Folks as most of you know i cannot be omnipresent, and recently I looked around for some dedicated friends to help me do this. See now I’ll be able to cover more ground through the eyes and ears of others. Mr. Joshua has been my personal friend for many years, and I have a huge deal of respect for him as a person.
With that being said please take a moment to enjoy his coverage of an Atlanta show with these fine artists. I’m sure if this article is as well received as I anticipate we will publish more articles for other bands, that Mr. Joshua writes.
All photos and article content by Joshua Wallace.
Last Saturday night I had the pleasure of heading up to Atlanta to see a show which featured Great Peacock, Colter Wall and Paul Cauthen at Terminal West. I’ve been a fan of Colter Wall’s for a couple of years and this was my first chance to see him live. I was happy to be able to see him do a longer set with The Speedy Creek Band. I was not as familiar with the music of Paul Cauthen or Great Peacock. I enjoy Paul Cauthen’s debut record My Gospel and was looking forward to hearing some of those songs live. However, I had not heard much of Great Peacock before this show.
Great Peacock performed a short opening set. They mostly performed songs from their 2015 album Making Ghosts. The group played through original songs like “Take Me Back To The Mountain” and “Desert Lark”. The group has a sound that is very reminiscent of Whiskeytown. Their brand of guitar driven alt country and Americana takes you back to those days. They even did a Whiskeytown cover in their short set. If you’re a fan of this kind of music, you can’t go wrong catching Great Peacock live if they’re playing near you.
Next up was Colter Wall. He opened the show up solo picking through “Thirteen Silver Dollars” by himself before his band takes the stage about halfway through the song. It’s a great intro to the show that puts the focus on Colter Wall as the star. The band features Anna Blanton on fiddle and mandolin, John Clay on drums, dobro and backing vocals and Jason Simpson on bass. He has a small band, but they help fill out his sound perfectly.
Colter Wall plays through songs from both his self titled LP and the EP Imaginary Appalachia. He rounds out a full set with a couple of newer songs and covers. He plays songs most fans are familiar with from youtube like “Railroad Bill” and “Saskatchewan 1881”, but he also plays new songs that people have never heard before. As for covers, he mixes in a variety of songs such as Jimmie Rodgers “Mule Skinner Blues”, Ray Wylie Hubbard’s “Up Against The Wall, Redneck Mother” and the Ramblin’ Jack Elliot version of “Tramp In The Street”.
Colter Wall is a very talented performer whom I feel is going as far as he wants to. He’s an amazing songwriter and his live shows will convince you of his talent as a performer. He has a presence that draws everyone’s attention to him and his voice is reminiscent of the late Johnny Cash. The thing I found most amazing that drew me in was his skills as a guitar player. He finger picks everything with the skill of someone much older. I feel like right now, he’s kind of where Sturgill Simpson was after releasing High Top Mountain. He’s not quite drawing a sell out every time, but word of mouth is getting around with every show he plays. I talked to a few people that night and I know a lot of folks either came for the first time because someone told them about him or saw him before and brought a friend. It’s only a matter of time before he is playing larger venues.
Paul Cauthen finished up the night. He brings a very different sound than Colter Wall with his band. If you mix Texas Country with bits of funk and gospel, you have a good description of what you can expect from Paul Cauthen. His guitar player is interesting as he can bring a bit of funk and spaced out sounds in addition to the typical country twang. Paul Cauthen mostly worked through songs from his debut record “My Gospel” but he also includes other songs that aren’t on the record. As for covers, he does a rousing rendition of Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues”. The highlight of the set for me was Paul’s acoustic version of “Let It Burn”. He has an amazing vibrato and it really shows when he lets the band take a break and plays acoustic. He finished off the night with “I’ll Be The One” and “My Gospel”.
Overall it was a very good night of music. It might have been a disservice to Paul for him to go on last as many people cleared out after Colter Wall’s set, but it didn’t seem to phase Paul Cauthen and his band at all. I highly recommend checking out any of these three bands if they come to your area.
Friends It’s time for promoting my friends on the west coast Ruckus In The Boonies. My buddy Aaron “Dogbite” Harris works relentlessly hard to make this yearly event happen in a big way. His label Ruckus In The Records and Bucknums Tavern once again temaed up to bring you a weekend of Roots Music Fun.
I recently spent some time with headlining act Billy Don Burns who is a Country Music Legend in his own right, and also posses a powerful stage presence. The Urban Pioneers have always been a powerhouse Roots Music/ Bluegrass act, and Liz Sloan on fiddle is truly one of the most amazing musicians I have ever witnessed.
Billy Don Burns is a true Country Music Warrior. He wears his battle scars with honor, depicting the stories of his life in his songs with brutal and beautiful honesty. He’s respected far and wide for his long career in songwriting and performing, and he’s still out there. He’s lived it and breathed it through lifetimes of country music passion and pain.
Mix one part Texas fiddle and one part Tennessee banjo, add doghouse bass and a splash of guitar and you have a delicious cocktail for your ears known as the Urban Pioneers. This string band hammers out a variety of original songs that encompass old time hillbilly music, western swing, rockabilly, and even a few gypsy type songs for good measure. urbanpioneers.com
HUSKY BURNETTE
The Blues are a religion and Brian “Husky” Burnette sho nuff preaches it. You can feel the testimony as he blends Delta and Hill Country Blues with Rock n Roll. His music is gritty, soulful, low-down and dirty.
Tom Vandenavond is a contemporary ghost with a wisdom in his music that exceeds his years. His sound embodies the nature of solitary travel and the inevitable connections made from a life on the road.
I am a singer, songwriter, musician from Washington State, USA. I hold my mind, heart & soul open, put them into song & travel the world sharing this with as many of you as I can to help make this world a better place 🙂 Musically speaking, my influences are across the board & ever growing so, who knows what the next album might hold in store! jameshunnicutt.com
ABSINTHE ROSE
Absinthe Rose is a folk, country, punk songwriter that takes from personal experiences. DIY but NEVER alone! Growing up in the punk scenes at the early age bouncing from San Fransisco, Medford, and Las Vegas. Absinthe Rose
HARMED BROTHERS
they call it “indiegrass,” the rustic American musical blend that celebrates and chronicles the physical and emotional gauntlet the Harmed Brothers have always ridden, zigzagging endlessly in vans across the nation. It’s an inclusive sound, the melding of two unique voices adorned each night with the contributions of the many pickers, singers and songwriters the Brothers have encountered in their travels. theharmedbrothers.com
COFFIN HUNTER
Coffin Hunter is the brainchild of Jack Gibson, long time bass player for thrash metal icon Exodus. It comes out of his love for playing banjo and love of vintage Nashville music. It is a combination of Jerry Reed, C. W. McCall, and a Sergio Leone soundtrack. It is truly American music. Coffin Hunter
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Lorin Walker Madsen
Dusty Rust
Hammerlock
Stone Elk
Last Giant
Stoned Evergreen Travelers
Dog Bite Harris
Smokestack Relics
Acousta Noir
Graverobber’s Jukebox
Old Death Whisper
Rock Bottom String Band
Keil Grove
Gunsafe
Tales from Ghost Town
Felix Thursday
Tyler Giles
The Bridge City Sinners
Cory Peterson
Nicole Pike
Billy Hood
Krista Blackburn
Elly Swift
Catfish Black
Abraham & the Old Souls
Josie Evans
36″ Wheels
Texicano Folk Rock Punk
Hard Money Saints
John Dough Boys
Pretty Drunk
Northwestern Motel & RV Park
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3.5
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Heart of Texas Records is visiting Nashville today and I am truly excited about this as I don’t get to visit with them as much as I’d like to. The Texas Troubador Theater is hosting today’s event as they feature some of this label’s finest talent. Some of Country Music’s greatest Legends will come alive tonight with timeless classic Country Music hits that are sure to accommodate your appetite for the more Traditional sound. I need to get my butt out to the Texas area sometime and visit the museum there, as I absolutely LOVE Country Music history.
When I got there I found Mr. Tracy Pitcox and met him finally after many years of communicating through emails and IM on social media. He took me backstage and I got the opportunity to finally meet Mr. Tony Booth, several more of them I already knew through R.O.P.E. and other functions. I wanted to publicly THANK HIM for his hospitality and support to allow me to do this for him.
So first we had Illinois native Mr.Dennis Stroughmatt who plays Creole Cajun music, but tonight he began the show with those wonderful twin fiddle sounds I often associate with Texas Traditional music. I’m telling you folks the double stop intros were plentiful yesterday afternoon. YES FOLKS I do realize I misspelled his name SORRY.
He posses a truly heartfelt and commanding voice and his songs were full of those wonderful twin fiddle double stops, always identified with Texas Traditional Music. He was a truly fine addition to this lineup tonight, and I know it’s not easy to handle that fiddle and bow while singing.
I also didn’t realize until this morning my knucklehead self forgot to turn my phone sideways for a better video. I shot some truly good videos I just need to learn to tweak what I do to make it better. This new phone I bought has the ability to allow me to maintain the entire website from my telephone.
He performed “Heart Over Mind’ from Mel Tillis, and his second song was a song written in the 1960’s by Hank Cochran called “Don’t You Ever Get Tired Of Hurting Me? It was made vastly commercially popular by Ray Price. this young man truly embellishes Traditional Music with the way he performs.
Next up was powerhouse family member Diane McCall who performed the song “Sugar Cane Moon” made popular by Bob Wills. You know much like the name Williams, Tubb or Morgan, the last name of McCall is just as integral to Country Music as the others.
She also performed another fine classic Country song today, and I also thoroughly enjoy admiring the music that this family graces Country Music with. I haven’t had the chance to see her for many years, since one of the Wayne Mills tributes where I saw her with Mr. Tom Ghent.
Razzy Bailey is an overlooked Country Music Legend by all means. He performed “Baby Come See Me When It Rains”, and he also came out and made jokes and we had a wild time then. Razzy Bailey had much success as a songwriter and publisher back in the 60s and 70s.
He has always been a truly funny performer and much like Johnny Russell he can flip from the jokes to being heartfelt and serious at the drop of a hat. Mr. Razzy Bailey is still one of my personal favorite Legends around, these guys from days of old didn’t need to be filthy to be funny.
Margie Singleton is a true Country Music Legend as well, having been a regular duet partner that often joined George Jones and Faron Young. In the 1950’s she signed to Starday Records and was also a regular guest on the Louisiana Hayride.
In fact just recently Bear Famiy Records released a multi disc set of George Jones EARLY material and she’s on that set and probably in a major fashion. If it’s one series I REALLY LOVE it’s the Bear Family series, I’ll pretty much snatch up ANY set they release even if it makes my wallet cry.
In 1963 she had a huge hit with the song she played for us today called “Old Records”. She also played that song numerous times on the Grand Old Opry in the past. She spent years singing backup vocals for Charley Pride, Tammy Wynette and also recorded the original version of “Harper Valley PTA” that Tom T Hall wrote. Although her version didn’t garnish as much commercial success as Jeanie C Riley, she is still credited as the original recorder of that song.
Bobby G Rice is another overlooked Country Music Legend, who earned Male Vocalist of the year in 1973. He earned much commercial success for the song “You Lay So Easy On My Mind”, which he performed for us today. I have the pleasure of seeing Mr. Bobby quite often at R.O.P.E. and other local hometown Country Music functions.
He’s been entertaining audiences for forty five years this year, and his signature song has been recorded by more different artists than I could even name. He has had thirty Billboard Chart hit singles and has appeared on a long impressive list of television and radio shows.
Rance Norton came out and performed the song “Honky Tonk Healing” which I remember from the David Ball album Thinkin Problem. It was written by David Ball and Tommy Polk for that album.
He also performed the song “Just Start Walking” for us tonight, and it was indeed a pleasure to see him and some of the younger performers today. These guys are the future of the Texas Traditional Country Music movement, and always pointing out that resource is important.
Darrell McCall was a former member of Ray Price Cherokee Cowboys as well as Faron Yuong and Hank Williams Jr. He later went on to write Eleven Roses for Hank Williams Junior and more.
He played “Country Girl” for us that was originally performed by Faron Young and many others. However the best song that he played was the ever popular song “It’s The Water”. I truly enjoyed watching this song being performed.
My favorite portion of the show was watching one of my TOP 50 Of 2016Landon Dodd. He played a song called “Same Old Town” first. That is an old Skeets song from long ago, and he also played “One Bar At A Time” by Stoney Cooper.
Mona McCall is the wife of Mr. Darrell and we enjoyed her playing the song “Sweet Lips” and “Bandera”. Coming toward the end of the show it was nice to see the main man of the night Mr. Tony Booth who is a true Country Music Legend in his own right.
He played the song “Cinderella” that Buck Owens recorded in the 1970’s and that song was put on his album “Roll Out The Red Carpet”. He played “Walkin The Floor” the time less Ernest Tubb Classic song and then played another song called “Keys In The Mailbox” that Buck Owens recorded.
The remaining two members of the Survivors trio of Tony Booth, Darrell McCall and Curtis Potter came out and sang “Wasted Words” and “i Thought I Heard You Call My Name”. Sadly Country Legend Curtis Potter died recently and the last two members graced us with their fine songs.
Well last weekend Mr.Mickey Lamantia stopped by to chat with me about Tumbleweed Festival and more. Mr. Mickey has created an online phenomenon called Whiskey Wednesdays, that is currently generating an online response of thousands of people. He recently opened for Country music Legend Mickey Gilley out here at the Nashville Palace, which is where I currently sit while writing some articles for another project in town. while I wait for the show to begin I am just typing some other articles out.
This phone conversation was quite possibly one of the longer ones out of this entire project thus far, however to be honest I’m not totally wrapped it up yet…I got one or two more up my sleeve for this festival. I have a large deal of admiration for this man for his avocation of gun rights, and as an avid sportsman and fellow firearm enthusiast I seek those that promote firearm safety.
He’s proudly playing on the main stage for us in a few weeks in Kansas City for the much anticipated Outlaw Country and Red Dirt festival that boasts large attendance. It has kept me quite busy this month, and I have had to pull a few late nights because of the work involved, but you know what? It’s worth every minute I invest, the music and the friends I have made from this job is insurmountable.
I involve my website with so many different scenes and genres of music, and the Outlaw scene (if you want to use that term) has been good to me. Truthfully I just call it all real music really, I mean I feature so much different avenues from various regions of the world. So without any more yapping about anything here is my time with Mr. Mickey.
GHC:
Why don’t you tell me how you got started in music, and when?
Mr. Mickey:
Well pretty much my uncle played in bands, and I followed him around in my teens. He played in a lot of bars and he did George Jones and Waylon type stuff, he was really good in his prime. He could’ve made it big but we are in a tough spot up here in around my area.
I got to open up some shows for Willie Nelson when I was twenty two, I got to meet all those guys, the road crew and the whole band was really good to me. I kind of got away from it when I got the prison job, but I played acoustic shows for years. I just never put any effort into carrying on the momentum I got when I was younger. I started writing songs, and a couple years ago I thought man I got some good songs and I asked myself, should I try to get back into it as a songwriter? So I thought I’d put forth the effort and it got me to where I’m at at the moment, and it’s been a good ride so far.
GHC:
Whom influenced you more than anybody else?
Mr. Mickey:
Randy Travis.
GHC:
That’s one reason I respected you a lot, I saw the admiration that you have for him. It showed a lot!
Mr. Mickey:
Yeah, it’s truly sad to see him like that and what he’s going through. But you know, all those years of writing songs like he did it’s got to be absolute frustration not to be able to sing like he did. He really has trouble communicating , I mean he knows what’s going on, when I seen him at the Palace he knew. I saw him watch my set and I played a Jamey Johnson song, you know he and Jamey are close. I played In Color and he loved it, and I did my song for him called Digging Up Bones, and you know he loved it. It was so damn cool to see him enjoy the fruits of his labor like that.
I met him twice now, I met him before and after the incident. I was twenty two and I got a picture with him and then I got the picture at the Palace this year, I was really excited that we almost re created the same photo all those years later.
GHC:
How did you land that opening slot for Mickey Gilley? I’m sorry I missed that by the way.
Mr. Mickey:
Well a couple guys that I know took an interest in me Joe Kelly and Steve Popovich from Nashville got it for me. We are probably going to be working together and they got me a couple of shows one was with Gilley and one was with the DJ from Sirius XM, Dallas Wayne. You know Steve Popovich’s dad actually discovered Meat Loaf.
GHC:
I did some work with him and Mr. Phil Lister, on a couple of projects and he was really nice guy. His dad is really interesting yes.
Mr. Mickey:
Yeah, they are straight up and honest which is hard to come by in this business. In the two years I been doing this I think I found every snake in the grass. Everybody who wants to try to take you somewhere but isn’t going anywhere themselves. There’s a lot of bottom feeders in this business, they find some innocent girl and they take their money and all their dreams.
My first EP I paid eight thousand dollars for it was called The Dash. After that I kind of messed around a little but I said right there and then that it won’t happen again. I found Bill McDermott who is a great producer, and we did Outlaw Life, it was just night and day the production and the whole thing was just amazing. Bill and I will work together for as long as we can that’s for sure.
GHC:
Tell me more about your job as a correctional officer.
Mr. Mickey:
I been working for the state up here for nineteen years now, actually I left in 2005 and I was a police officer down in Florida. And I went back to the prison, I been back here for eleven years. I’m hoping to be out of here in another six months, that’s the plan. As a correctional officer you see everything, I actually wrote a song in the maximum security cell block, I took out a pen and paper and I wrote out Sad And Lonely. I never changed a word in that song, because I deal with a lot of stuff on a daily basis.
GHC:
Tell us more about your show you have on social media, Whiskey Wednesdays?
