Glaring Void Of Bluegrass Music In Branson...

[drbluegrass]

"[Correct me if I am wrong, but my understanding is that tickets for shows in Branson are sold outside of Branson. Few people go to Branson without their entire weekend's entertainment all layed out, tickets purchased, perhaps even a printed itinirary....]"


No. Not necessarily. Perhaps not even the majority. I've been down there many times and bought the necessary tickets there, onsite. You can purchase them at the venue, restaurants, motels, or online. Some people even obtain them through their employer. Trips are not necessarily mapped out. You can purchase "pre-itinerated" packages if you want. But you certainly don't have to. And many choose to wait until they get to Branson to purchase tickets. For many, perhaps even the majority, the trips are not "automated" and "jump on the bus". I think you'll find the more elderly demographic doing that more frequently as the buses often take them to the theater doors. But BG fests seem to survive quite well without any buses at all. Shouldn't be any different in Branson.


Tom

[BradKlein]

...just 'cause it ain't been done don't mean it can't be done. Just gotta figure out how.

True enough.

[TonyP]

I wonder if the rooms are cheap? We have something local that has turned into a huge deal, called 48hr Jam in Bakersfield. It plays to we who go to festivals not to see bands, but to pick with others. It has gotten so big you have to reserve a room, and the place is HUGE. I think it's now into it's 6th year and just keeps growing exponentially. They now are adding things like a band contest where the winner plays at the big festival, Grass Valley. I see it as one of the best ways to get Bluegrass enthusiasts together, then see what they want. BTW, I thin they are going to have to change the name the 72hr jam as folks have started showing up several days ahead just so they can get to pick with everybody.

[greg_tsam]

Ohh man. How do I say this...

Bluegrass is a niche music which most people don't like.

OMG. I can't believe you said that.

[JeffD]

OMG. I can't believe you said that.

I know. Believe me it wasn't easy. But my experience shows it to be true over and over again.

When I say most people, of course, I am talking about most people. Not musicians, not folkies, not most people in Galax Virginia, or most people Mt. Airy North Carolina, or Owsensboro Kentucky, but most people. As in most people as enumerated in the census.

Thats the population I am talking about.

And that doesn't mean they wouldn't like it if they could be exposed under their radar, or that they shouldn't like it (come on), just that as it is now, they don't.

http://www.statista.com/statistics/1...by-genre-2010/

[Mike Bunting]

I know. Believe me it wasn't easy. But my experience shows it to be true over and over again.

When I say most people, of course, I am talking about most people. Not musicians, not folkies, not most people in Galax Virginia, or most people Mt. Airy North Carolina, or Owsensboro Kentucky, but most people. As in most people as enumerated in the census.

Thats the population I am talking about.

And that doesn't mean they wouldn't like it if they could be exposed under their radar, or that they shouldn't like it (come on), just that as it is now, they don't.

http://www.statista.com/statistics/1...by-genre-2010/

I believe you are correct. I don't want it watered down so as to appeal to the general population either.

[JeffD]

I believe you are correct. I don't want it watered down so as to appeal to the general population either.

I agree.

I grew up with that contrarian streak that says if the general public likes it there must be something wrong with it.

But - I think a lot more people could like bluegrass, the way it is.

[Charlieshafer]

There are so many micro-genres of music where the musicians and fans say, essentially, "If you like it, that's great! If you don't like it, that's great, too! But the music is what it is, and that's the way it's going to stay." That's the attitude bluegrass needs to have, just present it, and if people come, wonderful. If they don't, well, no problem, it's a big tent out there.

[Mike Bunting]

I agree.

I grew up with that contrarian streak that says if the general public likes it there must be something wrong with it.

But - I think a lot more people could like bluegrass, the way it is.

I agree with you too. When people come to something on their own, it means something and when the media tells people that it's cool to like something because everybody else does, it is just typical mindless mass behaviour.

[Jeffff]

I see nothing wrong with being popular. The Beatles were insanely popular and Dark Side of the Moon was on the billboard chart for 10 years. No matter how you feel about either of them they were hardly bands that pandered.

