YeeHaw Junction 2010 - Saturday

Saturday at YeeHaw Junction provided another day of warm weather and fine music.  I'm going to focus on the two new bands that appeared here on Saturday as well as taking some time to look around the grounds a bit.  The forecast called for thunderstorms and high winds, and we did get the wind early on, but the rain never came, and late into the evening it remained warm enough to permit jammers to pick and others to listen dressed in t-shirts or light fleeces.  Two new bands arrived to inject added energy into the mix.  Valerie Smith and Liberty Pike, familiar to this audience, returned from their Caribbean cruise with a new configuration and renewed energy to lay down two extremely entertaining and enjoyable sets.  Hard Ryde, a Canadian band which had been on Smith's cruise, was new to the audience and to me.  This is a very strong band which was well received and deserves to be heard more frequently here in the States.

Promoters Victor Hall and Keith Bass

 

Festival Office

Emcee Evan Carl

 

Vendors

Hard Ryde

 

As readers of this blog know, I like to highlight a group we've never heard that surprises me for its quality and sound at a festival.  Here at YeeHaw Junction, the Canadian band Hard Ryde takes that distinction hands down.  Billing themselves as Canada's premiere bluegrass band, their music encompasses a variety of styles and genres, including bluegrass, old-time, country, and jazz.  From their first few chords, I knew their performance would be interesting and enjoyable.  Combining traditional covers with plenty of new and band originated songs, Hard Ryde offers a diverse and easily accessible program of first rate music.  I look forward to seeing them more frequently south of the border.

Doug DeBoer

 

Will Meadows

 

Chris Ricker

Rich Koop

 

D'Arcy Campbell

Marc Roy

 

Promoters Bass and Hall 

with

Nothin' Fancy

 

 

Valerie Smith and Liberty Pike

Valerie Smith brings and unusual background and style to her band and her work at bluegrass festivals.  With a degree in Musical Theater, she sings, dances, moves, and sell her songs like a Broadway show stopper. Along with that, she brings a winsome and pleasant stage personality and a range of musical choices to the performance.  All this comes together to make Valerie Smith and Liberty Pike a very enjoyable package providing a change of pace and elevating the energy level whereever they perform.  Singer/Songwriter and talented mult-instrumentalist Becky Buller melds perfectly with smith.  Her striking red hair and lithe movement on stage complement Smith's look and sound while blending personalities and sound.  Ernie Evans has brought strong instrumental work on three instruments, at least, as well as good vocals to the band.  The recent addition of Rebekah Long on bass is a welcome addition.  She's a first rate bass player and fits into the animated and lively performance this group offers.  Liberty Pike delivers a huge sound for a four piece band and presents a show that goes far beyond a simple performance of songs.  They use a range of material that maintains high interest and generates genuine enthusiasm from the audience.

Becky Buller

 

Ernie Evans

Rebekah Long

 

Valerie Smith

Triple Fiddles

 

Becky and Rebekah

Valerie, Becky and Ernie

 

Valerie

Around the Festival

Bill Huckaby

 

Marty - The 50/50 Lady

Mike and Mary Robinson - Bluegrass Evangelists

 

Clint Wilson and Kalyn Hall

Me

 

Jammin' in the Evening - A Bluegrass Tradition

 

  

 

YeeHaw Junction 2010 - Friday

Friday at YeeHaw Junction was warm and very pleasant.  What appeared to be a good day crowd appeared and camping rigs continued to arrive. The festive environment and good music continued throughout the day.  The slight overcast held the warmth a little later into the evening.  It's always a good thing at YeeHaw Junction when the evening temps keep from falling into the downright chilly zone.  New, and in one case, unfamiliar bands arrived and others performed for a second day.  Today's post will focus more on photos than commentary with bands covered yesterday, while I'll have some thoughts on the three new bands appearing.

Highway 41 Rehearsing in the Field

 

On Vendor's Row

The Larry Gillis Band

Larry

 

Rafe Waters

Alex Leach

David Doss

 

Rehearsal in the Wilson's Bus 

 

The Wilson Family

Katie

Clint

 

Robert and Melissa

 

Nothin' Fancy

 

Nothin' Fancy been in existance for nearly sixteen years with personnel changes only at bass.  Such longevity signals not only a level of quality achieved by few bands, but a group of musicians who enjoy working together and growing as a band.  Under the leadership of Mike Andes, who writes much of their original material, the band is one of the most entertaining and amusing groups on the circuit, reprising favorite bits while continuing to seek to tweak older ones to keep them fresh and enjoyable.  Their Country Gentlemen covers, relying on Andes' mellow baritone voice, are excellent.  Their extended comic bits, with Mitch Davis on banjo always playing the injured victim and Chris Sexton using his classically trained fiddle to provide musical jokes throughout the performance, are favorites of the audience.  Bassist Tony Shorter and tenor Gary Faris add to the fun and the high quality.

Mike Andes

 Gary Faris

 

Chris Sexton

Mitch Davis

 

Mike Andes and Tony Shorter

Gary Faris, Mike Andes, and Mitch Davis

 

Steve Dittman Bids Farewell and Thanks His Audience

The Bluegrass Brothers

The Bluegrass Brothers originated as a jam band at festivals in Virginia and have worked hard to become a hard working, blue collar, rough-edged, and enjoyable band playing covers of bluegrass standards and more recent material.  They are always high energy, and their picking and singing have consistently improved over the past couple of years.  They are a crowd pleasing favorite at many festivals. Their version of  "Grandfather's Clock" in which three members of the band take turns on the bass always works well.

Victor and Steve Dowdy

 

Donnie Dowdy

Victor, Donnie, and Steve

 

Robert Dowdy and Billy Hurt, Jr. 

 Men of the Week

 

C.J. Lewandowski and Men of the Week is a SPBGMA midwest regional award winning traditional band from Missouri looking remarkably like Carl Shifflet's Texas-based group. Emcee and lead singer C.J. Lewandowski plays guitar and balances on one foot like Shifflet, but without the moon-faced charm.  Gerald Jones was a standout on fiddle.  At least some of the audience responded by coming to the front to dance.  

Gerald Jones

C.J. Lewandowski

Tomorrow's News

 

Kalyn Hall 

Bryce Hall

Keith Bass

Victor Hall