Cabin Fever Pickin' Party March 5, 6, 7 & 8, 2009 Hampton, Virginia

Can you believe it?  Before you know it the 2009 edition of the "Cabin Fever Pickin' Party" will have come and gone.  But let’s savor the fact that it isn’t here yet and that the fun is all ahead of us.  Cathy & Earl
Banton and their family have been presenting the wonderful weekend for 14 years.  Yeah, isn’t that amazing!  I can proudly proclaim that I have attended every show.  Now I have to admit that at one
weekend of Cabin Fever while we were back in Williamsburg, I showed up with one of the worst cases of the flu that I can ever recall having.  Many people left Cabin Fever that weekend with the flu and I have always felt bad about that, but not bad enough that if I had the flu again I still would come.  I’ve had my flu shot, so let’s hope that will not happen.  Speaking of Williamsburg, we used to meet at the George Washington Motor Inn and, boy oh boy, did we have some good times there.  There were only about 200 of us at that first Cabin Fever.  As a matter of fact we were so small that we didn’t even use up half of the hotel.  We may have only used half the rooms, but by golly they knew we were there.  We jammed everywhere.  The poor folks at the front desk must have been frazzled as the music around that front desk went on non-stop for three days.  I got there as early as I could that Thursday morning and when I walked in there was a group playing there in the lobby.  John “Charlie Moore” Donaldson asked me to get out my Banjo and we jammed for several hours.  I can truly say I was part of the very first jam at Cabin
Fever.  Later that evening there was a large jam where we all sat in chairs in a huge circle and passed around song after song.  With over 20 people in a jam and everyone wanting a chance to pick it takes a while to do just one song.  Another thing that has changed is smoking.  Back then I had just stopped smoking, but most of my friends still were.  There was an entire hallway of smoking rooms and the haze hung in that hall like a fog.  Now, most everyone doesn’t smoke and if they do, it must be outside.

It’s fun to reminisce about those days, but these “good new days” are coming up and that’s what this article is all about.  First, I need to tackle the hotel space issue.  We are up against another musical group this year.  The rock band “Phish” has come back together for a reunion concert tour.  Having been formed in the Hampton, Virginia area, they have a huge following in that area.  They have booked the Hampton Coliseum
over the same weekend as Cabin Fever and there huge following of fans has taken just about every spare room in all of Hampton and beyond.  So, if you didn’t plan ahead and book your room last year before
leaving Cabin Fever it is likely you will not find a room anywhere near Hampton.  All I can tell you is to be persistent and keep on trying.  Cabin Fever is just too much fun to miss.  Please, this year, be sure to turn in
your hotel reservation form as early as you can.  If you can’t get a room this year, please order your tickets in advance.  With the tickets there will be a hotel reservation form for the 2010 version of Cabin Fever.  Be sure to fill it out and go to the Holiday Inn, even if you don’t have a room, and drop that form in the box on the front desk.  This won’t guarantee you a room next year, but you’ll certainly have a better chance at
getting one.

This year, for the first time, there will be official showcase bands on Thursday evening.  The first band up on Thursday at 7:20PM will be Hard Drivin’ Grass.  These young folks from the Lynchburg area won the VFMA band championship back in 2007.  It is heartwarming to know that there is a new generation interested in Bluegrass and will carry on the tradition.  Next up is Some Assembly Required from around Richmond.  Some Assembly Required has been busy in the studio and expects to have their first CD available by the time of this showcase.  I’m afraid I’m a bit out of touch with the newer bands and really can’t tell you anything about them.  The last two band to play on Thursday are Blue Mountain Sunrise and Hanover Express.

Friday has a full day of showcases beginning with Jonathan Dillon.  If you’ve been around Bluegrass in Central Virginia the last few years you should have noticed Jonathan Dillon.  This young man began wowing crowds at a very young age and is now a veteran at under 15 years old.   Finishing out the afternoon showcases are; New Grass Revue, Eastern Tradition, Sweet Potato Pie and Loose Gravel.  After the supper break at 5 PM things get going again with Aspen Run followed by Ted Jones & The Tarheel Boys,
Blu’ Lonesome, Deer Creek Boys and Code Blue.

