With apologies to those who've been checking in for any new postings over the last few weeks, I've committed a few hours tonight to getting back up to speed with this journal endeavor. July's been full of family time and a few business trips but we just got back from our first Floydfest and it surpassed even the most raving reviews I'd heard from friends over the years.
For the uninitiated, the name Floydfest might evoke a celebration of the late Howard McNear's spacey, lovable character who kept the men of Mayberry well-groomed. But this Floydfest is named for the southwest Virginia mountain town that's home to the famous Friday Night Jamboree at the Old Country Store and the treasure chest on Talley's Alley that is County Sales.
For years, Floyd County has attracted settlers looking for personal freedom and alternative lifestyles...an escape from the commercial and the conventional. All those ingredients along with a team of visionary music lovers led by Kris Hodges and Erika Johnson have created the celebration of tunes and truth called Floydfest. I can't overstate what a wonderful accomplishment on the part of staff and volunteers we witnessed over those four days in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The festival's only six years old now, and having experienced other more mature events like Telluride, Grey Fox and Merlefest, I can't help but put this Virginia gem in that class of well run events with diverse and compelling lineups. We decided to go for the full experience and camp on site and had heard great things about Dancin' Dave's Festival Camping and we weren't disappointed. It's pretty cool to arrive a few hours before the festival starts and have your campsite all set up and ready for you. And Dave really is quite a hoofer!
The festival grounds are rolling woods and open fields right on the Blue Ridge Parkway with one of the most eclectic gatherings of food, craft and life science vendors you'll ever see. There are seven stages including two magnificently-crafted permanent pegged-beam structures that rival any outdoor venues anywhere. Stage Sound of Roanoke provided some of the best festival audio I've ever heard and the hard-working volunteers who handled the countless tasks it takes to put on a 4-day party for 10,000 people were always smiling. In short, we fell in love with Floydfest, and plan on making it an annual late-July fixture on our family calendar. Do check their Website for a look at how wide-open the lineup is for this festival and how many performers fill the schedule over the four days. It's one of the biggest cultural bargains anywhere on the planet...period.
I can't possibly cover all the artists we heard but I will touch on a few highlights starting with the Barrel House Mamas who kicked things off on the main Dreaming Creek stage on Thursday. They're a trio of young, old-time singer/songwriters out of Asheville who had folks talking all weekend. Delightful. Our pals the Infamous Stringdusters were next and it was fun to see and hear the reaction of those who hadn't witnessed their inspired musicianship before. The boys invited Sam Bush and Scott Vestal up for a jam near the end of their set and mandolinist Jesse Cobb couldn't hide his delight in trading licks with his mentor and idol. Didn't even try. Sam and his band closed out the evening with one of the most electrifying SBB sets we'd seen...at Floydfest, they leave the area down in front of the stage open for dancers and dreamers and the energy circulating between artist and audience makes for magic. That along with great stage lighting with fog machines and a mountain breeze in King Sammy's mane added an unforgettable visual component to favorites like "Howlin' At The Moon" and bassist Byron House channeling Led Zeppelin again for "Whole Lotta Love." The crowd went nuts.
Night one continued at the Pink Floyd Garden Stage, in an enchanted forest with twinkling lights and candles surrounded by rustic old salvaged iron fencing and bentwood gates to contain the beer and wine drinkers, where some of the lesser-known but most memorable acts kept things going into the wee hours. That first night we were all captivated by Rose's Pawn Shop, an amazing L.A. rock band infused with just the right amount of Appalachian sensibility. They were right at home.
Friday, we were advised not to miss this Charlottesville group called High Society. Led by a very creative tunesmith named Peyton Tochterman, and basically a stringband accented by the always tasteful trumpet of veteran John D'earth, they kicked things off on the main stage with a thought-provoking set of songs that might be most remembered for what happened in between two of them. Bass player Darrell Muller (yep, on loan from Old School Freight Train) in a most romantic move, asked one surprised Erin Allebaugh for her hand in marriage...right there in front of God and everybody. (See photo at right) He leaped gracefully from the 6-foot stage and placed a lovely ring on her finger, she breathlessly said yes and the show went on. Darrell wore a permanent smile for the rest of the set. Bountiful blessings to you both.
Having just enjoyed a more-than-memorable evening with The Waybacks here in Richmond last month, it was a treat to see them again so soon. As fine a night as that was, as all who were at the Science Museum will attest, something magical happened at the Hill Holler stage Friday night as the natural ampitheater filled with thousands in the cool mountain air to fuel the band with their love. The whole energy thing snowballed and it was just one of those times when all the stars were in alignment, all the cylinders were firing and the audience fed the musicians with the intoxicating enthusiasm that creates peak performance. Four (count 'em) four encores! Sorry you couldn't be there Jim, but at least CD On Demand was there to record most all the sets all weekend long including both Waybacks shows...the next best thing to being there.
