Jim Lauderdale - July 24 - Hill Country DC

Last month we enjoyed a great summer Sunday evening with our friend, Jim X, in downtown DC. This was especially fun because in addition to hearing one of our favorite singer/songwriters perform, we discovered a great new venue for live music. The Hill Country is not far from the Verizon Center and it advertises itself as "honoring the barbecue and live music capital of Texas". There is also a location in NYC.  The food is authentic, delicious, texas style meat that is smoked to perfection. They offer brisket, ribs, sausage, prime rib and other meats, cooked "low and slow" over wood fires. They sell it by weight so you can load up your tray with a sampler platter of your own creation. They also have a big selection of sides, like slaw, mac n cheese, and other tasty items. We had a feast and it was all quite good.

After our dinner of tasty smoked meats we went downstairs to where the live music is served up. It's a small room in the basement with tables and a full bar (seats maybe 75 - 100). We learned that you can reserve a table in the performance room and carry your food downstairs so you can eat and listen to music at the same time. The bartender was very nice and he let me sample some of the Texas beers on draft to help me decide which one I wanted.

When we got downstairs the show had not yet started but Jim Lauderdale was milling around, greeting folks and hanging out. We introduced ourselves and told him that we were going to the Floydfest the next weekend and wishing that he would come back there. He said he loved playing Floydfest and he wished they would invite him back. Maybe next year.

Jim played solo accompanying himself on guitar. He launched into the first couple of songs without intro, but then he warmed up and started talking to the audience. He's quite a funny guy and had great stories to tell between songs. And he played a LOT of songs. Nearly all of them were originals, many from his latest album that he co-wrote with Robert Hunter (lyricist for the Grateful Dead) called "Reason and Rhyme". After 80 minutes of great songs he left the stage to a rousing ovation. As the crowd continued to applaud he acted like the backstage was locked, he twisted and pulled on the doorknob and looked sheepishly back to the audience who continued cheering. He's a funny guy. Then he came back on stage and gave us 6 or 7 more songs.

I heartily recommend Hill Country DC for great food and music and any time you can catch Jim Lauderdale, make the effort.

All Good Festival - July 14-17 - Marvin's Mountaintop, WV

We've been going to the All Good Festival for many years, it's attraction has always been the stellar line up of performers and the "All Good" vibe that permeates the atmosphere.  This year's edition was no different as there were over 40 bands and a true sense of community and common love of music. We took the Jayco Pinnacle and arrived in plenty of time to secure a good spot in the section reserved for RVs. After a quick and easy set up we were ready for music.

Successful Establishment of the Base Camp

We've enjoyed listening to the albums of the John Butler Trio but never had a chance to see this Australian jam band perform live until this festival. They put on an excellent show the first night of the festival that included some tasty didgeridoo playing.

Friday I started the day by taking a bike ride over to the opposite end of the festival grounds to check out the Recipe, a band from Morgantown WV that always puts on a fun show. Despite going through several personnel changes over the years they continue to deliver a high energy show with some great original songs. Later in the day on the main stage we saw the Infamous Stringdusters play a fantastic set of modern bluegrass originals. Usually the music at All Good tends more towards the jam/rock genre and away from bluegrass, but these guys got a rousing reception from the crowd with their clean and pure string sound. I look forward to seeing them in the fall at the festival in VA that they host.

Infamous Stringdusters

After the Stringdusters we headed back to the secondary stage to see the "Rebel Alliance Jam". This was a collaboration between several members of Toubab Krewe, Umphrey's McGee, and Keller Williams. They did not disappoint and put on a nice jam show.

Rebel Alliance Jam

As the sun went down and the evening set in we made it back to the main stage for the Warren Haynes Band. We last saw Warren (who I call the hardest working man in show business) at the Del Fest as a solo acoustic performer, but for the All Good festival he brought along his full band, including Ron Holloway on sax, and the show was much more energetic and appropriate for a big nighttime crowd. He closed out with the crowd pleaser "Soul Shine".  Warren Haynes was followed Toubab Krewe on the small side stage and then an unexplained 20 minute delay before Furthur started playing. 

