I think this group and event needs an official Facebook page but every time I have attended this event I have always has a truly blessed time with everyone. It’s time once again to help promote the 29th annual R.O.P.E. banquet, unless you aren’t within the business the R.O.P.E. organization was founded in 1983 when a group of people decided to form a fellowship meeting of music industry people to discuss things and enjoy the fruits of their labor. It stands for the “Reunion Of Professional Entertainers” and holds a function in spring and fall, the spring event usually is a luncheon with Bbq around noon.

At the table next to mine was Jean Shephard, Jan Howard, Mac Wiseman and a news reporter. MANY great people performed this afternoon I went and trust me you WILL have a wonderful time there.

Steel Guitar Legend Mr. Ron Elliott and his wife Miss Leslie Ann Elliott do many things for this fine function and it is always at the Al-Menah Shrine Temple on Brick Church Pike in Nashville Tn. I’m quite sure this event will be honoring the lost Legends of Country Music from 2016 including Jean Shephard just last weekend because the top portion clearly says “A Tribute To The Hall Of Famer Merle Haggard”.

This function also includes the Malpass Brothers and Leona Williams and MORE and will be held Thursday October 6th at 6PM-9PM. As always I’m quite sure Mr. Keith Bilbrey will be doing the emcee duties for the night and Mr. Ron will be playing steel guitar.

I’ll tell you a little story here two years ago I went to this function and I was introduced to a young lady who has been blazing the local circuit and local bars at  a young age…Miss Emmi Sunshine. Mr. Keith and I looked at one another and said “Wow”..some truly great memories there like sitting with Miss Margie Bowes and everyone gathering around Mr. Mac Wiseman as he sang us his special timeless classics, oh friends I have many wonderful memories of R.O.P.E.

Guys I have been so busy on this website focusing on albums and festivals in 2017 I haven’t caught up with all the current “news” for you. I HAVE updated my local shows listings and some of the aftermath of Americanafest and so much more so be sure to check out my homepage and see all the new articles.

Shooter Jennings is always busy on the road and behind the mic with his new podcast Beyond The Black which is in it’s fourth edition right now. It offers some personal insight into his album Black Ribbons and also some of his thoughts on things. And Shooter if you read this Thanks for everything buddy you and Miss Misty BOTH, for everything y’all have done and said about me.

I have listened to the first two episodes and I’m astounded at his level of research and knowledge on things, I never thought he was a dummy by ANY means but he has some interesting points of so many subjects. It kind of gets us closer to HIM as a person and if you know him you’ll know he always has time for everyone and has said some really nice things about me and I have a mutual love for him.

One thing that other media outlets have reportedly mistaken was that Waymore’s Outlaws were hanging it up with a farewell tour, apparantly this isn’t true and in fact SHOOTER is going to be playing HIS last shows with the band (possibly for now). He stated it’s been a fun three years but he wants to work with his L.A. Band more now, and Waymore’s Outlaws will continue as well. I know there is a big show planned at the V Club in Huntington…GREAT VENUE there trust me!

Now then this is from a official BCR Media email I got which explains the release of Black Ribbons on election day 2016 and I didn’t want to mess anything up on it. And you can damn sure bet you WILL SEE SHOOTER up on the Top 50 for 2016 and his album he produced for Billy Don Burns.

The extremely limited pressing of the Black Ribbons Ultimate Edition will be available for pre-order (signed or unsigned, your choice, for the same price) on Monday, Sept. 26th at 11 a.m. exclusively at BCR Media!! Full track listings will be announced same day. Get yours before they sell out, which they definitely will!! Keep an eye out for us on Twitter at @bcrlosangeles. Also on Monday, we’ll be announcing record stores that will carry Black Ribbons Ultimate Edition.

I been posting like a madman about next month, my final big job of 2016 Crooked Smile Music Festival which will happen October 14-15th in Winchester Indiana. So here’s the deal folks I been doing album features all year and I been impressed with the many albums I get sent. I have decided to be reclusive about these select few albums and combine them in a special PREVIEW of some of what’s to come when you buy your ticket to the festival.

Lonesome Red And The Blue Strings:

I mean it doesn’t get any more special than my “Sconnie” friends Mr. Eric and Miss Amanda Bestul from Iola Wisconsin, along with Mr. Ryan Zylka and Mr. Kevin Moore they make up this Traditional Country band. Mr. Eric plays guitar and steel simultaneously and he formerly played with our good friend Mr. Owen Mays. I met Me. Eric through him at a show in Nashville a few years back.