Throughout the day on Saturday there will be workshops on Banjo, Mandolin, Guitar, Bass, Fiddle, Dobro and vocals.  Check the schedule in your Cabin Fever program for times and places.   The early afternoon
showcases on Saturday begin with the Fitzmaurice Band followed by Thunder Creek, Kody Norris & The Watuga Mountain Boys, Deeper Shade of Blue and Northridge.  After supper things get started with Constant Change followed by The Virginia Ramblers, Greetings (Note, this may not be a band, but it is
listed as such), Lonesome Highway, The Midnight Ramblers and Mark Templeton & Pocket Change.

On Sunday at 9AM there is a Gospel service featuring the music of Bluegrass Gospel Express.

Here’s hoping you will join me as I enjoy my 14th annual “Cabin Fever Pickin’ Party.”  See you there!

"Night Owl Concerts - Shorter Showcases - More Bands!

I am in the process of booking the bands for this year’s “Night Owl Concerts” as part of the “Cabin Fever Pickin’ Party.”  This year I plan to cut the length of each concert by 5 minutes, in order to accommodate having 8 bands instead of the usual six.  Therefore the shows will begin at the usual 11PM, but will end at 2:20AM.  I regret this shortening of showcases, but since I am only allowed one night to present the Night Owl Concerts, this was the only way I could find to offer more bands for your listening pleasure.  Rest assured there will be less than 30 seconds between bands and we will end each set as nearly as we can to the
promised time.  I am not completely booked, but have bands selected and I am awaiting agreement.  Bands that definitely are playing are: Code Blue, The Flatland Bluegrass Band, The Willow Creek Band and Route 35.  I will announce the full schedule soon. As last year there will be no refreshments offered.  I found most folks didn’t even notice last year.  So, don’t forget the “Night Owl Concerts,” Saturday, March 7th, 2008 in the Holiday Room.

Appomattox Bluegrass Series, 2009 - Appomattox High School

With the arrival of steady cold temperatures comes the Appomattox Bluegrass Series, presented by the Appomattox High School Athletic Booster Club.  As in years past there will be six concerts presented throughout the months of January, February and March. There are two great shows coming up in January.  The first is on January 18th and features Salem,
Virginia’s Bluegrass Brothers.  The name of the group is doubly definitive since the Bluegrass Brothers is made up of two sets of Brothers.  The first set of brothers were part of the original family band called The Bluegrass Playboys.  After taking a decade or so to raise their families, two of the brothers, Victor and Robert Dowdy joined together to form The Bluegrass Brothers.  As time passed and two more members of the family joined the group.  Steven and Donald Dowdy, sons of Victor Dowdy, joined the

group, at first both playing Guitar, but now Donald plays Mandolin with the group.  The music of the Bluegrass Brothers is dynamic and boisterous.  I’ve always said if you can sit still through a Bluegrass
Brothers concert then you just don’t get it.  These fellows are entertainers first and singers and pickers second.  Be sure to drive out to Appomattox to see and hear the Bluegrass Brothers on January 18th,
The very next Sunday, January 25th, 2009 we’ll be treated to the IBMA Award winning Dailey & Vincent.  Dailey & Vincent were nominated for 10 awards and won 7 of the 10.  This makes them the first group to
win as many awards.  Awards are nice, but does this mean the band is that good?  Yes! Emphatically, I must tell you they are that good.  They are entertaining, and great fun.  Their music is flawless and the humor
sprinkled throughout the show keeps a smile on your face.  Jamie Dailey worked with Doyle Lawson for ten years and learned the business very well.  He is never proud, but always insists of giving his time with Dolye the credit it deserves.  Doyle Lawson has always felt humor is important and he and Jamie worked well together.  But, if you haven’t seen Dailey & Vincent then you haven’t seen anything yet.  Darrin Vincent worked for nearly ten years with Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder.  As a member of his family band, The Sally Mountain Show, along with his sister Rhonda Vincent,  Darrin learned his music at a young age and has never stopped learning.  He is in demand as a record producer as well as a performer.  He and Jamie fit so well together that it seems they have been a duo for years.  Be sure to get out to Appomattox for Dailey & Vincent.  You will be entertained.

