Some Assemby Required "Tools Of The Trade"

A review, by Gary Robertson

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a group of musicians happier about the release of a new project than my friends, the members of Some Assembly Required.  They had worked hard and long on this project and the waiting was absolutely driving them crazy.  well it finally came out and I’ve been handed a copy for my listening pleasure and for review.  All in all the band has chosen an eclectic group of songs to record, but that is reasonable since their live sets are also filled with eclectic tunes.  

The first song on the CD is a rather standard Bluegrass tune called “Wrong Road Again,” sung in fine style Guitarist by Lynn Stephens.  Next up is the great Hank Williams song “There’ll Be No Teardrops Tonight,”  sung here very effectively by Leo  Szydlowski, Mandolinist for the group.  The third song called “Callie’s Reel” is sung by Leo and is interesting in that the tune is mentioned in the song which is known as Devil’s Dream.  Eric Gibson of the Gibson Brothers did a fine job putting words to an old instrumental tune.  “This Little House of Mine” written by Kimberly Fox & Susanne Munpower.  This is a ballad of the sadness and growth of moving through life.  Lynn does a fine job with the lead with Leo joining in singing a strong harmony line.

Leo wrote “Just Like Candy” based on his first and most likely only experience with chewing tobacco.   “Footprints” written by Russell Johnson & Julie Elkins that put the old anonymous poem about the footprints in the sand into a fine ballad, sung here strongly by Lynn.  A beautiful song sung with feeling.   “Go My Way” is a Gordon Lightfoot song done here effectively by Lynn with a fine intro by guest Dobroist Bob Burroughs.  Leo joins Lynn singing a strong tenor on the chorus.  “By The Mark” recently recorded by Dailey & Vincent is well covered here by Some Assembly Required.  

The next song on the project is an old country standard called “Just Someone I Used To Know.”  Again Bob Burroughs joins the band on Dobro for this song.  “Red Clay Halo” written by Gillian Welch (As was By The Mark) is a perky song about a girl who grew up in the country surrounded by red clay soil.  Lynn performs this song beautifully and has made it a tour-de-force.  The last song on the CD is entitled “A Place To Rest,” was written by Leo and is sung here by Leo joined by Lynn in a sentimental song about life at home with Grandpa.  This is a fine song and was really quite a surprise for me.  I believe this is Leo’s best work. 

As with most bands the lead pickers and singers tend to get mentioned over and over and those who are the bedrock upon which the band rest are often neglected.  I want to correct that right now by complimenting Ernie Freeby on his rock solid and unobtrusive Bass playing throughout the project.  It is my opinion that Some Assembly Required has produced a recorded  project they can all be proud of.  Let me say that if your enjoy seeing and hearing Some Assembly Required in a live setting then you will very much enjoy this CD, “Tools Of The Trade.”

My Festival Memories By: Gary Robertson

I came to Bluegrass as an end of a search for music.  As a teenager I tried to be part of my generation by listening to the popular rock music of the time, but I also was listening to a music that was called Soul
music.  These performers included people like Otis Redding, Jr. Walker & The All-stars, Wilson Picket and others.  The rock music I gravitated toward was more of the type known today a “Bubble Gum” music. 
It included folks like The Association, Herman’s Hermits and others.

As I aged into my twenties and no
longer had the pressure of peers directing my way I began a search that led me to some very different musics.  I listened to March Band music.  Yeah, John Philip Sousa stuff.  Then I drifted toward Big Band music; Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw and many others.  I still enjoy Big Band, but never purposefully listen to it anymore.  I still hadn’t found “my” music.

My brother, Jim, had a father-in-law (Garland Davis) that played the Mandolin.  Jim got interested in listening to him and bought a really cheap Guitar to try to learn to play.  Garland showed him the basic chords  and Jim began working on learning.  I’m not sure how I heard him play the Guitar, but I did and I thought “Wow, that’s
pretty neat.”

Christmas was coming up and I went to Lail’s Music in Colonial Heights and found an old long neck (Pete Seeger style) Silvertone Banjo for $40, so I bought it for Jim.  That was two months before Christmas, so it was lying around the house, so I started fooling with it and the sounds I heard were very
pleasing to me.  Finally the holiday did arrive and I had to give it to Jim.  Soon he began taking Banjo lessons from the late Arthur Rucker as part of an adult education program presented by the YMCA in
Manchester.  When I heard Jim start playing Cripple Creek, well it was then I decided I wanted a Banjo of my own.