Hats off to Virginia's very own folklorist Jon Lohmann for his informed and respectful hosting of the Workshop Porch stage all weekend. The Dixie Bee Liners and the Carolina Chocolate Drops among others drew large appreciative crowds. And who was that silver-caped crusader making the most of Saturday night's full moon around the fire circle in The Global Village? Who indeed?
Two bands I hadn't heard before delivered knockout punches: The Wiyos, down from Brooklyn with former Richmonder Parrish Ellis on a smoking rhythm guitar, have been seen around here at AC&T and elsewhere a few times but I've always missed them. Too bad as they're as refreshingly unique as it gets with their retro take on ragtime blues and hillbilly swing. I want more. We discovered The Old Ceremony at the Garden Stage on Saturday night and were immediately taken with frontman Django Haskins' command of his 7-piece orchestral rock band that included cello and vibraphone. Look up rock & roll lead singer/guitarist in the dictionary and there's Django, full of energy and confidence working through a set list full of captivating tunes about life and love. All of which he wrote by the way. Those who know of my penchant for bluegrass might be surprised how much I was knocked out by these guys from Chapel Hill. I learned too late that they opened for Squirrel Nut Zippers on opening night for our new riverside music hall Toad's Place. The next time they're here, I won't miss them, and neither should you.
Speaking of bluegrass, the genre was well-represented by groups like Three Fox Drive, Big Country Bluegrass, and the impeccable Blue Highway. Tim Stafford's amazing Ralph Stanley impersonation is spot-on and hilarious.
You might have seen Montreal guitarist Erik Mongrain in a frequently-forwarded YouTube video performing "Air Tap" on his lap. He plays in a most unconventional, percussive way and it was a treat to watch how he creates his intricate and hypnotic melodies right there, live, on the Dreaming Creek stage.
Floydfest subscribes to the "you can sleep when you're dead" philosophy as the Global Village stage next to the big campfire ring at the bottom of the hill goes 'til three in the morning. While I won't claim to have made it until then, we did hear some powerful performances from two Asheville ensembles: Afromotive and Toubab Krewe, artfully weaving a mesmerizing mix of rock and West African music that was the perfect soundtrack to a fully moonlit mountain morning. What is it about Asheville anyway? And Bryan Sutton too.
The last band standing was Railroad Earth, just back from a successful tour of Japan, and a perfect choice to leave the bitter-end crowd with full hearts as the hazy sun settled over the ridge. There's something about lead singer Todd Sheaffer's voice that casts a spell and Sunday's lingering festivarians were treated to a fitting rendition of "Where The Soul of Man Never Dies" and a terrific arrangement of one of my all-time favorite country tunes, Gram Parsons' "Luxury Liner." They tore it up. And the whole staff and crew took the stage during the encore to bask in the glory of a festival well done.
And it was, on every level. I was invited to Floydfest this year by production mangager John McBroom to offer some possible ways to refine and improve the tech side, based on my years as Cabin Stage manager at Merlefest. Bottom line...I had nothing. These guys had it all buttoned down. It's such a treat to see what a good idea, fed and nurtured by creative and caring people and a large measure of plain old hard work, can become. Congrats to my man Pete Daniels for capturing the essence and energy of the festival with his fine emcee work. Thanks John, and J.P. and Linda for making us feel welcome. And thanks to Kris and Erika for their remarkable gift to lovers of good music and good people. I hope I never miss another Floydfest.
I'll close with a shout out to our pals who were there and had been trying to get us there for so long...John & Pat Ward, Anita Conner, Ronnie & Karen Rush, and Scott & Kate Whitehead.
It was also good to see Merlefest's Nancy Watson there, and the tall, dark and handsome budding banjo man, Austen Lux. Thanks Austen...you added a lot.
Now...still to come and a little closer to home, don't forget Nickel Creek's farewell-for-now tour stops at Innsbrook this Friday night. And Alison Krauss + Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas plays the Coliseum on Wednesday, August 15th. The Coliseum! Does anyone remember when Wally Thulin and Fieldcrest Music brought Alison to the McVey Theater at St. Catherine's School? That was a lot of years and Grammys ago. And, two nights later, I'm looking forward to my first Toad's Place show with Sam Bush and King Wilkie. You too?
Is it really 3am? I'm out. Thanks for hanging with me on this post. Please feel free to forward to anyone who might be interested. Back soon...TT
