The Westport Roots Festival
The Nashville Boogie
Moonrunners Music Festival

BRRRRRR It’s cold out folks, my neck of the woods is completely covered in ice and snow. In fact I was just stuck in my house for four days and researching some more of these festivals that were turned in to my email box. One of them I noticed that are happening soon is the WinterWonderGrass Festival in the Colorado and California areas February 19-21st 2016. There is a California edition of this festival in April.

Now I’m not going to lie to you folks this one’s a little on the pricey side boasting up to 250.00 for 3 day pass VIP, but after I post the lineup you won’t want to miss this one if you are in the area! And there are single day passes for a more affordable price, however this festival would be HARD to choose which day to only get to see.This festival is held in the scenic Avon Colorado at Nottingham Park’s 48 acres of wildlife and nature. This piece from their website:

Known as the “Heart of the Valley” for its geographic location as well as its strong sense of community and family-friendly atmosphere, Avon is a great place for both residents and visitors. Whether skiing, hiking, paddling the Eagle River or enjoying a leisurely day in town, you’ll find that launching your mountain adventures from Avon is easy and convenient.

With 6,500 year-round residents, plus another 3,500 part-time residents, Avon offers a small mountain town atmosphere with many amenities. The town serves as a gateway to the world-class Beaver Creek Resort and is eight miles west of world-famous Vail. Avon also offers a multitude of recreational opportunities, special events, parks, open space and trails, and a mix of local and national shops and restaurants.

Honestly this festival looks to be one of the most kid friendly ones on my roster this year, under 12 is free and there are many activities for them to do while you are enjoying the music. And there are a few tents that have kids activities from 3-7PM.

OK One thing I was asking myself (even though I don’t mess with it) is THIS: IT’S LEGAL TO SMOKE MARIJUANA ANYWHERE IN COLORADO, RIGHT? ACTUALLY, NO! IT’S ILLEGAL TO SMOKE CIGARETTES OR MARIJUANA IN PUBLIC PLACES IN COLORADO. THIS IS A COMMUNITY // FAMILY EVENT — PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL AND MINDFUL.

This is an OUTDOOR EVENT and since it is winter time they ask you to PLEASE dress accordingly and smart in order to enjoy the music and festivities. There will be warm vendor tents and beer halls where you can enjoy beer while staying warm and they also have smaller stages. HERE is a link to purchase tickets for this event.

HERE IS THE LINEUP:

Greensky Bluegrass
Leftover Salmon
The Wood Brothers
Nahko And Medicine For The People
The Traveli’n McCourys
Peter Rowan
Fruition
Dustbowl Revival
Larry Keel
Sister Sparrow And The Dirty Birds
Dave Simonett From Trampled By Turtles
Mandolin Orange
Drew Emmitt
Nora Jane Struthers
Noam Pinkenly
Horseshoes And Hand Grenades
Billy Strings
The Way Down Wanderers
Town Cavalry
The Lil Smokies
Drunken Hearts
Grant Farm

So now as always with ALL my festival series articles here are some lodging options for this festival in this area.
I look at all the websites and also do my own searching before I publish these.

Comfort Inn
The Christie Lodge
The Charter At Beaver Creek
Riverwalk Suites
Plus HERE is a whole page of more lodging options for you to book a room right from your home off my website for this event.

Well folks it is time again to feature some more festivals for 2016, and trust you me I have about 200
of them to bring you throughout the United States. Right now I would like to feature another one I plan to attend in Chicago Illinois and that is none other than Moonrunners Music Festival for the fourth year now.

This one happens on July 4rth weekend which is later than usual for this one and it falls right into a good time for me I SHOULD be able to make it and I fully plan to be there right now. Mr. Jahshie P and his crew brought in some REALLY heavy hitter to foot this three day indoor festival that boasts two stages in two separate rooms.

Reggies Rock Club has been a pillar of the music community in downtown Chicago for eight years now, and I’m not totally sure about hotels yet, allow me some time to dwell on that folks. I can however direct you to the link to buy tickets to this event HERE.

