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Thread: Why Do You Go To Bluegrass Festivals?

  1. #1
    Loarcutus of MandoBorg DataNick's Avatar
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    Default Why Do You Go To Bluegrass Festivals?

    No wrong answer(s) here.

    I'm more interested in the social science aspects from this population on the Cafe.

    Me: I go to pick and catch up with other pickers and bluegrassers. I prefer to play a festival and thus get in for free, but I'll pay to get in for the jamming and catchin up.

    I do not go to watch bands; I may catch a few minutes or a set here and there, but if I'm doing so, it's mainly for educational purposes to glean something from the band I'm watching.

    As always YMMV and that's a good thing!

    If I don't chime in for a couple of days, it's because internet access takes effort on my part these days...Interested to hear your observations!
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  3. #2
    poor excuse for anything Charlieshafer's Avatar
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    Default Re: Why Do You Go To Bluegrass Festivals?

    For me it's the same with any type of festival; scouting out new talent. I've seen the old-school "big guys" enough that trying to catch them in a festival setting isn't interesting anymore, but younger unknowns make the festival interesting. As for picking, I get enough of that during the week in structured stuff that my hands need time to recover, and festivals are a good excuse to take a weekend off. I have come to prefer arranging and rehearsing specific material more than just picking away, but that's just me, as the jamming areas are really full with happy pickers.

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  5. #3

    Default Re: Why Do You Go To Bluegrass Festivals?

    I catch a few sets of groups with mando players I want to hear, but most of the time I'm in the campground visiting with friends or picking. The last festival I went to the camping and festival tickets were separate. Some friends just bought the camping passes--they were just there to pick. Had a great time!
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  7. #4
    harvester of clams Bill McCall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Why Do You Go To Bluegrass Festivals?

    I'll go if there's an act I want to see, but I also go to one festival only for the jamming. I do like to catch up with friends, some I only see at festivals. I certainly spend more time jamming than sitting watching the show.

    We typically do multiple potlucks and other such nonsense, so its a great time picking and grinning.
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    Fingers of Concrete ccravens's Avatar
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    Default Re: Why Do You Go To Bluegrass Festivals?

    90% for the picking/jamming and camaraderie.

    10% for the stage show.

    Sometimes, I see less than 10-15 minutes of the stage groups throughout the entire weekend.
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  11. #6
    Lurkist dhergert's Avatar
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    Default Re: Why Do You Go To Bluegrass Festivals?

    Camping and Jamming.

    We may catch a show or two, and our band may play on stage, but for the most part we're there to camp and jam with old and new friends.

    We're not proud, we're very willing to pay to play.

    -- Don

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    Registered User Tom Haywood's Avatar
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    Default Re: Why Do You Go To Bluegrass Festivals?

    I don't always go to bluegrass festivals, but when I do I go to hear and play bluegrass music, to see and pick with friends, to see the newcomer bands, to test my newest mandolins and let others test them, and to see if I'm making progress with bluegrass guitar flat picking.
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    Registered User Ivan Kelsall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Why Do You Go To Bluegrass Festivals?

    I go for pretty much the exact same reasons as Nick. Playing & meeting up with other pickers is far more important these days than simply sitting watching bands - although !. If one of my favourite bands was playing,i'd most likely watch them,& it's always nice to see 'how a band works' on stage,but 'pickin' is it',
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  17. #9
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    Default Re: Why Do You Go To Bluegrass Festivals?

    I go to catch up with friends, jam with them & watch them perform.
    It's nice if I catch some new bands too, but I decide to go to a festival based only on whether it's a good catch-up opportunity.
    This year I can only catch the Cornwall one due to too much other musical activity in my life. But that's ok as it's the best in our calendar & it's local.
    Eoin



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    Registered User Mike Snyder's Avatar
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    Default Re: Why Do You Go To Bluegrass Festivals?

    I go to pick. The grass looses its luster fairly quickly and I go looking for the old-time fiddle tune crowd. Sometimes they aren't there.
    Mike Snyder

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  21. #11
    poor excuse for anything Charlieshafer's Avatar
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    Default Re: Why Do You Go To Bluegrass Festivals?

    This is pretty interesting. Seems like the festivals could be a lot more profitable if they ditched the performers and just had a huge picking party. Hmmm.. maybe there's an opportunity there somewhere.

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  23. #12
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    Default Re: Why Do You Go To Bluegrass Festivals?

    To see new acts, old friends and pick 'til my fangers hurt.

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  25. #13

    Default Re: Why Do You Go To Bluegrass Festivals?

    I'm in such an area, there are few festivals close bye. (<100mi.)There were more years ago. I may hit only one or two, just for the jamming. Watching a stage show makes me antsy. Makes me want to go make music. I love playing with total strangers. I love playing with old friends.

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  27. #14
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Why Do You Go To Bluegrass Festivals?

    I go for the jamming and to buy whatever instruments I can't live without that people have for sale.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
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  29. #15
    Registered User DavidKOS's Avatar
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    Default Re: Why Do You Go To Bluegrass Festivals?

    Can I be a vote for "I ain't never been to one"?

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  31. #16
    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
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    Default Re: Why Do You Go To Bluegrass Festivals?

