Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival

[Jstring]

Sitting here listening to great bands at Gettysburg. Lots of great mandolin players, but Michael Cleveland's fiddling has been the musical highlight. Adam Steffy / Boxcar often play the festival but it doesn't look like I'll get to see him this year.
Any Cafe members here?

[GeoMandoAlex]

I would be there if I was in the area. Unfortunately, I am away for work. My wife and I try and get to the festival if I am home. Enjoy the festival.

Wish I was there. You at the campground?

[Jstring]

Yep, my one weekend in a tent every year....Brought a mandolin and fiddle, my father in law has his banjo. We usually find people to jam with in the mornings then watch the bands.

A few showers tonight...seems to rain almost every year! My father in law calls it "wet-a** bluegrass"....

[Willie Poole]

I was planning on making it to the festival but I just had some surgery and the doctor says I should not drive for about three weeks so I`ll just wait until the fall festival...I have quite a few friends that I see there just about every year, I have thought about entering my band in their contest but for some reason never have.....

Maybe post earlier this fall and we can get a large group to meet up there...

Willie

[GeoMandoAlex]

There is a slight possibility that I will be in the area for the Fall festival.

[Jstring]

Maybe post earlier this fall and we can get a large group to meet up there...

Willie

That's a good idea, Willie... I should have posted a few days ago! It's a fun, low key, friendly festival...I started playing mandolin this morning and people popped out of their tents to jam, which was cool. Listening to Rhonda Vincent as I type... I think of her more as a singer but she just played a smokin' "Rawhide" on mandolin.... go Rhonda!!!

I only come to the May festival; if anyone comes in August maybe you can have a Cafe meet-up...

[jdchapman]

My son may be applying to Gettysburg next year. He liked it when we toured. If he ends up there, I imagine I'll be up regularly.

[Bill Kammerzell]

Yep, my one weekend in a tent every year....Brought a mandolin and fiddle, my father in law has his banjo. We usually find people to jam with in the mornings then watch the bands.

A few showers tonight...seems to rain almost every year! My father in law calls it "wet-a** bluegrass"....

The one time we went it rained. On and off all weekend. But it was a great deal for me. Bought a mandolin from Tim Finch, Eastman rep. I had not played for 23 years. Started me back playing again and into a whole new life in retirement. Fantastic.

[Willie Poole]

Jstring....Stop by the Eastman display booth and ask for Tim Finch, tell him Willie Poole said hello, he will laugh your socks off...AFTER YOU MENTION MY NAME ... Tim is a great guy but I haven`t seen him in some time....

Willie

[Jstring]

Ah, I left before I saw your post, Willie!

I'll say hi to him next year, I always walk through their display to see if they have anything interesting...

SO...the highlight of the festival was last night (Sat. night)....the band in the prime evening slot was the "Soggy Botttom Boys". Everyone was expecting "O Brother" tunes, of course...

Out walked Dan Tyminski on guitar, Stuart Duncan on fiddle.....and MIKE COMPTON on mandolin! Never seen him live, so that was a real treat- he didn't disappoint. ( also Ron Block on banjo and a great bass player and another guitar player / vocalist - I didn't know them but everyone said they were all-stars as well)
They played most old time tunes, O Brother songs, old blues tunes....Compton really shined and they sounded fantastic. Fun weekend overall...

[Don Grieser]

Berry Bales on bass and Pat Enright is the other guitar player/vocalist. Half Nashville Bluegrass Band and half Allison Krauss' band. Someone posted a video of them on fb at Gettysburg. Compton's the real deal.