Joe Val Bluegrass Festival

**Tom C** · Jan-26-2005, 8:30am

Is anybody attending Jo Val Festival in MA? I think I am going but will have to stay at the Marriot -overflow hotel.

**ironlionzion** · Jan-26-2005, 8:53am

i am going...i live in boston and cant afford a hotel...there is a 24 hours jam room (might have to jam all night!) or take the commuter rail back to boston then come back sunday morning...who knows?
~Steve

**jmcgann** · Jan-26-2005, 8:58am

I'll be there performing on mando w/ Flynn Cohen on Friday night

Jan-26-2005, 10:58am

I'll be there too. That is gonna be a fine time. Who else is going and what toys you all gonna bring with you?

Hey John this is Dem I talked to you on the phone a week or so ago, Sorry I didnt come to your show at Johnny d's The Cape has been getting nailed with snow as Im sure that boston has also. But I'll to see ya perform a the Val fest now.

**evanreilly** · Jan-26-2005, 1:10pm

That Joe Val fester is a fine time. I helped plan the first one, when it was truly a benefit for Joe, who was in the hospital facing massive medical bills.
The indoor mid-winter move was a good thing.
Worst moment ever was the late night fire alarm when it was like, below freezing outside. The staff showed mercy and let everyone stay in the lobby.

**RI-Grass** · Jan-26-2005, 2:10pm

I'll be there totin' one of my Webers. I missed out on getting a room at the Sheraton. Where do you keep your coat if you're not staying at the hotel?

Jan-26-2005, 4:55pm

cool, how many webers do you own?

**ira** · Jan-26-2005, 6:24pm

put up a thread on this a while back in the bg area and noone responded, glad there are some folks going from the cafe. has anyone ever been to any of the slow jams? how do they work for the bg challenged???

**Mandobar** · Jan-26-2005, 6:43pm

are any of you going to the mandolin festival in concord, nh in march? i spoke to david surette and he told me they were full with a waiting list. i've gone every year since it started. there is a pretty nice slow jam.

**ira** · Jan-26-2005, 8:46pm

it kills me that i can't go to the nh event. it is on my daughter's birthday/party day so i can never go. hey david- how about a second one each year?

?

Jan-26-2005, 10:24pm

Im thinking of starting some kind of mandolin fest on cape cod, not at the beach though hehehehehe. Maybe sometime early spring. Maybe at my cafe depending on how many people respond to the idea. And maybe I can get someone well known to perform that evening after all the picking.

**Mandobar** · Jan-27-2005, 4:27am

ira, that is a shame.

dem, if you are planning for this spring, you best get going. there is a truro arts center and there is also the provincetown arts center. they might be able to provide space for a festival. the bad part about the cape is the travel in and out and all that snow you guys keep getting.

**iampeterfonda** · Jan-27-2005, 7:06am

I'll be there with BRW #25 and hopefully a new fiddle.

MandoBar--Are you going to Joe Val? I'd love to see the Brentrup collection if you are. I've had one on order for a little over a year now and I'm starting to get yancy.

For that matter, I could put you up, here in South Dennis, if Demetrius can get his idea off the ground for a Cape Cod Mandolin Festival. Just bring the Brentrup family along.

Dem--Maybe September would be better? I'm trying to get Katsuyuki Miyazaki to come out before or after the Oklahoma International Bluegrass Festival. He's an amazing picker and a great teacher.

Clayton

**Mandobar** · Jan-27-2005, 7:14am

thanks clayton, but my family owns a few rental properties in hyannis and i think i can wiggle a few days there. One of the units is always open for an occassion when someone should need to get away.
i will be at the nh festival with my 23v. it has the new tailpiece now. generally we go out to the cape in april before the high season starts. maybe we can get together then.

**iampeterfonda** · Jan-27-2005, 7:20am

Mary,

That would be great. You know about "The Chef's"? It's a weekly jam session held in a different location every Thursday. On a big night it could draw 30 or 40 players. It's a nice mix of bluegrass, old time, celtic, folk, '50s/60s rock n' roll. There are also Celtic sessions every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Drop me line when you come down and I'll give you the details.

Clayton

Jan-27-2005, 10:44am

Please do show Mr peterfonda your Brentrup, for I see the madness slowly setting within him, regarding the anxiousness of the Brentrup he is sooooooo waiting for.