Mr. Mickey:
We were sitting around one night drinking some whiskey and having some good times, and I had heard about this facebook live thing. I said well let’s try it and we did it and we had like four hundred people at a time on that thing. I thought well we got to do something every Wednesday so we’ll do a show called Whiskey Wednesdays. Same time every week and we’ll do a different bottle of whiskey every week. So what we did was go find small companies like Sons Of Liberty in Kingston Rhode Island which had home delivery. They are actually really good companies so made a proposal and came up with a logo, you know I branded myself before we got this idea going. That being the ML 750 which stands for seven hundred fifty milliliters in a bottle of whiskey, right? Well, I flipped it around and came up with that logo, and they loved that idea.
So what they did on their end is gave us six bottles of whiskey a month. Usually we have a group of people come over to the house and drink and we do it. It got to the point where the highest I had was forty thousand views, and we averaged anywhere from ten to twenty now. That’s almost football stadium Gary.
GHC:
You are doing good on social media man, I been following you..I follow three thousand bands so I don’t always get follow you 24-7 but I noticed one of your video got a million views buddy!
Mr. Mickey:
Yes we just crossed over one million views on that one. Just some guys sitting around with an acoustic guitar, so that’s pretty cool. I really take pride in my songwriting, if someone comes up and says hey man you are a really good singer, I always say I appreciate that. But if someone comes up and says I really like your lyrics and your delivery, that’s more exciting to me.
Whiskey Wednesdays on social media if it wasn’t for that I got two kids and a full time job. I won’t put my kids at risk, I struggle but I won’t do that to my kids.
GHC:
You are doing the right thing, trust me buddy you are. I waited until my child was eighteen to bust this website wide open, you know my child support was done and she’s off doing her own thing. I just took that hat off and flipped this one on, the music’s always going to be there buddy.
Mr Mickey:
With the kids I say I’m not going to take that chance, it’s coming to a point where the call is going to be made for me I think at some point which is good, because that’s what I want. I think Steve and Joe Kelly are the missing piece to what I’m doing.
So, we created a solid foundation with social media we got thirty thousand people on my facebook page, and then my Whiskey Wednesday page, Twitter and Instagram. We have done a good job for just being ourselves and I have been all over the country with social media.
GHC:
Ok…one thing my website does is it specializes in festivals. That’s the reason I was called upon and hired to do what I’m doing, so let’s talk about tumbleweed…what do you think about it?
Mr Mickey:
Well I’m calling it the Woodstock of Outlaw Country Music man. I think it’s effeminately potential for much cleaner atmosphere but at the same time I think you are going to find bands that are obscure. You got Jamey playing there and Billy Joe Shaver, but then you got guys like Cody Jinks and Whitey Morgan. But then you got a lot of guys below that who I think are going to surprise you even though some of those acts are one o clock. I think a lot of those bands are going to ride out of this Tumbleweed Festival soaring, you know.
GHC:
Well, that’s what I started this series for, the ones the crowd might not know as well. Everybody knows Jamey Johnson and it’s cool to interview him but you know I would rather interview you guys. Because a lot of people may not know your music, and let’s bring it to them. That’s my point, and why I’m doing this.
I have been out there on other assignments, I been out to the facility and I think it’s a wonderful venue. He’s doing this thing right so far, this is a science. He’s doing some thing I think are right and some thing I think are wrong but he’s going to succeed in the end.
Mr. Mickey:
Well they used one of the bigger Nashville booking agencies, but one of them had watched a Whiskey Wednesday. I went to bed and he had sent me a message at about midnight, and asked if I had a booking agent or a manager. He called my manager, and he called me up and said hey we got this offer for this thing in Kansas City. He said so and so is on it and they are legit, and we got twenty four hours to accept.
I said you just call the guy up and take that job. So that’s how I got it, I got tumbleweed through Whiskey Wednesday too, which is pretty cool.
GHC:
Well, the director sent me an email and said festivals is what you do and I have a vendor partner that I work with. She runs the back end and I handle the stage up front, we have this down to a science we don’t drink and we are all about making money and promoting music.
Mr. Mickey:
Well we are going to bring a great show at three o clock. My last trip to Nashville I got to hang out with Robby Turner, Waylon’s last steel player.
GHC:
That’s my next question for you. (laughing)
Mr. Mickey:
You don’t miss a thing, do you? Yeah Robby called me the next morning and said I had this divine intuition to call you. So he invited us back out that night in his set and me and you will play some music together. And I love Robby because he played with Waylon and he’s played with Stapleton, so I said alright.
The next night he came to my ML 750 party in Nashville and we jammed and I got to play with him on one side, and another guy that played with Janis Joplin. We got invited back to the studio and the next thing I know I got a beer in my hand. After that we took off and went back to Rhode Island, and we went back and forth talking a little bit.
I thought now wait a minute this festival has Cowboy Eddie Long, Brett Robinson, Austin Tripp and I thought you know what Robbie Turner really deserves to be in that mix.
GHC:
Hell Sunny Sweeney has Tommy Detamore, that’s nothing to sneeze at.
Mr. Mickey:
So you have all these great steel players, and I think he really deserves to be among them that weekend. So I called him up and said hey Robby is there any way we can work it out that you can play for me? And I think it may have been on his mind already, but he said we will work it out. you go ahead and make the announcement. So I did and it was a very popular announcement. Robby is a good guy and I think that we will play at three and he will get to hobknob with all these guys. They’re all friends anyways so you know, and I really truly thought from my heart you should be on this festival.
GHC:
I have a steel guitar series where I feature different ones every article. I’m going to try to do a live one with Robby Turner and Cowboy Eddie Long if I can. I covered Brett Robinson and Austin Tripp, but I want to contact him and do a LIVE interview with him.
Mr. Mickey
Well you know he was the last person to play for Waylon. Waylon had gone to him and said let’s cut some acoustic tracks, I won’t tell you what they are for but you know it was kind of like a special thing for Robby.I want you to produce them and then they are yours to do what you see fit with.
So Waylon went and cut Belle Of The Ball again and he did thirteen songs on the album. Robby got one of the guys from the band and they played in Robby’s garage. I got to listen to it, just like he listened to my album, we sat around listening to music.
That’s one cool thing about Robby is he’s got a big heart. He actually took us back there and let us listen to those cuts by Waylon,and I think they are released now but there was some fight with Sony over it. You can ask Robby about it, but that’s one of the cool things about my time in Nashville.
GHC:
I have never heard of that, the last obscure stuff I know of was the stuff that Shooter released on Record Store Day. That I knew about and I have.
Mr. Mickey:
Well, this is something I don’t think anybody knew about. There’s a big story on it, and he was offered all kinds of money for it. You talk to him and he’ll tell you the whole story about it, and it’s a very interesting story.
GHC:
He’s pretty easy for me to get a hold of around town, but interviewing him live at Tumbleweed is going to be a better ambiance. I think it’s going to be more exciting for everybody involved to do it there.
Mr. Mickey:
Like you said it’s going to be a festival that will be a huge success. We got a bunch of good bands playing before us that are great. You know both bands that finished neck and neck are going to be there, the Piedmont Boys and Porter Union. it came down to the last ten minutes the Piedmont Boys were up like thirty one votes. I think Doug saw the effort and he noticed the quality of everyone involved, and decided well hell let them both play. And then Dustin James Clark who came in third is playing.
GHC:
Well that should be a pretty good interview and I thank you for this much time, Jesus that was a lot of coffee.
Mr. Mickey:
Alright brother, well I have rehearsal soon so you have a good weekend.
Tonight as I was working on some other projects for festivals and my weekly show updates, I was texted that around 11PM Central Time Steel Guitar Legend Kayton Roberts passed away, as a result of a stroke. You’ll find Kayton Roberts on so many albums by bands that one person cannot completely stop studying the long list of music he left behind.
Kayton Roberts moved to Nashville in 1967 & began playing rhythm guitar for Hank Snow. In 1968, Kayton changed to steel & for 30 years, he toured with Snow, playing the Grand Ole Opry & , and also toured the world, playing many shows across Canada, Japan, and New Zealand, as well as shows across Europe. After Hank Snow passed away in 1999, Kayton continued to perform, recording on sessions with Chubby Wise, Marty Stuart, Willie Nelson, Randy Travis, Aaron Tippin, George Jones, Allison Krauss, Hank Williams III, John Fogerty and others.
If you look up the words Console Steel Guitar on the computer you’ll find this:
The console steel guitar is a type of electricsteel guitar intermediate between the lap steel guitar and the pedal steel guitar. Console steel guitars typically have multiple necks and/or more than six strings per neck, and are too large to be easily played in lap steel fashion.
They are particularly favoured in Hawaiian music, especially the twin neck eight string per neck configuration. Don Helms played a Gibson Console with Hank Williams. Also, Hank Williams III‘s steel guitar player Andy Gibson plays a Fender Dual Professional steel guitar. Kayton Roberts, who has also played with Hank Williams III, uses this same particular model as well. I know that after Mr. Kayton played on the first two Hank Williams 3 albums he had much influence on Mr. Andy Gibson whom took over the steel guitar duties for the iconic album “Straight To Hell” which also ushered out Hank 3’s departure from Curb Records.
One of my favorite recordings of Mr. Kayton was the Riders In The Sky album “Weeds And Water” from 1983, additionally he went on to perform with my friend Rob McNurlin who recorded a Gospel album with Johnny Cash’s Martin guitar, you can read about that HERE.
Mr. Rob was one of the many people that proceeded to proliferate this man and his iconic red steel guitar with the Canadian Flag moniker upon it, and I hold Rob McNurlin in extremely high regard as a musician, as a fellow Christian, and more importantly a friend. Never did I recall Mr. Kayton ever using pedals of any kind, nor do I recall anything but his favorite Fender Amplifier accompanying him on any stage.
His latest trip to the studio was with Marty Stuart, playing steel on the title track of his Ghost Train CD.
From what I have all studied about Mr. Kayton the first playing job he had, out on his own was around Gainesville, Florida.That was with a fellow named Toby Dowdy, and radio was big back in those days, back in 1951…that also was the year he bought his first upright guitar. He worked out of a radio station called WRUF and television was just getting started back in those days. He was with Toby and there a TV show over in Jacksonville, FL called “The McDuff Hayride.”
As I stated above he played rhythm guitar for the Rainbow Ranch Boys for the first year before taking over the Steel Guitar duties for his hero “Big” Joe Talbert who was the influential sound for much of Hank Snow’s early career. However as the years went on Hank Snow began using studio players that weren’t up to the same standards as Talbert was, and it discouraged Kayton.
That was until the great Chubby Wise met him inside of a barber shop and befriended Kayton. Now at that time Hank Snow had a pedal steel player by the name of Jimmy Crawford, who played for that first year that Kayton was a Rainbow Ranch Boy. Jimmy Crawford got a job with Faron Young and announced he was leaving, which left the steel guitar spot void. After showing Hank Snow that he could easily mimic Joe Talbert, Kayton took over the Steel Guitar duties.
Above in that video he is seated on the commode playing steel guitar in an iconic Aaron Tippin video, which was for his first album that Kayton played on called “You’ve Got To Stand For Something”. Two of my favorite albums Shelton Hank Williams 3 has released featured Kayton Roberts on steel guitar in the studio on them.
You know as I continue to study him further I found out that Little Roy Wiggins was NOT the originator of the “ting a ling” sound made popular by George Morgan in the beginning but in fact it was Billy Robinson. I discovered that because Kayton originally wanted to play for George Morgan, who died in 1975.
This little portion here is from an interview I found when asked what his sound was made of:
Well, my main tuning is C6th, that’s my bread and butter neck. It has a little variation. Staring with the first string on the small end: E, C, A, G, E, C#, A, A (an octave lower). You will notice that I have two A’s together…the second is real low for that boom effect. It’s almost like a big third more than anything else. I use it only occasionally when I’m doing some thump style. Getting back to that C#, normally if you’re playing this C6th tuning and you rake across it, it will sound out of tune. But, if you rake across the strings and leave the second string out, then you’ve got a whole new tuning…and you see that second string there, the C, if you pull that a half step, it will fall right in tune with that tuning. You can really play some jazzy sounding stuff with it. It makes a whole new ball game. It’s like having a dual tuning. And on the other neck I’ve got a special tuning…it’s for rides and special things. The first string is F, D, A, F, G, Eb, C, F, but I couldn’t remember these if I didn’t right them down. I keep a list at home in case someone calls and wants to know. Don’t mind sharing these cause I don’t have any secrets. Of course, Hank doesn’t like notes played on the high register, so I’m usually limited to playing on the lower end.
OK Folks, now that all the “big websites” have ranted and raved about our friend Tyler Childers I just wanted to wait until that was done and print MY article. Because as a Tyler Childers fan it is my onus to come forward and say how proud I am of him, and the juggernaut he has blown into.
See many moons ago I was just getting started here at Garyhayescoutnry.com and my old friend W.B.Walker WHOM MIND YOU NEVER MET ME YET..started a little podcast from his house called W.B. Walker’s Old Soul Radio Show. I covered ALL of his yearly parties from YEAR ONE read them here:
You know I might not have heard of Mr. Tyler until recently had it not been for Old W.B. Walker, and that little radio show. I call him the “Paul Harvey Of Podcasting” because of his magnetic personality and on the mic persona he possesses. Here is one special story I have from him, and his MANY years on the road.
You know ALL THE OTHER WEBSITES are going to promote him in a bigger way than I will probably because I’m just A Hobby Blog….(He gets that joke).
But all pun aside folks this young man is the real deal, he sings with more FEELING and pain than anyone I have ever met, and his calloused hands and tattered jeans represent the working class of people reminiscent of Merle Haggard in his prime. Well folks Mr. Tyler Childers has slept in vehicles, and eaten enough gas station food. it’s HIS TIME to move to a whole new echelon in the music business. To be honest I am extremely excited to be able to get to see him perform bigger venues through the years, and I hope one day maybe just maybe they will be SMART ENOUGH to let him play the Opry.
Mr. Tyler is defiantly NOT a reticent person, and you can see that in his songwriting. How vividly his songs paint pictures in your mind and leave an old timey implant into your soul. You see folks I’m just a music fan, but once I consider you a friend, I do for life. And I KNOW in my heart his record “Purgatory” coming out on Thirty Tigers next month will be a groundbreaking album in every way.
1.Swear To God
2.Feathered Indian
3.Tattoos
4.Born Again
5.Whitehouse Road
6.Banded Clovis
7.Purgatory
8.Honky Tonk Flame
9.Universal Sounds
10.Lady May
I been saying for years now that I agree with W.B.Walker’s Old Soul Radio Show on Tyler Childers he’s an upcoming powerhouse juggernaut.I mean he is developing a heavy following in every city he visits brick by brick and day by day, and tonight was proof of that as this show garnished an impressive turnout for a Sunday night in my opinion.
The place was packed and the whole crowd sang along as he poured his entire soul into the old Utah Phillips song “Rock Salt And Nails” which was also made popular by Steve Young. I remember the very first one year anniversary show of W.B.Walker where they broadcast it from his living room couch, and I was turned onto Tyler’s music. My My My how time has grown us ALL. I was just a little blog and now much to Mr Tyler’s argument I have graduated into a Hobby Blog.
HERE IS ANOTHER TRUE STORY:
There were quite a few reasons why I went up there last night, and THIS young man was one of them. This is Tyler Childers. I first heard of him from W.B.Walker’s Old Soul Radio Show podcast. And during his one year anniversary show I heard all I needed to put him in my cross hairs for coverage. This young man has an incredible way of delivering his lyrics. I cannot describe how unique his voice is other than this: you know how you hear older music lovers say nowadays you cannot tell one singer from another? You cannot identify many singers from other singer..well..this man indeed has a style all his own. The very first time I ever heard him open his mouth the feelings and imagery came out flowing with simplicity and influence in mountain life. You can tell where he came from and I featured him on the article I wrote for the one year anniversary show. And I drove three hours to see him live and this is my accounts of what I saw.
He opened his set with my personal favorite song he does called “Rock Salt And Nails”, which is actually a Utah Phillips song originally. He does such a great job with the first two lines it just grabs you like a bear trap and makes you want more. He then proceeded into playing “Nose To The Grindstone” which has a really good tag line of mind off the pills.
Another good song he played was called “I got stoned and I missed it”..that’s one I have never heard him play before. It was followed by “Charleston Girl” and one called “Wandering Boy” all of which were good songs but in my opinion he opened with his best weapons in his arsenal. He did play a few covers like the ever popular Kristofferson tune “Help Me Make It Through The Night” from his 1970 self titled album.
“Highland Road” was another good song that I really enjoyed as well as “Dead Man’s Curve”. He then played a new song and honestly I didn’t catch the name of that one..I’ll be honest. It was indeed very loud in the bar area. ‘Follow You To Virgie” was played next and then he followed up with a cover of a John Prine song that is popular called “Muhlenberg County”.
“if The Whiskey Could Talk” is a well written song he does and I like the way he delivers this song as well. He had a really damn fine set and choose some good songs, and played “White House Road” too. He was called up for an encore and he played the 1974 release of “Trudy” made popular by Charlie Daniels and you can find it on his ‘Fire On The Mountain” album.
HERE’S ONE MORE:
Well folks I gotta add this little bit in..I wrote this on Monday. O’l Brandon Walker
AKA W.B.Walker sent me a preview before it was released to the public.
I want to thank him for ALWAYS thinking of Garyhayescountry.com!
However due to some dashboard problems of my featured image and some
others I couldn’t publish it earlier.
Miss Kasey Littlefield from Blue Ribbon Radio came up with a splendid idea!
Have a drinking game..every time Mr. Brandon says “Hell” or his signature “Aaoowww” have a drink.
I PROMISE you’ll be inebriated early on this Episode 51 of W.B.Walker’s Old Soul Radio Show.
This young man from West Virgina quickly became personal friends with me through social media.
I think he messaged me a question about Hank Williams Junior one time and we got to talking
and just became instant GOOD friends.
I’ve never met him face to face and I’d love nothing more to have him and his wife as
house guests.
This podcast was his longest ever and I began listening several months ago.
