There's a lot I want to share with you today. I'll begin by telling you about the great time I had at the "Graves Mountain Festival of Music" out in Syria, VA. I arrived on Wednesday and found Jack & Peggy Woodall and Bill & Gertie Richardson exactly where I expected to find them. Bill came over to my sight and helped me get my canopy (Twice! But that's another story!)up. From then on we enjoyed a wonderful weekend of Bluegrass and socializing. I have to be honest and tell you it rained every single day, but the rains were short lived and the grounds dry quickly at Graves. The friends I saw over the course of the weekend are too numerous to mention, but let it be said that Graves was a great time and seeing the old friends made it all the better. I attended a number of the stage performances. I guess my favorite was the last show Thursday evening when The Seldom Scene closed out the day. As always, a great way to end any day at Graves. The special performances held through-out the day on Friday as part of the Rural Rhythm live recording project were very good; especially the collaborations in the early evening followed by the special singing of "Graves Mountain Memories" written by Carl Jackson especially for Jimmy Graves and the Graves Mountain Festival of Music. The DVD and CD project is slated for release this fall. It should be a very good recording. Well, that's enough about what is past; it's time to tell you about two great festivals coming up real soon.
GROTTOES FAMILY BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL - JUNE 17TH, 18TH & 19TH, 2010 - GROTTOES, VA
The team of Sweet Brenda & Him and their production company Lawson Entertainment presents the "Grottoes Family Bluegrass Festival" on June 17th, 18th & 19th. If you've never been to Grand Caverns Regional Park near the town of Grottoes, VA you have missed not only a great and beautiful little park, but also the great Bluegrass Festival there. My friends Billy & Lynette Dooley and Ralph and Rose Westfall and I went to the very first festival held at the park and to several more over the ensuing years. Back in those days it was called the Grand Caverns Bluegrass Festival because the park is adjacent to the caverns. The caverns, by the way, are wonderful and make a great break in the middle of a hot day at the Grottoes Bluegrass Festival. One year WCVE Channel 23 brought their cameras to the Grand Caverns Bluegrass Festival and spent the entire day taping various jams and interviewing folks. They took those hours of tape and reduced them down to about a 8 minute segment of their show "Virginia Currents." It was a great segment that i still have on VHS tape.
Well, I had better get to the music or I'll be here on this computer all day. There are three groups performing on Thursday beginning with a group called West Wind. This group is new to me. What little I know I found on their FaceBook page which is the link I have provided above. Next is an up a coming band called The Hagar's Mountain Boys. These guys are good and just keep getting better. Be sure to catch them at Grottoes. Last up in Thursday is none other than Marty Rabon & Full Circle. Marty spent a number of years as part of the country act Shenandoah and after the break up of the group he reconnected with his Bluegrass roots and began the band Full Circle. Marty has a strong lead voice and always keeps a top notch band.
Friday gets under way with Mill Run, a great band featuring the singing of Billy Sue & Bob Goff Junior. Many of you may remember Billy Sue's dad Bill Clark. His voice boomed over the top of his loud Martin Guitar back up work as he performed all around Central Virginia. Billy Sue learned from her dad and also is easily heard as she sings with soul and conviction. Combine that strong voice with the equally strong voice of her husband Bob Goff Junior and you've got and unbeatable combination. The next band up is Virginia Blue. I can't tell you anything about Virginia Blue, so make some time to get down to the stage and check them out. The next band is the very popular Country Fried Grass. These guys love to play Bluegrass which will be evident as you watch them perform. These fellows all camp together at the Amelia festival. Now, you don't see much of them during the daylight hours, but if you're up in the middle of the night and want to hear some Bluegrass then just listen and follow your ears to their all night jams. The ever popular Bluegrass Brothers are up next. This performance is just two short weeks after their their own festival. I spoke with Rhonda Vincent at the Graves Mountain Festival this past Saturday and she said the crowds at the first Bluegrass Brothers Bluegrass Festival were huge. Congratulations guys! Wrapping things up at Grottoes on Friday is the great baritone lead voice of Josh Williams and The Josh Williams Band. Most of you will remember Josh from his days with Rhonda Vincent & The Rage. Josh's strong baritone voice is in great demand as he joins many performers in the studio to provide back up vocals.
There's another full day of Bluegrass on Saturday at Grottoes starting with one of the very best sister duets I have ever heard, The Church Sisters. These twin girls, who really don't look like twins, are very talented and sing with that special harmony afforded very few, even if they are family. Up next is another group of which I know little or nothing. They are Shenandoah Drive. The wonderful traditional sounds of Dark Hollow are up next at Grottoes on Saturday. These guys truly love traditional Bluegrass and honor that tradition with superb arrangements of the older music in Bluegrass. If you like your Bluegrass served up with a little braggadocio and comedy then you need to look no further than the music of Lonesome Will Mullins & The Virginia Playboys. Last up on Saturday is the unmistakable voice of Junior Sisk & Rambler's Choice. Junior was once a member of the now defunct band Blue Ridge, but during those years he never reached the success he now enjoys.
So there you have it; three great days of Bluegrass at one of the very nicest parks in all of Virginia. Make plans to attend The Grottoes Bluegrass Festival by ordering your advance tickets ($50)right now. Call Sweet Brenda or Calvin at 804-561-0705. Hurry! Maybe I'll see you there.
Sedailia Bluegrass Festival - June 24th, 25th & 26th, 2010 - Big Island, VA
Do you remember those early festivals in the 70s and early 80s? They were small and intimate and everybody knew everybody else. Do you miss those days? If you do then look no farther than the "Sedalia Bluegrass Festival" in Big Island, VA. Now, if your thinking, "Hmm, Big Island, must be down on the coast?" Nooooo! You are wrong. Big Island, VA is on the James River near Bedford, VA. I haven't seen it with my own eyes, but I've been told there's a (you guessed it!) big island in the river near there. So now that we've got the 'big island" thing all cleared up, what about Sedalia? To be truthful I don't know why it's called the Sedalia Bluegrass Festival other than it is held on the grounds of The Sedalia Center for Performing Arts which at one time was the Sedalia School. Hey that's enough about that stuff; let's get down to the Bluegrass. Right?
I'm not gonna give you a blow by blow story here, but rather I'll list who'll be there each day. On Thursday you'll hear Black Bear Express, a local band, followed by Footbridge and Ted Jones & The Tarheel Boys. Black Bear Express is back on Friday followed by Against The Grain and Junior Sisk & Rambler's Choice. Saturday gets underway with the band Plain & Simple followed by Carolina Sunshine; Kenny Rorrer The New NC Ramblers; Kody Norris & The Watuga Mountain Boys and Big Country Bluegrass.
As much as I enjoy the togetherness and comradery of the Sedalia Bluegrass Festival I will most likely miss it this year to drive out the the River Of Music Party (ROMP) in Owensboro, Kentucky which is held that same weekend. As an old retired guy I now can travel farther and stay longer. I used to have this device called an alarm clock. Oh, I hated it. It's gone now and Bluegrass (Something I love!) has taken it's place.
Now, tomorrow I'm off to Franklinton, NC to enjoy a full weekend of Bluegrass at Rodney Preddy's PreddyFest Bluegrass Festival. So, I guess for now this is..............
"NUFF SAID!"
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