Furthur played two complete sets, the first set started off with some Grateful Dead classics ("Jack Straw", "Bertha", "Ramble on Rose") but also included a Rat Dog song ("Money for Gasoline") and finished with Warren Haynes joining them for "Turn on Your Lovelight".  The second set had a very nice "Terrapin" suite and included a sort of new song, "The Mountain Song". I say "sort of" because this song began as a David Crosby composition in 1970 and then Robert Hunter wrote additional lyrics and Phil Lesh's son Brian merged it all together in a new arrangement. They also did a tear it up version of "Corrina".  John Kadlecik sounds as good as ever singing and playing guitar and I guess after repeated shows seeing him play with Furthur I'm starting to be won over that this can really work. 

On Saturday we took it easy and tried to stay out of the sun, we did catch an excellent set by Donna the Buffalo and we also watched Yonder Mountain String Band.  I have to admit I'm ready to abandon YMSB as the last few times that I've seen them they've lost their appeal to me. They know how to play to a large crowd and get them energized, but they don't seem to have much more substance beyond that.  Their bluegrass playing is sloppy (compared to someone like the Incredible Stringdusters) and they seem to me to be nothing much more than a party type band.  

I was too tired to take on the late shows by Primus and Pretty Lights, but my friend Davis represented us there and came back with high marks for both performances.  But after a good night's sleep I was ready to rock on Sunday and it kicked off in a big way with the All Mighty Senators playing at noon.  

The All Mighty Senators are a Baltimore based band that is full of charisma and energy. Led by their lead singer/drummer (Landis Expandis), they bring out the high powered dance funk whether its midnight in a downtown Baltimore or Sunday morning in the hills of West Virginia. Given the relative early start to this set, there was not much of a crowd there to see the AMS, but I was pleased when I looked to my left and saw Tim Walther (All Good Festival promoter) dancing away with the rest of the crowd.

The All Mighty Senators crank up the Power Generator

As the AMS were performing their wild and crazy act I caught a glimpse of Dave Bruzza of Greensky Bluegrass backstage. They were coming on next and he had a classic look of "WTF?" as he must have been wondering how his bluegrass band was going to follow this insanity.  But the show must go on and they did a fine set of bluegrass tunes in their inimitable style.

After Greensky Bluegrass we took a lunch break and made it back to the stage to see Toots & the Maytals perform one of the most memorable sets of the weekend. This was the first time that I had seen the reggae pioneer perform, he's been making music professionally since 1961.  The summer weather and the rhythmic reggae sounds brought on a real Caribbean feeling making me long to get back to the island.

And on that note we packed up the Pinnacle and headed home after 4 full days of music. It wasn't until we got home that we learned the sad news that Sunday afternoon a truck rolled down a hill over a tent, killing someone sleeping inside.  Despite this terrible accident, Tim and his company continue to do an amazing job of getting so many people together for a weekend of great music and good times. The All Good Festival continues to serve as an oasis of "peace, love and music" in the middle of these crazy times.

Smilefest - June 3 - 5 - Pinnacle, NC

Smilefest is a very nice little festival at a campground in North Carolina. It advertises that ticket count is limited to only 1,499 total and it looked liked fewer than that number were there. But the weather was beautiful and they had a lineup of excellent musicians to keep us entertained. This was the second time we took our Jayco Pinnacle 5th wheel camper to a festival and it performed very well, our friend Wayne stayed with us and we met our friends Steve and Donna there as well.

Our campsite with the Jayco Pinnacle

 
After getting set up (see photo above) we checked out the music, the stage was at the bottom of a steep natural amphitheater and gave us a beautiful view of Pilot Mountain.  It is widely believed that the town of "Mount Pilot" often mentioned in The Andy Griffith Show was named for Pilot Mountain. Andy Griffith was born and raised not too far from here. So it was a very nice setting and they used the system pioneered by Tim Walther (of the All Good Music Festival) of having two stages side by side. While one band is playing the other stage is getting set up for the next band. Thus there is continuous music and you never have to miss a band due to scheduling conflicts.

Two stages with Pilot Mountain in the distance

Friday afternoon/evening had good sets by Jackass Flats, Pimps of Joytime, and the New Mastersounds, but the highlight for me was seeing one of my favorite bands, Railroad Earth, up close and personal. With such a small venue I was able to watch the entire set from the front rail and the RRE boys put on a fantastic show.

You can in fact download a recording of the Railroad Earth set from the link on the sidebar.