At about that same time Gibson was doing a nationwide push of Banjos and Guitars and they had a representative from Gibson at Lail’s Music playing the Banjo.  Wow!  Upon hearing this guy play I knew I had to get a Banjo.  They had a big sale going on and were selling brand new Epiphone Banjos for $125 each.  Jim and I both bought one that day.  I started taking lessons along with
Jim and I began my journey into learning all about Bluegrass Music.

This was back in 1972 and the following spring we heard about a thing called a Bluegrass Festival.  “Pop. The Storekeeper” on WXGI mentioned this upcoming festival every day.  It was in Amelia County tucked right up against the 4-lane Rt. 360 and it was called “Bluegrass Grove.”  It was presented by Roy McCraw.  Jim and I decided to go there on the Sunday show.  We were initiated and immersed into the world of the Bluegrass festival.  I remember
we bands like, The Conrad Hinson Family, The Hughes Family, The Grass Reflection and The Cabin Hill Bluegrass Band.

Let me zoom forward about 25 years for a moment.  I was at the Graves’ Mountain
Festival and there was a fellow there trying to introduce a new Bluegrass and Acoustic music magazine.  I knew he had been the assistant editor at Bluegrass Unlimited, but that was all I recalled.  I passed by and we
spoke briefly when he asked me if I remembered those day at Bluegrass Grove?  I told him I did, but I wondered how he knew I went there.  He explained that he and his brother were part of The Cabin Hill Bluegrass Band and he remembered me from all those years before.  We are a big family of Bluegrass folks.

Jim & I were absolute rank beginners and it would be another five years before we go up the nerve to bring our instruments to a festival.  However it was at this first festival that I saw a vendor selling strings, picks and
other related Bluegrass stuff.  I bought a book called “The Bluegrass Fakebook.”  It had the words to 1,000 songs, some of which were part of the Bluegrass repertoire, but most were folk and rock ballads.  It didn’t have any chords listed, just the words.  Also, that day I bought a metal thumb pick made by Dunlap.  I had the problem of my plastic pick scraping the strings like a fiddle bow.  This metal pick was smooth and from that day to now I still use metal thumb picks made by Dunlop.  While we were at Bluegrass Grove we heard
about another festival coming up at another park in Amelia at Pete Pike’s farm,  We went to that one too, but again just for on single day.  After that first year Jim and I made regular trips to Amelia to both of those festivals.

A few years later Claude Warden started a Bluegrass festival in Amelia at Tom Scott Park.  His friend, Barney Jones, helped him with these festivals until after a few years, Claude found Jesus and was re-born and didn’t feel he could continue with presenting Bluegrass festivals and still be a good Christian.  It was around 1979 when Barney, along with the Powers Brothers, began presenting the festival at Tom Scott Park.

At around this same time period Martha White Mills created the Martha White Caravan (An 18 wheeler with a portable stage) and began presenting festivals with Lester Flatt & The Nashville Grass as the host band.  The first Martha White Caravan Festival was held in Mineral, Virginia at Walton Park in 1978.  Jim and Steve Waddell and I traveled to this festival and stayed in a motel nearby called Sacra’s Motel.  I remember I had an old 1972 Ford LTD and when we got to the motel and got out of the car there was this most awful
smell in the air.  We commented that if that restaurant smelled that bad we wouldn’t be eating there.  It turned out that my voltage regulator had went bad and I had been over-charging the battery.  When we opened the hood the top of the battery was moving and it was boiling hot and did it ever stink.  We got a new voltage regulator and everything was fine.

This was the same weekend when we sat in Sacra’s Restaurant with Lester Flatt and all those other Bluegrass greats.  A wonderful memory.  Another first happened at this festival.  This was the very first time that Steve, Jim and I got the nerve to get our instruments out and play in public.  Now, we weren’t very public because we got them out way out in the day parking far away from the “good pickers” down in the
festival proper.  We met a couple guys there that weekend named Simp Grant and Johnny Lett. We all played together the whole day and we discovered they lived near Hopewell, Virginia.  We began playing
together and decided to become a band.  I think the best thing about our band was the name.  Jim’s middle name is “Lee” and so we put that together with Simp’s last name “Grant” and named the band Lee & Grant & The Appomattox River Boys.  A great name for a pitifully poor group ofwould be musicians.