It was a little over three hours and featured LIVE music from Roots Musician
Tyler Childers,Justin Payne and Senora Lainhart and also played music from
TONS of great bands and musicians.
I’ll tell you what THIS MAN turns me onto to a LONG LIST of people and also
is a GOOD WAY to preview some you have heard of and don’t want to run out
and buy..yet.
PLUS he tells you HOW AND WHERE to buy it!
He is passionate about this music just as much as me and THAT is how you can
relate to him so well.
He has character in his voice and I have often called him the “Paul Harvey Of Podcasts”.
Tyler Childers began the show with “Trudy” from Charlie Daniels epic (Epic greatness AND label)
1974 release “Fire On The Mountain”.
And another called “White House Road” that is on his release “Live On Red Bran Radio”.
He played music from The Prison Book Club and Fifth On The Floor.
Tyler Childers and Justin Payne played a REALLY good song called “Rock Salt And Nails”.
Now folks I’m darn well sure that through the years you will probably be able to hear quite a few more stories of my times with some of these artists before they break into the big time…and my Hobby Blog will be right there watching them.
The Steel Wheels present the fifth annual Red Wing Roots Music Festival on July 14, 15 & 16, 2017, brought to you by Blue Mountain Brewery and WNRN.
Three days, four stages and 40 bands at the beautiful Natural Chimneys Park and Campground in Mt Solon, VA, in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley.
The full 2017 line up includes
Steve Earle & The Dukes
Lake Street Dive
Tim O’brien
Sarah Jarosz
Mandolin Orange
Pokey LaFarge
The Steel Wheels
The Cactus Blossoms
Darlingside
River Whyless
Liz Vice
Town Mountain
The Dustbowl Revival
Billy Strings
Larry Keel Experience
Jon Stickley Trio
The Stray Birds
C.W. Stoneking
The Lil’ Smokies
Stephane Wrembel
The Suitcase Junket
The Lonely Heartstring Band
Front Country
Western Centuries
Driftwood
Dori Freeman
I Draw Slow
Lindsay Lou &
The Flatbellys
Molly Tuttle
Laney Jones
The Harmaleighs
Caleb Stine
The Honey Dewdrops
Erin & The Wildfire
The Judy Chops
Rob Cheatham and
Strong Water
Days Inn Harrisonburg
Ad 3.0 $73
2-star hotel
Straightforward hotel with indoor pool
Free Wi-Fi
Graduate Charlottesville
Ad 4.4 $149
3-star hotel
Vintage-style boutique hotel with dining
Free Wi-Fi
Knights Inn Staunton/Verona
2.2 $40
2-star hotel
Modest budget hotel with free breakfast
Free Wi-Fi
The Village Inn Harrisonburg
4.3 $81
3-star hotel
Budget option with dining & free WiFi
Free Wi-Fi
Stonewall Jackson Hotel
4.4 $91
3-star hotel
Historic lodging & conference center
Free Wi-Fi
Holiday Inn Staunton Conference Center
3.7 $91
3-star hotel
Casual business hotel with a gym & pools
Free Wi-Fi
Holiday Inn Express
4.2
$103
2-star hotel
Contemporary hotel with free breakfast
Free Wi-Fi Free breakfast
DEAL 20% less than usual
Motel 6
3.6 $52
2-star hotel
Simple budget lodging with meeting room
Free Wi-Fi
Days Inn Staunton North
2.9 $63
2-star hotel
Simple hotel with free breakfast & a gym
Free Wi-Fi Free breakfast
Hampton Inn Harrisonburg – South
4.3 $124
2-star hotel
Modern lodging with free Wi-Fi & a pool
Free Wi-Fi Free breakfast
Ramada Harrisonburg
3.3 $71
2-star hotel
Relaxed hotel with free WiFi & breakfast
Free Wi-Fi Free breakfast
Microtel Inn & Suites
3.9 $89
2-star hotel
Classic hotel with free breakfast
Free Wi-Fi Free breakfast
Crimson Inn
4.4
4-star hotel
Eco-conscious hotel with kitchen suites
Free Wi-Fi
Augusta Motel
2.8 (4)
Motel · 1930 Lee Hwy
Super 8 Harrisonburg
2.9 $65
2-star hotel
Budget hotel with free breakfast & Wi-Fi
Free Wi-Fi Free breakfast
Country Inn & Suites
4.2 $129
2-star hotel
Classic pick with pool & exercise room
Free Wi-Fi Free breakfast
Howard Johnson Express Inn Staunton
3.5 $64
2-star hotel
Basic hotel with free breakfast & a pool
Free Wi-Fi Free breakfast
Motel 6
3.4 $55
Motel
Simple motor lodge with free Wi-Fi
Free Wi-Fi
Frederick House
4.3
3-star hotel
Elegant inn set in 7 historic houses
Free Wi-Fi Free breakfast
Affordable Corporate Suites
4.4
2-star hotel
Extended-stay hotel with free Wi-Fi
Free Wi-Fi
Quality Inn
3.7 $94
2-star hotel
Straightforward hotel with outdoor pool
Free Wi-Fi Free breakfast
Econo Lodge East
3.1 $69
2-star hotel
Simple hotel with free WiFi & breakfast
Free Wi-Fi Free breakfast
Folks recently I featured a brand new album by Americana “newcomer” Jaime Wyatt now Newcomer is in quotation marks because she’s not technically a newcomer. She just had a few personal “setbacks” that kept her held back for a little while. But to be honest during her 8 month stint in the County Jail, helped lay the groundwork fer her triumphant latest album aptly dubbed “Felony Blues”.
I took quite fondly to her lyrics and her style because being a 21 year clean former addict myself from a heroin addiction, lyrics like hers truly hit home. She is beacon of light and hope for those out there suffering. This young lady is the REAL DEAL, and after you read what I chatted with her about you will see..she’s a TOTAL music junkie like I am. Some of her responses made me smile like a kid at Christmas, I cannot wait to meet this woman and give her a big ol Kentucky hug. She’s a truly wonderful person with a bright positive spirit, and the music scene is blessed to have her on our side.
She’s playing Tumbleweed Music Festival on the Saturday late night stage, and I found out just how completely enthusiastic she is about the entire situation. I think everyone involved in this ordeal pretty much is grateful and feels blessed to be a part of this event. So without further adieu this is what she had to say Saturday night as we spoke on the phone.
GHC:
You got your first deal at an early age, how did you get started playing back then?
Miss Jaime:
My parents used to play games with me called making up songs, and I actually started writing songs as a young kid. I got truly serious about it, and learned what a song truly was around twelve or thirteen. I taught myself pretty much, and I started playing out around fourteen in coffee shops and closer to fifteen I was playing in bars in town.
GHC:
Whom influenced you more than anybody else?
Miss Jaime:
Well ,Bob Dylan had a major impact on my songwriting, I loved his wordplay and they way he told stories in his songs. I also liked the Rambling Jack Elliott thing they had going, John Lennon, and the Rolling Stones, and Otis Redding.
GHC:
Otis Redding man that’s a good one!
Miss Jaime:
Oh yes he literally gave his music EVERYTHING, (sighs) yes he and Merle Haggard were just everything.
GHC:
I figured You would say Merle Haggard, because you really did a good job on Misery And Gin. That is a real special song to me because I have always admired Snuff Garrett, and everything that he has done for Country Music.
Miss Jaime:
Yes, all those wonderful soundtracks on those movies didn’t come out on records until later. I recently scored Bronco Billy on vinyl. Merle was pretty much everything to me, his lyric were a little bit less traditional in a Country sense. I’m simple, but I like to add on things to make it more complex.
* (Snuff Garrett wrote that song specifically for the movie Bronco Billy).
GHC:
After you had your personal troubles, you recorded your album Felony Blues. Who produced it and how did it come about?
Miss Jaime:
My friend Drew Allsbrook produced it at his studio in California. He’s extremely brilliant and he knows how to work with what’s in front of him, in order to get really nice tones. And also I felt so comfortable around these people, very laid back. He took time to understand me and he can play EVERY instrument you can imagine.
I brought him this cover of a Rhianna song I like and we started recording it, and it sounded so good so I started slowly making this record. So whenever I had money from going on tour, and whenever we had gigs whether it was playing duo or solo. I would always go back and put some money down, and eventually we finally finished it in about a year.
GHC:
Let’s talk about Tumbleweed for a few minutes, what are your feelings about it?
Miss Jaime:
I was completely shocked that I got that gig, because these are all my heroes and people I look up to. As far as songwriting and being on the road, and making beautiful music. I always like to see Whitey Morgan, I recently saw Jamey Johnson and that was amazing, he’s like a beast and his voice is SO SO GOOD.
I’m VERY excited to play with all my heroes, and also I’ve never been to Kansas City. I drove through on tour but I have never in the city. One of my best friends is from the area, it’s her hometown, so she’s pretty excited about it.
GHC:
I was pretty excited to be a part of it too, when they emailed and asked me if I wanted the job, I said SURE I’ll take it. Most of these side articles these are all my idea, and a lot of the people that are going they know Jamey Johnson pretty well, and I’m trying to get most of the people that they might not know.
You are one of the top ones I wanted because I have never ran across you actually, yet. There was one time you were in town and I had to work that night, and our paths have never crossed. I plan to soon change that for sure.
Miss Jaime:
ME TOO, Are you covering the event?
GHC:
I am, I’m going to write articles about the event as it happens and I’ll probably break it down into two different articles, I’ll be writing things I observe and the good and bad about the festival. The set lists and who plays what. My website specializes in festivals, and I cover 175 of them a year. I write individual articles for each one and let the consumers know about location and what bands are there. I include maps and nearby hotels.
Miss Jaime:
Well I’m certainly excited to be a part of Tumbleweed and it’s very shocking, and it’s going to be awesome meeting you there. We’ll see you at the end of the month, nice to speak with you.
GHC:
Absolutely, and Thanks for letting me do this with you.
So lately I have been doing a LOT of work for other ventures and festivals, and I keep returning to Tumbleweed Festival for interviews with different artists involved. You know I keep saying as time unfolds here in the music world, this festival continuously becomes all the more relevant to Country Music history before the gates even open.
I think just about every one of the artists involved in this event, and the people involved have all been influenced in some way shape or form by the Jennings family. You know It’s become sort of A yawning situation how EVERYONE these days runs around name dropping Waylon, and they really have NO idea anything about him. Right now his daughter in law Miss Kathy is having TONS of legal issues with bootlegger shirts and people using Waylon’s images for MILLIONS of dollars in profit. The whole idea of the Waylon moniker (The Flying W) and the use of it on tattoos and clothing has exploded into a mega bomb of use by fake people that have NO idea of what he TRULY brought to Country Music as a whole.
HOWEVER, there are a majority of us that actually DO look up to Waylon Jennings and HAVE been influenced by him. Many of the people my age (46) have been raised by Waylon Jennings and people like Billy Don Burns ,whom I recently spent time with yesterday at a private party, and he learned this morning about the fact that Country Music Legend Earl Clark suffered a heart attack. As a result of that he passed away last night, and it was posted on the wall of this young man Dustin James Clark. Now folks, this man won one of the contests that Tumbleweed conducted that allowed the fans to vote on the outcome, which resulted in his performance at this festival. I stopped on Monday and spoke with him on the phone about some things that I’ll share with you in just a bit. First let’s touch on what Earl Clark contributed to Country Music and just who this man was and how he embellished the genre that Tumbleweed is praising in a few weeks.
In 1998 Mr. Earl Clark wrote the title song off George Strait’s album “One Step At A Time”, and in this above video Mr. Dustin sings an original called “Take The Comfort Out Of Southern Comfort”. Honestly the song “Neon Row” is one of my favorite B Side songs that mainstream radio didn’t really embrace that George Strait sang. George Strait is probably one of Country Music’s most notable mega stars that choose to not record songs he wrote himself, in order to proliferate the job of songwriter for a living. George Strait was solely responsible for the success of people like Mr. Dean Dillon and Mr. Rich Fagan, and the list went on and on. Additionally Mr. Earl went on to write “I Found Jesus On The Jailhouse Floor” which can be found on the “Honkeytonkville” album from 2003.
Mr. Earl Clark and Mr. Billy Don Burns co wrote the song “When Waylon Came To Nashville” and upon talking more with Mr. Dustin he gave me this interview they did together to share with all of you reading this. You can click HERE and it will take you over to the interview they did together a few years ago in 2011. GO TO SCHOOL AND LEARN THIS! I just listened to this interview TWICE and this is GOOD STUFF.
Both of these two men have been invited to Nashville by the late Ernest Tubb, and it lead to Mr. Earl driving the tour bus for Waylon Jennings in 1975, and he went on to drive buses for Willie Nelson And The Family, and also Mr. Jerry Reed. That lead him to having his songs heard, and it resulted in a LONG string of cuts for him. Tumbleweed is also going to be featuring Waylon’s former steel player Mr. Robbie Turner, but THAT is another story that I’ll be tying into an interview with another Tumbleweed performer.
The story was that Billy Don Burns, Mr. Mack Vickery and Mr. Earl all wrote that song and I found a piece from an autobiography: A few years ago, I was driving back from Johnny Paycheck’s funeral. Mack Vickery and Earl Clark were with me. They were both good friends with Waylon. Mack had written “Cedar Town Georgia” and “The Eagle” for Waylon. Earl used to be his bus driver. I was trying to get my mind off of Johnny dying. Somebody said something about “we’ve lost Waylon and Paycheck, both.” I said, “Let’s write a song about Waylon.” We drove back to an office we had rented at the Spence Manor on 16th Avenue. The three of us wrote “When Waylon Came To Nashville” but it wasn’t quite right. When Mack died, I got the song back out and rewrote the chorus. I played it for Earl and he liked it. Five years ago, I was working some shows with Brigitte London and Waylon’s band. We went into a studio somewhere in Mississippi and recorded it.
In 1993 A Young Man named Tim McGraw used a song Mr. Earl wrote called ‘what She Left Behind” that Tim still performs acoustic at the end of some of his shows, and although he decided to go into the direction of pop country he really did have kind of a Traditional Country start. Another artist that equally had early commercial success with a more Traditional tinge to him was Tracy Lawrence, who recorded Mr. Earl’s song called “Renegades Rebels And Rogues”.
So this brings me to the second portion of this article and the interview I had with Mr. Dustin James Clark. Here’s what we had to talk on the phone about recently:
GHC:
Why don’t you tell us how you got started playing music and recording your songs yourself?
Mr.Dustin:
I grew up into really, pretty much as far back as I can remember. My uncle had left the area that I’m form, and I guess right around late 70’s early 80’s right before I was born he started driving for Waylon Jennings first. When I was a little kid he’d come in from being out on the road with Waylon Jennings. He would come to my grandparents house for Christmas and all that, and we sang all those old Country songs around the tree. It was engraved into me so, as the years progressed I think I was thirteen I started writing songs.
I joined a few rock bands like most of us did, and got away from Country roots for a while. As 2007 and 2008 rolled around I started really writing country songs. I came back home from working out of town for quite a few years and I joined a band, and playing in Honky Tonks and it was on from there. Next year it’ll be ten years for me.
GHC:
Who influenced you the most besides Waylon?
Mr. Dustin:
Well Jason Aldean was hitting big back then and honestly I’m a huge Jamey Johnson fan, and when his second album the Black and White album came out, it blew me away. I got it on vinyl and I remember just sitting in the basement and wearing it out. It had such a nostalgic feel compared to everything else coming out at the time. I didn’t see real getting back to the old school Honky Tonk until Jamey Johnson.
GHC:
What do you call your music, is it Outlaw Country? Classify it for me?
Mr. Dustin:
I would consider it more Honky Tonk, a lot of my stuff has a shuffle and Honky Tonk feel to it. If I had to put a label on it I am 90’s Country with a Honky Tonk sound.
GHC:
Tell me more about being on The Voice.
Mr. Dustin:
Yeah, see it was 2013 I tried out for the show here in St. Louis I got a front of the line pass from one of the producers and went up there and kind of went straight in. I went through two processes here and then they sent me out to L.A. to meet with some of the producers of the show, with some of us people. We did one more round there, and they picked us to go out and do more auditions.
Everybody told me I should go try out and just to get people off my back I went out there, and turned out the joke was on me and I was out in L.A. and on a stage in front of Blake Shelton. It was really a cool experience you know the show really lives up to it’s name. We never met any of the but we did a lot of behind the scenes things in L.A. for about two months sequestered in a hotel.
The coolest part about it was the behind the scenes and being in a hotel with a hundred of the most amazing musicians from across the country and really having all kinds of genres just mellowing together. We did all kinds of cool stuff. I made a lot of lifelong friends and good connections through the voice.
GHC:
Let’s talk about Tumbleweed for a while, what are you going to bring us?
Mr. Dustin:
Man, I’m going to bring myself that’s all. I hope that everyone enjoys it as much as I do over the years that I have been doing this. That’s all I can do, bring myself and my songs and lay them out on the table.
GHC:
I think It’s going to be fun, he’s got Red Dirt going and I don’t consider it Outlaw Country anymore in my opinion I don’t like to label anything that anymore. Most of it’s just more underground, and most of it’s all awesome music . He’s got a little bit of everything.
Mr. Dustin:
That’s right and you know they all try to put labels on it, and I do a lot of stuff differently. I got Outlaw tattooed on my arm and they think Hey you’re trying to say you are this or that. And I do that to pay homage to my roots, you know Waylon Jennings and all those guys. Really just the fact that anybody doing something other than mainstream music these days whether it’s a little bit of rock or Country…Bluegrass or anything, I kind of do label that Outlaw just because they are going against the grain. Country Music has gotten so far away from it’s past that really anybody that doing anything on their own, that’s really what they’re doing is going against the grain.
GHC:
I cover a wide variety of music I do Bluegrass and Red Dirt and I do Roots Music I’m tied in with Muddy Roots really deeply. I dip into so many different scenes and I have heard your music, but I don’t think I ever met you yet. I’m looking forward to meeting you really.
