Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Graves' Mountain Festival of Music - May 31st & June 1st & 2nd, 2012 - Syria, VA

Yes, the time has, once again, rolled around for the Graves' Mountain Festival of Music, this being the 20th year.  My time does fly when fun is being had.  Graves Mountain Lodge and the grounds surrounding it are, indeed, a beautiful spot in Virginia.  Nestled just below the crest of Virginia' Blue Ridge Mountains, there is hardly a more spectacular spot for Bluegrass music to ring through the air.Campers in the festival grounds @ Graves Mountain Lodge Upper Lodges @ Graves Mountain LodgeView from upper lodges @ Graves' Mountain Lodge 

So now I think you have an idea of the beauty at Graves' Mountain lodge; now lets talk about what you can expect when you arrive.

First and foremost, this has been the most mis-understood thing about The Graves' Mountain Festival of Music. camping completely free with the purchase of a 3 DAY TICKET!  If you arrive on Saturday expecting to purchase a one day ticket and to camp. Forget it.  Clearly the flyer and all ads for the festival state that camping is free with a 3-Day ticket. not a one day ticket.  So, if you come in Saturday with a camper you will be expected to buy a 3-DAY TICKET and then camping is free, as it is to everyone. Understand??? So, my question to you is, if you're planning to come and camp, then why not come for all three days like the rest of us?  The cost will be the same and you'll get to hear lots more Bluegrass that way.  It's just common sense.

Food!  FOOD!!!  Now, you can bring your own, if you wish, but the Graves' Mountain Lodge is famous for the great meals they serve and the festival is presented by Jimmy Graves and his family, so why would you expect less at the festival?  On Thursday night the serve up some mouth watering and tasty BBQ Ribs with all the expected fixing, panned apples, fries and other veggies.  But wait, while you can get this great meal for the entire weekend, or until supplies run out, on Friday they serve up a spectacular Rainbow Trout dinner.  Saturday is their traditional Steak Night with a very tasty Rib Eye (The King of Steaks!) Steak dinner with baked potato, fries, etc.  So, yeah, bring along your own food and cook and clean and worry about ice, etc.  But why???

This year, I've heard many folks say, has a very different line-up.  Okay, they didn't say, "very different" but you get my drift.  I want to quickly go through the list for each day.  Let's start with Thursday, appearing will be: Dark Hollow; The U.S. Navy Band Country Current; Junior Sisk & Rambler's Choice; Goldwing Express and The Gibson Brothers.  Coming up on Friday is another, but distinctly more varied list of groups, Shenandoah Drive; The Snyder Family; Monroeville; Stetson & Cia (Of Cherryholmes fame); The Rockin' Acoustic Circus and The Carolina Chocolate Drops.  Saturday boasts an even more eclectic mixture of performers, The Moore Brothers Band; Mark Templeton & Pocket Change; Mark Newton's Stillhouse Band; Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen; The Cleverlys; Balsam Range and The Quebe Sisters.

So there you have it.  The Graves' Mountain Festival of Music.  Make plans to attend.  I'm afraid budget constraints and the price of gas may well keep me home this time, (Gosh I hate to miss it!) but I want to hear lots of stories from you as you tell me about your trip to the 2012 edition of The Graves' Mountain Festival of Music.

"NUFF SAID!"

Friday, May 4, 2012

Earl Scruggs - My Experiences - Gary Robertson

A very good friend and a fellow blogger (Who by the way hasn't sent me notice of a blog posting in months!) read my blog entry concerning Earl Scruggs which quoted a long and sincere letter to all of us Banjo nuts, from Kristen Scott Benson, about how she experienced Earl and her feelings.  I thought her letter to be well written and all-encompassing, however, my friend wanted to hear my thoughts on Earl.  Soooo, here goes.  Get ready, this could be a long ride.

First I must tell you that I only met Earl Scruggs on three occasions and on two of them he was simply sitting at a table autographing whatever we had to offer.  The first time was on my second trip to Nashville to attend the 18th annual SPBGMA weekend.  I was walking around the exhibit hall when I heard and felt a commotion going on.  "What in the world," I thought and then I saw him.  There's Earl Scruggs and a hush fell over the room as he was guided through the crowd to an anteroom toward the back.  We found out through very fast word of mouth that he was there to sign autographs.  I had nothing for him to sign and was feeling more than a little frustrated.  A long line quickly formed and it was then that I saw folks coming out of the room carrying the large Gibson advertising poster with a huge picture of Earl on it.  And he was autographing them. I got in line right away.  This was gonna be cool.  The line stretched all the way the length of the exhibit hall and then zig-zagged back and forth in the room where Earl was. . . . . . .  Now, let me back up in time just a bit.  I created a t-shirt in 1984 that reads "No! I'm Not Earl Scruggs."  I'll tell you later why I created it, but for now let me tell you that Little Roy Lewis is a Scruggs man through and through and the first time he saw me wearing that shirt he just about busted a seam laughing.  It sort of opened a dialogue between Little Roy and me as it has with many strangers.  Little Roy laughed and laughed and asked where I got such an idea.  I told him the story and he loved it.  Anyway, he told Earl about my shirt and he told me about it the next time I saw him.  Little Roy said all Earl could say was, "Why would he do a thing like that."  Real dry like.  Little Roy told me Earl didn't have a great sense of humor and he just didn't get it. . . . . . . So, I'm standing in line waiting and I'm about ten people back in line from getting to Earl and they ran out of the Gibson posters.  Dang!  Of all the rotten luck!  All i had on me was a advertisement from one of the display tables, so I got Earl to sign that.  Today, I have no idea where that autograph is.  To say I was really disappointed is an understatement.  I guess that's why I don't know what I've done with his autograph.  But, there's more to this meeting.  While I was getting his autograph I proceeded to ask if he remembered Little Roy telling him about a guy in Virginia that made up a T-shirt that said, "No! I'm Not Earl Scruggs."  He said he remembered and asked me the same question he asked Little Roy, "Why would you do that?"  I tried to explain, but Earl was just too serious and rooted in the real world to see that even for humor it didn't make sense.  I had to leave it at that,  at least for the moment.