A year later John Hutchinson started presenting festivals at his Amelia Family Campground.  Jim and I were still making trips to festivals, but only for single days.  This is the way I attended the first couple of years at  Amelia Family Campground.  So now there were four festivals each season and during the summer of 1981 Jim and I were at an auction when we spotted a little tag-along camper.  We decided to bid on it and we got it for $500.  That September we decided we were going to spend the entire weekend at the “East Virginia Bluegrass
Festival” (That’s what the “fall” festival at the Amelia Family Campground was called back then.)  So, we got there and found a site right in the center of the campground.  And man-o-man, there was a big jam going
on while we were setting up camp.  This was gonna be really neat.  And it was.  There were some really great pickers in that jam including Barney Jones on Bass, Vic Sielski on Banjo and others.  The jam went
on all day and into the night.  This is the point when Jim figured out that staying at a festival all night was not for him.  He wanted to sleep, but these guys just kept on picking.  Jim didn’t get the sleep he wanted
and after that weekend I began travelling to festivals by myself.

I was fortunate to meet some folks at that
festival who have become fast friends and a large part on my Bluegrass life.  Camped right behind Jim and I were Scott & Elizabeth Westfall and their son and daughter-in-law Ralph & Rose Westfall.   Camped nearby was another couple, Chris & Chuck Humphreys.  Time has caused many changes since our first meeting, but we have all remained good friends to this day.

Just a year of so later I was at one of the last festivals presented by Barney Jones
when one of Richmond’s most beloved Bluegrass performers, Uncle Leroy, actually had a heart attack and fell dead on the stage.  I was not actually watching the stage show, but I heard the crash as he fell.  It reverberated throughout the park through the sound system.  Things got very quiet and within moments someone came to the campsite and told us Uncle Leroy had died.  There was a pall cast over the remainder of the festival, but those of us who were there will never forget that day.

Since those days many more festivals have come into existence and many of those older ones have faded away.  Through the years I have had three different campers.  There was that first one Jim and I bought together.  I used it for a long time,
but found a motor home at an auction sale.  It was in awful condition, but I thought I could make it usable.  I spent money on a new engine, but while attendingone “Central Virginia Family Bluegrass Music Festivals” the bed crumbledand I fell through it.  I drove it back home and never again started it up.  I finally gave it away.  Then I bought the little camper I use to this day.  It is an old camper, made in 1974, but it serves the purpose of giving me a place to sleep and keep all of my Bluegrass junk.

I still attend the two festivals in Amelia presented by John & Fern Hutchinson and I also camp at “Graves’ Mountain Festival of Music.”  I think I should mention here a wonderful festival that has come and gone, but is part of my fondest memories of Bluegrass.  This festival was “The Christopher Run Bluegrass Festival.”  It was presented at the Christopher Run Campground on Lake Anna near Mineral, Virginia by Jean & Sam Bazzanella.  This was a beautiful spot for a festival and Jean & Sam did it right.  I really miss Christopher Run.

Now there are many festivals, some of which I only make day trips and others at which I take the camper and enjoy the very
different experience of actually living at the festival.   The camping experience truly is very different.  It means you can stay up very late enjoying jams, whether you participate or simply stand around and listen.  It means getting up to the sounds of Bluegrass and smelling bacon and eggs being cooked all around the campground.  It is being seen and seeing folks that are part of your Bluegrass family.  Hey, I never liked camping, and if I were to tell you the truth I probably still don’t, but I do dearly love the feeling of togetherness that can only come from camping together among others who are there for the very same reason as you.  They love Bluegrass music!

We’ve just returned from the “Cabin Fever Pickin’ Party” and we are now anxiously awaiting the warms days of spring and those first Bluegrass festivals.  I’ve been attending Bluegrass festivals for about 37 years and if it were possible I would do it another 37.  I do know I will go to and be a part of Bluegrass festivals as long as I possibly can.  Please join me and share my love for that special phenomenon that is The Bluegrass Festival.

