Tennessee Fall Homecoming 2015 - Thursday and Friday: Review

The Tennessee Fall Homecoming is held annually on the ground of the Museum of Appalachia in Norris, TN,  about 20 miles north of Knoxville, TN just off Interstate route 30. The Homecoming opens on Thursday with a day provided by the museum for school children, mostly from East Tennessee, to encounter elements of regional mountain culture collected by founder John Rice Irwin at this unique living museum. The parking lot is filled with school buses, the ground with groups of children encountering a life, now mostly unfamiliar to them, of subsistence farming, home made living and music, regional crafts mostly founds in places like Hobby Lobby and Michael's these days. They also get to gorge on a combination of fair food and regional delicacies grown and made in the home. It's always fun to come early to watch the kids experience a life now fast disappearing as cable and satellite television as well as improved transportation make the mall readily available to most.

Crushing Sorghum for Syrup

The Corn Crib

There are more than thirty historic buildings that have been brought to the museum and repositioned as what's known as The Village. On weekends during the year, interpreters can often be found demonstrating crafts inside the buildings while musicians sit on the porch singing and playing mountain music. 

Kids Watching in the Cantilever Barn (Stage 3)

Mala Patterson on the Main Stage

Kids Enjoying the Day

Paint a Pumpkin

Old-Time Amusement - Rolling a Hoop

Thursday is a wonderful day for kids. The Main Event, however, starts on Friday and runs for three music and culture-filled days.

Friday

The Main Stage (Stage 1)

The main stage at Tennessee Fall Homecoming is the center of musical attention, as headline bluegrass acts appear there in addition to old-time, gospel, and family bands galore. This year's lineup was peppered with members of the International Bluegrass Music Museum's Hall of Fame including Larry Sparks, Melvin Goins, and Del McCoury as well recent International Bluegrass Music Association Award winners like Kenny & Amanda Smith, The Gibson Brothers, Balsam Range, Phil Leadbetter, Junior Sisk, Adam Steffey, Dale Ann Bradley, Doyle Lawson and more. 

The Tennessee Fall Homecoming actually appeals to three contrasting groups: bluegrass fans, old-time music fans, and cultural tourists. As such, it represents a mixing bowl of unusual interests providing wonderful opportunities for exposure to different musics and experiences in a wonderful museum setting during one of the nicest times of the year. So many performers appear during the jam-packed three days that I won't even attempt to capture all of the performers or groups. 

Kenny & Amanda Smith on Stage 2

Stage 2 is a good place to see bands close up and personal. It's lies against the woods near the back of the Museum site. Kenny Smith is a frequent nominee and twice winner of IBMA Guitar Player of the Year, while Amanda Smith was named IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year in 2014.

Kenny Smith

Amanda & Kenny Smith

Performers from ETSU Watch at Stage 2

Vendors Row

Steve Gulley & New Pinnacle at Stage 2

Steve Gulley

David Holt & Josh Goforth

Grammy winner David Holt and musical sidekick Josh Goforth present varieties of mountain music collected by Holt over decades of study in the mountains. Their performances are both important for the musical history they present and highly entertaining. They always present a terrific show!

In the Green Room

The Green Room, perhaps the largest in all music, sits behind the main stage. In it, bands meet to warm up for the Stage 1 performances while others gather for ongoing old-time jams and reunions of old friends. It's a friendly, raucous space for the musicians.

Elaine Irwin Meyer - Museum President

Emcee Freddie Smith - WDVX Knoxville

The Boxcars - Adam Seffey

Adam Steffey and Ron Stewart are both multiple award winners in IBMA instrumental categories. They appeared at the Tennessee Fall Homecoming with their band The Boxcars, and both can be found as guest performers on countless recordings. 

Ron Stewart

Audience at Stage 1

Grove Behind Food Vendors

LeRoy Troy at Stage 2

Doyle Lawson & Qucksilver

Hall of Famer Doyle Lawson has been a principle in four of the most important bands in bluegrass history: J.D. Crowe and the Kentucky Mountain Boys (later The New South), Jimmy Martin & the Sunny Mountain Boys, The Country Gentlemen, and Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. Through more than fifty years, he has consistently been on the scene as a leader and ground breaker.

Doyle Lawson with Eli Johnston

The Trio

Doyle Lawson, Eli Johnston & Dustin Pyrtle

Craftspeople Sell their Own Work

on 

Vendors Row

The Hogslop String Band

Traditional old-time string band music was represented by this Nashville-based national band as well as a  number of regional bands who played similar music. The Hogslop String Band is highly energetic and entertaining. We first saw them a couple of years ago at Gettysburg, and their appearance here was a welcome surprise.

