Rockygrass

[seanonabutton]

i am going to be at rockygrass for the firs time. any of you guys gonna be there? what should i expect to experience playing and listening wise?

[Treblemaker]

Depends.
Will you be at the Academy, the Festival or both?

The Academy sets you up with group lessons with some masterful players and includes jam sessions, technique tutorials and sometimes learning songs.

I had my mandolin playing assessed by Mike Marshall which was humiliating and beneficial at the same time.

I jammed with Mike Bub and the McCoury Brothers.
I sat at the feet of Mike Marshall and Bryan Sutton while they ripped through Django Rinehardt tunes and I watched Jason Carter and Darol Anger wildly improvise as a duet.
I witnessed the Del McCoury Band with Peter Rowan perform and all Bill Monroe set complete with numerous impersonations of the Big Mon and many cool first hand stories.

Rockygrass and the Academy are pretty special things in my opinion.

In the long run I learned a few things:
Not all great musicians make great teachers.
You get out of this experince only what you put into it.
I have a long way to go till I am confident enough as a picker to get up on that big stage... the locals in Colorado kick some serious Bluegrass Booty. And finally, in order to be as good as these teachers, one would have to be 100% committed to the activity of playing bluegrass music.

The fest itself is top flight and the setting is terrific, but it's a bit competitive to get a good seat on a daily basis.

The jam's are not that active till late at night in the camp ground during the fest and since it's a small camping scene it's not all that active - but what picker's there are are pretty dang smokin'.

These are just random thoughts.
I have been to this fest a half dozen times and to the academy twice. It's well worth it and the Colorado Blugrass scene is amazing.

-Treblemaker

[luvmymando]

I have been to this fest 6 times or so now and in all it is my absolute favorite fest...

here are some general thoughts...
1. The sun will burn you up.. bring sunscreen. At the sametime expect thunderstorms every afternoon. We have been in a pretty straight pattern of afternoon rain thunderstorms for the past couple weeks although it will probably change by then. It can be chilly at night and has been in the low forties the past couple nights.
2. The river is awesome. Runs right through the fest you can sit in it and listen to the music. bring or borrow an inner tube and you can float down and catch the parking shuttle back to the festival grounds. The water should be up this year.
3. The crowd is very laid back. You will become what is known as a festivarian. You can prety much enjoy the festival in whatever state you so choose and no one is gonna hastle you about it.
4. It is next too impossible to get space up front. Evrymorning is a dash to lay tarps out in the festival grounds. However, you can easily slide up very close and see just about any act you want. Tarp space is often available and often given to nice polite people who slide up front watch for a bit and head out with out trying to set up camp. IN recent years (and with kids this works best) we have been resigned to finding space in the shade and settign up camp. You can hear fine and see the stage. When something comes up (like skip hop and wobble or the manzanita band last year) I just head up and watch it. Dancing is to the crowd right, right next to the river and it will be filled will twirling hotties....
5. When I first started coming to this fest I was used to midwest fests and thought the picking was not as good. However, that just is not true. It was just not your traditional parking lot picking. The real jams do start late and there are some awesome pickers, many pretty young.
6. A good place to hang during the day is in the tents that showcase the contests, workshops and bands. Gets you out of the sun!
7. Don't hesitate to walk in or catch the shuttle into Lyons. If you go in evening check out Oskar Blues.

never been to the academy but llove the FESTIVALLLLLLLLL!!! you will be shouting it too by the end of the fest.

[Mattg]

In recent years, we've had very intense thunderstorms in the afternoon. The weather changes fast here. Also, if you are from a lower altitude, be aware that you need to drink lot's of water. More than you normally do. It is easy to get dehydrated. Specially if you've been up late drinking lot's of beer and such the night before (one of my fav RG activities). If you are lucky enough to be at the academy, keep an eye out for impromptu and unsceduled events. I missed Edger Meyer's increadable bass demo but got a nearly one-on-one session with Roland White. Oh well. Have fun!!!

[bud]

I'll be coming out with my family. We have friends in Lyons and will be staying with them and walking to the festival. We are pumped about it. I'll definitely be bringing a mandolin and looking to pick.

Bud Martin
Hamptonville, NC

[adamgamble]

I'll be there, this is my first time. I wanted to get into the academy, but didn't make it. I'm not sure if I want Thile telling me what i'm doing wrong anyways. That'd be nerve racking

[Steven Stone]

[I'll be there, this is my first time. I wanted to get into the academy, but didn't make it. I'm not sure if I want Thile telling me what i'm doing wrong anyways. ]

Chris is a GREAT teacher. In some ways he is better than John Moore in that he is a little more laid back and less rigid about how things have to be, but still, if your up-downs are off and you don't count, he'll know it in about .25 seconds.

[adamgamble]

I know. I was just kidding, if I had the chance to learn from him I would totally take it, or for that matter, the chance to learn from any of the greats.