Carolina Road Homecoming Bluegrass Festival March 27th & 28th, 2009 - Ramada Inn, Burlington, NC

I know you’re just itching to begin the festival season and I can’t think of a better way to get your feet wet than the “Carolina Road Homecoming Bluegrass Festival” at the Ramada Inn in Burlington, N. C.

Lorraine Jordan and her band Carolina Road have been hosting this event for several years now and each year it grows in stature as the kick-off event for the Bluegrass festival season in the central Atlantic region.   This is an indoor event, but unlike Cabin Fever it is not a jamming weekend.  Even though there is a large room for open jams, the spotlight is on the performances of the bands.  And what a line up of bands will be there.  Of course Carolina Road will perform both days.  But, there are many other bands performing over the course of the weekend.

On Friday these bands are playing: Chris Jobe & Jordan, Nixon, Blevins, Gage & McDonald, Frances Mooney & Fontana Sunset, Blu-Js, Al Batten & Bluegrass Reunion, Constant Change and Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road.

Then on Saturday comes: Chris Jobe & Jordan, Crossroads Gospel, Steel Magnolia, Damascus Ridge, Al Batten & Bluegrass Reunion, Code Blue, Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass, Roby Huffman & The Bluegrass Cut-ups, Carolina Sonshine, Big Country and Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road.  Wow!  That’s a weekend full of fine Bluegrass music.  The festival is at the Ramada Inn, Burlington off I-40 at exit 143.  Call 336-227-5541 for room reservations.

Ticket are $60 for a two day pass, however advance tickets ($50/two days) are available through March 25th.  You are guaranteed a reserved seat with an advance ticket, so I believe that would make it doubly worthwhile.  Call 919-779-5672 for last minute advance tickets.

The snows are gone and gas is fairly cheap right now, so go ahead and make that drive down to Burlington and be at the season’s first Bluegrass Festival.

Mr. B's "Spring Into Bluegrass" April 23rd, 24th & 25th, 2009 Mr. B's Park, Ladysmith, Virginia

Held every last full weekend in April, Mr. B’s “Spring Into Bluegrass” festival is a weekend of Bluegrass you don’t want to miss.  Mr. B’s is the first full fledged outdoor Bluegrass festival in Virginia and it is a really fun event. Of course there’s Bluegrass and I’ll get to that shortly, but first let me tell you a little about Mr. B’s Park. 

Camping is available with complete hook-ups (water & electricity) at $25 per night.  Also there is rough camping at $5 per night, first come, first served.  Please understand, if you wish to camp you must have a three-day ticket.  Unlike many festival parks, Mr. B’s takes reservations for camp sites.  This year most sites have been reserved, but you can attend this year and reserve your site for next year before leaving the park.

Tickets are $65 in advance and since I could not find a cut-off date anywhere on the flyer, I would assume advance tickets could be purchased as late as the day before the festival actually begins.  To be sure of getting the advance rate, which represents a $10 savings of the “at the gate” price, call Mr. B’s at 804-449-6350 or purchase on line at www.MrBsPark.com.  The flyer with all needed information is included
with this last printed newsletter.

Don’t forget that if you arrive early on Wednesday April 22nd, there will be a free bean pot supper at 5:30PM.  Bring along your favorite dish or dessert to throw in with the meal.

Also, Mr. B’s has an extra added bonus with a Night Owl show, much like ours at Cabin Fever, at 11PM after the show is over on Saturday night.

I don’t have an actual band schedule, but I can tell you who’ll be performing at Mr. B’s.  Bands playing over the course of the weekend are: The Honakers, Joey Tippet, Lonesome Will Mullins, Ernie Bradley, Heather Berry, Code Blue, Paul Williams & The Victory Trio, Dark Hollow, Charles Frazier, Mark Templeton & Pocket Change, Kody Norris & The Watuga Mountain Boys, Al Batten & Bluegrass Reunion, The James King Band, The Anita Fisher Band, Bill Emerson & Sweet Dixie, The Bluegrass Brothers, Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out and Dailey & Vincent.  Believe me when I tell you that is a super line up of talent.

Don’t forget Mr. B’s famous fried chicken and burgers and hotdogs. So, mark that calendar with Mr. B’s “Spring Into Bluegrass” festival and make those plans to drive up I-95 to exit 110 at Ladysmith.