Saturday was another beautiful day, the Bird fixed up some nice food for us and we saw several new (to us) bands as well as a fine set by Larry Keel and Natural Bridge, followed by Melvin Seals and the JGB.  That dude knows how to work a Hammond organ. Late night funkiness was provided by Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, complete with a nice flotilla of paper lanterns flying off into the night sky. 

Sunday's highlight was Jeb and Tara of Donna the Buffalo, playing a relaxed set without the full band. All in all a very nice relaxing weekend with friends and great music, that's what summer festivals are all about. 

DelFest - Cumberland, MD May 27 - 28

Memorial Day weekend in Cumberland Maryland was the setting for the 4th annual DelFest.  We were there as always, psyched about seeing some great bands and enjoying the first festival of the 2011 season. Also this was our first trip in the new Jayco Pinnacle, which we're planning on using a lot this summer as our home away from home.

DelFest is a festival that scores high on the musical quality scale and I believe that is due mainly to the fact that it is hosted by the legendary Del McCoury. Del McCoury started playing bluegrass in the early 1960's and in 1963 he sang and played in Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Boys. In the 1990's he formed the Del McCoury band with his two sons, Ronnie (mandolin) and Rob (banjo) and they have achieved great success over the last twenty years. Their style of playing is very pure and disciplined, with beautiful harmonies and very tight and fast instrumental breaks. I believe that a big reason for the quality of the musical performances at DelFest is that all of the other performers have such great respect for him they "step up their game" a notch when performing at the DelFest. And it's not unusual for Del, Ronnie, Rob or Jason Carter (fiddle) to sit in on one or more songs with each of the performers. This makes for some memorable musical moments and there were plenty of those this year.

Thursday afternoon some thunderstorms, complete with hail, came through Cumberland and soaked the main stage area enough that the evening's performances were rescheduled for the fairground rec center. This is actually a good thing as the rec center is a nice indoor space, dry and cool with quality beer vendors. Del and the boys kicked things off with what was billed as a "soundcheck".  One of the rare times you get to see them perform in casual clothes and not their typical fancy suits and ties. The Del McCoury Band was followed by Donna the Buffalo and then the Infamous Stringdusters. That's a great evening of musical entertainment and we were only in Day 1 of the four day festival!

Del McCoury Band "Soundcheck"

Day 2 was a nice day with some excellent bluegrass bands performing during the day, but in the afternoon the skies darkened and another round of thunderstorms rolled through. The stages were too wet for the Infamous Stringdusters to perform, so they just headed out to the parking lot and played a great impromptu set with no PA or mikes. Another great DelFest moment!

Infamous Stringdusters play in the parking lot

After the Stringdusters we were able to catch Chris Robinson from the protection of the grandstands, which was dry but somewhat distant from the stage and then as the weather cleared we made it to the stage grounds to hear Del McCoury again, but this time performing with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. This is a new project that at first may seem an odd combination, a classic bluegrass band with a New Orleans jazz band, but they find a lot of common ground and this was one of the highlights of the festival. They have released an album together ("American Legacies") that has some new tunes ("Banjo Frisco") and some classics ("Jambalaya"). And they have created and recorded the official theme song for Bonnaroo, which starts up this weekend. Click on this link to see an impromptu performance of the Bonnaroo theme song. Del and the PHJB were followed by a rocking performance by Old Crow Medicine Show, who got everyone on their feet, stomping in the mud and having a good ol' time. 

One of the nice features of DelFest is the "Late Show". For an extra $20 you can head over to the rec center at midnight and catch some inspired late night performing, Friday night we saw Trampled by Turtles, who play fast breakneck string music, followed by Railroad Earth.  I couldn't make it much past 2 AM, but the next day I was told they show went on until 4 - 5 AM.

Saturday's highlight for me was the early afternoon show by Jesse McReynolds. Jesse is another legendary bluegrass musician (performing since 1947, the "Jesse" of "Jim and Jesse", 42 year member of the Grand Ole Opry, winner of the National Heritage Fellowship Award).  Last year Jesse released a tribute album to Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter, and at DelFest he performed several Garcia/Hunter tunes along with several bluegrass classics with Del. Not bad for 82 years old. I bought the Garcia/Hunter CD at the merch tent and he signed it for me. Saturday night we saw Railroad Earth, then the Del McCoury band, and closing things out was Warren Haynes (solo acoustic). I'm a big fan of Warren Haynes and I've written in this space about his performances with Gov't Mule and the Dead.  But his song choices and style of play at DelFest was not what one expects for a Saturday night closer.  It was a little too slow and downtempo for me. Things picked up some when John Skehan and Tim Carbone of Railroad Earth came out to join him but this set was a bit of a downer.