Mr. Dustin:
It’s a blessing to go through the contest which was a whirlwind in itself and those guys didn’t have to ask us to come out and they did. It’s just been an amazing experience and we cannot wait to get out there and let the whole experience come full circle.
GHC:
I went to another festival in Kansas City, I saw the venue and by God it’s a nice facility. I didn’t see the stage but the area is huge and he’s on to something. They invited me out and I agreed to work for him because festivals is what I specialize in. This is a science and a market and I enjoy doing it and watching them flourish, and my crew knows what to do and when. I’m looking forward to it.
Mr. Dustin:
I am too, we started a little thing out here and my whole goal is to do what they are doing. I think getting these guys out here in one place a these big festivals is fun. There’s really something special going on in with what call “Our Movement” right now. That’s from the Red Dirt too you know anything that has more Traditional root in Country Music. It’s taking off like wildfire and I couldn’t be happier, and what I do is going to pan out there has never been a better time I don’t think.
GHC:
I went from a thousand viewers a day to eight and nine thousand viewers a day just when this stuff boomed. There’s a huge market for this music and people are spending money going to these shows. You know Wade Bowen and them, they don’t get out here as much so when they do I’m there. I started tying more Red Dirt into what I do to bring them over here because there was actually a shortage of it.
Now he’s in such a centralized area geographically that people from Texas and people from my area can get to Kansas City and take part in this. It’s right dead smack in the middle. All of us we’re all coming towards Kansas City and trust me it’s an easy city to drive in and I love it, the music scene out there is beyond great.
Mr. Dustin:
The mainstream has alienated good music, hell you can’t call a radio station and ask them to play Waylon…hell half the time you cannot ask for Alan Jackson anymore. It’s all top stuff and that has alienated so many people, and people are starting to look on their own. The older generation is going too Youtube and Spotify and looking for real music, and finding what Tumbleweed is offering.
GHC:
So you just have your one album out right, or is there more?
Mr. Dustin:
Yeah, I did an EP in 2008 it’s decent quality and It’s old but I thought about releasing it as a prequel album. But the Land Of The Free is my first album that I put the most time and money into. We are hoping to get back into the studio real soon. I have got about another forty or fifty songs, and I’d like to get a full album out.
GHC:
Who produced the Land Of The Free?
Mr. Dustin:
The Walker Brothers, in Missouri. I was on the voice with them and I actually gone to look at their studio before the voice even happened. We just ended up in the same place and created a great friendship.
GHC:
Alright Sir well thank you for your time and we will see you at Tumbleweed.
Mr. Dustin:
Thanks as well, and I look forward to playing and forming new friendships.
I recently went out to the Basement to see Band Of Heathens not too long ago, and had a really good time with them and Hayes Carll who was the opening act that night. In fact I almost enjoyed their set more than Mr. Hayes Carll, I’m not concerned with anybody that wishes to digress with me on that.
Since then both bands have been burning up the roads all over America and recently the Band Of Heathens released some more tour dates I wanted to bring to your attention. Their latest album called “Duende” came out in January this year, and you can darn sure BET it makes my TOP 50 of 2017 at midway through the year already.
From their website:
The group recently premiered their new song “Trouble Came Early” with Relix. The group describes how the inspiration for the song “came about from reading A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage, after a strange night out we had in a bar after a show. Some guy who was blacked-out drunk ended up pulling a knife and coming after us. Fortunately everybody made it out alive, and a seed was planted for the classic character who can’t escape the call of the bars.”
July 8, 2017
Flagstaff, AZ, Pepsi Amphitheater at Fort Tuthill
The Band of Heathens
July 9, 2017
Solana Beach, CA, Belly Up
The Band of Heathens
July 10, 2017
Huntington Beach, CA, Don The Beachcomber
The Band of Heathens
July 11, 2017
Paso Robles, CA, Hope Family Winery
The Band of Heathens
July 12, 2017
Santa Cruz, CA, The Catalyst
The Band of Heathens w/ The Jolly Llamas
July 13, 2017
Mendocino, CA, Mendocino Music Festival
The Band of Heathens
July 14, 2017
Navarro, CA, Redwood Ramble
The Band of Heathens – SOLD OUT
July 15, 2017
Mill Valley, CA, Sweetwater Music Hall
The Band of Heathens w/ Mendonesia
July 16, 2017
Berkeley, CA, Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse
The Band of Heathens
July 26, 2017
Arlington Heights, IL, House of Music and Entertainment
The Band of Heathens
July 28, 2017
Cincinnatti, OH, Fountain Square
The Band of Heathens
July 29, 2017
Maryville, TN, The Shed Smokehouse & Juke Joint
The Band of Heathens
July 30, 2017
Atlanta, GA, City Winery
The Band of Heathens w/ Carly Burruss
August 7, 2017
Crested Butte, CO, Alpenglow Free Summer Concert Series
The Band of Heathens
August 8, 2017
Salida, CO, SoulCraft Brewery
The Band of Heathens
August 10, 2017
Boulder, CO, Fox Theatre
The Band of Heathens
August 11, 2017
Carbondale, CO, The Carbondale Creative District- 4th Street Plaza
The Band of Heathens
August 12, 2017
Lone Tree, CO, Sweetwater Park Summer Concert Series.
I been hard at work for Tumbleweed Festival lately, as I have been on vacation from my “normal” job. I have talked with many people and artists. My friend and partner Miss Kristie who runs the vendor company Rebel K Child does what I call “The Back End” of the festival. That’s the area YOU are in as fans and BY GOD IT’S THE IMPORTANT AREA, you see I’m in the “Front End” of the festival backstage making sure the set list is correct, and the band is hydrated correctly. Without the support of the fans there would BE NO local music, I don’t care WHAT genre you play.
It’s MY JOB to be a sober, positive representative of the brand I am working for to bring YOU the BEST coverage of the event from a media standpoint. It’s MY JOB to KNOW every song EVERY artist played and what they said on stage, it’s MY JOB to bring you news and upcoming events that YOUR favorite people are doing.
You know many old tales abound about how all the Outlaw stars hung out at each others houses partying all night, and it may have happened periodically. But this business is push push push, and if you hang around me long enough you’ll see I don’t screw around. I’m VERY PROMPT and timely, if you are scheduled to call me at 4 or I’m scheduled to call you at 4 you better bet your butt I’ll call.
We don’t always have time to STOP and chat, and that was the case with Miss Sunny Sweeney last week, I DID get to talk with her a little bit and I did get to ask her some things about this event. When I asked her what she planned to bring to the table to Tumbleweed she had just one reply…”Country Music”. Who’s to argue with her, I mean hell she has been hard at work for several years develpoing her own style.
She’s often placed alongside Red Dirt artists which Tumbleweed will be bringing into the mix with Outlaw Country artists out there in Kansas City. But to be honest she’s been around longer than many of the Red Dirt artists, as her first album “Heart Breaker’s Hall Of Fame” was released in 2006 before she signed on with Big Machine. It was re released in 2007 as her debut album and back then many of the primary Red Dirt artists weren’t in the spotlight yet, aside from a few I could name and that’s NOT saying anything negative because I love Red Dirt Country.
She doesn’t consider herself Red Dirt or Texas Country, once again I asked her what she classified her music as and she quickly replied “Country”. I did get to ask her what writing with Mr. Bob DiPiero was like (he was the co-writer on the song “From A Table Away” on her second album). And she replied that “it was really fun to have that experience, and he was a truly nice guy”.
She broke barriers with her third album “Provoked” which took a totally different direction for her as a songwriter and featured some different vocals. Additionally I enjoyed her third album more because I love the song “You Don’t Know Your Husband” which was co wrote by Pistol Annie member Angaleena Preseley.
I dissected “Provoked” as an album more heartfelt and personal, however she carried it even further into that personal realm with her new album from Thirty Tigers called “Trophy”. That album is already on everybody’s TOP list already for 2017 I’m quite sure.
When I asked her what she wanted to reflect toward her fans when she made Trophy she had this to say “Well I always try to write songs that let everybody know where I am in my life. And I would presume it would be safe to say that I wanted people to know where I was in my life, and I wanted to reflect those feeling through the songs I’m singing about”.
We chatted for a short period of time about all kinds of things, and I wanted to feature her and let people that didn’t really know her or her music become familiar with it. Unlike many of the other artists on this bill Miss Sunny and I have never met in person, I have been around her but always in passing. So I think basically she and I had more of a personal conversation and that’s OK too, because one thing I have ALWAYS RESPECTED about Miss Sunny is the fact she is an AVID Opry performer. On August 25th she will play her 50th Opry appearance, and to be honest when you watch her play there you can FEEL the love she has for that institution.
The Opry is special and it is `hallowed wood, and if it wasn’t they wouldn’t have taken the wood from the Ryman in 1974 and placed it into the new stage. Sadly Country Legend George Morgan was the last person to play the Opry at the Ryman AND the FIRST to play the Opry on the new stage before passing away July 7th 1975.
I told her that I would include this in my article for DARN SURE that I have been heavily pushing for her to be inducted into the Grand Old Opry membership, I firmly believe that as often as she performs on that stage and the passion she possesses for the proliferation of Country Music history, she deserves to be inducted as a member in the near future. It is a life goal of mine to make certain my daughter can have the ability to call her a Country Music legend.
Mr. Matt Woods now that’s a name you have heard me talk about MANY TIMES on here. I covered his fantastic sets at Moonrunners Music Festival this past spring, and many times at Muddy Roots Music Festival as well. I mean his new album also made my TOP 50 OF 2016 and on it there is a song called “American Way” that fits the Fourth of July holiday today.
I wanted to touch on some upcoming events that have to do with this friend of mine, I cannot run across him enough times a year, that true smile he has when he sees fans. He is truly one of the most REAL guys you’ll ever come across, and he performs a BAD ASS set at Muddy Roots. I LOVE how he does Deadman’s Blues and connects with me as a music lover.
I’ll be honest people, I have followed these road dogs around for so many years, they accept me as one of their own. Many of them regard me as integral to their scene as any other band, many years of travel have earned that. I’m there y’all, with my laptop pounding away at my keyboard while people like Mr. Matt spill their hearts out onstage for me to write about.
This year he is out and about doing solo stuff but soon to be piling his band the Natural Disasters to do FULL BAND shows, he has an Eastern United States tour planned and a European Tour planned according to his email newsletter:
The second festival I am excited about this summer is the Wildwood MusicFest & Campout in Sheridan, OR. I will be performing there Saturday July 22 at 6pm, but as with Choice City, I plan to be around all weekend and checking out a ton of great music, friends and food. If you are in the Pacific Northwest, don’t you dare miss out on this one!
Full tour dates are listed below and many of the west coast show are with my good pal Michael Dean Damron. I have been looking forward to getting back together with Mike for some shows. They are always a great time. We both are stoked to see everyone along the way.
Finally, I can announce the premiere for our latest music video. Chirs Metts at Goldstream Productions gave the song “Fireflies” a fantastic treatment and we have been waiting for the right moment to get it out to the world. It will premiere on The Bluegrass Situation on July 13th. We will be spreading the word once the link is up and hope you will be looking forward to checking it out and doing the same. Head over there now and check out what they do at The Bluegrass Situation. They are great folks doing a wonderful job of covering everything going on in the world of Americana these days.
Cheers for now, friends! As always, thank you for the support and I’ll see you at the show!
-Matt Woods
SOLO TOUR DATES
***with Michael Dean Damron
July 4 – San Luis Obispo, CA at House Concert (send message via website for info)
July 5 – Morro Bay, CA at Libertine Pub (w. The Turkey Buzzards) ***
July 6 – Santa Cruz, CA at TBA ***
July 7 – Sacramento, CA at Torch Club (5pm Happy Hour Show) ***
July 7 – Folsom, CA at Gaslight Taproom (8pm) ***
July 8 – Portland, OR at Slim’s ***
July 9 – Medford, OR at Spark House Concerts (6pm)
July 10 – Bremerton, WA at Hi-Fidelity Lounge (7pm)
July 13 – Bellingham, WA at The Green Frog ***
July 14 – TBA
July 15 – Vancouver, WA at Loowit Brewing (w. The Mutineers)
July 22 – Sheridan, OR at Wildwood MusicFest and Campout (6pm)
July 23 – Boise, ID at House Concert
July 25 – Columbia, MO at Logboat Brewing (7:30pm)
Redwood Ramble is another darn fine July Bluegrass Festival I proudly endorse. Now folks this THIS ONE is a SPECIAL one because it helps the community, THIS MAN is doing some truly wonderful things for the less fortunate through music. Folks YOUR MONEY is funding this and helping this organization embellish the state of California.
You KNOW folks I cover 175 festivals yearly on this website and this one is nothing short of amazing in how they have it structured and how it graciously gives back to the area. I am amazed what is happening here, WOW!
I mean DON’T WE ALL want to be good to others and help our community and promote GOOD MUSIC? So basically since this is my first year covering this longtime running event I shall embed as much as I can into this article so you can get the FULL preview of it, if you do decide to come. Ultimately the MORE I research this festival the MORE I see it stressed to bring CASH along, there are NO ATM’s.
You need to check out the NO No’s on the main menu of what to expect, there are a lot of rules, but honestly most of it all is common sense. It covers open jams and busking to where you can and cannot smoke. You can NOT HAVE personal campfires folks.
So a lot of the information below was carefully brought from 5the official website, but placed with my own care here. I want EVERYONE to be able to see if you are in that area to be able to come enjoy this festival, and tell them I sent you! There just looks like SO MUCH TO DO and see all in one weekend I couldn’t partake in all of it at once, I know some of the vendors involved and can vouch for them as well.
Dear Ramblers,
If you are looking for the latest Ramble News and Announements, visit our Facebook page. For general event information, you will find it below and on the menu above.
The Fourth Annual Redwood Ramble will take place at Camp Navarro from Thursday, July 13th to Sunday, July 16th. Funds raised from this year’s Redwood Ramble will go to support Project Avary which offers long-term support, resources, guidance and training for children with incarcerated parents. Since its founding 16 years ago, Project Avary has worked to change the lives and outlooks of these young people and, in doing so, help curb the generational cycle of incarceration To better understand the impact that Project Avary has on the lives of the children it serves, I encourage you to watch the following introductory video and visit their website.
On behalf of Ramble On Productions I thank you for your support of the Redwood Ramble, and in turn Project Avary, and I look forward to seeing you this summer!
Steve and the Ramble Crew
There a many festivals I promote on the west coast for FREE to them because basically local music and independent music deserves to be brought to the forefront by people like me. I think this man Mr. Steve and his crew deserve to be commended on their accomplishments on running such a positive business and FAMILY friendly event that EVERYONE can partake and enjoy.
ABOUT THE REDWOOD RAMBLE
The Redwood Ramble is a small family-friendly event that will celebrate music, nature and community at Camp Navarro – a beautiful, secluded 100 acre site under the redwoods in Mendocino’s scenic Anderson Valley – from 11AM on Thursday, July 13th until until 5:00PM on Sunday, July 16th, 2017.
Located approximately 2.5 hours north of San Francisco, the Redwood Ramble will feature more than 20 bands over the course of the weekend, as well as special performances and an open mic on the Amphitheatre stage. You can also expect plenty of camp jamming throughout the weekend, along with a variety of other activities for kids and adults. For lots more information about what will be happening during the event, we encourage you to visit the What to Expect page.
The event is produced by Ramble On Productions, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity, with 100% of any profit being donated to charity. Please visit our Partners page for information about this year’s selected charity. It should be noted that event organizers are donating their time and will not receive any compensation for producing the event.
Background
In the fall of 2013, the Strawberry Music Festival was canceled due to the devastating Rim Fire in and around Yosemite. In response to this tragedy, a group of Strawberrians, displaced and saddened by the fire and the cancellation of the festival, gathered at Camp Navarro on short notice for an event dubbed, “Joy Kills Sorrow, an Alt-Strawberry Survival Party“. What happened that weekend exceeded all expectations and inspired the creation of the Redwood Ramble to carry on where Joy Kills Sorrow left off.
What the Heck is a “Ramble” Anyway?
Ramble, as used here, is a gathering of friends and musicians in an intimate setting to enjoy music and each other’s company. The term was popularized by the late, great, Levon Helm of The Band, who hosted his hallmark Midnight Ramble Sessions at his property in upstate New York right up until his death. In fact, the Midnight Rambles continue on in his honor.
I need to be honest and truthful THIS IS my TOP favorite festival to go to, for many reasons and I’m sure you’ll agree with most of them I list in this article. I always take great pride in reporting on this festival because Mr. Jason makes ALL OF US a part of this festival, and always acknowledges that Muddy Roots Music Festival couldn’t happen without YOU!
In the last few years I have had the humble opportunity to watch Mr. Jason grow this little 400 person shindig that started on MySpace with a merch printing business into a GLOBAL phenomenon that has had the chance to go corporate by several offers but has chosen to remain almost completely independently run. In other words you won’t be expecting to pay 4 dollars for a bottle of water, in fact one of the special offers that was infringed upon was the free campfire wood because in 2014 someone decided to light the whole pile on fire!
You can DAMN SURE BET I watch for thieves at ALL these festivals I honor and support for the festival director AND the bands, I “hang out” at the merch tables to see shit going down it’s NOT cool and I WILL turn you in! Pickpockets and ANY rubbish I witness will be HARSHLY dealt with, and PLEASE DO NOT harass the wildlife at the The June Bug Ranch or damage Mr. Jason’s property. We are guests and we are welcome to drink and do as we please isn’t that cool enough that we don’t need to commit crimes? We have ONE rule: Don’t be a dick. You don’t have to toss your shirt over a mud puddle for a lady, but treat EVERYONE nice, we don’t have drama here.