"Festival In The Pines" April 29th, 30th, May 1st & 2nd, 2009 Tripple Creek Park, Rocky Mount, Virginia

If you couldn’t make it to Mr. B’s or you simply didn’t get enough of that good ol’ Bluegrass music then the “Festival In The Pines” at Tripple Creek Park in Rocky Mount, Virginia is coming up the very next weekend over April 29th, 30th and May 1st and 2nd, 2009.  There’s so much to tell you I don’t know if I can fit it all into this one page, but I’ll try.

On Wednesday there’s the Barn/Square Dance & Showcase.  That’s right dance along with the Roan Mountain Hill Toppers and The Patrick Henry Travelers Dance Team to the music of the Friday Night Bluegrass Band.  Either sit back and watch the dancers or join in the fun.

On Thursday the festival gets underway with: Marcie Horn & Next Step, Jonathan Dillon & Phantom Grass,  Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice (Wow!)and The Bluegrass Brothers.

Then on Friday there's: Hard Drivin’ Grass, The Churchmen, The Larry Stephenson Band, Williams & Clark Expedition and The James King Band.

But, that’s not all! On Saturday: The Little Mountain Boys, Solid Rock, Michelle Nixon & Drive, The Larry Stephenson Band, Dailey & Vincent  and The Bluegrass Brothers.  That’s four big days filled with some of the best in Bluegrass.

As has become popular with Bluegrass festivals there is a pitch in supper for early arrivals.  On Tuesday April 28th bring out your favorite dish or dessert and join together for a old fashioned covered dish dinner.

There are “early bird” prices available for 4 day advance tickets.  Get your advance ticket before April 1st for only $67. That’s $8 off the “at the gate price.”  In these tough economic times any savings is welcome.  

Camping is on a first come first served basis, however, there are reserved sites.  These reservations were made before the close of last year’s festival.  The same offer is made this year.  Reserve your site for next year’s festival before 6PM on May 2nd, 2009.

Tripple Creek Music Park is located off US Route 220 south of Roanoke, Virginia,  Make plans now to enjoy a big weekend at the Festival In The Pines.

Central Virginia Family Bluegrass Music Festival May 14th, 15th & 16th, 2009 Amelia Family Campground, Amelia, Virginia 30 YEARS! 1980 thru 2009

It’s always a pleasure writing about my “home” festival and with this being the 30th year of Bluegrass produced by John & Fern Hutchinson and their family, well, the pleasure is even greater.  Presented each 3rd weekend of May and August, the “Central Virginia Family Bluegrass Music Festival” is one of the best.  

Keeping things in the family John & Fern’s only daughter “Sweet Brenda” and her husband Calvin Lawson are the emcees for the weekend as they present the best in Bluegrass.

Starting on Thursday are: The Sargent Family Bluegrass Band, Junior Sisk & Rambler’s Choice, Lawson Creek, Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass and The James King Band.

Friday promises another great day of Bluegrass featuring: Country Fried Grass, Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road, The Virginia Ramblers, New Found Road, Lonesome Will Mullins and Dailey & Vincent.

The Saturday morning Gospel sing gets underway with The Bluegrass Brothers followed by a group that took the recent showcases at Cabin Fever by a storm, The Church Sisters (Their only performance at the festival!).  Then the regular Bluegrass gets underway with: Sky Line Express, Buck & Company, Ted Jones, The Appalachian Express, The Bluegrass Brothers and Rhonda Vincent & The Rage. 

I feel I should mention especially that the show by The Appalachian Express is a very rare reunion concert and if you remember (Or even if you don’t!) this great group you should make every effort not to miss this special performance.

As usual, the Amelia Volunteer Fire Department will be serving up BBQ, burgers and fries as well as typical breakfast items all weekend.

Again, this is the 30th year of promoting festivals for John & Fern.  They won promoters of the year in 2006 and 2008 at the prestigious SPBGMA awards in Nashville, Tennessee.  Note this is a national award! 

I can boast that I have been to every festival in all of those 30 years.  I can hardly believe it’s been that long.  I want to offer a special thank you to the entire Hutchinson Family for their hospitality throughout these many years.

Tickets are $50 in advance (Cut off May 5th!) which is a $10 savings over the at the gate price. 