 
Nothin’ Fancy and Williams & Clark Expedition will be in Appomattox on February 22nd.  There are three shows in March, the first being Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver on March 1st followed by IIIrd Tyme Out on March 8th and Rhonda Vincent & The Rage on March 15th.  More about these shows later.

Tickets are $15 in advance or at the door.  Even though there is no savings in buying your tickets in advance, I recommend doing so because sometimes these shows sell out and you wouldn’t want to miss out. 
Tickets are available at Carquest and Jamerson Building Supply in Appomattox, Taylor Forbes in
Farmville and Lynchburg Music in Lynchburg.  You may also order “will call” tickets by calling Allen or Kelly Smith at 434-248-6105 or by email at kellyandallen@yahoo.com.   You may also visit their website at
www.appomattoxbluegrass.com.  All shows are on Sunday afternoons and start at 2PM. I hope you will join me in Appomattox for six wonderful Sundays this winter.

Pic of Dailey & Vincent from last year's show in Appomattox.

Cabin Fever Pickin' Party March 5th thru 8th, 2009 Hampton, Virginia

As our memories of the holiday season begin to fade we are anxiously awaiting the winter to pass, so we can make that short drive down to Hampton, Virginia to enjoy the 14th annual “Cabin Fever Pickin’ Party.” 
Cathy & Earl Banton and their extended family have been working hard to get everything ready for us.  They do everything they can to make our visit as easy and friendly as possible.  For example, as in years past there is early registration.  That is you can turn in your tickets and receive your armbands on Thursday
instead of using part of Friday to get it done.  Also, if you arrive early you can turn in your 2010 Hotel Reservation Form, making getting the room and hotel of your choice more likely.  This prompts me to
recommend you order your tickets right now.  There is a $5 savings by ordering early.  Hey, you know you’re going so why not order your tickets at $25 each for the entire weekend and save that $5.  I think right here is the best time to explain the ticket price.  There are no one day tickets.  The cost is $25 for the weekend or if
you come just for one day, it’s still $25, so why not come for the weekend.  With your tickets you will receive the 2010 Hotel Reservation Form which you can fill out and turn in to the Hotel registration desk as
soon as you arrive. Personally, I look forward to Cabin Fever more and more each year.  So much so that I arrived on Tuesday
last year and plan to do the same this year, if not even earlier.  My thinking last year was that I would have a day with just me there, but I was wrong.  There were enough folks there for a big jam in the lobby.

The best thing about Cabin Fever is the jamming!  Oh yeah, the jamming.  The Holiday Inn in Hampton, Virginia was built over the years and there are 6 distinctly separate buildings that are all (Except for one) connected by a large atrium area.  With the various shapes of the buildings there were many little nooks and crannies created when the buildings were joined.  These small places are perfect for having small intimate jam sessions.  I’ve noticed there are two distinct types of jams.  There’s the “public jam” where the pickers
try to position themselves so they can be best seen and heard by folks all around the hotel.  You’ll find these folks crowded near the pay phones just off the atrium or in the lobby near the hotel registration desk.  The
“private jams” occur in the little nooks around the hotel or for those who wish to be even more private they will jam in their hotel rooms.  But, even these “private jam” folks will leave the room door open so people can come and go.  As indoor events go, and I’ve attended many including SPBGMA and IBMA, there is not a Bluegrass event with more jamming than Cabin Fever.