Sunday (Day 4!) I checked out another cool feature of DelFest... "Playshops" that are conducted each afternoon in the rec center, where 1 or 2 musicians play and discuss music in an informal setting. I was able to sit in on a session with Tony Trischka, one of my musical heroes from college days, as he talked about playing banjo, demonstrating and answering questions from the audience.  Sitting at his side and playing with him was Rob McCoury. Then we saw Tony on the main stage with his band "Psychograss", which includes other virtuosos Darol Anger (fiddle) and Mike Marshall (mandolin). Simply amazing seeing that many talented musicians playing together as one.  Then I jumped in the truck with the Bird and we drove over the Potomac and up the mountain to look down from West Virginia into Cumberland at the festival site. It was pretty neat.

DelFest as viewed from West Virginia

After our mountain jaunt we made it back down to the main stage area in time to see the Punch Brothers who put a very modern spin on string music. It was a great set (including a Beck song) and I would love to see them again soon. After the Punch Brothers, Del and the Boys did another set and the whole weekend closed out with a rousing show by Yonder Mountain String Band. 

The rain (first two afternoons) and the mud (pretty much all weekend) were negated by the comfortable confines of the Jayco Pinnacle and the company of good friends throughout the weekend. So much talent on the stages and everyone is bringing their "A game" because Del and his fans are watching. 

A true Del Fan 

A New Chapter in My Life… 6 Months of Great Live Shows…Bring on the summer festivals

It’s been too long since I’ve updated this blog, my only excuse is I’ve been finishing off a 30+ year career at Hughes and preparing myself for life as a retiree. It has been a great experience working with a wonderful group of people and it is with a mix of trepidation and excitement that I enter Chapter 3 of my life. (Chapter 1 = childhood/student life, Chapter 2= professional career/husband/father. Of course I’m still a husband and father, but I’m dropping the career).  June 1 is my official termination date, but I’ve been on vacation since May 1 so it feels like I’ve already slid over the edge.  A couple of weeks ago the company threw a really fun party for me, nice speeches and great gifts.

But despite all of this work and life changes I have managed to see a good number of excellent live music shows over the last few months, I will quickly mention them here for posterity and hopefully present more current updates as the summer festival season is in full swing.

In January we saw the U.S. Navy Commodores Jazz Ensemble at George Mason University.  They were performing as part of a “saxophone symposium” there at the college and they had Branford Marsalis as a guest performer. The Navy has some very talented jazz musicians in their group and it appeared that Branford enjoyed playing with them.  But I have to admit it’s a little weird listening to jazz in an auditorium, with all of the musicians in uniform, back straight, nearly at attention.  I would love to hear them in a club, where everyone can cut loose and improvise.  I had the same odd feeling a few weeks later when we saw the Afro-Cuban All Stars at the Strathmore.  These guys really know how to play and their music just makes you want to get up and dance. A great performance, but it would have felt more natural seeing them in a Caribbean club with a rum drink in hand.

Also in January we caught Donna the Buffalo at the State Theatre in Falls Church. The Roy Jay Band opened up, didn’t care so much for them, but DTB always puts on a first rate show.  

In February we saw Robert Plant and the Band of Joy at the DAR Constitution Hall. This show really impressed me, Robert Plant continues to push the musical envelope and not simply rely on his legacy from the seventies.  We saw him with Alison Krauss a few years ago and that was also really special. He’s assembled a great set of musicians, Patty Griffin sings great, Buddy Miller is the band leader and the rest of the guys are all professionals. They had just the right mix of acoustic and electric, old Zep songs and new songs, everything was just right. Warming up was the North Mississippi Allstars “Duo” (basically just Luther and Cody Dickinson without their bassist) and they were a lot of fun also. They played tunes from their new album “Keys to the Kingdom”, which is quite good and worth picking up if you don’t have it. I usually don’t like shows at the DAR, but I was very glad I made an exception for the Band of Joy.

