Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Crooked Still’s Gregory Liszt releases new album with his band The Deadly Gentlemen


This is not your granddaddy’s bluegrass…..

In fact, maybe it’s not really bluegrass at all. It’s more like bluegrass’s naughty out-of-town cousin who gave you your first beer out behind the barn. You liked it, more than you knew you were supposed to and now you’re carrying this guilty little secret around because you can’t stop thinking about how you want some more.

Fortunately for you, this here buzz is free, yup, that’s right, courtesy of Gregory Liszt and The Deadly Gentlemen, these tracks can be yours, all yours, for the low, low price of just a few clicks. (http://deadlygentlemen.bandcamp.com/) The band refers to themselves as "epic folk/grasscore," whatever you want to call it, it's working hard for me.

Notably, I love Sober Cure and the title track, Carry Me To Home. Strong work gentlemen. Slainte!

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

The Fishing (and Picking) Report with Larry Keel and Natural Bridge


Catching up on Picking and Fishing with Larry Keel and Natural Bridge

One of the highlights at the Infamous Stringduster’s new Festival “The Festy” was a Sunday appearance by Larry Keel and Natural Bridge.

The trio quickly became a quartet as they were joined on stage by guitarist and Larry’s brother, Gary. When asked if they played together a lot, Larry responded “It’s rare. But when we do festivals in the area, he comes out and does some picking with us, it’s always so fun! ”

After their rousing set, the band spoke with members of the press and then settled in to relax. “Everyone’s just here to want to hang out for a bit, which we don’t get to do much” said Mark Shimick. “The Stringdusters will play a lot of traditional bluegrass festivals, where we play some jam band festivals, so we don’t get together that much so it’s nice to see them.”

The band is known to end up picking in the parking lot on occasion, which they enjoy, and Larry explained; “when I started going to festivals/fiddlers conventions, that’s what it was all about, before being a performer at them it was about all our friends getting together, making a big ol’ pot of soup or something, playing a bunch of music all night and then all day, then playing all night again. That’s where you get your chops down, where you learn to play. It’s very special.” Jenny agreed “That’s a great place to go when you’re just learning, listening and absorbing and getting in to the pulse of it all, watching others, the old-timers, new-timers and everything in between, and then slowly you start picking yourself, it’s a great way to absorb it and take it further, if you want to or just enjoy it for what it’s worth. “

The band has had a busy but fun year, listing some of their highlights “we’ve had a wonderful season this year, Telluride, Grand Targhee, Music on the Mountaintop, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in San Francisco was really awesome too, French Broad, Watermelon Park.”

I couldn’t resist asking for a fishing update as well, “I haven't done as much of that as I’ve wanted to,” said Larry, “I did some out in Idaho, fly fishing. I fish every kind of way I can, I do a lot of bass fishing, I did some fishing in the Outer Banks this summer, some saltwater fishing. I caught a lot of bass in Georgia. Every chance I get, I go!”

When asked what it was like to be on the road as a musical couple, Mark pointed out (and Larry agreed) “Jenny is the bedrock of the band, seriously, she takes care of a lot of stuff to let Larry have his creativity and she’ll let me know if I have something I need to do.”

“We wouldn’t want it any other way,” explained Jenny, “we knew, one way or another, we wanted to work together and be together, so here it is!”

When asked about the noticeable absence of a banjo in the group, Larry explained: “We had our banjo player for a while, he’s out in Colorado now, he’s restarted up his old band and we’re back to our trio that we’ve had for 10 years, and that’s our core part of the band but we have a few very special guests we like to bring in to make it a quartet. Today it was Nate Leath on the fiddle, which, he’s as great fiddler player as there is, really. We have quite a few special guests we like to get out, like Will Lee on the 5 string banjo, he’s a master and a wonderful singer too. We sort of switch it up, have trios, have a banjo or a fiddle, we like to mix it up. And I think our audience likes that. It keeps it fresh for them and it keeps it fresh for us."

When asked where their evening was headed, Larry smiled “I’m looking forward to picking with as many of these folks as I can, we don’t always get to hang out, so it’s sure nice when we do!”

Introducing The Festy!


Incredible music, a breathtaking venue and promotional visionaries got married about a year ago and gave birth to a baby this weekend and its name is The Festy.