You know a lot of folks don’t honestly realize the historical relevance of the city of Chicago and it’s role in forming Country Music as well as Roots Music.In the 1920’s when America was war ridden and weary from depression
and change Chicago was a bustling city and an epicenter for country music at one of it earliest roots. America was facing major industrialization and the cultural upheaval of the blues before it even HEARD the name Hank Williams.

The “National Barn Dance” was a radio program in the 1930s and 1940’s that launched the tenure of Gene Autry and singing cowboys and one of Country Music’s greatest females..Patsy Montana. It also brought out one of Country Music’s finest performers of his time, Bradley Kincaid. Rural farm America couldn’t come to grips with all this change and this program precluded the Opry. Due to the fact that in the late 1920’s WSM wasn’t being broadcast as strongly, the heartland immediately grabbed onto this show.

In 1993 two friends got together in a Chicago bar called Crash Palace, now called Delilah’s and compiled a wishlist of band names on a bar napkin and later formed the legendary underground label : Bloodshot Records. Two bands that stuck out to me from this era were the Bottle Rockets and The Sundowners.  Bloodshot also has been a home label to a few of this festival’s headlining artists Split Lip Rayfield and Scott H. Biram both of whom are Roots Music Legends in their own rights.

The Supersuckers
Split Lip Rayfield,
Scott H. Biram,
Dale Watson and his Lone Stars,
Slim Cessna’s Auto Club,
Wayne ‘The Train’ Hancock,
Those Poor Bastards,
Hellbound Glory,
Urban Pioneers,
Joseph Huber,
Rachel Brooke,
Black Eyed Vermillion,
Gallows Bound,
J.B. Beverley,
Carrie Nation and the Speakeasy,
Izzy and the Catostophics,
Rickett Pass,
Filthy Still,
Call Me Bronco,
Ford Theater Reunion,
The Peculiar Pretzelmen,
Escape from the Zoo,
WT Newton,
Kiel Grove,
Last Daze,
Pearls Mahone,
Last False Hope,
Joshua Morningstar,
Highlonesome,
That Ol’ Coondog,
Th’ Piss Poor Players,
Ultrahazard,
Aran Buzzas,
Brittany Avery,
Still Alive,
Death and Memphis,
The Kountry Kittens,
Hunter Grigg,
Stump Tail Dolly,
the Tosspints,
Gary Moore II,
Tony French, Curio,
Blackgrass Gospel,
Black Actress,
Murphy’s Lawyer,
Clem McGillicutty and the Burnouts,
Rock Bottom String Band,
Traveling Broke and Out of Gas,
Spike McGuire,
The Ridgelands,
Lonewolf OMB,
The Elixirs,
Mason ‘Damn’ Tinsley,
Melomaniac,
Noah Tyson,
Matthew ‘Mule’ McMckinley

Folks I just made an update not long ago that they moved him from ICU and into a regular room. I had NO IDEA he was that sick and just about an hour ago it was reported from CEO of Heart Of Texas Records Tracy Pitcox that Country Legend Curtis Potter has died in a Texas hospital of complications from pneumonia at Hendrick Medical Center in Abilene Texas tonight.

I’m just going to reprint here what was made public:

“Curtis had been battling congestive heart failure and pneumonia during the last week,” Heart of Texas Records president Tracy Pitcox said. “Before becoming ill, he was actively performing, booking dates and getting ready to return to the recording studio.”

At the age of 16, Potter was given his own radio television show on KRBC in Abilene and was part of the Bill Fox and Slim Willet shows.

In 1959, Potter joined the Hank Thompson organization. Thompson was impressed with the young vocalist and invited him to front the Brazos Valley Band and play bass guitar for him. In the thirteen years that Potter was with Hank, he traveled all over the United States, Europe, the Far East and even a much sought after Carnegie Hall appearance.

Potter’s first major hit was “You Comb Her Hair Every Morning” recorded on Dot Records and released May of 1969. That song would gather enough attention to become the catalyst of a forty five year recording career.

