Friday, March 9, 2018

Florida Bluegrass Classic 2018 - Review



Three years after moving from its former home in world-famous speed trap, Waldo, FL to its new site at the Florida Classic Part, Evans Media Source's Florida Bluegrass Classic has created a new identity and grown into an increasingly interesting and varied festival combining first rate bluegrass music with classic country with a pinch of 1970's and 80's early rock and roll harmonies from great early bands like Frankie Valli, the Drifters, BeeGees and others, which relied on close harmony singing for the popularity. The combination is proving popular and expanding the audience in both age and taste. Promoters Ernie and Debi Evans have also taken the cruise ship model, brought to land, and created a five day event with enough happening to supplement the stage shows to make their events into  nearly week-long experiences. The park opened on Monday, as campers began to roll in to participate in the activities provided by both the event staff and the campers themselves, many of whom make their own music and fun. 


Tuesday
Judy Peters & Greg Bird

Regular attendees at Evans Media Source festivals are familiar with the warm greetings and mellow vocals of genial host Greg Bird, who acts as emcee and general host for the early days of the events. His melodious karaoke singing of country music classics is often featured, while he also provides opportunities for those who'd like to sing along to do so. Judy Peters has been added to the cast as Activities Director, tasked with the job of broadening activities to involve more early attendees with activities and help keep things hopping during the early days and non-music periods of each event. For the Classic, she has already added campground favorite, a Corn Hole tournament to the list of activities. 

Square Dancing

Bluegrass music developed out of the mountain music that appealed to rural Appalachia communities, which often included barn dances featuring square dancing. There's a square dance group in Brooksville featuring a skilled professional caller who teaches beginners many of the moves and patterns belonging to this tradition. It's good fun and it gets people moving, as well as introducing strangers to each other.


Larry Gillis Classic Country Show

Larry Gillis has long been known in his home state of Georgia as well as in Florida for his hard driving bluegrass music. Lesser known is his singing and playing country music, which was on display on Wednesday evening, with his wife Christy on bass, JR Davis on drums,  Ernie Evans on telecaster electric and a pedal steel player to create a real country sound.


The Tuesday evening shows function as an early-bird special musical treat for those arriving early. At other festivals, they have featured singer/story teller Michael Reno Harrell and upcoming contemporary bluegrass band The Lonely Heartstring Band

Wednesday

During the day, Wednesday activities included Bingo in the morning and the Corn Hole tournament in the afternoon, while people spent some time preparing their favorite dishes fro the always popular Pot Luck Supper, for which the festival provides meat and drink, while campers prepare their favorite side dishes and deserts. It's always a treat for festival goers to get together to eat and greet. The evening concluded with Greg Bird's Karaoke and an open mic, where jammers can perform for the rest of the group on a stage with a microphone. Over the years, many performing bands have arisen from the jams in the field while jamming remains a major activity at bluegrass festivals.

JoBeth Bird - Staff 

Audience for Open Mic

Leslie and Don Jarrett


Thursday

Excitement begins to rise on Thusday morning as craft vendors set up their varied booths and food vendors arrive to provide everything from snacks to full meals. 






Kenny Stinson & Perfect Tim'n

Kenny Stinson & Perfect Tim'n, a Kentucky-based bluegrass band, not only kicked off the festival with a bang, but proved to be a festival hero, when he returned for two sets on Friday, substituting for a performer who decided not to show up. I've written about this incident here. Stinson's performance was filled with energy, first-rate bluegrass from a number of eras, and personality. His stamina proved to be a game changer with his return on Friday. The band includes three family members and two younger, very skillful sidemen, who all acquitted themselves well. 

Kenny Stinson

Rhonda Stinson

Gavin Stinson

Daniel Norton

Sam Crabtree


Jo Odum - Emcee

Nothin' Fancy

Nothin' Fancy, based in Virginia, is one of the few bands which can present four sets over two days without repeating any songs while staying interesting and varied. We first heard them at the old YeeHaw Junction Festival about a dozen years ago. Irene noticed they weren't feeling well, so she volunteered to watch their merch table. Much to her surprise, Mike Andes handed her the cash box, told her the cost of each item, and disappeared. Since then, we've enjoyed their combination of Country Gentlemen covers, classic bluegrass, songs written by Andes, and lively comedy which often takes them out into the audience. Chris Sexton on fiddle brings his classical violin training into the mix with his fine bluegrass fiddlin'. The band has significantly added to its musical versatility with the addition of the Cox brothers, Caleb and James. Always good entertainment from this band. 

Mike Andes

Chris Sexton

Mitchell Davis

Caleb Cox

James Cox

Country Singer and star of RFD-TV's highly rated show Midwest Country, David Church, made a guest appearance with Nothin' Fancy on Saturday evening. He will appear as the featured Saturday night country singer in next year's Bluegrass Classic. 

David Church

Friday
Our Campsite in a Live Oak Grove


Guitar Workshop

Chris Paganoni, along with his band-mate John Apfelthaler, presented a well attended guitar workshop emphasizing guitar skills with a demonstration of Travis style guitar, too. Workshops are an important way at festivals for pickers and jammers to improve their knowledge of their instrument and to develop new skills for further practice.