While visiting the boy in California later in February, we went the El Rey Theater in LA to see one of our favorites, Jackie Greene. That was a fantastic, rocking show, every time we see him it’s better than the last time.  He surprised us with a medley of “Heard it Through the Grapevine/Brick in the Wall/Shakedown Street”. Totally fun show in a fun venue.

In March we saw Grace Potter & the Nocturnals at the 9:30 club and then again just a few weeks ago at the Ram's Head Live. She puts on a rocking good show every time and is a lot of fun to watch. We've noticed that the band is adding more space-like jams to their show, will be interesting to see if that trend continues.

On St. Patrick’s Day we saw a very nice Furthur concert at George Mason University. In honor of the day (I guess) they did “Whiskey in a Jar” which made me miss Jerry. But it was a nice, tight show, they really sounded on this night as tight as I’ve heard them in some time.  We look forward to seeing them in July at the All Good Music Festival.

April gave us another opportunity to see Jackie Greene, this time at the Birchmere, one of my favorite venues. After having to sit through two warm up acts, Jackie came out and did not disappoint. This guy has so much talent.

It has been a busy 2011 and now we’re ready for the summer festival season!

City Farm - Tiffany Tavern - December 5, 2010

Due to scheduling conflicts it had been a while since we caught the hottest bluegrass band to come out of Southside Virginia. But when we saw they were playing on December 5 and our nest was empty, we decided to get a room in Alexandria and catch the entire show. It turned out to be loads of fun, there was a good turnout of old and new friends and the band was in fine form. They played plenty of the old favorites,  a few nice ones that I had not heard before, and even took some requests (but still No Dancing in front of the stage). We chased away the winter chills and had a great time. They be back at the Tiffany on February 12, try to get out and see them if you can.

Peace Mobile Rally > Furthur - Oct 29/Nov 17 - Washington/Baltimore

In October there was a rally at a home in DC to support the freedom of speech, in this particular case an old VW bus painted 60's style. I've lifted the description from the Facebook Event invite.

A colorful, engine-less VW microbus stationed in the Kaplan-Allen family’s Palisades front yard since May is slated for removal by DC Department of Public Works (DPW). On September 16, DPW declared the bus “dangerous,” threatened to remove it by the end of October and fine the family up to $1000. The Kaplan-Allens brought the Peace-Mobile to their yard last spring when it ended its run as a set piece for the Georgetown Day School theatrical production of “Pippin.” Its peace signs, rainbows and hearts are not only entertaining but remind us of a more idealistic time, when, as a Pippin song says, “we all could spread a little sunshine.” All summer, passersby stopped to take photos with their cell phones and celebrate in that spirit. Now, DPW threatens to censor and shut down the display.

So a rally was held and of course we went. Musical entertainment was provided by John Kadlecik and
On the Bus. John is the former lead guitar player for Dark Star Orchestra and was recently given the ultimate promotion to play with Furthur (Phil Lesh and Bob Weir's band). On the Bus is a great Dead cover band that plays in the DC/MD/VA area, we've seen them several times and they always put on a good show.

John played acoustic guitar and a variety of songs (including some Dead songs). One that I really liked was  "Down to Eugene" which was made popular (I guess) by David Gans. John was really putting his heart and soul into performing these songs for the 20 - 40 people gathered in a DC backyard on a fall afternoon, it was a nice musical moment. And it struck me that in a few weeks I would being seeing this same musician on a big stage in front of thousands of people playing with the founders of the Grateful Dead.

John stayed around to perform with On the Bus and they did a full set of Dead tunes. It was good times, despite the fact that half of the PA system failed. And there was a happy ending to the Battle of Bus as one of the band members decided to take it to his Maryland farm and give it a complete restoration. You can see lots of pictures and comments about this event on Facebook, just search for "On the Bus" and scroll down to the October time frame.

So sure enough a few weeks later we saw John at the Baltimore Arena playing with Furthur . Furthur consists of Bob Weir (Grateful Dead), Phil Lesh (Grateful Dead), John Kadlecik, Jeff Chimenti (Dead/Ratdog), Joe Russo (Benevento/Russo Duo), and the just added Sunshine (Garcia) Becker and Jeff Pehrson.  We've seen Furthur plenty of times before, this set started out interesting because the first 4 songs were not Dead tunes. Opening with "Revolution" (Lennon/McCartney), "Smokestack Lightning" (Muddy Waters), "Crossroads" (Robert Johnson), and then back to "Smokestack Lightning" again. In the second set they also covered "Hard to Handle" (Otis Redding) and a really cool "Dear Mr. Fantasy" (Traffic) that morphed into "Hey Jude" (Lennon/McCartney). They were actually performing both songs at the same time for a while.

