In the summer of 1998, Matt Smith was stuck.
He needed to book acts for Labor Day Weekend, traditionally a “bad booking weekend,” according to Passim’s website.
“Meaning a holiday weekend where a lot of people travel. A lot of headline artists want to stay off holiday weekends like that,” Smith, Passim’s managing director, explained in a recent phone interview from his Somerville home.
So he came up with the idea of the campfire. festival “as a way to experiment with new artists.”
Named after the idea of folks “sitting around a campfire, playing songs for each other — something informal and inclusive,” the fest would be a chance to “pull in an audience and get a lot of [new] artists seen over the course of a weekend.”
Smith was hoping for a handful of listeners — but some 600 attendees poured in over the weekend.
Now in its 24th year, the Cambridge fest has become something of an end-of-summer tradition on the local music scene, and the spirit remains the same: a chance for new and emerging artists to play the storied folk mecca. In fact, Smith said the now-biannual fest has “become one of the best ways for us to find new artists.”
This year, some 70 artists will perform over the course of four days, from 6 p.m. Friday through Monday night.
The line-up features both Massachusetts-based and traveling artists, in a wide range of ages, performing in various genres including Americana, folk, jazz, blues, and bluegrass.
Smith called it an “all-you-can-eat buffet of music.”
The heart of the festival is “about those new discoveries,” he said — and you may even be able to say you saw-them-when. Major names have made their Passim debut via the event, including Lake Street Dive and Regina Spektor, Smith said.
The first fest saw Mary Gauthier, now an acclaimed Nashville-based writer and Grammy nominee, and Stoughton’s Lori McKenna — now a three-time Grammy winner. Josh Ritter, Anais Mitchell, and Rose Cousins made their Passim debuts via campfire, Smith said.
A long-time managing director and WMVY DJ, Smith always has his ear tuned to find new music and local standouts. He mentioned a few upcoming highlights:
Western Mass-based indie-folk duo High Tea will bring “really high energy” and “beautiful harmonies,” on Friday, Smith said.
His Saturday highlights include 2021 Canadian Folk Music Award Emerging Artist of the Year Noah Derksen, modern folk duo Early Gray, and Gabriella Simpkins of Hyannis. “There are elements of jazz to what [Simpkins] does, elements of soul,” he said. “She’s a really great writer, great guitar player.”
His Sunday highlights Kara McKee & Emmery Brakke — “Their harmonies are unbelievable. Just absolutely gorgeous” — and Alec Spiegelman “who is super quirky; he plays guitar [and] all sorts of woodwinds. He’s produced David Wax Museum, Ana Egge — he’s a great producer, but also a great performer.”
On Monday, Smith mentioned Celtic music duo Ace & Bob and Boston’s Colin McGovern. Monday’s closing round features club favorites Naomi Westwater of Brockton, and Plymouth’s Hayley Sabella. “Both are just incredible songwriters,” Smith said.
Listeners can buy a $10 ticket for any day, or $25 for the weekend. There’s also a free livestream. The live event takes place on the regular Passim stage, with a regular club menu — think rosemary fries, falafel patties, salmon burger with sesame slaw, brownie sundaes, according to their online menu — plus beer and wine.
Smith said. “Some people watch the entire thing — I’m always amazed at that kind of stamina.”
It’s a special kind of audience who comes out to the fest, artists said.
Simpkins, who has played the fest four times, said via e-mail that campfire draws a “loving, supportive crowd. It’s a blessing to get the opportunity to share my work, which is often very vulnerable and personal, with folks who are so receptive and giving of their support for new artists like me.”
“The folks who come out to listen are really there for the music and to support the artists,” added Greenfield’s Isabella DeHerdt, one half of High Tea, via e-mail. “There really isn’t anything else like it.”
$10 per day or $25 for the weekend. Full lineup and details at passim.org.
Lauren Daley can be reached at ldaley33@gmail.com. Follow her on Twitter @laurendaley1.