My weekend of adventure started around 9 AM on Friday, I got very little sleep Thursday
night as I was busy packing and preparing the articles for you.
I had the rough draft sketch already laid out all I had to do was fill in the information.

Let me say THIS..and this is an honest statement. I wouldn’t do Muddy Roots without
La Quinta Inn, folks this place is THAT nice. The free breakfast is a real good spread
the staff is nice and friendly and they let me into my room early enough to get to the
Junebug Ranch and get my wristband.
The rates are a little high but for what all you get it’s worth EVERY penny and
I would suggest it to anyone. I just went swimming and re did my cooler although
I am not planning on having any beers unless it’s at the hotel room later.

So far I have no drawbacks about the festival at all. Everything looks to be
running smoothly right now, I had an overlap problem with Urban Pioneers ..I
missed them to cover the set for J.B.Beverley.

Rachel Kate opened Muddy Roots in high
gear and people got more excited by the minute.
I missed most of her music because I was busy getting ready with paperwork and such.
I will cover her set on Tuesday at Live True Vintage with Calamity Cubes string band and the master
of all things with strings James Hunnicutt.

Whiskey Hill Swillers are a punk rooted
bluegrass and country band and they use bluegrass instruments.
They are a damn fine bunch of guys and always full of jokes and music.
They got a washboard player that climbed on the amp stacks and goes through the audience
and they have fun when on stage.

I have covered them many times and I recognized most of their set list
and they opened their set with “Whiskey Calling” and ‘Want To Know”.
Then they started throwing little (I call them airplane bottles) of whiskey
out to the audience. OK So I had one nip for history’s sake.

Third song was called “Girl” and I had to ask about it I don’t recall ever
hearing that one and they also played “Back To The Bottom” and “Loosing Hope’.
They played ‘Hollow Eyes’ which is a cool song in my opinion and they
covered a new age song.
They closed their set with “What Went Wrong” and “Make It Right”

All in All they did a pretty damn fine job on the Ol Wood Stage
and I think they deserve to be on future Muddy Roots lineups for sure!

I like string bands a lot. If you study the history of Country Music
and the Opry you will find that string bands pretty much began it all.
You know it really wasn’t until the early 1940s when Ernest Tubb and Hank
began introducing the steel guitar.
If you look at people like Dr. Humphrey Bates and his Possum Hunters
and Dixie Cloggers and Fruit Jar Drinkers in the 30’s that first
played the Opry…they were all string bands.

I stayed at the Ol Wood Stage to get to see Call Me Bronco who received TWO encores last night.
I was just talking with the guy down the hall about how good their set was
last night. They opened their set with a song they dedicated to a recent friend
that took their life and their second song was ‘Burn The Witch” and that one is
my favorite one they do.

They also played ‘Stopped Drinking For The Dog” and ‘Devil’s Daughter”

All the while this band was on the Tent Stage had The Buzzjumeprs
tearing up the place and I missed most of it to cover Call Me Bronco.
They played “Broken Man” and “Ky Girl” as an encore and a new song.

I had to go eat then before J.B. Beverley and I’m going to say THIS.
J.B. was one of my top 2 sets of the festival so far.
I may not get to finish part 2 of day 1 until later which will start out
with J.B. set. But man oh man I tell you he was SPOT ON and he played
a lot of my favorites.

Well Folks It’s early in the AM and I am up planning on some other irons I have
in the fireplace. I’m up getting ready for a Roots Music Festival but I want to
flip over for just a moment if I could to Traditonal Country and to one of the
many people in Country Music I look up to.

On September 6th at the Ernest Tubb Troubador Theater Glenn Douglass Tubb
who is Ernest Tubb’s nephew will host the Fourth Annual Ernest Tubb Tribute Show on the
anniversary of his death in 1984.
It will be a special edition of the Midnight Jamboree which is STILL a weekly show after
the Opry and has been since 67 years ago.
It is the second longest running radio program second only to…..YEP…The Opry!
THIS IS FREE…NO CHARGE…NEVER HAS BEEN.

The many guests for the Ernest Tubb Tribute will be Jerry Green, from Texas that Glenn
first met back in 1952 in Austin, Texas where he and Justin had a band. They were playing
at Dessau Hall, a big night club outside of Austin in the little community of Pflugerville.
We have another Texan on the show in the person of Texas Bluesman, Johnny Riley. And all the way
from the big community of Burns, Tennessee, they welcome Gary Clardy; a fine singer and
songwriter who also makes those fine Clardy Guitars.
We also have Miss Jennifer Brantley and her husband, David Hand, who will play lead guitar
for her. Jennifer is a fantastic singer who lives here in Nashville.
She recently cut Glenn’s song he co-wrote with Hank Williams.

Another Nashville singer, Miss Brenda Best, will be performing for us also. Her name pretty
well describes her talent. And driving in from Delaware will be Greg Watson and his wife
Teresa. Greg has been on our show before and he never fails to entertain. There is a good
variety of entertainers who will share the stage with him that Saturday evening.

And if you cannot be there in person you can ALWAYS listen in on WSM AM 650.

You know I could write another whole series of articles of the many things
Ernest Tubb did for Country Music.
For many years the Tubb family has preserved Country Music tradition and upheld
it’s honor within the store and Troubador Theater.
As a musician Ernest Tubb Brought forth a lot of his Troubadors and allowed them
to become Country Music Legends themselves in their own right.

HE IS responsible for Cal Smith, Jack Greene, Buddy Emmons, Buddy Charleton
Jan Curtis, Ronnie Blackwell….the list goes ON AND ON!

