• From: Bellevue, WA
  • Registered: 2006-06-15
  • Posts: 3,336

Topic: Wintergrass Again

Just finished up this weekend.  I'm exhausted as always.

Highlights

*  Inability to get to my hotel room because Vasen (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWorsJwzycw) and a friend are sitting in the middle of the hallway having a jam.   Having to wait for that to clear up was just fantastic.  smile

*  After getting to my hotel room, Doyle Lawson and a couple of dudes from Quicksilver replace Vasen, and have a rip roaring jam until about 4:30AM, at which point I lost consciousness.

* Swedish supermodels (I'm not making that up) attempting to crash the gate in the Grand Ballroom to see Doyle play, and having to coach the young kid with them on how to properly sneak into an event.   He never figured it out.  Some guys on the stage crew did, though, thank God, and the models got to see the show.

* Absolutely epic jam in the basement that included a harmonica and a trombone.   Bringing a trombone to a bluegrass festival in and of itself is a somewhat heroic act.  That this guy made it work was nothing short of miraculous.   That he also played with Mustered Courage probably helped.

* The guitar and mandolin player from Mustered Courage absolutely ripping up a rendition of "Salt Creek" with a Japanese attendee  outside their venue after their closeout show Saturday night.  Listening to an Australian ask a Japanese guy to teach him how to say "Salt Creek" in Japanese was... interesting.  That jam is here (https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5lPZ … zVUWldkeHM).   It's unedited but worth the download.

* Some of my favorite people on Earth getting a chance to be the "special guests" at an Oregon Bluegrass Association event.   That's these guys https://www.facebook.com/AntonucciCollective/.  I've known the kid on the end since he was about 14 and he's turned into a spectacular human.  His parents (the guitar and other Uke) are equally spectacular.   Mr. Banjo is his uncle,  and I love him, too.

Anyway, Wintergrass is a Latin word meaning "Sleep is for the weak,"  or sometimes "No sleep this week,"  so I'm going to recover for a few days, and then start working the audio I took.

Someday we'll win this thing...

[url=http://www.aclosesecond.com]www.aclosesecond.com[/url]

jerome.oneil's Website

  • From: Probably Somewhere
  • Registered: 2010-12-09
  • Posts: 2,446

Re: Wintergrass Again

I just found Mustered Courage and love them. I was hoping to sneak up to Wintergrass for a peek, but that wasn't in the cards this year.

  • From: Bellevue, WA
  • Registered: 2006-06-15
  • Posts: 3,336

Re: Wintergrass Again

I'd never heard of them before the festival.   They played a couple of times, the final being a full set in the dance venue.    When they were done, they led the entire crowd out of the room, parade style.  They did a bit of a jam in the hall, and parked the crowd.... right in front of their merchandise table.  So they're smart as well as talented.   big_smile   

If you ever want to go to Wintergrass, let me know.  I run the entire volunteer coordination effort starting next year, so if you want to donate 12 hours of pretty easy work, you get a full weekend pass plus hospitality suite access in return.

Someday we'll win this thing...

[url=http://www.aclosesecond.com]www.aclosesecond.com[/url]

jerome.oneil's Website