The first cries issued forth from this newborn on Saturday, October 9th on the double stages in front of the Devil’s Backbone Brewery, in beautiful Nelson County, Virginia were soft and sweet, with performances by Sarah Siskind, Robinella and Crooked Still, but as the evening and weekend progressed, the cries turned lusty and ferocious culminating with stage thumping and fist pumping performances by the Infamous Stringdusters (the event’s curators and hosts) and Railroad Earth.

Like most newborns, this baby didn’t get much sleep this weekend, as the jams went on well into the wee hours both on stage and in the form of impromptu campfire performances throughout the campground. “I was walking back through the camp zone after it got dark and I saw all these fires, and heard the sounds of picking and people hanging out and that’s a big piece of the whole puzzle that makes a great vibe,” said Stringdusters guitarist, Andy Falco, “there are not enough facial expressions that we can make to show how excited we are about this festival.”

That the award winning Stringdusters could line up a few friends to “gig for a weekend” wouldn’t surprise anyone. The true indicator of success, however, lay not only in the breadth of talent represented, but also its depth. Included in the line up were legendary flat pickers Larry Keel and Tony Rice. The crowd was in awe, as were a number of the performers. Said Keel about their involvement: “We were called by the Stringdusters and they said they were having a festival up here…I love playing in the hills of Virginia, and they said they really wanted us to be a part of it, so we worked it out and we’re real glad we did.”

Unlike some festival events, where bands roll in and roll out in a dizzying cloud of dust, the goal of these organizers was to create an environment and a vibe where performers would want to stick around, not only to catch up with friends, but also to sit in and jam with one another, something so many love to do, but for which they don’t always find the opportunity. Said Jenny Keel; “The hanging out factor was good. Having the band mastermind it all had a great impact and a very positive one.” There was a veritable love-fest backstage, between artists, organizers, the production team, and volunteers and this vibe flowed from behind the curtain out across the stage and into the crowd which sang and danced their hearts out for two full days and nights. Said Allan "El Ron" Ronquillo, promoter from Running Smooth and good friend of Railroad Earth, “when an event is done well like this, everyone, from the band to the fans, walks away feeling empowered.”

More than just a concert, the Festy was designed as a lifestyle, wellness and music experience. In addition to music, the event hosted both a trail running and mountain bike race on the two mornings. Yoga classes were free and available to all participants. A climbing wall, massage therapists, instrument workshops and educational workshops on environmental sustainability were all in the mix. “What we’re doing here” said Michael Allenby, (owner of The Artist Farm, and event co-producer) “is creating an experience for people who love the outdoor culture.” Said Devils Backbone Brewing Company owner and venue developer, Steve Crandall, “we’ve done a lot of work to point event participants in the direction of local resources here, we’re about creating sustainability.” With crisp fall weather and access to hiking trails, participants took full advantage of what the area had to offer. “People come to this area and fall in love with it instantaneously, we can’t manufacture or fabricate any of these mountains around us, that’s their dream, the Blue Ridge Mountains, when folks pull in here…..it’s overwhelming ” said the event’s production company, Cerberus’s co-owner, Justin Billcheck.

Great time, great music, great location, this nascent event just knocked it right out of the park. Go ahead and mark your calendars, this baby will turn one next year on October 8 & 9, 2011 and that’s going to be a birthday party no one should miss!

Friday, October 8, 2010

Crozet Music Festival Pics in The Hook Magazine

Milo's Crozet Music Festival Photos took a whole page spread in this week's Edition of The Hook. Grab one on a newsstand near you while they last!!!

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Festival Project Pics in The Hook

The Hook Magazine posted a handful of Milo's Crozet Music Festival shots to their blog:

http://www.readthehook.com/galleries/g/crozet-music-festival-portraits#http://www.readthehook.com/galleries/sites/default/files/imagecache/mainview/galleries/crozet-1.jpg

Thanks The Hook!!!

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Festival Project Update


Greetings Festivarians,

What a fabulous couple of weeks we are having! Between Watermelon Park, Crozet Music Festival and next weekend's Festy at Devil's Backbone in Wintergreen, VA we are "Go System Hot" for The Festival Project.