The second time I met Earl Scruggs was probably the best one, except I sorta froze because it was sudden and totally unexpected.  This time I was attending my third IBMA ""World of Bluegrass" event in Louisville, KY.  It was mid-week, if I recall correctly and I was walking in a nearly empty hallway toward the  exhibit hall and as I rounded the corner, really not paying much attention to what I was going I nearly ran right into him as he was walking toward me.  I was flabbergasted and not being prepared, all I could think to do was say hello and offer my hand.  We did shake hands and he said something like, "Nice to see you." or something like that.  Then he kept walking and so did I.  So, there goes my real chance to perhaps talk one on one with the great one and I say, "hello."  Just a star struck fool, I guess.

The third and last time I was able to speak and shake hands with Earl was long anticipated.  Sigrid Williams, the president of the Virginia Folk Music Association, hired Earl to appear at the VFMA Jumpin' Bluegrass Festival.  I knew months in advance and I came up with idea to make a shirt that said "No! I'm Not Gary Robertson" and present it to Earl.  Pretty funny, I thought.  Ha Ha!  So, I made up the shirt, just like I do mine, with a black magic marker.  After listening to him perform, and quite well I might say, he sat at a table and a line formed for autographs.  I asked him sign the cover of the VFMA program booklet and then gave him the shirt.  He stood up and held the shirt up in front of him and I stood next to him in my shirt.  He almost instantly threw the shirt on the ground, but not before someone got a picture of us together.  It's been a while, but if memory serves me right, it was Randy Grigg who took the picture.  Randy, if it was you, I never got a copy of the picture.  Hint, hint!  Another funny thing about that day was that Earl's wife, Louise, was with him.  She saw my shirt and she really eyed me carefully.  I had heard most of my life that Louise was a shrewd business woman and had everything with Earl's likeness or name on it copyrighted.  I was sure she was gonna ask me for money, but she didn't, after all.  Also, Marty Stuart was there that day helping Earl out and he saw and liked my shirt.  He got out his 35MM camera and took a couple of pictures of me and with me.  I have heard from some friends that Marty has several videos on the market and that one of them shows me in the shirt.  Sure would like to see that some day.  BTW: There were a bunch of middle aged women there shouting at Marty, wanting his autograph.  I told Marty, "Those women want your autograph."  He looked their way and back at me and said, "Forget 'em, this is Earl's day."

These were the three time I actually met Earl and shook his hand and spoke with him.  Other that these, I have seen him perform on several occasions.  The first time was a very long time ago when he and The Earl Scruggs Revue appeared as part of a package show touring the country after the great success of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" album.  Larry Stephenson was there at the tender age of 16, performing with his dad in the very first Larry Stephenson Band.  I've spoken and emailed several times with Larry about that show.  He even sent me a copy of the show schedule for that day.scan0012

I've enlarged this as big as I can and I am hoping you will be able to read it.  Also, I got a picture of Earl signing autographs that day. Earl Scruggs signing autographs at the Robins Center, University of Richmond I think the most poignant of the times I saw Earl Scruggs was at the IBMA Awards in 2010.  Earl was old and he looked the part.  He was stooped and could barely walk, but he made his way to the chair there waiting for him, center stage.  His son, Randy, draped the guitar strap over his shoulder as he handed Earl his guitar.  Moments later, Earl began playing his wonderful song, "You Are My Flower," and it melted the years away and I felt moved to tears hearing this great man play that beautiful melody with all the strength and vitality of his youth.  What a special moment in my life that was.Earl Scruggs performing

{I don't understand all of the intricacies of how computers work.  I cannot make this picture appear as part of the article, but if you click inside the box it should appear on a separate page.  Sorry for the problem. - Gary}

When this performance was over, Earl was helped from the stage and his guitar was left and all of the lights went down except for a soft spotlight on the guitar.Earl Scruggs' guitar on stage at the Ryman

"NUFF SAID!"

Thursday, May 3, 2012

VMRE/WSVS Presents Lynryrd Skynyrd @ Hooper Park, Crewe, VA IMPORTANT PARKING INFO!!!

