History / Future of Loar Fest

[JFDilmando]

What is the history, of the "Loarfest" events ? I am aware of some of the particulars, but I would love to see/read the realities surrounding these events....
Who's idea was it and what is the back story making it happen...
Who talked to whom, over how many drinks.... how did it really get traction...
How was the venue decided... Bakersfield ??
How were Loar owners contacted
What did it cost
Was it meant to be a annual event
Where did the tapes of the 16? Loars go... if it ever existed
What was the recorded list of Loars present
Was there any recording of the proceedings other than the semi complete ones you can access here?
Is there any repository of photos out there that could be shared
What has come of any talk for another "fest"

These two? events were such a remarkable, historical, academic, and joyous occurrence, I would love to read an account of these and other recollections... perhaps with ref to other threads, that cover some of these things, but all linked together...

If all this has been covered, and my lack of ability and patience with the search engine has just forced my hand, my apologies ...

thanks
JohnD

[Lynn Dudenbostel]

Besides the events in Bakersfield, I know there were at least two other LoarFests in Louisville, KY at IBMA. I know I attended two there. I'm pretty sure Charlie Derrington was the driving force behind those two events. As I remember, there were quite a few more Loars there than the year I was in Bakersfield.

[JFDilmando]

were the two at the IBMA in the "formal" kind of territory that the Bakersfield event was.... I, of course, were not at any of them, but the Bakersfield event seemed structured, with agenda's, schedules, moderators, panels.... question answer sessisons... were the IBMA the same animal or more... "lets get in a room and compare these things"....

JohnD

[Scott Tichenor]

Click: Advanced Search (available from every Forum page), insert word Loarfest (one word, not two), select "Search Titles Only" and you'll have 17 threads created between 2005 and 2009 that provide even more information than you requested. This thread is the most comprehensive. Also, for years we've hosted all of the panel audio files and Roger Siminoff's presentation "Lore of the Loar."

The LoarFest West events of 2006 and 2007 were created and coordinated by (then) Loar owners Craig Wilson and Hal Johnson of the California Bluegrass Association and were held in Bakersfield because Craig lives there and there was at the time a fairly major indoor festival called SuperGrass it was attached to. Charlie Derrington wasn't an organizer but because of his involvement Gibson did donate a very expensive mandolin each year that was sold to benefit the event. David Harvey represented Gibson in the 2007 event as Charlie had passed August 1, 2006. It was a spectacular event the first year. The second year the attendance was much more sparse but still very good and Roger's Lore of the Loar presentation (audio on the previous link I provided) was really something.

My understanding is that the event was cancelled along with the festival as it just wasn't economically viable.

[Lynn Dudenbostel]

Scott has listed a wealth of information above. To answer your question about the Louisville events, it wasn't nearly as structured. No formal agenda... just a piece of posterboard on a stand outside of a large room that said something like "Loar owners only". Very few others were admitted in attempt to keep it from getting overcrowded and for security. Somewhere, I have a photo of the entire group of owners with their mandolins after the event. I know I was handed a Loar and got to play along with the group at the end as Charlie and Ricky Skaggs led everyone in a mass rendition of a Monroe tune....Wheel Hoss maybe? I know F5Loar was at that one with a nice display. SOmeone recorded this, if I remember correctly. Steve Gilchrist was at one or both of these as well.

[f5loar]

I went to 2 in KY and 1 in CA and a mini-LoarFest East in Ohio. While Loar owners do not have a club per se like the Hudson/Tucker/T-bird automobile owners assoc. most Loar owners do know each other so getting them together is not that hard. Setting up the date,time, the place to have it and security is a time consuming chore for the organizers of such an event. With Charlie gone they will never be the same IMO. But with the backing of Gibson and a few mandolin suppliers along with the organization of guys like Darryl Wolfe/tony Williamson/Roger S. etc I am sure another such event could happen. Maybe in time for the 90th BD of the first signed Loar? It's time for it to be held on the East Coast this time and I'm thinking Southeast where a cluster of Loar owners could drive to the event. Flying seems difficult for Loar owners with more than one Loar these days. Such an event should be planned to be doubled as a photo event that would lead to the publication of a photo book on Loars similar to the one Jim Mills did on the prewar flathead Gibson banjos only bigger with lots more photos. Owners could have their Loars professionally photographed in a setup photo booth for historical purpose and also grant permission for publication at the same time. My bags are packed.

[P.D. Kirby]

Tom, that would make a must have Coffee Table Book for those of us that can only afford pictures of a real one. If I had more than one I don't think I would take to the friendly skies with them anyway unless someone sent a private jet to pick me up. A feller could get his killing done doing something like that.