Camping is first come, first served, so plan to arrive early since space is limited.  John has always offered camping “in the rough” free.  This a rare thing,especially with today’s tight economy.  Join me in Amelia for the Central Virginia Family Bluegrass Music Festival.

12th Annual "PreddyFest" May 21st, 22nd & 23rd, 2009 Memorial Weekend Bluegrass Festival Franklinton, N. C.

Has PreddyFest really been happening for twelve years?  Gosh, it’s hard to believe!  Rodney started his festival as a picking party and as it grew and grew he realized that the only thing to do was to make it into a full blown festival.  Once held on the first weekend in August I used to call PreddyFest SweatyFest it was so hot. 

Last year Rodney decided to move his festival to the 1st weekend in June and wouldn’t you know it.  That weekend last year was the hottest of the entire year.  This year the long running festival called The Bass Mountain Bluegrass Festival was cancelled, so Rodney quickly chose to move his festival to that weekend, the weekend of Memorial Day.  I have a feeling this will be the charm and PreddyFest will be the best yet.

All camping is in the rough and it is free with a 3 day ticket.  Advance tickets are $50 if ordered by May 9th.  That’s a $10 savings over the at the gate price.  PreddyFest is easy to get to.  simply drive south into North Carolina.  Get off I-85 at the Rt. 56 exit and take Rt. 56 east to Green Hill Road.  Turn north of Green Hill Road and it’s a short 4 miles to PreddyFest. 

Things get underway on Thursday with: Sourwood Mountain followed by Lost Co. 35, and Constant Change.

Then on Friday the bands performing are: Hagar’s Mountain Boys, Samantha Casey & The Bluegrass Jam, GrassStreet, Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road and Roby Huffman & The Bluegrass Cut-ups.

There’s a great line-up on Saturday, too with: The James King Band, Al Batten & Bluegrass Reunion, Michael Cleveland & The Flamekeepers, Barry Scott & Second Wind and The Grass Cats.

Michael Cleveland is the IBMA Fiddle Player of the Year and his album is Instrumental Album of the Year 2008. With Roby Huffman & The Bluegrass Cut-ups on Friday’s show and Al Batten & The Bluegrass Reunion on Saturdays show you can be guaranteed of two great traditional Bluegrass bands.  There are none
finer.

Contact Rodney Preddy at 919-494-7471 or via internet at www.PreddyFest.com.  Or write via email rpreddy@touchnc.net or U.S. mail at PreddyFest, 2284 Green Hill Road, Franklinton, North Carolina, 27525. PreddyFest offers a nicely shaded concert area with concessions and hot showers.

The Graves' Mountain Festival of Music May 28th, 29th & 30th, 2009 Graves' Mountain Lodge, Syria, Virginia

This year marks the 17th annual "Graves’ Mountain Festival of Music" at the Graves’ Mountain Lodge in Syria, Virginia.  I can proudly say I only missed the first one and I’m sorry I missed that one.  There's a lot to tell you so I better get with it.

On Thursday the bands performing are: Heather Berry & Tony, The Wells Family, Junior Sisk & Rambler’s Choice, Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time and Cherryholmes.

If that wasn’t a top line up Friday just keeps getting better with: Next Best Thing (Rhonda Vincent’s daughters and the 5th generation of Vincent family Bluegrass), U. S. Navy band Country Current, Mark Templeton & Pocket Change, The James King Band, The Lonesome River Band, Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out and a very special event, The Heights of Grass reunion featuring Don Grubb, Billy Lux, Vernon Hughes, Richard Ward and more.

Jimmy Graves didn’t want Thursday and Friday to be beat out, so the line up for Saturday will be: The Bluegrass Brothers, The Mark Newton Band, Carrie Hassler & Hard Rain, The Steeldrivers, The Seldom Scene, Rhonda Vincent & The Rage followed by a special Graves’ Mountain Jam hosted by Carl Jackson and Mark Newton with many special guests.

Specially priced 3-day advance tickets are only $70 if purchased before May 1st.  This is a $20 savings per ticket  if bought at the gate,  so, I urge you to order these advance tickets now.  Camping in the rough is free with 3-day tickets.