I like the Baltimore Arena (officially named "1st Mariner Arena"), as arenas go it's easy to get in and out and it's relatively small. But not as small as that backyard in DC!

Bob Dylan - November 13, 2010 - Smith Center, George Washington University

The Never Ending Tour stopped by GW last month. I haven't been to the Smith Center for a concert in a very long time (saw the Clash there in the '80's) and I was glad to see there is still a hall that sells General Admission tickets. We camped out on the floor hoping to optimize the acoustics. The place is small enough that any location is fine for viewing and listening.

The show opened as it always does with a deep voiced announcer on the PA:

"Ladies and gentlemen please welcome the poet laureate of rock 'n' roll. The voice of the promise of the 60s counterculture. The guy who forced folk into bed with rock. Who donned makeup in the 70s and disappeared into a haze of substance abuse. Who emerged to find Jesus. Who was written off as a has-been by the end of the '80s, and who suddenly shifted gears releasing some of the strongest music of his career beginning in the late '90s. Ladies and gentlemen —Columbia recording artist Bob Dylan!"

Then Bob kicks things off the show with a rollicking "Rainy Day Women" followed by one of my favorite concert tunes "Senor (Tales of Yankee Power)". During this one he came from behind the keyboards and sang with animated hand gestures and played harmonica. Other highlights included "Just Like a Woman" with Bob on keyboards and band member Donnie Herron (pedal steel) keenly watching him play and shadowing every chord that Bob would play. This occurred on several songs but it was most obvious during the instrumental break on "Just Like a Woman".

In addition to Bob's hand gestures and (almost) dancing there was a large fabric hanging behind the stage that was used as a screen during several songs to show ghostly black and white live video images of Bob singing. I've never seen that before, it was pretty cool.

Other highlights were a very nice "Simple Twist of Fate" with Bob on lead guitar followed by a rocking "Highway 61 Revisited". There were also more recent tunes like "High Water (for Charlie Patton)", "Ain't Talkin'", and "Thunder on the Mountain". All in all a really great show with a nice mix of old and new.

Finally, what I liked most about the show was there were so many young people there really into the music. I remember going to a Dylan concert a few years ago at George Mason University and I literally was one of the youngest people there! I kept wondering where are all of the students? But the GW kids turned out en masse and were having a great time. At 69, Bob Dylan is an American icon and it was good to see that at least some of the next generation appreciate him.

Jackie Greene - October 14, 2010 - Ram's Head, Annapolis

As I continue to dig through the blog block I'm taking advantage of the holiday down time to remember and reminisce on the shows that I've seen this fall. In October the Bird and I slipped down to Annapolis for a nice dinner and show at the Ram's Head. If you buy the special deal you can get a dinner reservation, tickets to the show and a free microbrew after the show. Probably the nicest part of that deal is you have dinner in the restaurant and then when you're done eating they lead you through the back corridor straight into the music venue and your reserved seat. There was an opening act, Michael Wasekey, a local singer guitar player, nice enough guy but we were ready for JG.

Jackie took advantage of the intimate atmosphere of the Ram's Head and for the first half of the show he played solo accompanied only by his acoustic guitar and nuanced fills from his guitar player (I wish I could remember his name). Between songs it got kind of quiet and Jackie said we could shout out any requests we had. After a couple more songs the requests got so loud and frequent he said "Enough already!".  Although I've seen Jackie and his band play many times in the past, this acoustic set was very special. One of the highlights was a very nice version of Merle Haggard's "Mama Tried". After a short break he came back with the full band, electric guitars and it was time to rock. A great mix of old and new tunes, including a couple of Grateful Dead classics. In addition to being an excellent guitarist, Jackie plays great keyboards and harmonica. I have to say that this show was one of my favorites of 2010.  

Another thing that sets Jackie Greene apart from other performers is he hangs out after the show to meet and greet. Here's a shot of the Bird and Jackie (she sure is hugging him tight?).

