Palatka BGF - Friday - Pics

Friday at Palatka was huge! It’s crowded, the bands were exceptional, the response enthusiastic, and the weather nearly perfect. Several family bands appeared during the Open Stage period. This provided them with a showcase they wanted and needed. One father kept his kids outside performing in the hot son for several hours afterwards. Not much comment is needed. The Steep Canyon Rangers hit the stage with their usual energy and style. Our friends The Gibson Brothers followed. In their first Palatka appearance they were very enthusiastically received and can be seen at three more Adams and Anderson events this year. Doyle Lawson once again showed that he can replace seemingly irreplaceable elements of his band seamlessly. I don’t remember his ever having a Dobro in his band before, but it fits perfectly. His blend of humor, traditional bluegrass, and gospel pleases his audience. The big surprise for me was the Isaacs. I had never seen them before and was blown away by their style, their intensity, and their willingness to challenge the boundaries of a traditional bluegrass festival and to get away with it. Their content makes their music acceptable to certain bluegrass fans, while their music makes their content acceptable to others. I’ll be reviewing their new CD within the next few weeks. This festival continues to be a huge success. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves for now.

Lonesome Meadow Band (Open Stage)

Red Haired Express (Palmer, Alaska)

Carolina Sonshine

Doyle Lawson

Alan Johnson (Doyle Lawson)

Joey Cox (Doyle Lawson)

Eric Gibson (Gibson Brothers)

Leigh Gibson (Gibson Brothers)

Rick Hayes (Gibson Brothers)

Mike Barber (Gibson Brothers)

Clayton Campbell (Gibson Brothers)

The Isaacs

Isaacs

Isaacs

Woody Platt (Steep Canyon Rangers)

Graham Sharp (Steep Canyon Rangers)

Nicky Sanders (Steep Canyon Rangers)

Charles Humphries (Steep Canyon Rangers)

Leigh and Eric Gibson