I have problem with someone that starts out trying to find the lowest common denominator in order to be popular. I expect passion in my music. Others can have whatever they like. I can hear the passion in blue grass music.

[barney 59]

Sold out the Palace, which was the biggest venue on the strip back then. This was 7-8 years ago when she was really new and hot. Not that she's not hot now............................................... .......

Rhonda Vincent is a local of sorts. Her family is "The Sally Mountain Show" an old and popular Missouri band and she was a relatively well known child star there. She wasn't starting out at all. Maybe starting over but not out. You could fill a theater in Missouri with just friends and relatives of hers.
It's hard to tell what people will go to see. I'm from back East but live on the West Coast now. Someone spotted a yellow bellied sap sucker right here,--my yard!. I had heard it when it first showed up,a new bird in my willow tree,a new sound in the morning. I didn't realize it was a big deal but out here it is apparently. They were common back East. Everyday for about 2 months now I have Branson type traffic. People coming from as far away as Arizona to see this dumb little bird. I've offered to buy it a ticket to send it back to Kentucky or at least as far as Branson. Trying to figure out how to make money out of this thing. "Bird Parking" or "Bird Tours". You need the right thing if you want to draw a crowd.
What particular Bluegrass performer/band has a big enough name to draw the crowds? The Whites? Ralph Stanley? Marty Stuart could open a theater there and people would come and there would probably be a fair amount of bluegrass at at theater under his billing. Marty is a great bluegrass performer but look what he does to market himself. He's really brilliant at it and he gives people what the want and that seems to be a lot of country with a little bluegrass mixed in.
Do the people that like Bluegrass even like places like Branson or are we more inclined toward and more comfortable in places like Owensboro or Telluride? I doubt that even if there was a tremendous bluegrass venue in Branson or Vegas for that matter that I would go out of my way to visit. I'd much rather take a cruise,---shuffleboard and bluegrass and a pina colata with a shore day at Vera Cruz,sounds great. Most likely though I will find myself sleeping in a tent in the Sierras or the Appalachians or some such place like most of you all to hear bluegrass music.

[Wesley]

If you go to a large festival or street fair that is not devoted to Bluegrass you'll see what I call "Music that people love but won't buy". Dixieland falls under the same definition. Western Swing too. I can't tell you how many times I've seen a festival like Main Street in Ft Worth where people stop and listen to a good band, tap their feet, applaud like crazy - and then walk away without buying a CD. It's as if the thought process is "Why buy another bluegrass CD ? I already have one".

[JeffD]

Audience member 1 - "That was great, I wonder if they are any good."

Audience member 2 - "I dunno. They have a CD out."

Audience member 1 - "Yea, but you don't hear that kind of thing on the radio. I mean, how do you know."

Audience member 2 - "Well, you wanna get a CD?"

Audience member 1 - "Nah, I already bought a CD with a banjo on. I'm gonna get one of those hand tooled leather belts over there. Hey, you want a funnel cake?"

[MikeEdgerton]

Audience member 2 - "Nah, I think I'll get me one of them fried Snickers bars.""

[TonyP]

Lol!!!!!!

[JeffD]

Audience member 2 - "Nah, I think I'll get me one of them fried Snickers bars.""

I hate it when I am understood that completely.

[Mike Snyder]

I went through Branson last weekend. North to South, South to North on the flipside. No stoplights. THAT is an improvement and my idea of a perfect trip to Branson.

[Willie Poole]

Audience member #1..."How about a deep fried turkey leg?"

[journeybear]

Audience member 2 - "Nah, I ain't that hungry. Just gonna get me some deep fried butter."







BTW, not kidding; it exists. Maybe only at the Texas State Fair, but the guy who keeps coming up with the crazy deep fried this-or-that (even ice cream) every year hit the jackpot with this - little balls of frozen butter rolled in batter and deep-fried. Supposedly really good, and melts in your mouth.

[Marty Henrickson]

Is it at least rolled in powdered sugar or drizzled with frosting?