Head to the Salem Willows this weekend for Witchstock, "an afternoon of peace, love and music" with four area bands.
The sixth annual music festival will take place Saturday from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Willows bandstand. As always, the show is free.
"Primarily, a bunch of Salem musicians collaborated with one common goal, and that was to put the Salem music scene on the map," said Scott Herwig of Salem, Witchstock's founder, about how the event was formed in 2004.
Herwig said he runs the festival with the help of Amanda Lempert, who designed the Witchstock logo — a witch on a Gibson Flying V guitar.
What he doesn't raise in corporate support, he pays out of pocket — usually about $1,200 a year, he said.
"It's pretty much just a grass-roots festival," said Herwig, who works as a security guard at Seabrook Station in New Hampshire.
Lineup for Witchstock 6
The day begins at 4 p.m. with a version of the national anthem, played by guitarist Eric Gynan of the band Leaving Eden. Just after, local hard-rock band Autumn Above performs.
At 5 p.m., Boston-based modern-alternative band McCalister Drive takes the stage.
At 6 p.m., Endway, from Boston and the North Shore, plays funky jazz with a rock edge.
At 7 p.m., Prospect Hill, another North Shore group, plays hard rock.
Prospect Hill and Endway — who both performed at last year's Witchstock — are currently on national tours, but members carved out the time to play Witchstock for free, Herwig said.
The concert ends at 8 p.m., but the music won't stop there: There's an after-party at Dodge Street Bar and Grill, where Cocaine Tongue (a Guns N' Roses tribute band) and That's That will perform until closing.
"I just love Salem — I was born and raised here," Herwig said. "This is a perfect festival to showcase Salem's music scene."
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Staff writer Larry Claflin Jr. writes his "Music Notes" column regularly. He can be reached at 978-338-2681 or lclaflin@salemjazzsoul.com.
