Culture
Lancaster Festival to Host Country Hitmakers this Weekend
By: Cheri Russo
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Thompson Square and Blues Traveler have more in common than being the headliners of this year’s Lancaster Festival. The duo of Keifer and Shawna Thompson co-wrote and sang two songs on Blues Traveler’s latest album.
“We’re massive Blues Traveler fans,” said Keifer Thompson in a phone interview last Thursday. “When John Popper (Blues Traveler lead singer) called me and said ‘Do you want to write a song for this record?’ I couldn’t believe it. We ended up writing two songs and both songs made the album.”
Blues Traveler’s compilation album, Blow up the Moon, was released in April and includes collaborations with many different musicians.
“To find out that John Popper was a fan of the music we do was amazing,” said Thompson.
Thompson Square will perform on the Ohio University Lancaster lawn on Saturday, July 25. The show will be the first time the duo has ever played with an orchestra.
“This is something that has always interested me,” said Thompson. “I’m a huge fan of all different kinds of music and I’m a huge fan of classical music. To be able to intertwine our music with classical music will be amazing for me. The orchestra is going to play 10 songs with us.”
Thompson Square has topped the radio charts across the Unites States, Canada and Australia with #1 hits “Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not,” “If I Didn’t Have You” and “Everything I Shouldn’t Be Thinking About,” respectively.
“We feel like we haven’t made it yet and we’re just scratching the surface. We have a lot more to say,” said Thompson. “But, our life has changed and it’s been amazing. With every new song, it’s a new challenge and it’s new rewards at the same time. It’s all about the music. We feel our fans’ love. We do all of this with them.”
More information about the Thompson Square show and the entire line-up for Lancaster Festival can be found at lancasterfestival.org.