Hi Folks.  The Lynyrd Skynyrd concert is going to be a huge success.  Ticket sales have been brisk and a very large crowd is expected, therefore to make your experience the best it can be, VMRE has issued a large essay on parking and other rules.  Tickets are still available, so if you want to see Lynyrd Skynyrd at a wonderful outdoor park, this is you chance.  PLEASE read over everything below, so there will be no surprises when you arrive.  My understanding is that VMRE has hired the company that handles parking for NASCAR at the Richmond International Speedway (RIR), so things should go smoothly.  All information below is directly from Penny Parsons, the media contact for VMRE.

"On Friday, May 11, 2012 at 6:30 PM the Virginia Museum of Radio Entertainment is pleased to present iconic rock band LYNYRD SKYNYRD at The Virginia State Park Pavilion at Hooper Park, on Melody Lane in Crewe, VA.    Tickets are $25.00 advance, $30.00 at the gate, and $45.00 for Gold Circle seating.  They are available through
www.ticketstobuy.com and at select Benchmark Community Bank locations. 
TICKETS ARE LIMITED, SO ORDER EARLY!  Hooper Park is easily accessible from Highways 360 and 460.  For more information, visit:
www.virginiacrossroadslive.com and click on Event Info.

IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS A SAFE AND ENJOYABLE EXPERIENCE FOR EVERYONE,
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION AND REGULATIONS:
TRAFFIC:


Hwy 360 West Traffic (coming from Chesterfield/Powhatan/Amelia/Richmond)
Traffic arriving on Hwy 360 West should follow concert signs, turning left onto Hwy 49, then right onto Melody Lane.


Hwy 360/460 East Traffic (coming from South Boston/Farmville/Lynchburg)
Traffic arriving on Hwy 360 East and Hwy 460 East should bear left on Hwy 360 East (at the 360/460 split) and immediately move into the right lane.  Follow concert signs, turning right onto Melody Lane.

Hwy 460 West Traffic (coming from Blackstone/Petersburg/I-85)Traffic arriving on Hwy 460 West should SLOW DOWN while driving through the town of Crewe.  Just west of Crewe, Hwy 460 West expands to 2 lanes in each direction.  Concert traffic should remain in the right lane and
follow concert signs, turning right onto Hwy 49, then left onto Melody Lane.

 
STARTING AT 3:00 PM, TUNE TO 800 AM WSVS FOR CONCERT TRAFFIC AND
PARKING INFORMATION!
PARKING:


ALL PARKING AREAS WILL OPEN AT 3:00 PM
Free parking will be available at Hooper Park on a first come, first served basis.  No vehicles will be allowed into Hooper Park prior to 3:00 PM and no vehicles will be allowed to park along Hwy 360 or Hwy 460 waiting for the park to open.

Paid parking (to benefit the Crewe/Burkeville Recreation Association) will be available at Beamer Field on Hwy 460 in downtown Crewe.  Shuttles to and from Hooper Park will run regularly from 3:00 PM until 11:00 PM.

Paid parking will also be available behind Weston’s Motel & Restaurant on Melody Lane (walking distance from Hooper Park).


PLEASE NOTE: There may be private property owners offering paid parking
services near Hooper Park.  The Virginia Museum of Radio Entertainment
is not responsible for privately owned parking areas or for the fees charged by private individuals during any Virginia Crossroads Live event.

 
CONCESSIONS:
BEER & WINE SALES:
Beer, wine, and other food and beverage concessions will be available at Hooper Park.  Patrons must purchase beer tickets in order to be served beer and wine.  Cash WILL NOT be accepted at the beer and wine
service areas.  Anyone wishing to consume alcoholic beverages within the pavilion area will be required to present a photo ID in order to obtain a wristband that indicates the wearer is of legal age.  No
patron will be served without a valid wristband.


PLEASE NOTE: There is a strict limit of 5 alcoholic beverages per person in effect for the Lynyrd Skynyrd concert.  In addition, anyone who appears to be inebriated will be denied service.   For the safety of all in attendance, any patron who appears to be inebriated upon arrival at the front gate will be denied admission without refund.  This will be strictly enforced by security and police during all Virginia Crossroads Live events.

 
NO TAILGATING:
There is absolutely no tailgating permitted in the parking areas provided by The Virginia Museum of Radio Entertainment.  These areas include the Hooper Park, American Legion, and Weston’s Restaurant
parking areas.  Tailgating is also prohibited in the Beamer Field parking area.  Anyone caught tailgating within these areas will be
asked to leave the area without refund.
Virginia State ABC law prohibits ANY open containers of alcohol or consumption of alcoholic beverages anywhere outside of the concert pavilion area.  Virginia ABC agents will enforce this law.


THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION.  OUR GOAL IS TO PROVIDE A SAFE AND
PLEASANT ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL OF OUR PATRONS."  
end quote

So, Folks, please follow these rules which ensure enjoyment for all concert goers. The main thing is have fun and leave your contrariness and belligerence at home! (You know who you are!  ;~})   And, hopefully this is. . . . . .

"NUFF SAID!"