Chris Paganoni & John Apfelthaler



Penny Creek
Susan Pounds

Under the leadership of Susan Pounds, Penny Creek has grown from being a local band playing bar gigs near Melbourne, FL into a regular at several regional festivals, with some attention from the largest single promoter of southern festivals. Each addition to the band has improved its sound and versatility. John Apfelthaler is a banjo wizard who also brings a strong baritone harmony with him. The band is just learning how to use him. He joins Chris , now the second longest tenured with the band, a fine singer/songwriter/flatpicker and mandolin player Fritz Kraemer in providing vocal variety. "You gotta have a fiddle in the band," the old song says, and Trevor Klutz fills the bill. 

Chris Paganoni

John Apfelthaler

Fritz Kraemer

Trevor Klutz

Susan Pounds


Williamson Branch

Williamson Branch is a Nashville-based bluegrass gospel band featuring high energy show-style choreography and lots of gospel music combined with fervent testimony. They were well received. 

Kevin Williamson

Debbie & Kevin Williamson

Melody Williamson

Kadence Williamson

Meldoy & Kadence Willamson

Anthony Howell

As usual, a band will only be covered once, even when it appears on multiple days. 

Saturday

Much of Saturday at the Bluegrass Classic was built around memory, nostalgia, recognition, and ceremony all celebrating values and rituals which would appeal and satisfy the audience for this emerging festival. 

Classic Car Show

Roughly three times as many car collectors brought their prize possessions to the Classic grounds for the crowd to appreciate. America has been a country in love with its vehicles. I've selected pictures of several cars that happened to be there, all of which are meaningful to me, even though I only ever owned one of them. Maybe you have your favorites, too.

Early Fifties MG-TD

Late Fifties Corvette & Thunderbird

Late Fifties Pontiacs

The Atlantic City Boys

The Atlantic City Boys have become so popular with their Las Vegas style show that they perform as four separate groups of men performing in resorts, hotels, theaters, casinos, and on cruise ships with their high energy re-creation of the vocal stylings and songs of the early rock and roll vocal quartets like Franki Valli, The Drifters, The Bee Gees and the Four Seasons. As they sang, joked, and circulated in the audience, I could see the smiles on the audience faces and the words on their lips. This show hit a sweet spot in almost all the audience. And there was no complaining about "That ain't bluegrass." It was never supposed to be. It was simply nostalgic enterttainment. 






The Honor Guard & Ceremony

The ceremony opened with the presentation of the colors and the singing of the National Anthem accompanied by a solo banjo, which followed by asking veterans of each branch of the military to stand as the banjo player sent out their service hymn. It was followed by a brief appreciation of the men and women who provide emergency services locally as well as serving our country around the world in places of danger, delivered by a local high school senior. Finally, the local director of emergency services accepted the recognition with genuine thanks. It was a simple, yet moving few minutes which set a reverent, patriotic tone.








Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road

Lorraine Jordan, a native of North Carolina's eastern lowlands, but now located in Garner, a Raleigh suburb, where she has opened a Coffee House specializing in presenting evening performances almost every night with good coffee, sandwiches, and desserts all day long. She has styled herself in bluegrass as "The Lady of Tradition," which recently has included what she calls Country Grass, taking classic country songs played bluegrass style in recordings with the singers who originated them. 

Lorraine Jordan

Josh Goforth

Ben Greene

Tommy Long

Matt Hooper

Brad Hudson 



Phil Leadbetter & Friends

Phil Leadbetter is one of the finest Dobro players of this, or any other, generation of bluegrass artists. He has had ongoing health issues for the past decade, but has set an example of cheerful persistence in the face of illness. For this performance, as he anticipated returning home to Knoxville for a hip replacement, Phil brought together a top-notch group of young guns for two sessions of bluegrass ranging from bluegrass classics to wonderful jams from people who know how to deliver. Clay Hess has been one of the pre-eminent flat pickers for years as well as a first rate lead singer. The Walker Brothers, Cory and Tyler, are both well known in Florida, while Cory has established himself as a powerful banjo stylist forging his own way with top bands and as a fill-in for anyone seeking quality. Ashby Frank is an able mandolin player and singer. During their two sets, there were moments of sublime musicality as well as plenty of fun. 

Clay Hess

Cory Walker

Ashby Frank

Tyler Walker


TG Sheppard

TG Sheppard continues to tour after more than sixty years in the music business as a performer and promoter of country music. A look at his tour suggests that he's keeping plenty busy. He appeared at the Bluegrass Classic with his "Acoustic Show" accompanied by his long-time side-kick, Kenny McClelland on electric piano. His show, lasting about 90 minutes contained a reprise of his career, which has included 21 #1 hits. He interspersed the songs with reminiscences of his time with Elvis Presley and Elvis's effect on him, his life in Nashville, and on the road. He brought three days of music and five days of festivities to a fitting close. 

Kenny McLellen

TG Sheppard with Tommy Long & Lorraine Jordan

TG Sheppard

 The Florida Bluegrass Classic has grown with surprising speed. It's still a work in progress where Ernie Evans continues to develop a new approach to music festivals appealing to a slightly older demographic than can be found at the mega festivals, and seeking to please not only bluegrass fans, but a wider group of people who love music, but prefer to sit and listen over standing, screaming, and throwing beer. It's all coming together well, with plenty of fun, lots of music, and happy people heading home on Sunday, weary and satisfied.

See you there!

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