 
There are folks who aren’t really interested in jamming, but still love Bluegrass music.  They would rather be entertained by bands on stage.  Well, Cabin Fever hosts 4 days of showcase bands on the main stage.  The
bands scheduled to play this year are: Hard Travelin Bluegrass; Some Assembly Required; Blue Mountain Sunrise; Hanover Express; Jonathan Dillon; New Grass Revue; Eastern Tradition; Sweet Potato Pie; Loose Gravel; Aspen Run; Ted Jones & The Tarheel Boys; Blu’ Lonsum’; Deer Creek Boys; Code Blue; The Fitzmaurice Band; Thunder Creek; Kody Norris & The Watuga Mountain Boys; Deeper Shade ofBlue; Northridge; Constant Change; The Virginia Ramblers; Greetings; Lonesome Highway; The Midnight Ramblers; Mark Templeton & Pocket Change and Bluegrass Gospel Express.  So, if you prefer to sit and be entertained then there is plenty of music to enjoy.

  
There are lots of restaurants around within walking distance, so meals aren’t a problem.  There is a very nice restaurant right there in the Holiday Inn in the atrium.  They serve buffet breakfast on weekends as well and lunch and dinner meals. So, get those tickets and make plans to join me in Hampton, Virginia at the “Cabin Fever Pickin’ Party.”

Here are some photos from Cabin Fever 2000.  

Mrs. Evelyn White's Christmas Party, 2008 Smithfield, Virginia

Though I have been invited too many times to count, this was my very first visit to Mrs. White's Christmas Party.  Let me assure you it won't be my last!  Mrs. Evelyn White passed away nearly six years ago, but this Christmas Party had become such a tradition that her daughters Darlene Bell, Pat Jarvis and Wanda Griffin wanted to continue to present this wonderful gathering, which by the way, has been a occurring, mainly on the third Saturday of December, for about 40 years.  Darlene told me she couldn't be sure how long, but she said the party has been going on since she was a kid.  Now, she did the math, not me!  Mrs. White dearly loved Bluegrass music and watched over the proceedings with great interest.  I am told she is a member of the same service organization I have been accused of heading up.  She was a member of the Bluegrass Police and she would tell any band that strayed too far from Bluegrass that if they didn't play just Bluegrass they wouldn't be invited back.  As a matter of fact she was called Mrs. Bluegrass.  In the beginning all of the food and drink was paid for and supplied by Mr. & Mrs. White, but as the party grew the expense was just too much to bear, so for quite some time now most everyone who attends will bring some sort of covered dish or dessert.  The food was great and plentiful.  Now, to the music.

When I arrived shortly after 2PM Some Assembly Required  was already on stage performing their own distinct style of acoustic and Bluegrass flavored music.  They announced that they had a CD in the works and expected delivery in time for the Cabin Fever Pickin' Party.  Leo said they would have a CD release party as part of Cabin Fever.  Next up was

 The Willow Creek Bluegrass Band. (I'm thinking I may have the order of appearance mixed up here, but the photos are correct.)  Willow Creek has been working very hard and their performance showed it.  After Willow Creek came the 

Flatland Bluegrass Band.  Randy Grigg and the band present a very pleasant and invigorating show.  Following Flatland was

Code Blue.  Bud and the guys always present a fast moving program of Bluegrass interlaced with a generous amount of humor.  Following Code Blue was a band I was quite unfamiliar with.  I'm glad i got a chance to hear

Roan Mountain.  For a relatively new band these folks had their music down and presented a fine set of Bluegrass.  Harbor Town was up next and gave us a really fun and fast moving set of fine Bluegrass.  After Harbor Town we were treated to an unexpected appearance of the group Salt Marsh.  Not knowing the groups of this area of Virginia I was unaware of Salt Marsh, but from the reception they received they must be a well loved group in the area.  The last group to play was Highway 35.  Highway 35 is comprised of folks from the Courtland/Franklin area of Virginia.  They did a super job and closed out the evening with style.