The Festy - October 9 - 10 - Nelson County, Va

"The Festy Experience" happened on October 9-10 in the backyard of the Devil's Background Brewery in Nelson County, Virginia. Located at the foot of the mountain where the Wintergreen resort is located, this first time music festival had a great debut and hopefully will become a regular annual event. The musical hosts were the Infamous Stringdusters who played both Saturday and Sunday nights. We camped on site with friends in our handy pop up camper while a group of other friends rented a house a few miles away up at Wintergreen.

Despite the awkward name (apparently "Festy" is a derivative of the Stringdusters guitarist Andy Falco's nickname "Cresty")

The festival site was very nice, the weather was perfect, and the music was outstanding. I was anticipating that there may be logistical problems, given that this was a first time festival, but the organizers pulled it off without a hitch. There's a nice write up on Facebook (search for "Festival Project") about what it takes to put on a good festival. Michael Allenby, one of the organizers, is quoted as saying, “This is a prototype, a rough draft and we turned it in and got an A-.  The teacher was happy.  There were a couple things we would do differently, but we nailed it, for a rough draft.”  I couldn't agree more. All of the basic essentials (e.g. parking, camping, food, drink, restrooms, stage and sound) were done well, and most importantly there was a festival "vibe" that permeated the all of the volunteers and patrons. Everyone was warm and friendly, enjoying the music, and happy to be together on a beautiful fall weekend. That is, by definition, "festival". 

On Sunday there was even a bike race. If it had been a bike "ride" I would have signed up, but I'm not into the racing thing. But Travis Burns, bassist of the Stringdusters is, and apparently he did pretty well in the event. You can check it out here .

There was a main stage and between acts there a second smaller stage at the opposite end of the field. The acts on the second stage were very good, but I got into a sort of rhythm where after each act on the main stage I would head back to the campsite to take a break and enjoy a cool beverage. What about the music?  Well the Saturday line up was incredible. 

Robinella started things off, singing and playing guitar with her husband. She has more of a late night, smoky club, jazz feel to her voice and songs, it was nice but seemed out of place in the middle of a sunny day. But a good start nevertheless. She was followed by Crooked Still. They've played at other festivals I have attended, but this was the first time I sat down and really listened to them. Well worth the effort, it was quite entertaining. Aoife O'Donovan's beautiful vocals and the rest of the band's instrumental prowess were very impressive. Back to the campsite for a Bubba, then right back to the main stage to see Old School Freight Train, one of our favorite "newgrass" bands. They came on with plenty of energy and enthusiasm and raised the musical bar another notch. These guys have a great song catalog, and like Railroad Earth, they are hard to classify as they rock out much more than the "grass/string label" would imply. Then the pace changed as bluegrass legend Tony Rice took the stage with his band, the Tony Rice Unit. Straight, classic, pickin'. Done right, the way it's supposed to be. As the sun set, the Infamous Stringdusters came out and did a fun, uplifting set. You could tell they were just as excited about hosting the Festy as we were about being there. The Saturday night closers were Railroad Earth, who released their latest CD two days after this show. They played a great set as always, featuring a couple of songs from the new album. We especially liked "The Jupiter and the 119" and "Black Elk Speaks".  October 9 would have been John Lennon's 70th birthday and the band commemorated that with a beautiful version of "Across the Universe" with Aoife from Crooked Still helping out on vocals. I was spent after hearing all of this music, but the Bird went on and checked out the late night jam on the second stage, featuring "Love Cannon Super Jam" playing nothing but top hits from the '80's in bluegrass style. Rick Springfield's "Everybody's Working for the Weekend", Thomas Dolby's "Blinded Me with Science", ZZ Top's "Legs",  and many more. Wish I could have seen that!

Sunday morning we had a very nice breakfast buffet at the Devil's Backbone Brewery which included a first for me, a make your own Bloody Mary bar! Great way to start the day. Then we were packing and driving so I was only able to catch Larry Keel and Natural Bridge, a super talented guitar player who deserves way more attention than he seems to get. I was sorry that I didn't get to stick around for another set by the Stringdusters and to see Toubab Krewe, but I still left satisfied with all of the great music that we saw on Saturday. 

We'll definitely be putting the Festy Experience on our rotation for the 2011 festival circuit!