Milo and Chester thoroughly enjoyed the line up at Watermelon Park the 23rd-25th. Chester's pics are already posted at www.chestersimpson.com....go to his Gallery and select "recent photo assignments" for the three links to WP.

Milo and I could not have had a better time this past weekend at Crozet, see my initial post below. Milo is editing pictures as I type, and I hope to add more content about some of the bands I saw that made the hair on the back of my neck stand at attention on Saturday and Sunday. (His pics can be found here: http://photosbymilo.com/) Crozet is a shining example of "Little Festival Done Right" and, having been revealed a little inside scoop on their future plans, I promise there are bigger things afoot for them. (http://www.crozetmusicfestival.com/)

Need to buckle down now and get ready for the crazy line-up at the Festy: (http://www.thefesty.com/line-up/schedule/) Seriously, if Americana is your kind of music, you'll regret it FOREVER if you miss this first annual (of what hopefully will be many more) event!

Will keep you posted!

Crozet Music Festival 2010


Event founder Biff Rossberg clearly has an “in” with the Big Guy. “I’ve been praying for months for great weather,” he said and clearly his prayers were answered this weekend at the 4th Annual Crozet Music Festival as the sun shone brilliantly over a record crowd gathered at the Misty Mountain Campground to hear this year’s line up of local musicians.

With its side-by-side main stage set-up, the crowd didn’t have to wait more than fifteen minutes ever to see the next musical selection. Headliners on the three evenings included local favorites, Skip Castro Band, promoting the release of their new CD, the Rogan Brothers and Alligator. That Skip Castro and the All-Star conglomerate Alligator could close out their respective nights to a foot stomping crowd of hundreds is a true testament to their staying power on the local music scene.

Said co-organizer, John Updike, “our mission, from day one, really, is to show local musicians that they are appreciated. Even though there are so many national acts coming to Charlottesville venues these days there is still a wealth of music in Charlottesville and Crozet, so from a local and regional standpoint that’s been our goal …to bring in good local musicians and show some appreciation for them.”

Rossberg and Updike certainly had their pick of participants this year, with twice as many acts expressing interest as they could fit on the bill. And though not booked into the traditional headlining spot, any number of the other acts this weekend could certainly have done it justice, including but not limited to William Walter and Co., 6 Day Bender or the Steel Wheels, touring on the release of their critically acclaimed CD “Red Wing.” Said performer Peyton Tochterman about the event: “it’s home grown and its local, and that’s the coolest part. Biff and John have worked their butts off to put this on. There are a lot of festivals in Virginia, but this area, Charlottesville and Crozet didn’t have this, until now, so it’s good.”

And if that weren’t enough to whet your musical whistle, a quick wander up the hill to the indoor stage provided a steady stream of smaller but equally as talented acts. Side show scene stealers included duo act Jamie Dyer and Jamal Millner and Boston based band the David Wax Museum, a rising star duo featuring local gal, Suz Slezak and partner David Wax. With their engaging chemistry and very unique Mexo-Americana sound, featuring Suz on the donkey jawbone, this band won’t remain on the sidelines for long.

With its incredible team of board members, technical and sound wizards, sponsors, vendors, community friends and scads of volunteers….. accompanied by its mission to partner with and give back to the community and celebrate what is unique in Central Virginia music the Crozet Music Festival has staked a solid claim on the festival map and is here to stay. “This is a fun event,” says Rossberg, “I think more people should like fun. People don’t have enough fun.” If you weren’t there for the fun this year, you missed out. If you don’t attend the next, shame on you.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Welcome to the Festival Project Blog

Photographers Chester Simpson /www.ChesterSimpson.com/and Milo Farineau MiloFarineauPhotography.com (yours truly) have begun work on The Festival Project, a photo book chronicling the rise in popularity of music festivals as well as the revival of bluegrass music, the emergence of 'newgrass' and the music festival lifestyle.  From the people who put them on, the vendors who work,to the bands that play and the people who come to be entertained, the Festival Project takes aim at the whole festival scene.  Keep in touch with us and let us know which festival you're going to and share your stories with us here.

Author Diane Farineau, (and also my wife), is taking on the job of writing and doing the lions share of research for the project as well as keeping this blog going.