My brother finally talked me into attending the above named 4-day music festival at their fairgrounds oen hour south of Wichita and WOW!

This festival is (sometimes electrified) acoustical instruments with many national contests such as Flat-pick, Finger Picking, Bluegrass Banjo, two different Dulcimer contests and Fiddle championships. There are 6 stages, 4 of which are going from 9 AM to 12:30 fulltime, simultaneously and one stage that doesn’t start swinging until 2 AM. That last stage will go most of night. Bands have one-hour sets--all bluegrass or off-shoots of such (as in country, some of this music really doesn't resemble bluegrass).

Many people (in excess of 10,000) arrive up to two weeks early just to get their favorite camp site (there can be upwards to 20,000 daily attendees in total). They “circle the wagons” and create many small, named, public domain camp-groups (generally made up of the same people from last year) that you are welcome into with or without an instrument – many of them will offer finger-foods. They set a large fire containers for the campfires and decorate their camp site with Christmas lights and other decorative things hoping to win a prize that is given to some of the best campsites. There are very large trees around the campground and many of the camp-groups will hoist old parachutes or the top-half of old hot-air balloons into these trees and light them up with flood lamps—the cloth will diffuse that light and illuminate a large area in an eerie glow. In one case, the old balloon-top was large enough to cover both their campsite AND the road—you could actually drive under the apron. As near as I can tell, these are to “mark” your territory as there can be no real rain-shield benefit.

But the really party doesn't start until after the 4 main stages shut down. That’s when all the attendees head to the camp areas and start their jam sessions around the many circled-wagon camp fires. If you take an instrument (whether you camp there or not), you can join in most any jam session and these jam sessions can and do go all night.

One of the most astounding things I witnessed that I think you will find interesting (especially if you read this far into the post) occurred among the snake of narrow dirt roads that service the campground. There comes a point the jammers will start to move around throughout the campground. You will find VERY young jammers walking the roads. Someone will stop and start playing a tune in the middle of the road and shortly another instrument will join in and soon another instrument will join. In 10-15 minutes, the group will break up and the jammers will move to another road-group.

These jammers were overwhelming very young people. In fact, 80% of ALL stage entertainers were very young and a very large number of them were women. If you saw a group of older jammers or stage musicians, it was unusual. There was one 5-piece all female grass band from Nashville that was an overwhelming favorite and they were all under 30—and fantastic musicians!

The bottom line here is—I am wondering what happened in the grass world that resulted in a development of a VERY large, VERY young following that the steel world didn’t do? The conventions producers do an excellent job of promoting the steel guitar to steelers but they are preaching to the choir. The steel world has done a very poor job of promoting itself to non-steelers and to the young.

You can not say that the reason why steel guitars are not popular with people is because country music isn’t popular. The Bluegrass world has taken a not-so-popular music and promoted it in such a way that their music has an absolute following and an absolute future in their young. So what happen to the steel world? I don’t like Randolph but he certainly has the chance to promote steel to the young and non-country but isn’t it ironic that it takes a rock musician (or whatever you call that music) to promote the steel guitar?

I never realized how popular Bluegrass is until now. Many, many of these young kids were in their 20’s and 30’s and were EXCELLENT musicians. I really enjoyed this thing even though a little Bluegrass goes a long way. For any of you retired, many of you would find this thing fun regardless of whether you play acoustic.

If you’re interested, more information on the festival here: http://www.wvfest.com

Sorry b0b for the long post.

[This message was edited by Leroy Riggs on 22 September 2003 at 12:29 PM.]

Facinating observations you have. Think on it I will young Skywalker.

I think one answer to the question of why so many younger players are involved in BG might be - "Nickel Creek". Highly visible and talented younger players that are NOT playing highly produced, commercial/pop, formulaic music like the Nashville corporate lemmings. BG is often predictable as well, but not as much anymore. It's still 'outside'. ie. you only hear BG on public radio. You'll never hear BG on Clear Channel and their corp. ilk. Perhaps being non-mainstream appeals to younger audiences?

A friend's daughter is only 12 and already a world class Mandolin player!, and she idolizes Chris Thile. Nickel Creek has made this music very accessible to younger audiences.

Plus BG music instruments are portable and affordable which equals = accessible music. Guitars, fiddles and mandolins are much easier to afford, to tote to jams, and to get lessons for. Like George Carlin said "you'll never hear someone say - hand me that piano!".

Steel is - well... hard to play, expensive, and heavy, and personally customized sometimes such that it can't be shared like a guitar, you can't carry it on the bus or your bike (kids don't have cars), and as we know - it's not too hip.

BG music also is as much a social and cultural activity as it is a musical activity. It's another true American art form that younger people can be proud to be a part of. Of course pedal steel is one of the only instruments ever invented by the U.S.A. but nobody knows it.

So steel is not really mainstream, and therefore should be hip. But needs to be seen. Robert Randolph - like it or not is making that happen.

When the kids hear Robert, then they'll eventually dig deeper into steel - then watch with amazment, because the kids I meet in my studio business today are very creative and they'll likely take it further than we can imagine.

As of now in our area (N. Colo.) there are are few bands that are making steel more visible. Haldon Wofford is doing the retro country thing - although older players they're getting into clubs that kids and hipsters go to, and Drag the River is an alt-country band with a great young steel player, Zack Bodecker. And of course the amazing steel player in Book 'em Danno and Rounder.

later,
chris

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Chris Kennison
Ft. Collins, Colorado
"There is no spoon"
www.book-em-danno.com

quote:

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Someone will stop and start playing a tune in the middle of the road and shortly another instrument will join in and soon another instrument will join. In 10-15 minutes, the group will break up and the jammers will move to another road-group.

---

OR - perhaps you where seeing a 'Blue Grass Flash Mob'

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Chris Kennison
Ft. Collins, Colorado
"There is no spoon"
www.book-em-danno.com

Chris, if you go, plan well ahead. You may have to stay in a hotel some distance from the site--a lot of people go. If you have a camper, it's only $7/day to camp plus an additional charge of $3 for electric hookups—pretty darn cheap if you as me.

Tickets run about $130 for the 4-days. Of course, you don't have to buy all 4-days.

I do like BG. I play a little fiddle and banjo and of course guitar - but as you said, a little does go a long way!! I like more modern flavors of it I guess - like 'Strength In Numbers', 'Nickel Creek', Bela Fleck, stuff like that.

A famous person once said, ".. and the Pioneers traveled West to follow their dreams. They endured great hardships along the way. But every once in a while someone would take out a banjo and make everything worse".

chrisk

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Chris Kennison
Ft. Collins, Colorado
"There is no spoon" www.book-em-danno.com

[This message was edited by seldomfed on 22 September 2003 at 03:27 PM.]