This article is my yearly dig into the muddy world of Cookeville on Labor Day Weekend of which I proudly have not missed a year of yet, and I don’t plan to. If you have medical problems this festival can take GOOD care of you and it’s VERY safe at least in MY adventures it has been. So let’s get into the where how why and whats of our 2016 Muddy Roots “main festival” in Cookeville Tennessee Onnnnnn:
Aug 31- Sep 3, 2017
Cookeville, TN.
It’s the great Muddy Roots “Homecoming!” We’re calling all bands and friends from around the globe to come on back home to the field that started it all. Over 100 bands are playing! You can expect everything from Bluegrass, Country, Folk, Americana, Blues to Punk Rock and everything in between. This is the #1 DIY fest in the world which really means it’s a big ass backyard party.
DIRECTIONS:
From Interstate 40, take exit 287 (TN-136/Hilham Road) North through the town of Cookeville. Keep left at the fork on Waterloo Road. Cross the bridge, follow Waterloo Road for approximately 1 mile and you’re there! Google Map It CLICK HERE for ALL frequently asked questions like camping (included) and security info, I CAN tell you NO glow sticks, pets,fireworks or firearms (please be like me and leave them home or at the hotel). The medical tent will even hold your medications for you can keep insulin cold for you. You CAN BYOB all you want and drinks and food AND the vendors are VERY reasonably priced and GOOD. Both bars offer 3 dollar tallboy PBRs and mix drink specials, ice is available via delivery to your campsite.
Hot showers are included and the port a potties are cleaned all day in the main stage area VERY NICE staff cleaning them all day. All three stages are within walking distance of one another and the merchandise area is very nice, plus there is a bar in the main area. You CAN have reasonable fires at your camping area and you CAN cook.
One cool thing is the availability of meeting the bands and artists as they spend time with EVERYONE before and after their sets and there is NO green room or areas you cannot go (however the bands DO have a private dining area where they can eat in private)….please respect their meal.
MY RESERVATION is at America’s Best Value Inn it is RIGHT ACROSS from Wal Mart and Shoney’s plus MANY more good places. La Quinta Inn has a REALLY GOOD breakfast with HOT eggs and bacon ALL YOU WANT! A NICE clean pool and laundry facilities. This hotel is a little more money BUT it’s a GOOD bet next door to Waffle House.
My website will be handing out soap, toothbrushes and socks this year FREE also toilet paper at certain times during the festival I’ll also have sunscreen with me for everyone at ALL times. THIS FESTIVAL IS USUALLY HOT so PLEASE bring plenty of water, sunscreen and ice for yourself. Don’t try and have a liquor consumption challenge and end up in the E.R. have some drinking sense and remember the show, and the fun.
Earlybird tickets have sold out.
Weekend passes include FREE camping and hot showers.
Not to mention that beauty of a waterfall we have a half mile up the road.
DO NOT MISS THIS.
DON’T LET YOUR FRIENDS MISS THIS.
DON’T LET YOUR ENEMIES MISS THIS!
It’ll change all their lives.
Earlybird tickets are already sold out. Weekend passes are capped.
This will absolutely sell out.
As always with ALL my festival articles HERE is a LONG LIST of hotels right off Hwy 40, about 20 minutes from the ranch where we have this festival. I know there are many questions about this event and we have ONE RULE:
DON’T BE A DICK.
So with that in mind I’ll say there are NO golf carts allowed, I’m not sure about service animals I myself have never seen a patron with one. DRINK WATER…..IT’S HOT OUT THERE…..DRINK WATER. There is a NICE first aid station and medical corner of the main tent, THEY CAN keep insulin cold and THEY WILL lock up maintenance pills for you (I have diabetes) and I CAN AND WILL assist you personally with anything you need.
WHERE CAN I BE FOUND? GOOD QUESTION:
The Rebel K Child jewelry vendor booth will be the official hangout for Gary Hayes and my website. I’ll have my own Wi Fi out there this year, and I’ll be handing out toilet paper and dry socks if weather is nasty.
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Mt. Juliet – Nashville Area
Ad 4.4
$100
2-star hotel
Standard lodging with an indoor pool
Free Wi-Fi
La Quinta Inn & Suites Cookeville
Ad 4.1
$95
3-star hotel
Understated hotel with a pool & a gym
Free Wi-Fi
Motel 6
3.6
$54
2-star hotel
Simple budget lodging with seasonal pool
Free Wi-Fi
DEAL 20% less than usual
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Cookeville
4.2
$112
2-star hotel
Standard option with an outdoor pool
Free Wi-Fi
Free breakfast
TownePlace Suites by Marriott Cookeville
4.8
$116
$129
Extended Stay Hotel
Simple all-suite hotel with a 24/7 gym
Free breakfast
DEAL 10% off
Image Hotel Management
Business Management Consultant · 930 Woodwinds Dr
Image Hotel Management
5.0
(1)
Hotel · 970 S Jefferson Ave
Star Motor Inn
2.6
(31)
Motel · 1115 S Willow Ave
Low-key option with a Southern eatery
Free Wi-Fi
Best Western Thunderbird Motel
4.0
$88
2-star hotel
Budget hotel with Mexican dining
Free Wi-Fi
Comfort Inn & Suites
4.0
$85
2-star hotel
Modern budget hotel with an indoor pool
Free Wi-Fi
Free breakfast
Red Roof Inn Cookeville – Tennessee Tech
3.8
$70
2-star hotel
Basic hotel with free breakfast & a pool
Free Wi-Fi
Free breakfast
Key West Inn
3.3
$48
2-star hotel
Quaint low-rise hotel with modest rooms
Free Wi-Fi
Free breakfast
DEAL 17% less than usual
FALL CREEK INN
2.4
$40
$46
2-star hotel
Casual hotel with free Wi-Fi & breakfast
Free Wi-Fi
DEAL 13% off
Hampton Inn Cookeville
4.2
$149
3-star hotel
Modern hotel with free Wi-Fi & a pool
Free Wi-Fi
Free breakfast
Alpine Lodge & Suites
4.1
$48
2-star hotel
Casual hotel with an outdoor pool & BBQs
Free Wi-Fi
Free breakfast
DEAL 23% less than usual
Eastwood Inn
2.7
(9)
Hotel · 1646 E Spring St
Cookeville Manor Bed & Breakfast
5.0
* LOU SHIELDS * BLACK TARPOON * THE BIG SKY * BLACKGRASS GOSPEL *
A PONY NAMED OLGA * HUSKY BURNETTE * THE DIRTY MUGS * JIMMY SWOPE * DIRTFOOT * SWEET GA BROWN * THE MENDERS * SCISSORMEN * WICKLOW ATWATER AND THE FALLEN FLAME * ROCK BOTTOM STRING BAND * WHISKEY DICK * CALL ME BRONCO * CANNIBAL RAMBLERS * WOODLAND REMEDY * IMPERIAL ROOSTER * LONE WOLF OMB * C.W. AYON * EVERYMEN * W. D. MILLER & THE REVOLVERS * SMOKESTACK RELICS * SEAN K. PRESTON * DEAD SOLDIERS * RL COLE * BROKEN BOW * A.J. GAITHER OMB * MIKEY CLASSIC & FISHGUTZZZ * MOOSE’S LAST STAND * NOAH TYSON * LOST DOG STREET BAND * THEM OLD CRAP
* LAST FALSE HOPE *JB BEVERLEY & THE WAYWARD DRIFTERS *
MARK “PORKCHOP” HOLDER * RICHIE OWENS AND THE FARM BUREAU * ASKULTURA * MOONSHINE WAGON * TOM VANDENAVOND * SAWYER FAMILY * SS WEB * TIM EASTON * ACOUSTA NOIR * SEXX * DEAD BRONCO * RT & THE 44’S * LARA HOPE & THE ARK-TONES * THE HARMED BROTHERS * RICKETT PASS * JOHN THE REVELATOR * EL ESCAPADO * TEJON STREET CORNER THIEVES * TIM VEE *
The bands playing the 2017 Muddy Roots Music Festival will be sharing FREE downloads with you all year long to promote their performances in our field. Get yours now HERE.
This venue went through some changes since the last time I was here and some of them were for the best. They expanded the menu now, the last time I had their Italian Beef sandwich and I LOVED IT. Tonight’s show began later so I ate beforehand, but had a later snack. They now have table numbers like the Palace does, and I noticed they had a pretty cool POS system there.
They moved the jukebox and the wall of records to another spot on the bar, and they still play decent REAL MUSIC when the bands aren’t playing. I pretty much had no complaints about the entire evening whatsoever, and will of course continue to come here for shows when I can. YOU MUST go see Mr. Joe my big buddy and tip him good please, we have been friends many years. Many good stories of being around him, and many good bands were enjoyed around him. Also Miss Amy Dee Richardson whom also bar tends, stop and see them BOTH, watch some Dukes Of Hazzard on the TV or Bonanza and hear some REAL Country Music. I give this place FIVE STARS, MUCH better menu and FUN!
OK So I ran a contest that night and it stated that anyone whom guessed where I was going to go eat would be mentioned in this article. It was my good friend Miss Gail Norman and she works at Roberts Western World and also here in Springfield at Willie Mae’s Barbecue. So when you are in my area go stop and see her, and say hello because the food is wonderful, and please tell her I said hello.
The Bucksnort Beauties were up to play first, and played several new songs, and I’ll be including several videos from those songs. One of their new singles that’s not on their EP called “Wildfire And Moonshine” was called “Cockadoodledoo”and you can read more about that album HERE. I took two videos from their performance tonight including their live performance of “Cockadoodledoo” and another called “Chuckwagon”.
Now the second video Chuckwagon got off to little rough start but dammit it was a dog gone fine song they have new there, and like last time they did a truly fine job up there tonight. Another new song they included was called “Get Down To It”,which was a pretty well written song.
Their first song was indeed one from their EP called Zachiriah Head” and that song was followed by the ever popular “Good Bad Girls” full of those gorgeous Bucksnort Beauties harmonies that one associates with this band. They followed that song up with “Good Bad Girls” which is also on the EP.
Aw the hell with all y’all, they done went “Back To Arkansas” tonight before they played “Boom Chicka Boom”. And one of my personal favorite songs called “Spit On the Diamond” and make it shine baby, because they are pretty much “Country Like That”.
They closed their set with a song I liked called “Whiskey Tonight”which I did indeed imbibe in as I am beginning to enjoy my vacation this week, as I prepare more Tumbleweed work and work for Muddy Roots as well.
Miss Tommy Ash WOW…I’m speechless. She brought a huge powerhouse band that displayed a Bakersfield influence as well as old style Honky Tonk. I have indeed admired her music for some time now, but until now have yet to see her live, nor have I ever had the chance to feature her on the website.
FINALLY I got to get some stuff from her and write about her music, I’m telling you cover songs don’t always make me go crazy,but when you start playing Bob McDill written Don Williams songs as rare as “She’s In Love With A Rodeo Man” you got my attention.
But see she opened with a song off her 2013 album called “Sinner’s Blood” in fact, that said album is called Sinner’s Blood, and she followed that up with a song called “When I’m Gone”. Here is a video from her set tonight featuring that very song. I mean I FOCUSED ON IT, just LISTEN to that guitar tone and that twang. I think this guitarist truly embellishes her vocals and their combined stage presence is nothing short of “right hand man” type of function so many big names had in history.
“Trip To The Moon” was next, which featured some truly amazing songwriting skills. BUT FOLKS this next song I wished I would have caught on video. I mean what is a Honky Tonk show without a drinking song like “Sugar In A Bottle”? I mean THIS SONG is COUNTRY as HELL! There is a steel guitar lick in this song that was so cool I kept turning back to it several times, I was blessed enough to get to sit and chat with Tommy’s husband (and lead guitarist) Mr. Ben Blanc Dumont and Miss Tommy herself. He had to stop during a Dwight Yoakam song and admire a certain steel guitar lick like I do, so you CAN FEEL the passion they have for this genre. It’s NOT just some show they play for tips, you can easily ascertain they do this for the LOVE of Country Music.
Her next song was a Delbert McClinton song that was recorded in 1976 by EmmyLou Harris called “Two More Bottles Of Wine” however if you are not an aficionado like we are, you might not even notice it’s a cover song at all. I overheard someone say WOW that’s a well written song she has..hmmm. The general public amazes me sometimes but nonetheless they enjoyed her.
“Ain’t Cha Mama” was next followed by “Lost It All” and possibly one called ‘sold The Farm” I’m not totally sure of the name of that one, however she did effectively alter “Only Momma That’ll Walk The Line” and closed her set with “Keeping The House”. Altogether I would have to say THIS WAS one of the better sets overall I have been to so far in 2017, I am BLOWN AWAY by her power to lead such gifted band members like that. The timing was impeccable and the key modulations were flawless, not ONCE did anybody loose pace. Accompanying her and her husband are Mr. Brandon Goldstein on drums and Mr. Jeff Malinowski on bass guitar.
Patrick Kinsley And A Fistful Of Dollars was a four piece Country Rock band that I also have never witnessed before, I HAVE heard of them however. Mr. Patrick has some gritty vocals aged much more than his physical body, accompanied by hard rocking guitar tones and good beat.
“Rattling The Cage” was first an outlaw story of his father who had to take care of a loose lipped tattle tale from the eyes of himself as a child. Kind of a modern day “Coward Of The County” type deal about learning from your parent’s mistakes.
This man has pretty well written lyrics and some twisted stories with some truly good hooks. “Between Heaven” was next followed by another good one called “Bethlehem”. So, now this video is from a song called “Don’t Wanna Fight” and I enjoyed this song VERY MUCH.
See I related WELL to this song. I’m too old for that fighting bullshit no more, and I don’t party and drink like I used to..those days are over with. I defiantly need to sit and chat with these boys further one day in the future and you can DAMN sure bet I will be seeking them out later on. There were some lead guitar licks in this song that were great, and it truly spoke out for the soldiers that don’t wanna fight no more. He truly has empathy for our men and women over there fighting for our right to be there enjoying music.
“Little Tin House” was next followed by ‘Holding What We Got”. They closed their set with “Poison” and a song called “A Little Further North”.
I must admit folks I am a little bit late on this subject, but I have a valid reason why. Upon further reading of my hypothesis and analysis of this subject, you will discover why I say that. You see on May 27th just a short time after Country Legend Don Williams announced his retirement, and one day before his 78th birthday the album aptly called “Gentle Giants: The Songs Of Don Williams” was released.
It was produced by longtime producer Mr. Garth Fundis who has been his producer since the 1978 album “Expressions”, and includes many artists from several genres. The album has eleven tracks and more than six songs feature a female singer on vocals, and proceeds from the sales of the album were donated to MusiCares program.
When producer Garth Fundis was contacted and asked to produce this album he quickly said YES, and additionally offered his personal collection of thousands of notes and facts from working with Don Williams all these years. I thought they did a wonderful job on this album, it was well produced and the proper songs were chosen to compliment one another.
Gentle Giants: The Songs of Don Williams track listing:
1. “Tulsa Time” – Pistol Annies
2. “I Believe in You” – Brandy Clark
3. “We’ve Got a Good Fire Goin'” – Lady Antebellum
4. “Some Broken Hearts Never Mend” – Dierks Bentley
5. “Amanda” – Chris Stapleton feat. Morgane Stapleton
6. “Till The Rivers All Run Dry” – Alison Krauss
7. “Love Is On A Roll” – John Prine feat. Roger Cook
8. “If I Needed You” – Jason Isbell & Amanda Shires
9. “Maggie’s Dream” – Trisha Yearwood
10. “Lord I Hope This Day is Good” – Keb’ Mo’
11. “Good Ole Boys Like Me” – Garth Brooks
So now that brings me to this juncture in my studies and my question, could this album and other occurrences usher in the triumphant return of the trio “The Pistol Annies”? The Pistol Annies made their debut on April 4rth 2011 on an awards show, and quickly rose to the forefront with their snarky lyrics and their gorgeous harmony vocals.
However in 2013, they cancelled their tour dates and went on temporary hiatus. In the past all three members (which consist of Angaleena Presley,Ashley Monroe and Miranda Lambert AKA Lonestar Annie, Hippie Annie and Holler Annie) have positively stated the band is NOT DONE and will continue in the future. And trust me folks we have been eagerly awaiting that return.
You know this band shared success in both the real Country scene and the pop country scene as Miranada Lambert recorded several pop country albums that were selectively enjoyed by real Country fans. But Angaleena Presley and Ashley Monroe both released some truly fine REAL Country albums, that have garnished much success. Their first album “Hell on Heels” surprisingly generated much radio airplay.
Miranda Lambert was recently on a radio show I listen to from Texas and she said “We’ve been texting a lot and just trying to figure everything out,” she explained. When we get in a room it’s magic and so we just have to find time in our schedules… to just get in a room for a couple of days and I’m sure more magic will happen,” she said.
Just recently in July of 2016 at a show that Miranda Lambert was playing she brought out the other two gals to perform their title track of their first album “Hell On Heels”. And they hadn’t performed in over a year, it doesn’t look it. I mean that magnetism is still present along with their girly yet bitchy ambiance they portray on stage. They aren’t playing games and they mean it, their lyrics reflect the WANT for a man but not the NEED for one.
If you ask me aside from Sunny Sweeney these three gals are the BEST songwriters in their genre, complete with some truly inventive hooks and lines. It’s not hard to understand and it’s subjects everyone can relate to, and their album sales proved just that. When “Hell On Heals” went to vinyl it went gonzo nuts in sales, garnishing A positive and promising future for them.
We also have the recently released Sophomore album “Wrangled” from Angaleena Presley that contains the song “Dreams Don’t Come True” that joins them in the studio once again, and to be honest it was almost as good as their first album. It sounded FANTASTIC, was completely well written and produced.
They are completely on good terms with each other, and I suspect the only reason they aren’t performing together is scheduling issues or legal contract reasons. If indeed it is legal reasons I would surmise it’s none of our business, and sometime soon we will indeed witness a third Pistol Annies album, and when they do you can damn sure bet I’ll be in on it.
