Every bluegrass festival has it's own vibe - a feel, a spirit, an ambiance, a special unique being. MACC, probably because of the cause it supports especially has this sense. As the event builds from Wednesday to Saturday, there's an increasing sense of community, a community joined together annually to accomplish great things through music and fellowship. It was HOT on Saturday. There's no denying it. The music started at 11:30 and continued all day and into the night, closing out sometime around midnight. The excitement level rose all through the day, climaxing with the MACC Opry, a musical experience not to be missed. Here's the story.
MACC Children's Band
This year the children's band had fewer participants than in the past couple of years but made up for the lack of number in the quality of their performance. Ranging in age from 2 - 18, the kids did a wonderful job representing the future of bluegrass. Anyone worrying that the music is dying needs to see these kids.
The Winner of the Raffle Guitar
I've posted an extensive collection of MACC Children's Band pictures as a Picasa Web Album. Here's the key:
http://picasaweb.google.com/KeeneValleyGuy/MACCChildrenSBand2010?authkey=Gv1sRgCNWA6rHcl4Cl1QE#
Mike Anglin and Chris Harris
Parents, friends, and anyone else interested in seeing more of these great kids is welcome to view the album and download the pictures enjoy their beauty and enthusiasm.
The Snyder Family Band
Young Zeb and Samantha Snyder, from North Carolina, have been attracting lots of attention in the past couple of years as their musical accomplishments and personal warmth have received increasing attention. They're not just good for their age, they're flat out good!
Zeb Snyder
Samantha Snyder
Shay Sparks
Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers
Joe Mullins plays and supports traditional bluegrass music with the best of them. He's been a national figure in bluegrass for many years as a performer, promoter, and owner of some radio stations in southern Ohio that play lots of bluegrass. He's returned to performing in the past few years. Good thing, too.
Joe Mullins
Mike Terry
Tim Kidd
Evan McGregor
Adam McIntosh
Ronnie Bowman
From his early days with Lost & Found and The Lonesome River Band, Ronnie Bowman has been a star. As a performer and a song writer in both bluegrass and country music, Bowman has been continually recognized for his work. He's a consistently dynamic performer who's not to be missed if you can see him. His song "Here I Am," sung in the voice of the Evil One, is perhaps the scariest and most arresting song I know.
Garnet Imes Bowman
Chris Harris and Greg Martin
Jeremy Boling
Ronnie
Angela Minkis
Shelley Burleson
Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time
Larry Cordle
Chris Harris (Yes...He's Everywhere)
Jody King
James Donczecs
Kim Gardner
Cord
Jim Reed and Darrel Adkins
Randy Kohrs Band
Ashley Brown
Tony Wray
Mike Sumner
Pasi Leppikangas & Gage Boecker
Randy
Dr. Tom Bibey author of The Mandolin Case
Lonesome River Band
Sammy Shelor's dynamic banjo work and the rock tinged sound of The Lonesome River Band have been exciting fans for nearly a generation. Through a range of changes, they've continued to lead the way, bringing audiences screaming to their feet in venues throughout the country and the world. They continue to energize audiences wherever they perform.
Sammy Shelor
Brandon Rickman Changes a String on the Fly
Andy Ball
Newlywed Mike Anglin
Mike Hartgrove
Theresa Anglin holding Briar Rickman with Amy Rickman
Carl Jackson, Bradley Walker & Val Story Rehearsing
Brandon Rickman & Briar (Better than a Dog)
The SteelDrivers
When the SteelDrivers lost their lead singer, there was a lot of concern about the future of this popular contemporary band. Not to worry! Singer/Songwriter Gary Nichols has stepped in with a fine voice that blends perfectly with the band's vibe and brought some new songs with him as well. The band is, if anything, improved by the change.
Gary Nichols
Tammy Rogers
Mike Henderson
Richard Bailey
The Trio
Tammy Rogers, Mike Fleming, Gary Rogers
Bradley Walker & Brandon Rickman
Jerry Salley
Grand Finale - The MACC Opry
Each year at The MACC, Carl Jackson, Larry Cordle, and Jerry Salley lead and coordinate a group of the best singers available anywhere all on stage at once to sing and celebrate together. This finale always packs a huge emotional wallop and this year was no exception. This year the finale began with a procession of veterans coming to the stage and then saluting the flags as the Jackson, Cordle, and Salley sang the national anthem with beauty and fervor. It would have taken a heart of stone not to be moved by this brief ceremony.
For the next ninety minutes the Opry musicians sang selections from the catalogs of the three principals as well as other favorites of the participants. This was truly a magical period for everyone concerned, so emotionally loaded it's difficult to describe. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. The evening ended with the singing of the new Dale Pyatt song, "Life Goes On," which has been chosen as the title song for the new MACC album, soon to be released to help continue the fund raising activities for St. Jude Children's Reasearch Hospital year round.
Carl Jackson
Jerry Salley
Larry Cordle
Aubrey Haynie
Charlie Cushman
Val Story
Bradley Walker
Ashley Brown & Randy Kohrs
Ronnie Bowman
Mike Anglin and Chris Harris
Dale Pyatt
And so it ended..... I want to write about the spirit of MACC in a little more detail and will post that in the next few days. See you next year.
Great wrap up Ted. I look forward to seeing you again at Palatka in October.
ReplyDeleteRon Tyrie
You are an artist. Wonderful photographs. Let me know if you need any input from those of us who have never remembered not going. I know that Darrell took over I think in 1983, but my family went out to Frontier Ranch when I was as young as 6-8. They had music out there then, I think it was Country. Of my 47 years, I can count on both hands and have fingers left over of how many years I haven't attended. Again, GREAT job. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteTerri - Please send me an e-mail or friend me on facebook. I'd like to chat with you some more. Thanks so much for the comment. We love what we do and hope we can keep it up a few years more. - Ted
ReplyDeleteHi Ted. I always read your writeups. Most of the time I agree. As to the Steeldrivers I agree and disagree. Losing Chris was a setback to the band. He brought to the band many of his own songs which made the band what it was/is. The songs that Gary brings to the band are "country" songs. As I listened to some of "his" songs I saw no energy in the crowd. The Steeldrivers need to keep their edge and do bluegrass songs. I didn't feel that Gary's songs were written for bluegrass. Maybe I'm wrong. Time will tell. The Ghost's of Mississippi is a terrific song by the way.
ReplyDeleteJeff Lewis
MACC was my first Bluegrass fest. and as my friend Ron Workman says "I am hooked". I was one of the veterans on stage and my friends missed taking my picture. I glad to see you had one even if it was of m back side. *smiling* I hope you do not mind but I made a copy.
ReplyDeleteThank you,
Lillian Hagy-Hellwarth.