It's Almost Summer

Which means that it is almost festival season...

Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival 2013

I look forward to this festival every year.  This year was no exception.  A great line-up, camping with my wife, son and his girlfriend, good food, good drink and HEAT.  It was freaking HOT this year.  We arrived around 9:00 on Wednesday morning and were totally set up and sweating in the heat by 10:30 at our favorite spot right near the Catskill Stage (the dance tent).

 

Thursday was the first day of music and we stuck around the tent most of the day due to the heat.  We did check out Mama Corn on the Creek side Stage and I liked them quite a bit along with the 23 String Band on the High Meadow (main stage) but the heat was brutal so we went back down to the dance tent and checked out the Kickin' Grass Band who were pretty good along with The Duhks who were more enjoyable than I expected.  After dinner we headed up the hill for Devil Makes Three who most folks seemed to enjoy more than I did.  Too much beer and too much heat and I fell asleep pretty early but there was some very good music on day one.

 

Mama Corn

23 String Band

 

Kickin' Grass Band

 

Devil Makes Three

 

The Duhks

 

 

Day 2 was just as hot but the tent was pretty cool so we set up camp there for the day and watched a string of really good acts play some great sets.  In particular my wife and I really liked I Draw Slow a string band out of Ireland.  My wife asked me to get both of their CD's which is something she never asks me to do.  The SteelDrivers were their usual great selves both in the dance tent and on the late stage for their headlining set.  The Infamous Stringdusters just killed on the main stage with one of the biggest dance crowds of the festival.  These guys just continue to grow. 

 

I Draw Slow

 

 

The SteelDrivers

 

Saturday had a little cooler weather and even hotter music.  We caught another set from I Draw Slow, one from Monroeville and the Carolina Chocolate Drops with Cedric Watson.  I was really looking forward to the Carolina Chocolate Drops but was disappointed by their first set.  So much so that I almost missed them on the main stage later that night which would have been a major mistake because they totally killed later that night.  They are a musical encyclopedia of styles.  Just wonderful.  Jerry Douglas and band did a straight Flatt & Scruggs set and the late night jam band was a blast.  A great day of music.

 

Carolina Chocolate Drops

 

Jerry Douglas

 

The Magnificent Late Night Grey Fox Allstars

 

Monroeville

 

 

All in all another great Grey Fox Festival.  I am already looking forward to next year and the great music and good times at the Walsh Farm.  Oh yeah and you have to love the sunsets...

 







Grey Fox 2012

A great time was had by all at this year's Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival on the Walsh Farm in Oak Hill, NY.  As usual the line-up was a who's who of the bluegrass world.  Headliners each night included the Infamous Stringdusters, Hot Rize, Mountain Heart, and the Punch Brothers along with The SteelDrivers, David Bromberg and the David Grisman Sextet.  Great music could be found on the main stage from noon to midnight, but it was the Catskill Dance Tent that featured many of the festival's best performances including two each from The Hillbenders and Sarah and the Tall Boys which were my personal favorites along with two sets by The SteelDrivers.

If you are even a little bit of a fan of acoustic music you should check out Grey Fox.  They run this exactly how every festival should be run and it results in nothing but good vibes all week.

More to follow about some of my favorite performances.

Check out their site.

Summer Is Coming

Summer is coming and an OldRockr's thoughts turn to festivals and summer tours!  The week of July 15th is already looking like a highlight with Further at Bethel Woods on the 15th and then Grey Fox Bluegrass starting on the 18th.  A couple of days camping while the boy goes to college orientation between these should make for a great week!

Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival 2011

I've seen a lot of concerts.  Not as many as some, but more than most.  Several hundred over the years and I have never been to a festival much less a Bluegrass festival.  I love lots of music...classic rock, blues, country (real country) but I have only really given bluegrass a chance over the past few years.  My first exposure was to non-traditional forms that were bluegrass in spirit but not in practice...String Cheese Incident, Railroad Earth, some Dead.  I was open all these years but the traditionalists didn't do it for me.  I was more Willie and Waylon than Flatt & Scruggs.

I saw The SteelDrivers on the Opry and that changed things.  They played the traditional instruments but with a more soulful sound.  Hard to describe and instantly addictive.  I soon discovered Sam Bush on etree.org and I was off.  I would say may taste runs more towards Newgrass and Jamgrass but to me there should be room at the table for all flavors so I decided to pack up the wife and son and head out to this year's festival (my daughter wants no part of camping or bluegrass).

We had the pop-up set up about half way back by 3:30 on Wednesday and the first thing that strikes you is the number of folks pickin'.  The talent level was amazing, in fact the group behind us was as good as many of the acts featured on the festival stages.  A few beer, some great music, I was beginning to lose my apprehensions about camping in a field for 4 nights.  A word about the camping...outhouses (clean), pay showers (hot), water trucks when you run out, ice for sale...you can make do quite easily.  There were tons of vendors selling food, beer, instruments, clothing, whatever you need and there are several places close by to get what you run out of.  We enjoyed the open mic night and generally soaked up the good vibes until late in the evening.

There were artists for everyone to enjoy whether you were a traditionalist (Del McCoury) or a pickin' hippie (Yonder Mountain).  Great music was to be found all through the day and night on the main stage and at the other stages set up around the festival.  In fact some of the best performances were in the dance tent.  Some highlights for me...

Greensky Bluegrass - I've been a fan the past couple of years and they did not disappoint either in the Master's tent or on the main stage headlining Thursday night.  Great playing from a band that is not afraid to jam a bit.

The Dirty Hillbenders - Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen along with the Hillbenders (a big surprise) ripped it up in the dance tent on Friday afternoon.  Crossroads was just sick...

The SteelDrivers - two sets on Friday were a highlight for me.  The set in the dance tent was fantastic and folks were dancing up storm and singing along.  The main stage set was right up there.  Love this band and they haven't missed a step with Gary Nichols taking over on vocals and guitar.

The Infamous Stringdusters - Love these guys.  I first saw them with Railroad Earth in Williamsburg back in 2010.  They get some shit about playing with and for the rock crowd.  This is a load of crap because these guys can flat out play.  Yes they jam a bit but the songs are top notch.  Catch them if you can in the future.

Sam Bush - I've seen Sam a few times and he never disappoints.  Traditional bluegrass in the Master's tent and Newgrass on the main stage.

These were just a few highlights of many.  So much great music around you it is impossible to see and hear everything so you have to pick and choose.  After the "official" music ended there were many late night jams around the farm that were often times quite good.  A music lovers dream come true.

You may not think you are a bluegrass fan but I encourage you to check this festival out.  You just might find out you are.  I'll be back next year...