Hi everybody I recently stopped for a moment to talk to those Barnyard Stompers that road dog relentlessly through the United States playing their gritty Honky Tonk, Heavy Rock all rolled into one big show. Miss Megan Wise on drums also plays a guitar (DON’T as k me how), and Mr. Casey Miller plays guitar. Mr. Casey had this to tell me tonight:
Its the first record I’ve written for us, doing just what I wanted to do without anybody’s expectations but ours, and we’re really proud of it. We’re on the road indefinitely, and will hit most of the country this year. We did a video for Outlaws with Chainsaws Part II that Bob Wayne directed (I have included that below).
OK so with the cover photo and others that were recently shot with their weight loss and ONE HELL of a photographer Mr. Chris Couture who was kind enough to provide my website with his wonderful promo shots.
VINYL COMING SOON!!
We’re getting great feedback on our new album Outlaws With Chainsaws part II! A lot of hard work went into the record and we’re glad to share it with y’all. It is available at our shows as well as online/iTunes. If you know of a podcast/radio station/blogger that would like a copy, let us know!
Myrtle Beach bike week was a blast and Oklahoma was a great time too! We are so lucky to know so many cool folks we can spend our time with before and after the shows! We’re moving onward to the Southwest and West coast before we head to Sturgis!
We just approved our vinyl test pressing so we will have Outlaws With Chainsaws part II on vinyl next month! Casey has been waiting his whole life to hear his voice on an actual record! You can order the CD or vinyl HERE. Keep in touch with us on Facebook if ya can, we always have a lot going on from the road.
In honor of us losing a combined total of 80 pounds, we’ll be taking lots of new promo pictures this month. We’re over halfway to our goal and we appreciate everyone’s love and support in our journey! Thank God whiskey is still on the menu 😉
We can’t thank y’all enough for the support whether it’s coming to our shows, posting about us online, buying our merch, giving us fresh local food when we come to town, bringing drinks to the stage, or requesting our songs…YOU are what keeps us going and gives us a reason to drive town to town year after year!
See ya down the road,
Casey & Megan
In honor of us losing a combined total of 80 pounds, we’ll be taking lots of new promo pictures this month. We’re over halfway to our goal and we appreciate everyone’s love and support in our journey! Thank God whiskey is still on the menu 😉
We can’t thank y’all enough for the support whether it’s coming to our shows, posting about us online, buying our merch, giving us fresh local food when we come to town, bringing drinks to the stage, or requesting our songs…YOU are what keeps us going and gives us a reason to drive town to town year after year!
Pick your poison and listen to Barnyard Stompers on Spotify,iTunes, Amazon, orBarnyardstompers.com. Take a look at our full schedule on Bandsintownor Reverbnation. Also check out the store on our website for all your Outlaw needs! We have shirts, hoodies, koozies, patches, handmade leather items, hats, baby bibs, and a 2 CD combo special!
So now let’s talk about this new album called Outlaws With Chainsaws Part 2: The Payback. This album was a sequel to the 2013 album aptly called Outlaws With Chainsaws, and it has three songs that were re-cut and mastered, mixed, and played differently. Those songs were “Outlaws With Chainsaws”, “Corn Liquor” and “truck Drivin SOB”.
The song called “Roll On” was truly funny shit folks, this man gets invited to a pop country party and there’s a line in there about them taking selfies that made me spit out my coffee! You know basically this album is pretty much just an all out JAM, that needs no major analysis, but at the same time it does have hidden links to the first album. It’s not a bunch of complex hard to understand stuff, these two pretty much play straight up your ass Honky Tonk Redneck Rock music! Don’t get me wrong I LOVE elaborate acoustic songs, but sometimes I LOVE to rip off beer caps and tear into a few cold long necks with loud balls to the wall Barnyard Stompers music.
“California Kicker” was funny to me too, I don’t mind the punk rock guys either really, they DAMN WELL DO keep Johnny Cash and Hank alive! Many of the scenes involved with Roots Music have all been really nice to me in the past years,because they KNOW that I’m there to embellish their scene with my articles.
And dammit it wouldn’t be a Barnyard Stompers album without that hallowed saw, I mean that thing is family AND the law. If you love crazy horror laced Outlaw music then THIS BAND is right up your alley folks. Because they are truly gifted musicians and truly nice people, don’t be afraid to stop by and drop them a HELLO, and tell them I sent you.
TRACK LISTING:
1. Corn Liquor
2.Pay Back
3.Roll On
4.California Kicker
5.Bad Man
6. Devil On My Shoulder
7.Big Long Train
8.Saw Is The Law
9.Truck Drivin SOB
10. Pipe Hittin Daddy
11.Outlaws With Chainsaws Part 2
Folks I already released another JULY Bluegrass festival on the east coast, not far from this one. This is the twenty sixth annual Great Blue Heron Music Festival in Western New York….Sherman N.Y. to be exact! In 1992 Miss Julie Rockcastle’s father founded the festival and I found this little bit on their official website:
The Heron property has many water spigots that supply Health Department approved chlorinated drinking water. The Heron’s Merch Booth sells bottled water and ice. At The Heron’s Cafe in the Woods you can get water, coffee, soft drinks, pizza, baked goods & more. The festival midway offers an exotic variety of fresh-cooked fare & beverages. Southern Tier Brewery will be offering a selection of their award winning brews and Willow Creek Winery will be featuring their very popular Wine Slushies. Please stay hydrated and well nourished.
THIS IS A RULE NATIONWIDE THAT YOU CANNOT TRANSPORT YOUR OWN FIREWOOD FOLKS. As you know cover 175 nationwide festivals like this one. They ALL have that rule, and HERE are a few more small ones.
Attendees under the age of 18 must arrive with a parent or guardian.
• The drinking age is 21 in New York, please obey the law.
• NO PETS! Service animals MUST have paperwork with proof of what the animal is trained for and you may be asked to buy a wristband for the animal.
• Please, please, NO FIREWORKS. Go see them nearby in Mayville or Findley Lake.
• GLASS is not banned, but HIGHLY discouraged.
• FIREWOOD cannot be brought to the festival.
• The BEACH is only open when a guard is on duty.
• Going topless is allowed for male patrons only.
• Respect the peace & privacy of fellow campers.
• Leave the land as you found it, or better, because you were here.
Patrons or families with children under the age of 18
will be directed through Security Check-In at the gate. A parent or guardian will be asked to sign in & assume responsibility for all young people. This helps us facilitate “lost child” or “lost parent” situations or deal with inappropriate behavior.
The Heron community is friendly and cooperative, but since we have all age groups here, some camping areas are quieter than others! (See the camping details page).
How are emergences & first aid handled?
Familiarize yourself with the locations of the HQ Barn, Security Hole, & the First Aid Building, but know that anyone with a radio or golf cart can help you. Many volunteer crews have coverage around the clock, including security, first aid, HQ, & tickets. We also have professional security & first aid staff on-duty at all times. Radio communication links them all. We have good relations with law enforcement & fire department emergency services and can ask for assistance, if needed. HQ can call our on-site auto & towing serviceman for auto emergencies. Don’t hesitate to report problems and we will do our best to solve them!
Lost & Found People & Things:
The meeting place for lost children or lost parents is the First Aid Building. The HQ crew keeps a log of lost & found items. We recommend you don’t bring valuables to the festival or if you do, lock them in your car when not in use. Better safe than sorry!
Please, please no fireworks!!
They are dangerous to children, adults, tents, campers & our trees. There are local fireworks displays nearby in Mayville & Findley Lake NY.
No Pets – No Exceptions!
The owners of the Heron board their animals, you need to also! Google: kennels Chautauqua or Jamestown.
Please, no glass containers!!
We do not ban glass, but we hope that you will continue to reduce the glass you bring and especially what you leave for our recyclers to handle. It’s heavy, breakable & can cause injuries.
The festival ends Sunday evening when the music stops.
All patrons must be packed up before dark and ready to go home (it’s so sad, we know). Those that remain are crew chiefs, sound & tech support, and volunteers with schedules for Monday clean-up. Our security will be making sure all others leave. There are other local camping & lodging options here: http://www.tourchautauqua.com/Default.aspx
Also I have included a HUGE LIST of local area hotels and things below!
Best Western Plus Downtown Jamestown
Ad4.0
$111
3-star hotel
Modest hotel with free Internet & a pool
Free Wi-Fi
SpringHill Suites by Marriott Erie
Ad4.4
$104
3-star hotel
All-suites hotel with free WiFi & a pool
Free Wi-Fi
Cobblestone Inn & Suites
4.8
$116
2-star hotel
Free Wi-Fi
Free breakfast
Americas Best Value Inn – Jamestown / West Ellicot
3.3
$77
2-star hotel
Budget option with an outdoor pool
Free Wi-Fi
Free breakfast
Fairway Suites at Peek’n Peak
4.3
$188
2-star hotel
Modern units on a ski/golf resort
Free Wi-Fi
Hotel Lenhart
4.3
Hotel
Free breakfast
Pine Hill Cottages & Motel
4.5
Motel
Relaxed lakefront lodgings
The Spencer Hotel & Spa
4.5
3-star hotel
Elegant hotel with author-themed rooms
Free Wi-Fi
Free breakfast
Gleason Hotel
5.0
Hotel
The Inn at the Peak
4.3
4-star hotel
Luxe resort with golf courses & a spa
Carey Cottage Inn
5.0
Hotel
Peek’n Peak Resort
4.3
3-star hotel
Golf & ski lodging with modern rooms
Free Wi-Fi
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Jamestown
4.3
$122
2-star hotel
Modern budget hotel with an indoor pool
Free Wi-Fi
Free breakfast
DEAL16% less than usual
Heather’s Inn
5.0
Hotel
Comfort Inn Jamestown – Falconer
3.9
$110
2-star hotel
Budget hotel with free WiFi & breakfast
Free Wi-Fi
Free breakfast
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Findley Lake (I-86 Exit 4)
4.2
$112
2-star hotel
Modern hotel with pool & free breakfast
Free Wi-Fi
Free breakfast
Chautauqua Suites
4.2
2-star hotel
Relaxed hotel with a conference center
Free Wi-Fi
Free breakfast
Best Western Plus Downtown Jamestown
4.0
$111
3-star hotel
Modest hotel with free Internet & a pool
Free Wi-Fi
Free breakfast
Lakeview Hotel
3.1
Hotel
Webbs Resort
4.0
2-star hotel
Homey hotel with a lake-view restaurant
Free Wi-Fi
Free breakfast
Lily Dale Assembly: Leolyn Inn
4.8(5)
Indoor Lodging·2 East St
Lodging at a hot spot for spiritualists
Red Carpet Inn
2.6
$55
2-star hotel
Free Wi-Fi
As you can see here there is TONS TO DO for children and like many Bluegrass festivals this one is VERY family friendly.
Here is a video from last year to kind of show off the area and some of the folks involved in that scene up there. And after I print the lineup links I’ll post their 2017 video for you to see the acts next week!
It’s time once again to write my article about The Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival 2017 in the gorgeous mountains of New York State. Now folks, this is one of the more larger festivals that I cover on my website. This festival has many sponsors and workshops involved, and it is an outdoor festival that consists of six stages. As most of you already know THIS WEBSITE HERE includes pretty much every piece of needed information to attend and enjoy over 175 festivals yearly from many different genres.
Bluegrass has and always will be one of my most prominent genres I write about and this festival is truly one of the better East Coast ones. This festival has a smaller lineup of many BIG names in the Bluegrass world, and although my physical presence has been weaker on the east coast to write articles about festivals there, I have always supported them by making these and sharing the information.
I’m going to include their stages descriptions directly from their website:
Grey Fox Stages & Venues
HIGH MEADOW STAGE
Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday The High Meadow Stage presents a “Who’s Who of Bluegrass” from Thursday through Sunday at Grey Fox. A gently sloping outdoor amphitheater, the High Meadow Stage runs Thursday from 1pm to midnight; Friday and Saturday from 11am to after midnight; and Sunday from 10am to 3pm. Bring your own lawn chair, blanket or snubbers. Two large shade tents are also provided. Food vendors, beverages, artist merchandise and festival wear are available for sale. Lineup tba.
CATSKILL STAGE
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday Possibly our most varied stage, begin your day in healthful yoga and meditation sessions, then be expertly led through invigorating square and contra dances by internationally acclaimed dance instructors, John Kirk and Trish Miller. Later the Catskill Stage presents some of your favorite main stage bands in concert, and finishes late each night with the best dance bands in the business. Bring your dancin’ shoes. You won’t want to sit still. And, oh! We kick of the festival here with an Open Mic Night for early campers and a bluegrass film on Wednesday night! Much fun!
CREEKSIDE STAGE Thursday, Friday, Saturday The Creekside Stage is an intimate tented concert venue that begins each day with our popular Grey Fox Emerging Artist Showcase, followed by unique combinations of award-winning artists, and informative workshops in conjunction with the International Bluegrass Music Association and Berklee College of Music. You’ll want to check the schedule for everything that’s happening here. Folding chairs are provided under this 300+ person tent.
GRASS ROOTS STAGE
Thursday, Friday, Saturday
This venue offers a mix of hands-on workshops, mini-concerts, and Q&A sessions with bluegrass music’s top instructors and performers. Bring your instrument (and seating) and expect to learn a thing or two that just might take your playing and singing to the next level. Or just come and enjoy! Everyone at every level is welcome.
SLOW JAM TENT Thursday, Friday, Saturday If you’re a beginning player, this is the place for you. You’ll find beginning instrumental classes, vocal workshops, and slow jams which will definitely get you started! It’s all taught by patient, knowledgable mentors who’ll lead you through the basics. The Slow Jams are sessions with bluegrass favorites slowed down so that everyone can keep up. Jump in. This is the way to learn!
FAMILY STAGE Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday Grey Fox “kits” of all ages — from toddlers to teens — find a home away from home here at the Family Stage. Activities include tie dying, instrument making, nature crafts, yoga for kids, and more. Family concerts, dances, sing-alongs, storytelling, puppetry, ventriloquism, movies and more pack this venue all weekend long. And it’s here that Gary the Silent Clown (formerly with Ringling Brothers Circus) heads up the Grey Fox Clown College for 6th graders and up. All really fun. All really kid friendly.
BLUEGRASS ACADEMY FOR KIDS Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Since 1999, Grey Fox has been teaching kids to play, sing and perform traditional bluegrass music for four days during the festival. Our program, which has served as a model for academies by other festivals, serves more than 100 kids aged 8 to 17 each summer. Click for complete program info and registration.
My campsite will not be more than 20×25 feet. Allowances for RVs.
I will save NO MORE THAN TWO CAMPSITES besides my own up to noon Thursday. After that, I will welcome new folks to camp there.
Park vehicles perpendicular to the roads to conserve space.
Park all unnecessary vehicles in the Car Corral and earn raffle tickets.
Use only camp stoves or grills for cooking. Make no ground fires. Leave no fire unattended. Have fire extinguisher handy.
Use only local firewood purchased within 50 miles of Oak Hill.
No luminaries! Landing on a tent could start a fire.
Keep my campsite clean. Use trash and recycling barrels properly.
Leave no debris on the ground. This is a working farm!
Use no amplifiers. Play no loud recorded music at my campsite.
Be super quiet from 10pm to 7am if camped in Quiet Camping.
Drive only when necessary to reduce my impact on the land.
Be considerate of my fellow campers. Follow the Golden Rule.
Be patient and tolerant and even perform random acts of kindness.
If I have a legitimate concern for anyone’s health or safety, I will seek assistance from Security or Medical personnel.
OTHER STUFF TO KNOW:
No glass. Broken glass, barefoot children and hay farms just don’t mix.
No pets. Sorry, we do not allow pets at Grey Fox. Call ahead. Most kennels require up to date shots, so be sure to bring documentation and food with you.
• Al-Ann Grooming & Boarding, Catskill, NY 518-945-1087
• Bed & Chow Pet Lodge, 11289 Rt 9W, Coxsackie, NY 518-731-6859 (3 mi from Coxsackie Exit off I-87)
• Carriage House, East Durham, NY 518-634-7009 (very close to festival)
• Hannacroix Kennels, Hannacroix, NY 518-756-2391
• Mainstay Kennels, 461 Route 385, Catskill, NY 518-943-7900 (Very close to NYS Thruway exit 21)
• Oak Hill Groom and Board, Route 81, Oak Hill, NY 518-239-6051 (very close to the festival)
• Pet Express Inn at the Albany Airport 518-785-0575
• Siam Kennels, Windham, NY 518-734-3168
• Valkin Kennels, Route 9, Valatie, NY 518-758-6195 (7 miles from I-90 exit 12)
Use only locally purchased firewood!! Bringing in firewood from more than 50 miles away is strictly illegal in New York State. Moving firewood long distances can spread tree-killing pests like the emerald ash borer. Please purchase firewood in towns such as Greenville, Catskill, Cairo, Middleburgh or at The Milk Run on Rt 145 a mile from the site. To learn why using locally purchased firewood is so important, visit Don’tMoveFirewood.org
Use garbage and recycling bins as marked and please keep your campsite clean. Remember, we’re on a farm that produces hay for dairy cows to munch.
Dispose of anything that might make animals sick such as cigarette butts, instrument strings, plastic bags, paper, etc. Be sure your area is clean before leaving. Thank you.
Field dress all smoking materials. No butts on the ground.
Smoking is prohibited in concert areas. If you wish to smoke, move beyond the outside edge of the crowd. This applies to all performance tents and food service areas.
SEATING & ETIQUETTE IN CONCERT AREAS
Seating in concert areas is on a first-come, first-served basis.
In the High Meadow concert area only, you may leave your chair in place all weekend. Bring your own chairs or blankets. If you leave the concert area for a while, it’s the ‘Grey Fox Way’ to share your chair/blanket until you return.
Do not block the view of others. See map for high chair, low chair and blanket sections. A high chair is one that a basketball can fit under.
