Tuesday, July 27, 2010

MACC 2010 - Saturday



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# 

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.



5 comments:

  1. Great wrap up Ted. I look forward to seeing you again at Palatka in October.
    Ron Tyrie

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  2. 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.

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  3. Terri - 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

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  4. Hi 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.

    Jeff Lewis

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  5. 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.

    Thank you,
    Lillian Hagy-Hellwarth.

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