This album was short and just a taste of what’s to come I believe as they do more experimental music and truthfully I cannot wait to see what they have in store for us at the festival. The album began with the Lonesome Red Theme and went into “Man Of Constant Sorrow”.

Two more songs that Mr. Eric wrote called “More Than A Nickel” and “Whiskey Rain” make up the album other than a great cover of Alan Jackson’s “Mercury Blues”. I tell you what nobody does it better than Mr Eric and Miss Amanda when it comes to traditional Country music in this area. They’ve played countless hours of shows and they are deeply rooted within their knowledge of the classics and oldies. I’d rank him up there with Mr. J.P. Cyr when it comes to love of the old stuff like Rex Griffin and Riley Puckett.

The Kepone Cowboys are five guys that play Country-Rock-Metal and all kinds of stuff ro0lled into one big ear splitting album. Unlike Stump Tail Dolly and others that liken them they have a pedal steel and I’ll say this I cannot wait to meet Mr. Mark Smilor because I want to start a NEW series that could involve him.

Mr. Gary Fitzgerald Jr, Mr. Justin Wilcox, Mr. Bernie Hodges and Mr. David Chappell make up the band that plays hardcore Country and makes references from everyone from Hank 3 to Cash to Dwight Yoakam. In fact they cover “A Thousand Miles From Nowhere” quite well.

“Overdosed In Hampton” was a good song along with “Burning Down The Candle” and I highly suggest this album All Hat No Cattle to be added to your collection NOW. I’ll be featuring this band next month.

Folks this man gave me his album in hand at Muddy Roots this past year and I didn’t open it until a few days after and right away I noticed that the Urban Pioneers helped record this album thus I was instantly excited to pop it in my player.

All ten songs on this album were written by Mr. Jesse himself, and honestly his songwriting was not bad at all, I enjoyed the simple Honky Tonk Country he plays. “Those Honky Tonks Are Calling Me Again” opens up this album is a steady pace of beer drinking music, and the next good songs was “Blood Sweat And No Tears”.

One of the best songs on the album was “Leave Them Pills alone” and “The Justice Tree”. The other songs on this album were pretty darn good and I’m looking forward to covering his set next month at Crooked Smile Festival.

This year at Muddy Roots Music Festival Mr. Jason declared the little tent stage AKA stage 3 was an open mic and when we all arrived on Thursday there was a sign up sheet. The stage was ran by Mr. Nick and Miss Kimberly of Cracker Swamp Productions, and Miss Devilyn Carver and her husband Aaron. They are going to be teaming up for future projects as well, and as far as I know it shall be open mic next year as well.

I caught some GREAT sets on this stage and also missed some as well, I’m going to include what I did catch and some of the happenings on this stage. Some of the acts on this stage were scheduled as well like…

Smokestack Relics are two brothers from Colorado that I will be covering in a few weeks in Indiana, Mr. Cameron and Mr. Collin played the little tent stage on Saturday. They played dirty swamp rock music with songs like “61 and 49” and others like “Cocaine For Breakfast” and another called “Give Your Soul To God”.

Adam Lee was a great performer I first heard with Matt Woods many years ago and to be honest I missed most of his set due to the Hackensaw Boys BUT I did catch “See You All In Hell”. His new album called Sincerely,Me is available on his website by clicking on his name up there.

Jeff Shepherd And The Jailhouse Poets played on Sunday as well and I did catch some of his set. “Wayfaring Stranger” “Carolina” began his set, and he continued on with “Hold On”.
He also released an album this year that I had Mr. Jahshie P from the Moonrunners tribe review. He also played “Gone” and “Katie”.

S.S.Web AKA Steering Ships With Empty Bottles is a punk rock and Roots Music band from Milwaukee. Now folks I was at this stage on and off all weekend so I might have missed some people and I’m TRULY sorry if I did I tried my best to remember everybody that played it.

Black Eyed Vermillion
Gary Moore II
WT Newton And The Ozark Blood
Clem McGillicutty And The Burnouts
Rachel Kate
Husky Burnette

Also on Sunday morning I got to participate in my own thing when we had a small Sunday morning worship service with our friend Ben Whitehead who gave a really nice sermon. One truly fun thing about Muddy Roots is the respect and (and of) the diversity of people there. Not everybody goes to music festivals to get obliterated and wasted, some even like to attend sobriety meetings which also take place there. I believe I had 3 beers the entire weekend, I haven’t much need for heavy drinking anymore.