Sunbrellas may be set up along the perimeter of the High Meadow seating area. Staff can direct you.
We provide two large shade tents in the High Meadow Concert Area. Bring your own chairs.
For handicapped attendees, a tent is provided. Staff will assist.
The Creekside Stage is tented, with about 300 chairs provided.
For all other performance areas, please provide your own seating.
Keep your area litter-free. When you leave, take trash & recycling with you.
Last but not least, during any performance, please refrain from talking. Others are trying to hear and enjoy the music.
We wish you a wonderful festival experience.
Copper Kettle Motel
4.7
$75
Hotel
Cozy lodging with a restaurant & a bar
Free Wi-Fi
Free breakfast
Winwood Inn
4.1
$114
3-star hotel
Modest lodging with a Mexican restaurant
Free Wi-Fi
Free breakfast
Albergo Allegria Bed & Breakfast Hotel
4.9
$129
4-star hotel
Homey B&B with a fireside lounge
Free Wi-Fi
Free breakfast
Hotel Vienna
4.7
$131
4-star hotel
Mountainside lodge with free breakfast
Free Wi-Fi
Free breakfast
The Country Place Resort
3.8
3-star hotel
Casual all-inclusive resort & water park
Gavin’s Irish Country Inn
4.1
2-star hotel
Country inn with inclusive meals & shows
Free Wi-Fi
Free breakfast
The Shamrock House
4.4
Motel
Baumann’s Brookside Resort
4.8
$200
Resort
Laid-back rooms, plus a pool & lake
Free Wi-Fi
Free breakfast
Blackthorne Resort
4.0
Resort
Woodland retreat with an amusement park
Free Wi-Fi
Free breakfast
Ruby’s Hotel
3.4
(9)
Hotel · 3689 Co Rd 67
Artsy bistro with retro furnishings
Captain’s Inn Point Lookout
4.6
3-star hotel
Casual country lodging with dining
Free Wi-Fi
Greenville Arms 1889 Inn
5.0
Bed & Breakfast
Free breakfast
Evergreen at The Thompson House
5.0
(2)
Hotel · 20 NY-296
Windham Mountain Inn
Hotel · 139 Co Rd 12
Antique Rose Inn Windham
4.7
$105
3-star hotel
Cuomo’s Cove
4.4
$145
4-star hotel
Upscale suites with kitchens & hot tubs
Acra Manor Resort
4.3
$110
4-star hotel
All-inclusive resort with sports
Free Wi-Fi
Windham Mountain Resort
4.4
(234)
Ski Resort · 19 Resort Dr
1,600 vertical ft. of skiing & 12 lifts
Free Wi-Fi
Christman’s Windham House
4.2
$175
3-star hotel
Historic inn with golf & 2 bars
Sunny Hill Resort
4.8
Resort
Old-school lodging, golf & a pool
Free breakfast
Dancin’ Dave’s Festival Camping is once again offering advanced camping accommodations for this festival. I have heard some truly great feedback from my “Spies” that go to some of the festivals I haven’t yet been to. This basically lets you pay a set price up front, and EVERYTHING IS SET UP AND READY upon arrival.
There’s NO NEED to have tent poles laying all over and strings everywhere, no instructions blowing in the wind or tent stakes to pound into the hard dirt. It might be a little more expensive but if convenience is your deal then THIS IS the package for you!
Advance Tickets Now Available:
Full Festival Advance: $215 Includes Camping 7amWednesday thru 7pm Sunday
Day Tickets: $80
Thursday, Friday, or Saturday
Kids 12 and under, FREE with ticketed adult.
Senior Discount: $5 off day tickets at gate with ID.
How to Transfer Grey Fox Tickets
LOG IN (upper right) to your account by clicking here, using your e-mail address and password.
My friend Mr. Tracey Pitcox runs a truly fine organization out there in Brady Texas, called Heart Of Texas Records which is a label that features so many outstanding Country music artists I couldn’t possibly name them all on here. They also do the Heart Of Texas Music Festival which showcases the finest Traditional Country Music in the Texas local scene.
They also publish a darn fine Calendar every year, and many other fine things that embellish and benefit Country Music in their area. Many of his artists don’t always get out to my area as much as I’d like to see them, because let’s face it, I just cannot keep up with as many artists as I do. I cover so many genres and scenes that there is no possible way for me to cover them in person all the time, like they deserve.
On July 15th please join ME as I cover The Heart of Texas Roadshow at the Texas Troubador Theater
2416 Music Valley Drive
Nashville, TN
Mr. Darrell McCall has been recording Country Music for decades, he also was a disc jockey, and performed as a duo with Johnny Paycheck. He wrote Hank Williams Jr’s hit song “Eleven Roses in 1971 that became a number one hit for him. He has released eleven albums total, three of them for Heart Of Texas Records.
Mr. Tony Booth is a member of the Bakersfield Era of Country Music the likes of Buck Owens, and in fact did a lot of work with Buck Owens before the untimely death of Don Rich in 1972. He was doing some trio work with Country Legends Mr. Curtis Potter and Mr. Darrell McCall before the death of Curtis Potter.
Landon Dodd hit my 2016 Top 50 of the year with his latest album “What Comes Natural To A Fool” because it had some truly fine steel guitar solos in it. He plays a lot of Texas Swing and two step Country.
Mona McCall s Darrell McCall’s wife and contributes a lot to his act, as well as her own music.
Margie Singleton had a duet hit in 1964 with Faron Young called “Keeping Up With The Joneses”. She originally signed to Starday Records in 1959 but in 1961 she switched over to Mercury and released her first album in 1962. She also originally recorded the Tom T Hall hit song “Harper Valley PTA” that Jeannie C Riley had more commercial success with.
Rance Norton put out one heck of a new album in 2017, and is one of the newer artists on this label. Watch for this young man and his band because they are growing fast.
Bobby Lewis is known as the man with lute, and is a member of the Grand Ole Opry. He is one of the many overlooked Legends of Country Music, and continues to record music today.
Hey everybody it’s time to feature some NEW MUSIC from one of my Colorado friends, young Mr. Tyller Gummersall. This song was sent to me via email a few weeks ago, and dog gone it I have been SO insanely busy over here, it just took me a little while to get around to it.
However being involved in so many scenes and factions it is indeed my onus to let you all in on new music from old friends when it is presented to me. Whether it be any of the more mainstream traditional country acts that are within the upper echelon of the spectrum, or the younger and smaller local acts on the shorter end, I will certainly feature ALL of the music exactly the same.
Download or Stream Tyller’s new Up-Tempo, Uplifting tune “I’m Not Dead” on your favorite digital music service!
This song is the latest from Tyller that’s been produced by Grammy award winner Lloyd Maines. Their previous collaborations (Ty’s album Long Ride Home, singles Turned Around world and Love Me When I’m Down) have had much success:
– Over 120,000 Spotify/Pandora streams
– Positive reviews in Cowboys and Indians Magazine, American Cowboy, The Daily Country and more.
– Top 10 on the Texas Music Chart
He recently stopped by my email inbox and turned in some DARN FINE MUSIC wrote by him and Devon O’Day, a broadcaster at WSM (Nashville) and hit songwriter (recorded by Lee Ann Womack, Hank Williams Jr., Pam Tillis, Neal McCoy, Trace Adkins, and George Strait). The two met last fall while Gummersall was helping a friend deliver hay to O’Day’s place near Nashville. “The song puts to words the importance and emotion of the father-son relationship.” said Cowboys And Indians Magazine last month.
So you see folks this young man has been busy with his traditional REAL Country Music, and all of you festival dogs should be keeping an eye out for him because EVERY TIME the directors ask me for input he IS ON MY LIST. I’m out there foot soldiering for him and MANY other artists.
I like to drink a few beers and put his album on my player and write articles about other artists. When I’m in my Honky Tonk mood you can darn sure bet he’s on my rotation in the truck AND in the house here. I have LOTS of Colorado contacts in many genres and he’s one of them in this genre I love to hear play.
This picture is from his show I covered in Nashville at Two Old Hippies and you can read more about that show HERE. I went out and covered a BUNCH of shows that day, and he was one of them, man was I wore out after three shows in one day in Nashville.
I bet you are tired of seeing festivals on here right?…..HELL NO!
So let’s hop on over to Colorado and talk about The Choice City Stomp for a few moments. I have a wide group of friends nationwide from A TON of scenes, and these folks in Colorado are very very special to me. Miss Elaine and her Mom are wonderful people, you know this website is dedicated to the PEOPLE even more so than the bands. This website is also dedicated to the memory of Jon Hensley, who was a music junkie even more than I am…and Jo Jo the pup.
I cover about six genres and scenes on this website, and you know Roots Music really doesn’t have the competition that Bluegrass has as far as festivals go. I myself LOVE them because it brings a TON of different acts all into one place, or in this festivals case, two.
See this festival is set up kind of like Americanafest, Fayetteville Roots Festival, and Heart Of Texas Festival. Those are all different genres and scenes BUT they are all indoors as well as outdoors, and they all involve multiple venues. Much more of a “local” atmosphere, and you know that’s NOT a bad thing. Mr. Jimmy and his crew always sets up some terrific music for their patrons every year, and I NEED to get out there one day soon…promise. So let’s cover the where and how first.
Here are the 3 easy ways to get tickets to the Choice City Stomp…
1. Bring $35 CASH to Moe’s Original BBQ (Fort Collins) or Little Boxes Vintage and pick up your physical ticket!
2. For you Out-of-town friends… send a Paypal Payment of $37 (fees) to littleboxesvintage@gmail.com and pick up your ticket at the door on Friday, June 23rd.
3. OR, take your chances at the door for these shows… Day passes will be sold at the door day of: $10 for Friday Only, $20 for Saturday Only, $10 for Sunday Only. Basically, you save $5 and get a bad ass t-shirt as well. Also, we have no idea how many of these will actually be left. Last year we sold out and we are only offering 200 tickets for this AMAZING line-up.
Friday, June 23rd at Moe’s Original BBQ
9pm Reverend Deadeye
9:50pm Greg Simms
10:15pm RL Cole and His Angels
Saturday, June 24th at Moe’s Original BBQ
2pm Clyde & the Milltailers
2:50pm Lou Shields
3:50pm Saddle of Southern Darkness
4:50pm Kierston White
5:50pm Matt Woods
6:55pm Joseph Huber
8:05pm Left Lane Cruiser
9:20pm the Hooten Hallers
Saturday Night at the Forge Publick House
10:45pm Rachel Kate
11:45pm Tim Carey
Sunday, June 25th at Swing Station
2pm Grifters & Shills
3pm Reverend Red
4pm Duane Mark
5pm SS Web
Hilton Fort Collins
Ad
$130
3-star hotel
Traditional hotel offering 2 pools
Fort Collins Marriott
4.1
$125
3-star hotel
Upscale lodging with American dining
Motel 6
3.2
$76
2-star hotel
Straightforward rooms & an outdoor pool
Remington Flats Hotel
4.5
$183
5-star hotel
Chic, modern studios with kitchens
Free Wi-Fi
Americas Best Value Inn & Suites – Fort Collins East / I – 25
3.7
$77
2-star hotel
Low-key hotel with a seasonal pool
Free Wi-Fi
Free breakfast
DEAL 18% less than usual
Americas Best Value Inn Fort Collins
3.3
$60
2-star hotel
Budget option with free breakfast
Free Wi-Fi
Free breakfast
Best Western University Inn
3.9
$123
2-star hotel
Modest hotel with free WiFi & breakfast
Free Wi-Fi
Free breakfast
Candlewood Suites Fort Collins
4.6
$144
2-star hotel
Modern extended-stay hotel with BBQ area
Free Wi-Fi
The Armstrong Hotel
4.5
$189
2-star hotel
Restored 1923 hotel with eclectic style
Free Wi-Fi
Northern Hotel
3.7
(6)
Hotel · 172 N College Ave
Days Inn Wellington Fort Collins Area
3.4
$118
2-star hotel
Simple hotel with free breakfast & pool
Free breakfast
Comfort Inn
4.0
$143
3-star hotel
Simple pick with free breakfast & a pool
Free Wi-Fi
Free breakfast
La Quinta Inn Fort Collins
4.2
$139
2-star hotel
Hotel with an indoor pool & free WiFi
Free Wi-Fi
Free breakfast
Quality Inn & Suites University
4.2
$111
2-star hotel
Classic hotel with an indoor pool
Free Wi-Fi
Budget Host Inn
3.2
$59
2-star hotel
Utilitarian hotel with a hot tub
Free Wi-Fi
Free breakfast
Econo Lodge
2.4
$87
2-star hotel
Casual hotel with an indoor/outdoor pool
Free Wi-Fi
Hilton Fort Collins
3.8
$130
3-star hotel
Traditional hotel offering 2 pools
DEAL 22% less than usual
Super 8 Fort Collins
3.7
$88
2-star hotel
Budget hotel with free breakfast & a spa
Free Wi-Fi
Free breakfast
DEAL 20% less than usual
Best Western Kiva Inn
4.1
$134
Hotel
Unfussy hotel with pool & free breakfast
Free Wi-Fi
Free breakfast
9 Motel
3.2
Motel
Free Wi-Fi
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Ft. Collins
4.0
$118
2-star hotel
Casual hotel with free breakfast buffet
Free Wi-Fi
Free breakfast
This festival is all the way across the state of Kentucky on the other side folks, and you know I mostly feature the little guys and the “do it yourself” ones. But THIS ONE is in it’s 24th year, as one of the finest family orientated festivals in our area, and It’s all because of so many sponsors.
This one is actually thrown primarily by Don Marshall Jeep dealership, BUT has SO MANY sponsors that they can keep ticket prices incredibly reasonable because of that. You can buy tickets HERE
Festival Location
Festival Field on the Campus of Somerset Community College
808 Monticello Street
Somerset, Kentucky 42501
Festival Information
KIDS 12 AND UNDER ADMITTED FREE.
Free parking.
Beer and wine will be available for purchase with a valid ID for those 21 and over.
No outside alcohol will be permitted. Coolers subject to inspection.
No pets, except service dogs.
All show times are approximate.
No shade tents or umbrellas permitted; on-site shade tents are provided.
A variety of concessions will be available or you can bring a picnic.
Arts & crafts for sale by The Sheltowee Artisans and other independent artists.
Persons with Disabilities Assistance is available. Contact us at least 24 hours prior to festival opening.
Best Western Somerset
Ad
$99
2-star hotel
Basic hotel with a pool & free breakfast
Free Wi-Fi
Hampton Inn Somerset
Ad
$108
3-star hotel
Relaxed hotel with pool & free breakfast
Free Wi-Fi
Americas Best Value Inn Somerset
$51
2-star hotel
Pool & free breakfast in basic hotel
Free Wi-Fi
Free breakfast
Quality Inn & Suites
$79
2-star hotel
Free Wi-Fi
Free breakfast
Country Inn & Suites By Carlson, Somerset, KY
$72
2-star hotel
Unfussy hotel with an indoor pool
Free Wi-Fi
Free breakfast
DEAL 18% less than usual
Courtyard by Marriott Somerset
$103
Hotel
Modern hotel with a pool & a bistro
Motel 6
$56
Free Wi-Fi
Holiday Inn Express & Suites – Somerset Central
View
$94
2-star hotel
Modern hotel with free breakfast & WiFi
Free Wi-Fi
Free breakfast
DEAL Get 6% off plus free Wi-Fi with loyalty sign-up
Comfort Inn
$80
2-star hotel
Relaxed hotel with an indoor pool
Free Wi-Fi
Free breakfast
Best Western Somerset
$99
2-star hotel
Basic hotel with a pool & free breakfast
Free Wi-Fi
Free breakfast
Red Roof Inn Somerset
$59
2-star hotel
Low-key lodging with an outdoor pool
Free Wi-Fi
Free breakfast
Doolin House Bed & Breakfast
Hotel
7 Gables Motel
(14)
Motel · 8064 US-27
MSI Lodging Systems
Hotel · 233 Parkers Mill Way
Villager Resort Cottages
Resort · 86 Villager Resort Dr
Woodson Bend Resort
Resort
Waterfront lodging with a golf course
Free Wi-Fi
Lee’s Ford Resort Marina
Resort
Free Wi-Fi
Economy Inn
Motel · 422 Monticello St
Hillcrest Motel
Motel · 1475 KY-80
Lake Cumberland Resort
Forest retreat with cabins & lake access
Lake Cumberland Resort
Resort · 314 Enchanted Forest Way
Red Roof Inn & Suites Corbin
4.7
$85
3-star hotel
Casual hotel with an outdoor pool
Free breakfast
If you remember back to last month I had a BUSY MONTH of May covering a whopping three festivals in one month. This band Hillbilly Casino pretty much plays every Muddy Roots Main Festival and also the Nashville Boogie. They announced recently, that on July 14th at the famous Exit In they are releasing their new studio album.
This year at the Boogie, they played a bunch of new songs from their upcoming album called “Red White And Bruised, and this album will be released independently by the band on July 14th. I recently talked with bassist Geoff Firebaugh about the track list, upon which he stated that “Jibber Jabber”, “Trainwreck” and “Dog On A Chain” were all on the LIVE album, but never recorded in studio version.
This will be the track list for the new album, I’m NOT sure about the particular order of songs on the album.
Knocking At Your Door
How Do You Think
Jibber Jabber
She’s Got Tricks
It’s Not Me
Toss Turn Roll
When She Kissed Me
Dog On A Chain
Trainwreck
Troubles
More Blue Than Green
Lowdown
Give It All Up
This following video is from the song “Trainwreck”:
This following video is from the song “How Do You Think” and I believe that to be the album cover there with Punchy on the ropes.
You might remember some years back when they filmed and recorded a LIVE ALBUM there and I missed that particular show. I cannot say whether or not I’ll be present here, but I will put it on my calendar.