There’s no need to bring food with you as there is an abundance of the Graves’ Mountain Famous Foods available.  The specialty for Thursday is BBQ Pork Spare Ribs (available throughout the weekend), for Friday is Fried Rainbow Trout and on Saturday is Rib-Eye Steak.  Also available are burgers, fries, ice cream and soft drinks.

The Graves’ Mountain Festival of Music is Virginia’s largest Bluegrass festival which means there are lots of people wanting to sit at the stage.  Chair tickets are available beginning on Wednesday morning May 27th, with the placing of chairs based upon your ticket number at 1PM that day (2 chairs per ticket!) So, if you want to be close to the stage arrive early! Join me at Grave’s Mountain as we enjoy the beautiful scenery while enjoying the best of Bluegrass music.

Grottoes Family Bluegrass Festival June 18th, 19th & 20th, 2009 Grand Caverns Regional Park - Grottoes, Virginia

Sweet Brenda & Calvin Lawson as Lawson Entertainment present the spring edition of the “Grottoes Family
Bluegrass Festival” this coming June 18th, 19th & 20th, 2009 at the Grand Caverns Regional Park in
Grottoes, Virginia.
There’s a lot to do at the Grottoes Festival including walking along the river, seeing the caverns and
swimming in the Olympic sized pool, but the most important and best thing to do at the Grottoes Bluegrass
Festival is see and hear the bands.
Coming up on Thursday at Grottoes is the humor and fine Bluegrass of Gold Wing Express doing two great
shows at 5PM and 7:30PM.  In between those shows there’ll be a pit luck dinner, so bring along your favorite dish or dessert and join in the fun and fellowship.

The festival get seriously underway on Friday and the following great bands perform: Allegheny Blue, Skyline Express, Next Best Thing, The Josh Williams Band and Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out.

There’s another great day of Bluegrass on Saturday with: The Little Mountain Boys, Big Country Bluegrass, The Deer Creek Boys, Country Fried Grass and The Nothin’ Fancy Bluegrass Band.

Tickets may be purchased in advance at $50 for the weekend by sending a check or money order to: Grottoes Family Bluegrass, 5401 Cralles Road, Amelia, Virginia 23002.  You may phone Lawson Entertainment at 804-561-0705 or 804-921-0606.  Or email them at lawsonentertainment@aol.com.  Also check out the festival at www.grottoesfamilybluegrass.com.
Rough camping is $20 for the entire weekend with the gates opening on Tuesday at 4:30PM. Grand Caverns Regional Park is a beautiful little park with green grass and nice large shade trees.  Mark your calendar of the Grottoes Family Bluegrass Festival.

Bluegrass At Sedalia, 2009 June 25th, 26th and 27th - Big Island, Virginia

The James River Bluegrass Association and The Sedalia Center for the Cultural Arts present “Bluegrass At Sedalia, 2009.”   If you remember the festivals of 30 years ago you might feel you have stepped back in time when attending festival at Sedalia.  What do I mean?  I certainly do not mean the days when drinking and drug use rampaged through the festival grounds and children were in danger.  No!  I mean there was a certain togetherness back in those days with campers all close together and it seemed you knew everyone around you.  It feels that way at Sedalia.  When you get there you’ll see what I mean.

The bands playing at Sedalia are: Black Bear Express, Blackwater, The Bluegrass Brothers, The Deer Creek Boys, FaithRidge, Hard Drivin’ Grass, High Ground, Kinney Rorrer & The New North Carolina Ramblers, Mark Templeton & Pocket Change, Reed Creek and Smith Mountain Grass.

Camping at Sedalia is on a first come first served basis with the campground opening June 21st.  Electrical hook-ups are limited and run $40 for the three nights of the festival.  rough camping is $5 per night.  

One of the neat things about Sedalia is the entirely covered concert area.  It seems not matter how hot the day the stage area is comfortable and much cooler than the the area around it.

I’m gonna let you in on a little secret.  When I was a kid my Mama used to make “fried pies.”  Fried pies are
made using dried fruit that has been reconstituted and places on one half of a round piece of pie crust that is then folded over and crimped closed and then pan fried to a deep golden brown.  Last year I saw a guy eating what looked to me just like a fried pie.  I asked him where he got it and sure enough this lady had brought over a large bunch of peach and apple fried pies.  They were so good I bought a dozen to take home with me.  Mmmm, Mmmmm!  They were good! Other foods at Sedalia include BBQ ribs and chicken cooked right on the premises.  I’ve got to tell you if you want any of this wonderful BBQ you better line up when they start emptying the grill.
Order $40 advance tickets by writing 1108 Sedalia School Road, Big Island, VA 24526 or by calling 434-299-5080 or check out their website at www.sedaliacenter.org.  Maybe I’ll see you there.