Friday at the Tennessee Fall Homecoming was the beginning of three days of music and fun with old friends. The Meyer family welcomed us with open arms, giving us the run of the grounds to prepare the best material we could find. We enjoyed reunions with people we've met from all over the country who make this an annual event. This is the first of two reports from the Museum of Appalachia. Even if you can't make it to the Homecoming, you should make sure that this important museum, affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution, a must see if you're interested in the lives and cultures of American society. 

IBMA 2015 - Wide Open Bluegrass - Review

When Raleigh, NC decided to put in a bid to host the annual IBMA Business Conference/Awards Show/Festival that had been hosted by a nonchalant Nashville for six years, the city came on strong with a proposal that included hosting the business conference in the spacioous and flexible Raleigh Convention Center, the Awards Show in the massive Duke Energy Center, and a two-day musical extravaganza which included an outdoor ticketed event in the 6,000 seat Red Hat Amphitheater and an ambitious free street festival along Fayetteville Street, running from Duke Energy Center six blocks to the State Capital at the other end. The first and second years were hugely successful, attracting a renewed membership attendance to the Business Conference and an estimated 140,000 people to Wide Open Bluegrass in the first year with 180,000 in the second. Then came tropical storm Joaquin, dumping a solid week of heavy rain on the region, and causing serious flooding in nearby South Carolina.

Vendors Set Up Inside the RCC

One of the criteria of the move to Raleigh was that, in case of rain, the outdoor component could be moved into the Raleigh Convention Center. When the contract was signed, everyone knew that, at some point, significant rainfall lay in the future. 2015 became the year. And the miracle of Raleigh occurred. The move required forty-eight hours notice. The new IBMA Executive Director Paul Schiminger, the IBMA Board, and the Raleigh Convention Center made the call, and the massive move began. On Friday morning, when we arrived at the Convention Center, the footprint had been duplicated in a below street level space inadequately called Exhibit Hall A&B, an indoor space large enough to re-create the nearly 6,000 seat Red Hat Amphitheater footprint indoors with space left over over a VIP providing food and drink for those designated.

The Raleigh Convention Center Lobby 

at 9:00 AM on Friday

Early Morning Crowd at the Masters Workshop Stage

The Line to Grab Seats at the Underground

Red Hat Amphitheater

As 11:00 AM approached, the line for entry into the Red Hat Amphitheater, which had been moved into Hall A & B, began to grow. There was a little grumbling about ticket exchange and scanning, but mostly pretty patient waiting. When the doors opened, the line quickly moved along, and the initial rush ended after twenty minutes or so. Late arrivals would have no problem getting their tickets scanned on their way into the space, and there were plenty of seats.

Red Hat Indoors & Underground

Aunt Molly Begor, Shannon Gibson an Katy Daley

A relatively small glitch became apparent as reserved seats were only kept for the first dozen or so rows, and seat numbers were not maintained, making it relatively easy for non-reserve ticket seat holders to trespass into the reserve seat area. By Saturday, this problem would be eliminated by carefully counting the seat numbers and providing for more security....problem solved. Throughout this massive move, it's important for me to point out that volunteers were consistently polite and helpful while the Raleigh Convention Center's professional staff accommodated, made quick, accurate changes, and worked ceaselessly to see that performers', vendors', and attendees' needs were met with alacrity and good humor. Meanwhile, a steady rain outdoors confirmed that the right call had been made. Raleigh Convention Center, Visitors' Bureau, and IBMA staff all appeared tired and somewhat frazzled, but relations between and amongst the three were cooperative and whatever stresses might have arisen never reached the ears of those affected...results were what counted.

Emcee Cindy Baucom

Cindy Baucom, radio host of the syndicated Knee Deep in Bluegrass acted as emcee for the entire two days of shows in the Red Hat Amphitheater. Check this link to see whether Cindy's show is syndicated in your listening area or tune in on the Web. She introduced Blue Highway to kick off the Red Hat Amphitheater show at noon on Friday. The switch had been made.

Blue Highway

Wayne Taylor, Tim Stafford, Rob Ickes

Shawn Lane

Exploded Map of the Raleigh Convention Center

As can be seen from the exploded map, above, each cross street along Fayetville Street, the sites of outdoor stages as well as the Plaza Stage had been relocated into a large meeting room within the Raleigh Convention Center. The Plaza Stage itself was moved into a large ballroom area. Vendors were placed in the hallways between the doors to the rooms as well as in one of the ballrooms and in the grand concourse at the front entrance of the Center. New signage was also printed to delineate room numbers associated with the street names where stages had been scheduled. If you were looking to see a particular band perform, it was relatively easy to make your way through the Convention Center to designated room. The rooms were all crowded, but then, the streets had been packed during the last two years. The crowd seemed pleased to be out of the rain and cold, patient with whatever inconviences there might be while enjoying this long anticipated event. 