I’m sure Mr. Nic Roulette,Mr. Ronnie Crutcher, Mr. Matt Armn and the Vanilla Gorilla Mr. Geoff will be the fearsome foursome for many years to come. EVERY TIME I went to see them, they have played a beyond exciting show with high energy.
This past spring at the Nashville Palace they invited Colonel Mr. Colonel J.D. Wilkes on stage for a harmonica battle with them, it got so out of hand the venue had absolutely NO control over what was transpiring. There was NO choice but to let it go on, and pandemonium ensued shortly after. It got so wild I couldn’t get close to get good video, but Mr. Wilkes and the Shack Shakers just got done with an absolutely stellar set across the street.
AS ALWAYS this article WILL include FULL inforamtion on hotels and maps of everything you need to FULLY enjoy this festival. I have compiled MANY emails and researched EVERY angle of this festival, so you can have the ultimate survival guide for this treasure in Owensboro Kentucky.
Folks this one is close to home for me and always a fun time when I cover this festival, and this year’s lineup is super exciting. Here is some history and some information about it straight from their website:
The 14th annual ROMP Festival will be led by the legendary American roots pioneers, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, progressive bluegrass virtuosos, Punch Brothers, innovative musician, Keller Williams and his project blending bluegrass and Grateful Dead songs, Keller Williams’ Grateful Grass,Grammy Award winning folk rockers, Los Lobos, and multi-instrumentalist and founding member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Rhiannon Giddens. Held in Owensboro’s Yellow Creek Park, the four-day music, camping, and art festival will take place June 21-24, 2017, and will feature over 30 top bluegrass, folk and Americana acts.
Additional acts include 14-time Grammy winner, Jerry Douglas, progressive bluegrass jam band, Yonder Mountain String Band, Grammy Award winning group, The SteelDrivers, bluegrass pioneer, Peter Rowan,old-time folk music aficionado, Pokey LaFarge, Celtic folk rockers, Scythian, Galway, Ireland’s We Banjo 3, and 10-time IBMA Fiddle Player of the Year, Michael Cleveland, plus many more. A full list of artists confirmed can be found below.
Daviess County’s Yellow Creek Park, a 150-acre facility famous for its nature trails, winding creek and fishing lake, and sweeping tree-lines, plays host to ROMP each year.
A full line-up of artist-led instrument workshops takes place throughout the day, giving musicians the chance to interact and teach fans and players of all ages and skill levels. Other workshops and forums include songwriting, clogging and flat-foot dancing, yoga (all levels), and healthy living through music.
Additional offerings at ROMP Festival include organic and farm-to-table food vendors, craft vendors featuring Kentucky Proud products, art installations and professionally-led children’s activities.
Attendees are encouraged to bring their instruments and jam throughout the weekend, and dance until dawn at the infamous after parties, featuring national acclaimed acts on the cabin stage in the park’s rustic Pioneer Village.
The International Bluegrass Music Museum, producer of the event, will open new exhibits, host performances throughout the daytime, and present a film festival of documentaries the museum has produced on Bluegrass Music’s First Generation. Museum admission is free to festival-goers.
Artist additions, single day tickets, volunteer opportunities, vendor applications and daily schedules will be available in 2017. To stay up-to-date with the latest news from ROMP fest, music fans can visit rompfest.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and sign-up to become a ROMP insider.
This park has a playground area for kids and a spray area to cool off with, and camping is available for 15 dollars extra and 70 for RV’s. You are required to vacate the area by 11AM the following day of which you pay. The camping area will open to the public at 8 AM wends some campsites require you to walk a short bit. Here is a detailed map of the festival grounds and you can buy tickets HERE.
Family Friendly:For families with children; no late night parties
Bring the kids and have a fun-filled family festival experience! Family Friendly camping includes quiet hours from 10 p.m.-7 a.m.
Late Night:The ‘Wrong Side of the Creek’; very close access to the After Party stage
Feel the need to stay up all night and enjoy live music until sunrise? This is the place for you!
General #1:For those in the middle; easy access to stage and vendors
Camp within a close walking distance to the main stage and the food and craft vendors. Good place for those to camp who don’t want to be in a Family Friendly quiet zone, and don’t want to stay up all night in the Late Night camping area.
Woods: For those in the middle; easy access to stage
Camp within a close walking distance to the main stage. Good place for those to camp who don’t want to be in a Family Friendly quiet zone, and don’t want to stay up all night in the Late Night camping area.
1 Day Only:
A Wednesday Only, Thursday Only, Friday Only, or Saturday Only night camping is valid for that night only, and must be vacated by 11AM the following morning.
Dancin’ Dave’s Festival Camping
Have you ever heard of “Glamping”? Glamour camping…nothing like having your comforts of home setup and ready for your arrival to ROMP. We’re proud to announce that Dancin’ Dave’s Festival Camping will be joining us for the second time. Flying to ROMP and want to camp? Dancin’ Dave’s has got you covered.
Dancin’ Dave’s is excited to announce that we will be providing 4 nights of cushy camping accommodations for this epic event! Our village only has a capacity of 35 tents, so get in while the gettin’s good! Just show up and we’ll take care of the rest.
Small (pup tent) – $100 – Sleeps up to 2 on floor bedrolls. Best for kids. No cots.
Medium (8′ x 8′) – $125 – Sleeps 1 on a cot (up to 2 on floor bedrolls)
Large (9′ x 9′) – $155 – Sleeps up to 2 on cots (or 3 on floor bedrolls) – Most popular tent for 2 adults!
Jumbo (11′ x 11′) – $205 – Sleeps up to 3 on cots (or 4 on floor bedrolls)
*Packages DO NOT include admission to the festivals. To pay by personal check, select the “Money Order” option when checking out. Prices are for the entire weekend, Wednesday through Sunday.
Your tent will come with the number of cots listed above. If you would like a different number of cots or bedrolls, or would like to bring your own bedding (an air mattress, for example) please let us know by sending a message via our contact form.
You can also add the following amenities (you must rent a tent to rent any of the following items):
Solar Shower – $35 Gazebo with Table – $75 Kitchen – $115
Don’t leave the kids at home
We’ve planned the perfect family weekend including tons of kids activities, family camping and so much more! Don’t forget, children 12 & under are FREE!
Kids can enjoy hours of fun including music workshops, arts & crafts, games, face painting and educational exhibits.
Full schedule of activities listed below. You can also schedule your weekend using the official ROMP app. Download now from your app store.
Kids Zone Schedule
Thursday, June 22
8am – 9am: Parachute Fun
9am – 10am: Create your own wind chime
10am – 11am: Create your own cape
11am – Noon: Exploring Rocks & Minerals
Noon – 1pm: Growing a Garden
1pm – 2pm: SKy Science Festival – “Light”
Friday, June 23
8am – 9am: Create your own Mask
9am – 10am: Create your own Fan
10am – 11am: Fiddle Fun with Randy Lanham
11am – Noon: Harmonica with Art the Dude
Noon – 1pm: First Aid Fun
1pm – 2pm: SKy Science Festival – “Celestial Objects”
Saturday, June 24
8am – 9am: Create your own ROMP Owl
9am – 10am: Create your own Pinwheel
9am – 1pm: Fun with Body Zorbs
10am – 11am: Kazoo with Art the Dude
11am – Noon: Meet & Greet with Hootie & friends
Noon – 1pm: Dance workshop with Barry Lanham
1pm – 2pm: SKy Science Festival – “Rainbows”
Welcome, campers!
Gates open Wednesday, June 21st for the 14th annual ROMP festival!
Entry Times:
8:00am – RV camping pass holders
10:00am – Tent campers, all ticket holders
Upon arrival, let us know in which area you wish to camp. You must have a camping wristband to camp. Wristbands will be checked throughout the festival; be sure to wear the right one for that day. Reminder signs will be posted throughout the park. If you only purchased a single day ticket and wish to stay additional days, just go to the gate to buy the proper wristband.
One-Day and Two-Day campers will have a specific area in which to camp. You must be out by 11AM the following morning.
If camping in an RV, everyone in your RV must have both ROMP and camping wristbands.
Some campsites require that you park and hike into the area. If you have to park and hike your camping gear into the camping area, it should only be a 2-5 minute walk.
ROMP Camping 101
In preparation for this years festival, we asked our friend and long-time ROMP attendee and camping expert, Kelly Farr, for some ROMP camping tips.
Camping at Romp is an awesome way to immerse yourself in the full festival experience! The following is a suggested list of things to bring and some tips for enhancing your camping experience.
suncreen/hat/sunglasses
water!
tent
sleeping bag
air mattress/cot/sleeping pad
pillow
extra tarp (can be used under tent for moisture, or above for shade)
flashlight/head lamp/lantern
fan (battery powered)
extra batteries
chair/blanket
towel (hot showers available!)
bandana
rain jacket
bug spray
citronella candle
hammock
$ for vendors
Romp app to create your schedule
musical instrument/frisbee/hula hoop/etc
Camping Tips:
The first thing to do is chose your camping area, for example; late night, family friendly, etc. Then you will need to chose a campsite. Somewhere flat, with shade, and that will drain well in case of rain is ideal. It will be helpful to put a tarp under your tent to protect from moisture. An additional tarp can be hung over your tent for shade or extra rain protection. Since it sometimes rains at Romp, it is a good idea to roll up your sleeping bags and clothing and place them in the middle of your tent to keep them from getting wet if you are away form your campsite. It is also a good idea to keep your food/cooler outside your tent, or in your vehicle to keep animals from being tempted. A bandana or blindfold can also keep the early morning sun out of your eyes if you need to sleep in a little. Remember to drink plenty of water, and just ask the friendly ROMP staff if you have any questions!
Explore Yellow Creek Park
Beyond the music: Yellow Creek Park offers many activities for all age groups. Located in the park is a softball field, disc-golf course, tennis courts, and basketball courts. Along with these, there are spots for fishing as well as picnic shelters to cool off during the heat. The park also provides an idyllic nature trail stretching farther than two miles appealing to those who enjoy peaceful hikes and great scenery. Yellow Creek is very kid-friendly and includes a spray park and play ground for children, as well as playing home to the Western Kentucky Raptor Rescue Center and the ROMP mascot, Hootie.
I have been relentlessly preaching it to the high heavens since June 1st, GO TO Tumbleweed Festival at the end of July in Kansas City. Join me as I begin my next step in my devious plan to implement a full regime of Texas Red Dirt Country into my already huge palate I have for live music.
I am now fully featuring six main genres of local music and I do deviate from them at times when I like the music involved. But this event will certainly feature some really fine Red Dirt that doesn’t get to my neck of the woods all too often, so I’ll have to bring my crew out there.
Well here’s a little something the directors don’t know I have planned up my sleeve, I’ll be interviewing some of the people that are involved in the next few weeks. As I’m allowed to I’ll be featuring some of the performers that want to sit and chat for a moment with me.
So last weekend I had the opportunity to speak with Mr. William Higgins who created the page BLACKSHEEP a flock of Cody Jinks fans. Unless you have been under a rock you have witnessed Cody Jinks And The Tone Deaf Hippies blow up into a literal mega storm of sell outs and career growth in the last two years.
Part of this reason is the unwavering support of some 30,000 plus insane fans called “Flockers” that are a literal street army willing to do Cody Jinks any tasks needed to publicly boost his presence within the confines of the local music scenes.
Let’s be feasible for a moment shall we? Music is music and we do this for the love of the music, BUT it NEEDS our wallets to further it’s growth as well. We HAVE TO invest our time AND our money into this deal, this isn’t a free sharing, free giving freebie cycle ALL the time. True, we swap out staying at each other’s houses and split gas rides and food expenses, I’m NOT saying that’s bad and I’m also NOT telling you to skip the electric bill or let your cat starve.
But the ideology of guest list passes and “Oh I’m a promoter by sharing on social media every day” frame of mind isn’t good enough to be deemed liable to keep music afloat. People work, sound men, road crews, medical staff, and they ALL should be PAID. Stop being couch warriors and get your butt down to a venue and OCCUPY A BAR STOOL.
Needless to say these insane people….these “Flockers” THEY SPEND MONEY. They HAVE the RIGHT path to success, and because of these folks Cody Jinks merchandise sales and concert attendances have skyrocketed into amounts the bigwigs can NOT ignore. Because let’s face it folks, they don’t REALLY LOVE pop country….they love the REVENUE it brings. If WE TRULY WANT to fight this bastard of a problem we MUST FIGHT with our MONEY.
GHC:
Tell me how you started the Flockers, and what made you start it?
Mr. William:
Well, It was actually at a show in Omaha, Nebraska. I had been to see Cody Jinks a couple other times before that, and I was involved in several other fan pages for some other artists. I started listening to Cody and kind of checking his stuff out there, and I noticed that he really didn’t have a fan group on Facebook. So I thought it would be a good idea and I talked to the guys that night about it, and they were on board. So I kind of launched it November 15th of 2015 and it just took off from there.
GHC:
And did you start it right from your home, or do you have an office, how do you operate?
Mr. William:
No,I began it from home. It’s basically just a Facebook page and there’s not a whole lot to it but it’s mostly getting it out there. It’s getting other supporters involved and getting his music heard, there’s no a whole lot of operation to it.
GHC:
Do you guys have different chapters?
Mr. William:
Basically right now it’s just the Blacksheep page, we did start messing around with local chapters. We did start one group so we could see how it goes, and kind of see how a local chapter would work. You know, all of this operates under pretty much no funding, so everybody pretty much just puts in their own time. If there are any expenses the members cover that, we do not profit off of anything on the Blacksheep page. Our main thing is obviously is to get Cody’s music out and also support a lot of related artists that he works with, and continues to work with.
GHC:
You guys have a lot of power, trust me, because I recently interviewed Mr. Austin Tripp. He said that when the Merle Haggard Tribute show was announcing they wanted artists, you guys shut their server down hollaring for Cody Jinks. Now, the promoter of that show told me in a text he really didn’t mind, but at the time dammit he was pissed. So you guys are really beating the pavement for Mr. Cody, and you are really doing it well. I think a huge portion of his success can actually be attributed to you guys really.
Mr. William:
Well you know that’s great to hear, I think Cody’s music speaks for itself and regardless of what we have done, it’s great to see it becoming so huge for sure.
GHC:
Well let me tell you from a media standpoint. I’m a media guy that’s into so many genres and scenes, I’m into Rockabilly and Red Dirt, I’m tied in with Muddy Roots and I see and I watch what people do. The power that you guys have and the number that you have, you really make a difference for him…you really do. Now the main reason I’m wanting to talk to you is what will your role in Tumbleweed be, because this is going to be a side article for it that Mr. Doug doesn’t know about. So what exactly is your role in Tumbleweed going to be?
Mr. William:
Tumbleweed actually started off by one of the members of our group Doug Bordegon, and Borda productions is the name of the company that he owns. (GHC Yeah, he hired me).. Ultimately he asked us to become part of a unique situation by getting the fans involved within this festival. This festival is different in the aspect that it tapers around the fans and features the acts that they want to see. He came to me and said he would really like to promote this around the Blacksheep page, and the Flockers group, and do some special things for you guys. Moreso it’s just a thank you for what we have done, we are going to have our own section for camping and we have the opportunity to introduce Cody and the Tone Deaf Hippies on stage. Now, he’s offering this to the other fan pages as well, the main thing is that we are getting the Blacksheep together and getting the word out there of Tumbleweed. We are trying to get as many supporters as we can drawn to this thing in Kansas City.
GHC: He told me he was going to invite different people from different fan groups, he also invited several websites and I was one of them. Music festivals is a big portion of what I center on, I been doing this for about five years now and Outlaw Country is something that I have always featured from day 1. I been around Mr. Cody since he was playing gas stations, and I know all of these artists very very well. I been wanting to tie a lot of Red Dirt Country into my what I do. What are your feelings toward Tumbleweed, do you think it’s going to be a success?
Mr. William:
I think that last year was a little more tailored to pop country and people like that. I think that he saw this thing going further, and with that I think he wanted to do it right. He wants to get the Country sound out there with some authentic music, and from what I have heard the initial sales have already beat last year’s sales. So I think it will continue to grow from last year, and I think once people see this year and the authentic sound it will continue to grow in the future. We are really excited about that because he really wants us all to play a part in this going down the road too.
GHC:
I was down there last week, I saw the venue it’s really nice. I was down there for another festival and I hosted a stage with Moe Bandy and Dale Watson. We did a little cross work down there my partner and I did and we thought it was a nice venue.
Mr. William:
Yeah we have seen videos of the area, I think it’s going to be pretty special.
GHC:
I do too, I have pretty positive vibes about it. I like what he’s doing and some of the choices he has made. Are you tied in with Cody officially, or is this an unofficial thing, how does this work?
Mr. William:
No, we are defiantly unofficial we are not tied with Cody at all, however we do work with his management because they really like what we’re doing and they continue to do good things for us. They get us codes for pre sales and there’s going to be some more stuff coming up down the road, that he will have an official club being launched. We hope to play a supporting role in getting that going. It’s going to be most of the same members transferring over, and we will continue to work with his team. Having it as a group setting and not really an official site really gives a family aspect to it. A lot of these members have become friends through the site and one thing that I have really enjoyed seeing is the launching of a lot of other fan groups through this page. There is Whitey Morgan and Paul Cauthen and it just continues to keep growing., and we are really excited about that.
GHC:
Is there merch available that my readers can buy from you guys?
Mr. William:
We do make limited runs of shirts from booster campaigns, and all of the profit from those campaigns go to St Judes Children’s Hospital. That came strictly from Cody that’s what he wanted us to do with the funds, and obviously that’s a great organization for us. St. Jude’s is one of those charities that is doing one hundred percent of what they are trying to achieve. We cannot think of a better way for proceeds to go from Flockers shirts, and we have raised over seven thousand dollars for them.
GHC:
Ok, well listen it truly was nice talking with you Sir and I reckon we will finally meet at tumbleweed.
Mr. William:
That sounds wonderful Gary, thanks for everything.