I'd like to thank Mrs. White and her daughters, Darlene, Pat and Wanda for inviting me over and over.  I am sorry I took so long to show up.  I'll be back next year, for sure!

MERRY CHRISTMAS! From: Santa Claus & The North Pole Boys!

May your Christmas be the very best!

Bluegrass Ramble, December Edition, continued

Most of this "Bluegrass Ramble" concerns the Christmas Party held at the Amelia Family Campground each 1st Saturday in December.

To say it was cold in Amelia this past December 6th would be an understatement.  But, the cold did nothing to diminish the fun and the celebration of Bluegrass and Christmas at the  Amelia Family Campground.  I arrived earlier than in past years and found myself at the campground by noon on Saturday.  There were many already there ahead of me, but there were still many more to arrive.  The music wasn’t scheduled to begin until around 2PM with a very nice line up of bands.

Those of you who have never been to the Hutchinson Family’s Bluegrass Christmas Party may be wondering how bands could possibly play music in an outdoor pavilion if it was as cold as I said it was.  I can understand that, but now I’m gonna tell you how.  John and his boys and their extended families wrap the entire pavilion with Tyvek paper.  This is that strong white paper most houses are wrapped with before siding or brick is added to the exterior.  After wrapping the pavilion they install two gas operated space heaters and by the time the music is ready to start the pavilion is as warm and cozy as can be.

When I got to Amelia I found that I was kind of sore.  I was wearing too many layers of clothing.  I had on so many shirts and sweaters and jackets that my arms wouldn’t hang at my sides but were sort of sticking out a bit.  If you’ve seen the great Christmas movie,  "A Christmas Story" about the kid who wanted Red Ryder BB Rifle for Christmas, then you’ll remember how his Mom dressed him and his little brother with so many clothes they could barely move.  Well, that’s sort of the way I felt.  Because I couldn’t get my arms straight down by my sides my shoulders actually did begin to ache.  But; and this is a very important but!  I was not cold!  No!  I was as snug as that old bug in a rug!

The music started up pretty much on time and wow was it good.  Some of the bands took the time to learn some of the Bluegrass Christmas songs like “Christmas Time’s A-coming” and “Christmas Time is Near.”  The Bluegrass bands changed every 30 minutes and played constantly throughout the day and then there was the food.  Oh ,yeah!  The food.  Skeeter and Carroll Hutchinson were busy stirring pots of potato soup and navy beans, while  Sweet Brenda fixed hot dogs and fried her famous hush-puppies.  Just about every family that came brought some kind of dessert.  I pigged out on desserts and had a lot of fun socializing with friends old and new.

My friends Richard and Cris Morgan from Durham, NC came up again this year and with Ralph and Amy Westfall and Lynette Dooley and Kevin we were warm and snug in Richard & Cris’s motor home.  We jammed for several hours and told stories and lies and once in a while we even told the truth.  But, none of us ever knew exactly when that truth was told.  And, dang it, I forgot something.  Every year I always pass around a big tub of candy canes to everyone in the pavilion.  But, we were having so much fun in Richard and Cris’s camper that I plum forgot about it.  Oh, I went out 2 weeks ago and bought the candy canes and I had them with me in the car.  But, I simply forgot.  I’ll try to remember next year.  Golly, have we got to wait a whole ‘nother year for the Hutchinson Bluegrass Christmas Party???

Yes, we do, but we can still come over to Amelia and help celebrate the 30th year of the Central Virginia Family Bluegrass Music Festivals at the Amelia Family Campground.  Each 3rd weekend of May and August, John, Ferne and the entire Hutchinson clan host these two great Bluegrass events.  As I said this will be the 30th year, so by now you should remember the dates, but just in case, go get that calendar down off the wall and mark those two weekends.  

"NUFF SAID"