Kentucky Opry.

This series of article will be the same format as my other ones.
I’ll post the past links up above and you can catch previous ones you
have missed.
My “Music Festivals” one has become so large I lost track of my past
ones I made there are so many!
I am still learning this gig folks…

These little Oprys all over the United States have uncovered some
really amazing singers and musicians from ALL OVER and I’m really
enjoying uncovering some of these hidden places.

This edition of the series bring us to Terra Haute Indiana off
Us Hwy 41 is Boot City Opry.
This 5,000 foot square auditorium seats 300 plus and runs Saturday
only shows from April-December.

Their website has stated that they have recently added brand new
stage lighting and other new features.

I read some really positive feedback on the people that have
visited the Opry and I noticed that on October 18th they
will welcome Georgette Jones.

In November there are several great shows coming including a
Ray Price tribute and another band called “Walking With Cash”.
FROM THEIR WEBSITE:

Keith Furry is well aware of the complexities surrounding Johnny Cash, in fact,
he embraces them. “One of my favorite lines to describe Johnny Cash is from the book
‘Cash’ by Rolling Stone magazine: ‘Sinner, Saint, Rebel, Voice of Protest, Man of Faith’,
says Furry, leader of the tribute band Walkin’ With Cash.

Hailed as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Cash had that rarest
of crossover appeals, having earned induction into the Rock n Roll, Country and Gospel Halls of Fame.
Furry captures those intricacies with a fan’s eagerness and a musician’s skill. From his note
perfect trembling baritone voice to his all black outfits, every detail rings true during a
Walkin’ With Cash show.

Of course, much of Cash’s music, particularly toward the end of his stellar career,
focused on moral questions and the search for redemption but Furry’s rendition of this
often dark and mysterious superstar never translates into a dour, over-serious experience
on stage. Instead, Furry delves deep into the Cash catalog shining a spotlight on every
corner of this legend-from his rockabilly beginnings to his flirty duets with wife June
Carter Cash, expertly recreated in the Walkin’ With Cash performances by Jan Daily.

I hope they do not mind I just posted that directly from them..cause I think this
will be a stellar show. If you are in the area you should certainly go check them out.

You can log onto their website above and inquire how to perform on there
or call Miss Stacey. Her contact number is included on there I will not post
her phone number on this site..to many people see it.

Store hours for the Boot City Western Superstore are

Monday-Saturday 9:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M.
Sunday 12:00 P.M.- 5:00 P.M.

YOU CAN rent the facility for functions too just hollar at them.
I do not usually get around to that area but I’ll have to come up
and visit them one Saturday night.

Lately the Country Music Hall Of Fame has opened some REALLY
nice exhibits and after Muddy Roots Music Festival I hope to be able to
sneak down there and check them out.
They have opened a good one for Kenny Rogers and the Bakersfield exhibit is still going on (I’m pretty sure).
Crystal Gayle has a really good one and “Sing Me Back Home” I have heard is wonderful.
Alan Jackson has just recently had one opened for him as well.

I’m REALLY wanting to take a day off from both jobs and go down there to see
some of the great artifacts and nerd up with information. I just become a sponge
around this stuff! I’m just NUTS about dates, places and people.

In my opinion there is NOBODY you cannot learn something from.
Even if you dislike what or how they believe there is still
some tidbit of knowledge you can find out.
Places as well are valuable and worth preserving and keeping.
Places like Printer’s Alley which is now in SERIOUS TROUBLE (and you need to sign
the petition).

September 20th the Hall Of Fame will be celebrating the 20th anniversary
of Lower Broad Revival with a historic reunion of EPIC PROPORTIONS!
Folks this has happened a few short times as of late and I’m hoping it happens
MORE and some albums result of it.

ALL FIVE original members of BR5-49 will be there AND PERFORM for this event.
This information WAS CONFIRMED by Smilin Jay McDowell on bass.
The intense road life and other ventures became the demise of this powerful
Hillbilly Honk Tonk band that is integral to underground and roots music.

Their last full known performance (to me) was when they opened for Old Crow Medicine
Show at the Fontanel Mansion.
I really enjoy Chuck Mead’s solo music but if this means he’s got the boys back together
I’m ALL FOR IT!

My friends down in east Nashville at Live True Vintage always have local bands and
Independent musicians performing summer concert series shows there and usually
on Tuesday nights.

I have had the pleasure of seeing Austin Lucas and Baskery there in 2014 and
in 2013 I got to see Jake Cox and Dag And Bulleit Boys.

Joshua Morningstar was supposed to be there in place of Austin Lucas and
could not make the show for personal reasons.
It still was indeed a good show and a good time was had by all.

It’s a great way to support our local community and friends businesses.
And I always say that’s what music is all about.

Two days after we are all coming home from Muddy Roots Music Festival
Live True Vintage will welcome The Calamity Cubes, James Hunnicutt and Rachel Kate.
Now I WILL SAY I have had the honor to see James Hunnicutt play numerous times
and he SHREDS the guitar!
In fact if you ask me the most aggressive player I would say it’s him or Dallas Moore.

The Calamity Cubes are a little bit of all kinds of genres.
Thrashicana is what their Facebook page says.
Theyr’e just a downright jam string band from Kansas.
I have seen their set many times as well and they NEVER DISAPPOINT.

The shows usually are donation based and usually start at a reasonable 7:00 start time.
It gives me time to get back up to Kentucky from a short 40 minute drive down there.

I’ll more than likely be there why don’t YOU JOIN US!