In 1973, Capitol Records released Potter’s shuffle “Walkin’ Talkin’ Breathin’ Case of Sorrow“. It was followed by a Texas Dance Hall album with Darrell McCall and Ray Sanders. In 1978, Dave Franer signed Curtis to Hillside Records releasing two very successful projects.

In 1984, Potter helped to form Step One Records in Nashville. Step One would become the largest independent label in the world releasing projects on Gene Watson, Ray Price, Kitty Wells, Hank Thompson and Clinton Gregory.

Potter and Willie Nelson had a number one video on Step One Records in 1995. “Turn Me Loose And Let Me Swing” was taken from the album “Six Hours At The Pedernales” and teamed Potter and Nelson recording twelve songs in a six hour session at Nelson‘s studio.

In 2005, Potter signed with Heart of Texas Records. Potter released “Them Old Honky Tonks” “Chicago Dancing Girls” “Down In Texas Today” and “The Potter’s Touch.” He also recorded two projects with Tony Booth and Darrell McCall under the name “The Survivors.”

His last album “Songs Of The Cherokee Cowboy” was a tribute to his hero Ray Price. Nelson joined Potter once again in the studio to record the title track for the album.

Potter’s last professional appearance was on December 31, with McCall at the Heart of Texas Events Center in Brady, Texas.

He is survived by his wife Pat and children Shane Potter, Sharlotte Smith, Rozlyn Froid and James Potter.

Funeral services are pending.

Folks if you follow my website and you know ME as a person you know how special the Legends are to me, and that I have been following him from day 1 since he was admitted to the hospital.

OK Folks I’m sitting here writing this with cabin fever, and maybe it is the cabin fever but this new album from Hank Williams Jr. has got me scratching my head…it does. All in All I halfway liked it, I honestly do. But I have a few polite negative things to discuss about this album. Let me first start out by saying I’m NOT a studio expert or studio brain like my buddy Mr. J.D. Myers or Mr. Drew Burasco..Nor am I a producer like Mr. Dave Cobb who has become a Nashville terror with keys in hand.

I’m not an expert songwriter like Mr. Tony Stampley who wrote “Club U.S.A.” on this album which was a good upbeat song that was actually a high point on this album, and so was “Those Days Are Gone” which in MY opinion should have been the name of this album, cause they ARE gone…for Hank anyways..partly. “Those Days Are Gone” actually made me cry and NOT in a bad way, because the beat and the sound and his props to Ernest Tubb are indeed gone from mainstream country. You have to go see Whitey Morgan and Cody Jinks to hear that beer joint music now.

You know one thing that has me scratching my head here guys, all these one liner jokes between the songs…what’s up with that? I mean didn’t he and Kid Rock release a song a few years back telling us about how Hank 3 is “naughty” for using the F Word? Well so WHAT’S UP with his statement ” I Pulled A Bobby Mercer On That Motherfucker”? Ohhh ok since he bleeped it out I am not supposed to understand the point, gotcha Randall.

“Dress Like An Icon” was so full of name dropping it just turned me off because there was no real “meat” to the lyrics. It didn’t have the structure I expect from Hank Wililams Jr being the Icon that he truly is, I mean the man raised me and probably everyone reading this. He and Mr. Merle Kilgore and Mr. Jimmy Bowen all teamed up to create classic REAL Country material we ALL love. THOSE songs had structure and depth, not a list of two million names that influenced him but on the other hand I thought ok WHO but Hank Jr. has the right to name drop? So honestly I was kind of miffed on that whole deal right there.

I enjoyed the Mel Tillis song “Mental Revenge” that was made famous by Waylon Jennings and so many more, this a truly classic song and Hank Jr. did a FABULOUS job singing this song. However he has a very loud and powerful voice and to ( to me at least) they recorded his vocals VERY poorly on this whole album, and a lot of the music is REAL good his vocals at times lacked the “omph” we know out of him.

