&A at the end.
3 pm – 4:50 pm: Local Gems #2
Come watch more short films at The Flix!
COMEDYFORT
What did the crowd say to the comedian? “Can you please stand up?” ba-ding shhh. After the year we’ve all had, we think everyone could use some laughs. Comedyfort is the perfect spot that brings Treeforters laughs, chuckles, and snorts.
Click here for more details about location and times.
7 pm – 7:15 pm: Comedy at Main Stage
Come experience comedy on the Main Stage with Lady Bizness.
10:10 pm – 12 am: Owyhee Late Show
Come check out The Owyhee’s Late Show in their ballroom! Comedians Dylan Hunter (local), Andrew Orolfo, and Stephanie Nam will be there!
SKATEFORT
You’re on a roll today, and if you’re not, you could be at Skatefort! Celebrate all things skateboarding and roller skating, with a gathering of music and community. This all-ages fort invites everyone to skate together while listening to live music! All ages welcome.
Click here for more details about location and times.
4 pm – 5 pm: Park Skating Demo with Local Roller Baddies
Calling all enthusiasts and wannabes! Come and get your jaw dropped, head spun, and inspiration appetite fed with skills exposition to live music at Rhodes Skate Park!
KIDFORT
Treefort is for all ages! Kidfort provides a playful and safe place for kids to gather with the integration of other forts. Kids 12 and under can enjoy the entire festival for free!
Click here for more details about location and times.
12 pm – 12:50 pm: Every Day is Earth Day: Dance Along & Vision Board with Patty Costello
Join us for a dance along to the song “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” by Jack Johnson, then craft a personalized “Every Day is Earth Day” vision board from quality reclaimed art materials, to take home.
12 pm – 5 pm: Color Your Own Kidfort Tee
While supplies last, purchase your own Kidfort line-drawn t-shirt & customize it with the fabric markers provided at Kidfort!
3 pm – 3:50 pm: Hootenanny fun! With Boise Music Lessons
Boise Music Lessons is here to end the mystique surrounding music and dispel the myth that you have to be inherently “musical” in order to play an instrument.
FOODFORT
We all could use a bit more peace and stability in our lives, and Yogafort is the best way to find some zen amongst the chaos. Drop in for a recharging yoga session and get your sweat on with our amazing eventDid someone say food? Recharge and fuel up at Foodfort! Foodfort brings in local chefs, regional chefs, national chefs, media, and culinary experts together to talk about all things food. Oh, and not to mention, there will be a TON of food!s!
Click here for more details about location and times.
10:30 am – 11:30 am: Chili Colorado with Hugh Acheson
Hugh Acheson will prepare Chili Colorado and discuss techniques while in the kitchen at JUMP.
12 pm – 1 pm: Foraging Foodies: Living off the Land through Local and Urban Foraging
From the greenbelt to your backyard and beyond, learn what to look for when foraging and what you can create in your kitchen with what you find at JUMP.
MUSIC TALKS FORT
From data science and security to lockpicking and cryptology, Treefort not only brings together musicians and crowd, but it lends the opportunity to gather the minds of the industry. The discussions at Music Talks involve the nuances of building a career in the music industry and serve as a brainstorming platform for the future of music.
Click here for more details about location and times.
10:30 am – 11:15 am: Music and Mental Health for Everybody
Anne Padilla, Licensed Master Social Worker and Mental Health Coordinator at Boise Hive discusses in a Q&A format with the Boise Hive Mental Health team and musicians how the pandemic has impacted musician’s mental health and offers strategies for us all as we collectively deal with the effects of the pandemic to ask the hard questions of each other.
11:30 am – 12:15 pm: How To Plan Your Album’s Release
Learn from an experienced panel how to prepare the various aspects of your album’s release. A valuable discussion for artists of any level adapting to quickly changing norms and opportunities.