Although hes doing quite good, I would have printed out pictures of it by this time and wallpapered my room with it by now. lol!

**Tom C** · Jan-27-2005, 10:45am

Bummer, The Marriot (overflow hotel) is also booked.

**August Watters** · Jan-27-2005, 11:19am

Wow -- talk about great minds thinking alike!

The Cape Cod Festival of Mandolins has been in the works for months -- and is scheduled for September 16-18, 2005 in Sandwich, Massachusetts. The central event will be the Cape Cod Mandolin Camp -- a teaching camp with top-level instruction for players of all levels -- including beginners. This will be a chance to participate in mandolin ensembles of various styles, as well as to study technique, theory and repertoire.

The festival will be hosted by the New England Mandolin Ensemble (August Watters, Seth Austen, and Beverly Wood) with more instructors to be announced soon -- including one prominent name you'll recognize. More details soon!

Any Cape folks who would like to be involved in the planning, by all means let us know! Glad to see that the mando community is revved up for a mandolin festival on the Cape.

August W

**August Watters** · Jan-27-2005, 11:37am

RE: the Joe Val Festival: I'm one of the organizers, so let me see if I can answer some questions that have been raised here (and some that haven't!):

HOTEL: there is a second overflow hotel planned -- we'll get that info up on the website soon. www.bbu.org

SLOW JAM: There will be a room for slow jams -- with a facilitator who will make sure to answer questions and help get everyone involved.

WORKSHOPS: There's a full schedule of workshops scheduled, TBA soon. The BBU's adult education program, The Bluegrass Academy, will have plenty of classes to choose from.

MASTER CLASSES: Stacy Phillips, the Kruger Brothers, Skip Gorman and more TBA will present all-day master classes on Friday directly before the festival.

KIDS ACADEMY: Free two-day program of instruction and performance for kids. A Joe Val tradition.

TEACHER TRAINING: Sunday there will be an all-day program for teachers interested in teaching tools for the classroom about bluegrass. We'll be using the IBMA's excellent new instructional DVD, "Discover Bluegrass."

There's much more on the website! This is going to be great -- looking forward to seeing everyone there!

August W

**Mandobar** · Jan-27-2005, 3:52pm

august, i would be glad to help out. can i contact you offline? maybe i will finally get to play those mandolins you have on your gallery of strings website.

**Joe Singleton** · Jan-27-2005, 5:48pm

Nice to be back on topic- My Lovely wife, daughter, and myself will all be in attendence again this year, sadly not on the bill as was the case the last 4 years but whataugonnadue. We will be camped out on a pickin floor so I hope that the pickin is furious! I'll have Collings MF #301 with and anyone who wants to check it out is welcome, it's a goodun- See you soon-Joe

**RI-Grass** · Jan-27-2005, 8:17pm

gdae_boy1,

I have two Webers. A Bitterroot in chocolate with maple back and sides, and a Yellowstone in Faded Leather with radius fingerboard, custom fret markers and gold hardware. Both are fine mandos in their own right. I also have an epiphone MM50 that is pretty impressive for an Asian made instrument.
I'll probably bring the Bitterroot as I won't feel so bad if this one gets knocked around a little. If you see someone with a chocolate Weber, come up and introduce yourself. Hope to see you there.

Jan-27-2005, 8:29pm

Right on! itll be cool for all of us mandolin cafe members to actually meet and exchange notes, I love talking about equipment. Your three mandos seem great. Dont worry about them gettin dinged up, bring the one you love the most. Too bad we didnt have mandocafe t shirt to help find all members there. We could make a name tag I guess with our member names on them. You guys have any other ideas how we can recognize all the cafe pickers?

**Mandobar** · Jan-27-2005, 8:45pm

dem, about a year or so ago we had t-shirts. darned if i know where mine is now.

**fidlmaker** · Jan-27-2005, 9:01pm

Hi Dem, Clayton and all,

I'll be there showing half a dozen of my fiddles in the vendor area. I would be showing mandolins except that I can't seem to hold onto one long enough.

Anyway, what time would I have to get to the cape to make the Thursday jam? I'll be ready for some pickin' after the 1000 mile drive.

Looking forward to seeing you all there.