All in All I thought that stage 3 needed it’s OWN article because all weekend long it was doing it’s OWN special thing and for that I applaud the entire crew. In fact I applaud the ENTIRE CREW of Muddy Roots Mr. Chris Cahill, Miss Kelly McNoldy and Miss Amber and Mr. Herbert for their hospitality and help. Without them Mr. Jason is just one person and it takes a BIG team to do what Muddy Roots does, not just one man with a dream. Honestly in 2010 I myself didn’t think it would grow into the Mecca that it is today, the first year there was about 300 people if I remember correctly.

Well folks as my festival season is winding down to an abrupt close and I reflect on all the great places and music I have been blessed to get to see this year I bring you the 4rth annual Medicine Stone Music Festival kicks off in Tahlequah Oklahoma September 22nd-24rth 2016. I have an inside scoop on the Tulsa music scene now from a very special friend and I’m SO grateful to her for the information on all the different bands she knows. I was contacted and told about this fine festival that features a lot of Texas Red Dirt music and Oklahoma music from the Tulsa area.

My physical presence as of yet has been slim to none in the Oklahoma and Texas area and I think it might be time to change that in 2017, and as I research this area and festival more I can pretty much say that I shall most likely than not be coming over to support them.

This festival happens September 22nd-24rth at the Diamondhead Resort in Northeastern Oklahoma near Tahlequah.It has the only full service bar on the Illinois river and from what I have saw of the property it is REALLY a nice facility in every way. From the website I’ll provide a map of the campground here.

It appears to have a main stage and also two smaller side stages one in the greenhouse and one at the bar where you check in at. Like some other festivals I have previously covered this one does not allow umbrellas in the music area or outside food and drinks, you can buy alcohol from the vendors but not bring it in.

Now there are package deals you can buy like a bunkhouse deal which provides sleeping facilities for 15 people and also bulk camping deals which include parking. I found a shuttle service to and from the participating hotels around the venue and I’ll include them after the lineup here.

RANDY ROGERS BAND
STONEY LARUE
WILLIAM CLARK GREEN
SHANE SMITH AND THE SAINTS
JONNY BURKE
BLEU EDMONSON
BC AND THE BIG RIG
BRANDON JENKINS
MIKE AND THE MOONPIES
TURNPIKE TROUBADORS
AMERICAN AQUARIUM
RECKLESS KELLY
MICKEY AND THE MOTORCARS
JAMIE WILSON
DAVID KAY BAND
Kaitlin Butts
THOMAS TRAPP
MIDNIGHT RIVER CHOIR
John D Hale Band
JASON BOLAND AND THE STRAGGLERS
CODY CANADA AND THE DEPARTED
BILLY JOE SHAVER
RANDY CROUCH
RC EDWARDS & FRIENDS ACOUSTIC
HOSTY DUO
RED SHAHAN RED DIRT RANGERS
BO PHILLIPS

Here’s what the local media has to say about the event from their website:

 “There’s no music festival like Medicine Stone.  It’s hard to describe what it feels like to be there! It’s like taking the most amazing artists and music and mixing in fans, families, and camping. It’s one of the best weekends of the year.  From the minute it ends, you’re already making plans to go again next year. ”
–Troy Eckelhoff/Program & Music Director  99.9 KTCS  Ft. Smith, AR

 “Medicine Stone is all the GREAT parts of Red Dirt.  Amazing people, incredible moments, and extraordinary music–the kind that seeps into your soul and leaves you wanting more!” –Erin Harper/The Twister Tulsa- iHeartMedia

“Medicine Stone 2015 was a gathering of family. This festival clearly defines Red Dirt music. As the days go on the musicians and the fans become the same. After the main first acts are done for the night, you can continue to hear music throughout the many camp sites.  The Illinois River is the perfect setting for the Medicine Stone Event. The 2016 festival cannot arrive soon enough!”  -Justin Neighbor/WDAF Kansas City and KMXN in Lawrence, KS

“My Town Media and our stations in Pittsburg, Independence, Chanute and Pratt, Kansas have loved being a part of The Medicine Stone Music Event for the past several years!  We have been behind Red Dirt Music for quite a while…back to when people would give you a funny look and ask ‘What the heck is Red Dirt Music?’  Medicine Stone is a warm, friendly event with a family feel that just keeps you thirsting for more!  We look forward to being a part of Medicine Stone 2016.”   –“Uncle” Joe Manns/My Country 101.7FM

So HERE is a complete link for TONS of local area hotels out there for you to take advantage of, I have a sneaky feeling you’ll see me next year! And HERE is the link to buy tickets.