Grey Fox anyone?

[R. Kane]

Have read through this a couple of times, and I must be pretty dense in my old age/retirement, but I still cannot tell if there is a MC meetup, or when. I'll try to get to the Thursday at noon in the SJ tent...subject to someone stopping me in my tracks.

[Dave Greenspoon]

Been a GF devotee for a while; caught the last two at the old place and everyone since. I'm looking forward to the festival this year; the line up is amazing. Another Cafe M&G will be awesome. This year will be my first as a volunteer and I hope that I'm not on shift for it!

[Fred G]

Sorry, I did not post back about a time/place. I was waiting to hear something from Greyfox and I never did hear back from Lisa. Since they did not give us an alternate place let's meet at the Slow Jam tent at 10:30 to 11:30 on Saturday, that will give a chance to some of the mando cafe folks that just come in on the weekend to join us. Don Dawson from D'addario will visit with us again this year as well. See ya up there!

[JAFO]

I leave on Tuesday morning, does anyone yet know where and when this meet-up will take place? I am not bringing any interent devices with me, so if you have a place, I would like to make it but maybe you could put a note on teh bulletin board at the info desk?
Thanks,
Tom

[Dave Greenspoon]

Weather report looks great. After some weather on Wednesday, the rest of the fest promises lots of sun with highs in the upper 70's and low 80's with lows from the mid 50's to low 60's. Couldn't ask for a finer Catskills summertime.

[JAFO]

Man I must have been zoning out and missed Fred's post. Packing up tonight, up to the farm tomorrow. Hope to meet a lot of y'all up there. I work with the Med staff and you may see me in my lime green shirt walking around (because that's what I do). I have a banjo belt buckle and a longish thin mustache.
Safe travels,
Tom

[Phil Sussman]

Looking forward to the Cafe meet-up Saturday morning. Thanks, Fred, good time slot. It was so humid in NYC yesterday that I put on EXP 74 coated strings, but according to Dave's weather report I might not need them. OK, ready to go!

[Randi Gormley]

Great! I got up here (east durham) yesterday and it looks like a great second-half of the week, weatherwisde. Don't know if I'll have my strad with me, though, since i'm just a day visitor, but i'll try to be at the tent intime to say hey.

[Fred G]

Great meeting up yersterday, .... great festival again this year... Friday night with Ronnie Mcourey, Grisman and Thile was truly mando hog heaven for me. I will try and post some pictures in the next couple of days, either here or in the social group section and then maybe we can identify ourselves.

[JAFO]

I apologize for not making any of the meet-ups that were posted in the schedule. My obligations at the festival in several capacities kept me tied up more than I expected this year. I didn't even get time to visit with good music friends in the far flung campsites where I knew the good jams were. I did run into many of the forum members all around the farm however and enjoyed those meetings greatly. This particular year was one I will remember until they close the coffin and I could not do justice here to list all the unique experiences I enjoyed, but spending a few minutes of quiet time in a private campsite with the Dawg in the late hours (or was it early morning?) is near the top of the list. Even better than that was making it possible for an up and coming young mando player to meet his hero and shake hands and talk to him for a bit (another accidental but very happy experience, and one that I'm sure the young man will remember for quite a while). David is quite the Gentleman and his lovely wife is also a fine person. How that meeting came to be is one story I wish I could share, but I can't. I also had a little time with Chris Thile and chatted with Michael Daves several times, as well as several other of my favorite people. Suffice to say it was a 'pretty good' week for me. It's pretty cool when you walk up to somebody like Tony Trischka and he remembers your name. I don't think I'll ever get used to that.
360 days and counting!
Tom

[Fred G]

Wow, I think I want to hang with you next year Tom!

[Jonathan James]

Yeah, this was my first Grey Fox but won't be my last. I'd put it right up there with Merlefest (where I've been going for 15+ years). The crowds were very manageable, the music was stellar, and the people and food was great. In addition to Ronnie McCoury, Dawg and Thile, I was really impressed with Frank Solivan's playing, Dominick Leslie, Ron T from Dry Branch and of course, Tim O'Brien never disappoints. The "Deep River Blues" rendition that Bryan Sutton did in tribute to Doc during the Hot Rize set sent goose bumps up my arms. Amazing!

[Dave Greenspoon]

Kudos to Fred and extra thanks to Wade for the get together on Saturday. Great folks, wonderful mandolins, and a good time. Now, I know that most of us were likely watching Dawg, but I was at the Dance Tent for Red Knuckles. Del's fiddler was with them, and when Del came out as White Knuckles, well, we probably outshouted the mainstage. WOW!!!

[Dave Greenspoon]

White Knuckles joining Red and the Blazers....

[Randi Gormley]

It was a great time -- my husband and I spent more time at the dance tent then up on the main field ('cept for Saturday night) because the acts were incredible, the artists were having as great a time as the audience and the music was outstanding. It was nice to see and meet some of the other mandolinists at the meet-and-greet and hear them play. I am in awe of many of them and a couple let me hold their instruments and pluck out a melody line or two. a great time, indeed!

[JAFO]

Wow, I think I want to hang with you next year Tom!

Well, I spent a lot more time back stage this year then in the past. I also have improved my abaility to recognize the performers when they are walking around in shorts and flip-flops. That's the best time to chat with them. I believe I spent close to 2 hours with the Sleepy Man Banjo Boys family. I was most impressed by their mandolin player (Uncle Sal) who first picked up a mandolin less than a year ago. Amazing! And the next youngest boy (after Jonny) just started mando lessons recently. What a lovely family indeed.
I am just a very lucky guy to be in the right place sometimes. I am very sorry I missed Del at the dance tent, the buzz was all over the farm a half hour after it was over. And that saturday night deal at the dance tent, was that off the hook or what? Never thought I would see something like that at Grey Fox, EVER.
I'm ready to go back, how about you?
Tom

[Justus True Waldron]

First Grey Fox ever for me and it was an amazing time.... I had a lot of fun meeting some fellow cafe'ers in and outside of the meet and greet. I also had a ton of fun helping staff Marty Macica's mando booth - some great things happened there: Darol Angor stopping by for a few, Ron T of Dry Branch Fire squad stopping by several times to play the mandos and show us his Loar... and of course tons of mando jamming! I believe Marty's two new A models are somehow even better than his previous stuff, and it was amazing to be able to sit and play them all day whenever I wanted. Then there were the shows: Really enjoyed Mountain Heart and seeing Del again... and I got to watch the Punch Brothers and the late night Tornado Riders dance set from backstage. Dancing around to your favorite music with your favorite musicians is pretty awesome! Also got to jam for a little bit with Rushad and Brittany Haas one night, which was awesome for the cello player in me. Finally, I ended up as the mando player for the Grillbillie band in their parade float, which was a ton of fun. I might be new at this, but I have to think you haven't really done Grey Fox until you've played standing up in the back of a boat driving around the campground with a wig on! Overall, there are way too many stories to fit on here... it was a great time. I can't wait until next year!

[Matt Bowe]

For the cello players out there -

[JAFO]

Wow Matt, that last photo is a reall keeper. I didn't see you snapping those! What a blast we had, I wish I could have spent more time hanging with you. That Grisman thing on Firday night was surreal.
See ya Thursday? You should bring a copy of that photo down for Bill, he'd get a kick out of it.
Tom

[Matt Bowe]

[mandopaul]

David Bromberg, I took this 1st row Main Stage....a major highlight for me, he is great, and his band as well.




Some sweet mando picking on this one



a few more....

[mandopaul]

One more quick one...