About the Bluegrass Festival

I still, after several attempts, don’t feel that I have adequately explained Bluegrass Festivals and I suppose, with my limited literary skill, I never will. The central activity of a bluegrass festival is the concerts. Here there are three days of concerts, each concert is split into 2 parts, before supper and after supper. Each half has a line up of 5 or 6 bands, each does a set of 45 minutes, which usually lasts an hour. Then they do a second set in the evening half. In this festival there are 3 completely different line-ups each day. With bigger and bigger name acts. So the festival may involve watching up to 10 hours of top line bands each day, which of course you can’t do. So you have to choose who you will not watch, so that you can take a break, look at the vendors around the place, talk to people, do some ‘pickin’, or just resting. Some of the music is traditional (mountain) bluegrass and some of it you may call modern, even swing, or jazz. Bluegrass music is about love, death and family, but there is a huge input of gospel music, most bands aspire to produce a gospel CD. No solo artists, but lot of close and three part harmony amongst groups, which can produce some amazing music. Often it slips into the areas of Country music, so the songs tend to be a bit sugary (no, very sugary). Often music will be a tribute to the armed forces. In two days bands asked serving men and veterans to stand and be applauded, bet it happens again today). One group, called The Isaacs, when called to do an encore (they are an exceptionally talented group) sung an amazing version of the Star Spangled Banner. To which everyone stood with pride!!

As I continue this on Monday morning, I Was correct, There was another call for the armed forces to be acknowledged and respected. This time it was by a band called the US Navy Bluegrass/Current Country band. Yes they are all in the navy and are paid by the navy to play bluegrass (a bit like Forest Gump and ping pong). However, they are also very good musicians. So at one point they played a medley of the forces anthems and asked serving and vets to stand as each arm of the forces was highlighted, it was quite moving. Incidentally, there are 5 sections to the US Armed forces, as well as air, army, and navy there is also the marines and surprisingly the coastguard. (Carl, who married our niece was in the coastguard)
This was the festival line up, for all you aficionados:
Thursday: The Grascals, Dailey and Vincent, The Gary Waldrop Band, James King, Paul Williams and the Victory Trio
Friday: The Isaacs, The Gibson Brothers, Carolina Sonshine, Doyle Lawson, Blue Highway and Goldwing Express
Saturday: Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys, Rhonda Vincent and The Rage, The US Navy Band, Nothin’ Fancy and The Lewis Family.
In my opinion the best band was bluegrass gospel band The Isaacs, their music is beautifully thought out, their harmonies exquisite and their voices amazing. Two sisters, a brother and mother, as well as a fiddle and bongo (?) player.