5th Annual James King Bluegrass Festival Rockahock Campground - Lanexa, Virginia June 25th, 26th & 27th, 2009

Once again "The James King Bluegrass Festival" will occur at the Rockahock Campground on Lanexa, Virginia thus coming June 25th, 26th and 27th, 2009.   The Rockahock Campground is on the Chickahominy River just off US Route 60 near Williamsburg, Virginia.  Earlybird advance tickets priced at $55 for the weekend are available if ordered before May 1st, 2009.  That’s a $10 savings over the regular $65 ticket price.  So, if you know you’re going why not order in advance.

Again this year the line up is fine including: The James King Band (All three days!), Sierra Hull & Highway 111, Bradley Walker, Lost & Found, Randy Waller & The Country Gentlemen, Blue Highway, Country Fried Grass, Code Blue, Bill Emerson & The Sweet Dixie Band, Lawson Creek, Gold Wing Express and many more to be announced.  That’s quite a diversified line up of great Bluegrass
music.

Full service camping at Rockahock is handled differently than at most festivals, therefore my best advice to you is to go on-line to www.rockahock.com to check on festival camping and rates.  Primitive RV sites are available for $40 for the weekend or $15 per night.

Next door to the campground is a fine Italian Restaurant, so if you get tired of eating “festival” food there’s a really nice place to sit and have dinner.

Rockahock has a large pavilion available to festival goers for their use to jam.  Also attached to this pavilion is the campground shower house.  These showers are each completely separate from the others and can be used by either sex.  When you enter the shower you are alone and can lock the door behind you.  This is a great idea and a feature that really impresses me. Another interesting difference that separates Rockahock from other festivals is the fact that the stage area is considered part of the bar and restaurant.  You can buy beer and mixed drinks and drink them in your lawn chair as you watch the show.  This same feature, however prevents you from bringing anything into the area with you.  Just as with any restaurant you cannot bring food or drink into the stage area.

So, make plans to join your friends at the James King bluegrass Festival at The Rockahock Campground on June 25th, 26th and 27th, 2009.

26th Annual Mineral Bluegrass Festival July 16th, 17th & 18th, 2009 Walton Park - Mineral, Virginia

Adams & Anderson LLC presents the 26th annual Mineral Bluegrass Festival at Walton Park in Mineral, Virginia this coming July 16th, 17th and 18th, 2009. The first festival ever held at Walton park was presented in 1978 by Lester Flatt and The Martha White Caravan.  As I’ve mentioned in these pages before I remember so well sitting in Sacra’s Restaurant on Saturday morning eating breakfast with the other tables filled with my Bluegrass heroes.  Lester Flatt and his bandmates were at one table.  Jim & Jesse were at another.  There was Jimmy Martin sitting at a table and Ralph Stanley at yet another.  My brother and I were going on and on about Bluegrass, but we could hear these guys talking about fixing the roof or working on their car.  They were talking about every day things just like we do when we’re at work.  I’ll never forget it.

On Thursday at Mineral things get underway with Lonesome Will Mullins & The Virginia Playboys followed by: Paul Williams & The Victory Trio, The Steep Canyon Rangers, Marty Raybon & Full Circle and Dailey & Vincent.  

Friday has yet another host of bands including: Jay Armsworthy & Eastern Tradition, Bill Yates & The Country Gentlemen Reunion Band, The Chuck Wagon Gang (Is this Bluegrass?) Goldwing Express and Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out.

There’s yet another big day of Bluegrass on Saturday with: The Little Mountain Boys, The Virginia Ramblers, The Gary Waldrep Band, Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys, The Grascals & Rhonda Vincent & The Rage.

Advance tickets for the weekend are $75 which is a $10 (Must be received by July 6th, 2009) savings over the at the gate price.  Rough camping is available at $25 for the weekend.  Full hook-ups are very limited, so please call ahead for availability.  Call 540-894-9811 for camping details.