    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Snyder View Post
    I go looking for the old-time fiddle tune crowd. .
    Quote Originally Posted by Charlieshafer View Post
    Seems like the festivals could be a lot more profitable if they ditched the performers and just had a huge picking party. Hmmm...
    I go to a wonderful old time music festival just about every year which is exactly that. No performances, no contests, no vendors, no star performers except those who want to attend. Its as if we are the camp ground for a very popular festival just up the road and nobody is going to the performances. Camping and jamming all day and all night. Some self organized spontaneous work shops or sometimes a dance, but other than that is wall to wall jamming.
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  33. #17
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    Default Re: Why Do You Go To Bluegrass Festivals?

    As a non-bluegrass guy, (see 'disclaimer' below), I find these answers most interesting.

    I always assumed that the festival grounds were bulging at the seams with people who piled in to watch all of the bluegrass legends do their thing - while somewhere far, far off in a distant parking lot, there might be a pockets of stray muscians jamming away on 20-minute versions of 'Fire On The Mountain' or 'Rolling In My Sweet Baby's Arms'.

    I guess here at the Cafe, you can learn something new every day.

    DISCLAIMER: Although I do not consider myself a 'Bluegrass Guy', I do have a moderately respectable knowledge and appreciation of bluegrass music. For nearly 20 years I produced (and occasionally hosted) one of the country's longest-running Old-Time Country/Bluegrass radio programs. As a matter-of-fact, the old gentlemen who was the host of the show was once offered the job as Bill Monroe's manager, but turned it down because he had the foresight to realize that someone with the standing of a Ralph Rinzler would soon come along and bump him from the job. Naturally, I learned a lot from the old man.

  34. #18
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    Default Re: Why Do You Go To Bluegrass Festivals?

    Go to camp and jam. Don't need to sit in the sun a hundred yards away to hear bands that I can hear in comfort at home. Would much rather buy a cd and listen.

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  36. #19

    Default Re: Why Do You Go To Bluegrass Festivals?

    It's the whole package for me. Jamming, camping, stage shows, and workshops. Nothing else like it really. Unfortunately we have two kids with autism and the scene is just too much for them so we usually play our show and need to get back home
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    Registered User Timbofood's Avatar
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    Default Re: Why Do You Go To Bluegrass Festivals?

    I have not been in several years unless my band was working it but, seeing old friends making some new ones and learning from anyone or everyone with an opinion. Sometimes the workshops are done by less than stellar "instructors" but, we all know about opinions.
    I used to go to Charlotte every year, I was at the very first one actually played clawhammer banjo with my buddy on stage. It was so cool, I was really just a kid!
    I had a whole BG family back then, it was fun. Then life got in the way!
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  40. #21
    Registered User Steve Sorensen's Avatar
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    Default Re: Why Do You Go To Bluegrass Festivals?

    To share mandolins with players; watch and listen to their response to the instruments; and, hopefully at the same time, plant the seeds of friendship, temptation, and desire.

    Steve
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  42. #22
    Registered User QCS's Avatar
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    Default Re: Why Do You Go To Bluegrass Festivals?

    In the early eighties I went to learn the music, then to learn to pick in a jam. Friendship were made and it became more social with lots more picking. Nowadays it's about maintaining these friendships and learning a new song once in a while. An evening picking and singing with friends is hard to beat. Besides, there is nothing better than leaving home with a full tank of gas and no real plan other than to pick.

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  44. #23
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    Default Re: Why Do You Go To Bluegrass Festivals?

    Most of my "old friends" that I have picked with for years got together and they now hold there own get togethers at a campground and since I no longer have an RV I might go for a day every now and the same with going to a festival, I`ll go for one day and then come home without doing very much of anything except looking at different instruments and maybe a short jam session just to see what other mandolins sound like...As far as going to the stage area I have found that most if the bands at the local festivals here in Md. are not anywhere near true bluegrass any more and the one held in Gettysburg is way too expensive for a whole weekend stay, for me anyway...In a nut shell, bluegrass festivals ain`t what they used to be, not around here anyway...

    Willie

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  46. #24
    Economandolinist Amanda Gregg's Avatar
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    Default Re: Why Do You Go To Bluegrass Festivals?

    Where I live, I don't get the chance to see too many of the best acts in person, so I definitely go to festivals to catch up on seeing live music and get my bluegrass fix. Usually I come home knowing a few new acts to get to know. Last year at Joe Val, for example, I saw Foghorn Stringband for the first time. I had never even heard of them, and now they are one of my favorites.

    I also find that festivals offer higher quality jamming than what I am used to at my local haunts, which is a good opportunity to learn and stretch.

    And, of course, I have my friends whom I only see at festivals, and I look forward to that very much.

    The night before a festival, I get the Christmas jitters, like being a kid again. I just love them.
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  48. #25
    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
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    Default Re: Why Do You Go To Bluegrass Festivals?

    Quote Originally Posted by Amanda Gregg View Post
    I saw Foghorn Stringband for the first time.
    Love them.

    I also find that festivals offer higher quality jamming than what I am used to at my local haunts, which is a good opportunity to learn and stretch.
    Yes. Its good to be a regular at a particular jam at a festival. Have folks stop you during the festival and say "Going to be at the jam behind cabin 10 tomorrow? Look forward to seeing you."

    The night before a festival, I get the Christmas jitters, like being a kid again. I just love them.
    The best. Packing for a festival, and the whole prelude to heading out, so much excitement, so much fun.
    A talent for trivializin' the momentous and complicatin' the obvious.

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