In the song that HE wrote “It’s about time” he periodically states we have had enough of this wired pop country sound, yet all these years he has oftentimes lambasted his own son for doing the very same thing? What validates this, considering the fact he has none other than Brantley Gilbert and Justin Moore help him re-do “Born The Boogie”? I try to remain polite and neutral but dammit THAT just rubbed me totally wrong, shame on him HOW can you hate pop country but like that? If YOU DO that’s totally YOUR opinion and I shall respect it but this is mine and I didn’t. Does the album remain in my rotation…YES it does. Am I saying Brantley Gilbert and those guys had bad vocals, No honestly I didn’t think they sang bad it’s just they represent what he is lambasting in other songs on the same album. And most importantly that song was the same that raised my Hank 3 debate.

Now then folks I’m sure that you have heard on every other Country music website in the universe that he has teamed up with 2015 sensation Chris Stapleton for some dates in 2016 and I would like to tell you about them too. You know Stapleton sold out THREE Ryman shows back to back in minutes, because all the mainstream people now love him from winning THREE CMA Awards last year. Much like sports teams all the mainstream people had to flock to the I Tunes and download the album instead of being real people and buying the real thing..and maybe one or two of them will actually spend time to research him and learn who the Steeldrivers are.

This is going to be one HELL of a good concert with the two of them together, in fact I think it will indeed be one of the best shows of 2016. Because despite ho critical I was of Hank Jr’s album he DOES put on one hell of a great show live any way you slice it and his live albums from Cobo Hall and others are highly sought after albums from collectors like me.

Folks ANOTHER TWO of my Top 50 Albums Of 2015 have been hard at it on the road to promote their albums. I have been reporting on Dallas Moore and Pee Wee Moore (whom are also on the list). I URGE YOU to continue to support ALL of these artists, and at this time I want to focus my attention on these two artists.

I covered Cody Jinks last November and you can read the article on that show HERE along with a few more good artists. Sadly I haven’t got to cover Whitey Morgan since December of 2014 and you can read that HERE.
So as of right now here are the dates that I have found out about while digging for other things and if I become aware of other dates or see them on ANY festival lineups I shall include them on this article.

WHITEY MORGAN & CODY JINKS TOUR

STARTS TOMORROW JAN 21!

JAN 21 SPRINGFIELD,MO / OUTLAND BALLROOM- SOLD OUT

(only a few VIP’s left)
JAN 22 LAWRENCE, KS / GRANADA THEATRE
JAN 23 OMAHA, NE / THE WAITING ROOM- SOLD OUT
(only a few VIP’s left)
JAN 26 DES MOINES, IA / WOOLY’S
JAN 28 MILWAUKEE, WI / SHANK HALL
JAN 29 MADISON, WI / MAJESTIC THEATRE
JAN 30 BLOOMINGTON, IN / THE BLUEBIRD
FEB 13 NEWPORT, KY / SOUTHGATE HOUSE
FEB 14 INDIANAPOLIS, IN / THE HI-FI- SOLD OUT
(only a few VIP’s left)
FEB 17 CLEVELAND, OH / BEACHLAND BALLROOM
FEB 18 GRAND RAPIDS, MI / INTERSECTION
FEB 19 PONTIAC, MI / CROFOOT BALLROOM
FEB 20 COLUMBUS, OH / PARK STREET SALOON
FEB 24 CHAMPAIGN, IL / THE ACCORD
FEB 25 LOUISVILLE, KY / HEADLINERS
FEB 26 MEMPHIS, TN / NEW DAISY THEATRE
FEB 27 COLUMBIA, MO / THE BLUE NOTE

WHITEY TOUR DATES

FEB 4 CHATTANOOGA, TN / REVELRY ROOM
FEB 5 ATHENS, GA / GEORGIA THEATRE
FEB 6 KNOXVILLE, TN / BARLEY’S TAP ROOM
FEB 10 RICHMOND, VA / THE BROADBERRY
FEB 11 ASHEVILLE / THE GREY EAGLE
FEB 12 NASHVILLE, TN / 3RD AND LINDSLEY

FESTIVALS
APR 29 INDIO, CA / STAGECOACH