New Signage Identifies Performance Area

 Crowds Move Into Hall A&B

Bands Perform in Meeting Rooms

Dreamcatcher

Beard Guitars in the Exhibit Hall

The Dance Stage, which had stood at the foot of Fayetteville Street, just in front of the State Capital building, was the only stage remaining outdoors. Bands continued to rotate through and people went outside to join the fun. There was plenty of dancing going on. Unfortunately, since the Raleigh Convention Center is a successfully smoke free zone, smokers created a significant cloud between the front door of the Center and the dance stage. There was square, round, and two step dancing to formal callers and Cajun bands, among others. Lots of folk dancing in various guises.

The Dance Stage

Some Remaining Food Vendors Lined the Street

Meanwhile - Back at the Red Hat

The Gibson Brothers

Eric Gibson

Leigh Gibson

Mike Barber


Clayton Campbell


Jesse Brock
IBMA Mandolin Player of the Year

Balsam Range

Buddy Melton & Darrin Nicholson

Darrin Nicholson

Tim Surrett
IBMA Bass Player of the Year
Chairman of the IBMA Board

Caleb Smith

Steep Canyon Rangers

Woody Platt

Graham Sharpe & Mike Guggino

Nicky Sanders

Alison Krauss & Union Station

Dan Tyminski

AKUS on the JumboTron

Saturday

Line to Enter the Red Hat

By Saturday, the audience was pretty much calmed down, the line less pressured, and some of the interlopers into the reserve seat area had disappeared. Security had it all in hand, with a smile on their faces and a good deal of backbone shown to those who tried to bully their way in...all with smiles on their faces. Remarkable!

Cindy Baucom Kicking off Saturday


Flatt Lonesome


Buddy Robertson

Paul Harigill

In the Hallway

The Grass Cats Performing

In the Exhibit Hall
North Country Public Radio's Barb Heller
Tries Out an Eastman Guitar

University of Georgia Bluegrass Band
On Its Way to Kazakhstan

Mark O'Connor (The O'Connor Family)

The Band of Ruhks

Ronnie Bowman

Don Rigsby

Kenny Smith

John Meyer

Master's Workshop Stage

Kids on Bluegrass

Kids on Bluegrass is always one of my favorite elements of what's become Wide Open Bluegrass. Talented kids are chosen from across the nation to come to IBMA to rehearse, learn together, jam, work with top professional performers, and perform themselves on Saturday. Here's a sample. (Note: Many of these photos are affected by adverse provision for appropriate lighting and space considerations.)

Joshua Horton

If you had been at one of the early Kids on Bluegrass performances at Fan Fest, you would have seen Mike Cleveland, Chris Thile, Cody Kilby, and many other now prominent bluegrass musicians playing. Many people attend these performances to be able to say, a few years hence, "I saw this kids when he was eleven years old."

Always Draws a Crowd

Master Chorale on the Main Stairs

The Kruger Brothers & the Kontras Quartet
with
Special Guest Branford Marsalis

Walking back through the audience as the Kruger Brothers & Kontras Quartet played Jens Kruger's Concerto for string quartet and bluegrass band, we noticed a change in the audience. The same people were behaving like a concert going audience rather than a festival one. They were rapt with attention and rapturous with their applause. When Branford Marsalis joined the group for several songs the quality of attention and response increased to an even higher level. Why is it that the same people, given more conventional bluegrass music tend to chatter and talk?

The Kontras Quartet


Joel Landsburg

Use Kruger

Jens Kruger

Branford Marsalis

Darin & Brooke Aldridge

Darin & Brooke with Carley Arrowood

Chris Jones & the Night Drivers

Jeanette & Johnny Williams

Anyone who says there's no traditional bluegrass at IBMA should have been here.

Johnny Williams

Jeanette Williams

 The Earls of Leicester
IBMA Entertainer of the Year

Sean Camp
IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year


Johnny Warren

Barry Bales

Charlie Cushman

Jerry Douglas 
IBMA Dobro Player of the Year

Jamming Everywhere

The Sam Bush Band

We hadn't seen the Sam Bush Band do its own show in several years. Great Band...Great Entertainer....Great Show!!!! 

Sam Bush

Stephen Mougin

Scott Vestal

Bruce Brown

Todd Parks


Sam Bush

Alan Bibey & Grasstowne

Grasstowne has been reconstructed, and Alan Bibey remains one of the best mandolin stylists there is. It's always a pleasure to see the player that convinced us that bluegrass was the music for us.

Alan Bibey

And so another year at IBMA's World of Bluegrass and the Wide Open Bluegrass festival ends with a bang. Once again we heard new bands, reconnected with friends we'd seen not often enough on the road, learned a lot, and were reminded of how much belonging to and contributing to this community we've come to love as a family, with all a good family's strengths and flaws, means to us. We're already looking forward to next year, but now we're headed home for a rest and a chance to further reflect on this wonderful week, the gifts that the City of Raleigh has given us, and the organization we're proud to be a part of.