[Ken Waltham]

I think you may have had one of my Loars...
We had a great time. There were a lot of Loars there in those days in Louisville for sure.
Ken

[JFDilmando]

and so the last thing that I can find regarding the "series", is an attempt to organize a rather private owner affair, in 2010.... this this come off, or was it cancelled... I see no one talking about it in print, so I question if it ever materialized, although danb had mentioned that it was on, and had figured out financial side...
??

[Willie Poole]

Great idea Tom, Maybe with enough security it would be open to some "non Loar" owners also to gaze upon such finery....But I doubt that that will happen unless it is a big name builder like stated above....

[f5loar]

You would have to charge 2 door fees, one for Loar owners,luthiers,mandolin suppliers and next of kin, say $10 to cover the costs of the BBQ and country ham/grits with red eye gravy over a buttermilk split biscuit buffet and security and $100 for non owners to weed out the tire kickers, curiosity thrill seekers and droolers. The vintage banjo guys get together once a year and seem to not have a problem with who comes and who don't.

[mandolirius]

I'd love to see a coffee table book of Loars. While I was thinking about that I realized I do not know the answer to a simple question: How many signed Loars are there and how many are accounted for?

[f5loar]

the question has been asked many times here before on how many. The archives here at the cafe indicate 233 documented signed
F5s and 50 other signed Master Models. Count the 20 or so still not found and you got about 250 total signed F5s. Even if you were able to photograph half of them that's a heck of a coffee table book of Loars.

[JFDilmando]

So from the general activity around these questions, it would seem that this subject has been covered to everyone's satisfaction in threads of the past. There is not muchore on which to comment, which of course is fine, and answers some questions all by itself. One might be concerning the future.
It would appear from the hiatus since the last fest, the dependence upon a very few select folks and the vacuum felt in this thread, one would be ill advised to hold one's breath waiting for another "Loar gathering"
Thanks for pointing me in the right direction for all the past discussions. I would surmise that most folks with Loars already know each other and see enough of th and the instruments without the event in the first place.

[f5loar]

Yeah I see what you mean. You seen one Loar you seen them all. Unlike the prewar flatheads which seem to be all different. I wonder how the prewar D45 Fest is going?

[Jeffff]

Those are locked in vaults. You can look at em...but ya can't play em.

[AlanN]

From Loo-ville days

[Whole-Hearted]

What is the history, of the "Loarfest" events ? I am aware of some of the particulars, but I would love to see/read the realities surrounding these events....
Who's idea was it and what is the back story making it happen...
Who talked to whom, over how many drinks.... how did it really get traction...
How was the venue decided... Bakersfield ??
How were Loar owners contacted
What did it cost
Was it meant to be a annual event
Where did the tapes of the 16? Loars go... if it ever existed
What was the recorded list of Loars present
Was there any recording of the proceedings other than the semi complete ones you can access here?
Is there any repository of photos out there that could be shared
What has come of any talk for another "fest"

These two? events were such a remarkable, historical, academic, and joyous occurrence, I would love to read an account of these and other recollections... perhaps with ref to other threads, that cover some of these things, but all linked together...

If all this has been covered, and my lack of ability and patience with the search engine has just forced my hand, my apologies ...

thanks
JohnD

We will holding the first annual Lloyd Loar's Hometown Bluegrass Festival in Lewistown, IL which is where Loar was raised. Please see calendar of event for details of contact me @ wholeheartedlife1@gmail.com for a brochure

[Whole-Hearted]

chk out the Lloyd Loar's Hometown Bluegrass Festival page on Facebook for details of our FEstival this wknd, June 28, 29 & 30!

[AlanN]

A vivid memory of 1 of the Louisville events was when Gilchrist was talking, holding a rapt audience. We heard a terrific clang from the back of the room. Cliff Sargent (RIP) had dropped one of his F-5 mandolins on the floor. You could have heard a pin drop. No damage done.

[f5loar]

Can anyone comment and review the Loar Bluegrass Festival that was held last weekend? Any Loars show up for the event?

[Gary Hedrick]

Had a chance to go to one of the ones at the Gault House. Interesting time.......the doors were open to Loar owners only and then the public was allowed in. I had a diffferent approach to my Loar.....I'd hand it to folks and tell them to sit down and play it. I thought one young man was going to have a heart attack .......back to the days when I would sneak in the backstage room and play Bill's at Bean Blossom.......

I remember being invited to dinner with a group of folks.......really reallly really interesting conversations....Charlie Derrington...Lynn Dudenbostel.......Larry Wexer.....seems like Ken Waltham and Darryl were there and Tom may have been also.....and perhaps Frank ??? the fellow from Missouri that owns and trades some really good stuff. I was like a fly on the wall listening and learning.....Charlie was passionate about the Loar and where he was taking Gibson.....the dude was supercharged with energy for the subject......wish I had a video or audio tape of all of that......would be historical in nature and well just plain fun to listen to...

one other note.....perhaps Alan was there also....I know he was at the one I was

[JFDilmando]

I was hoping to go, but was called away to the west coast, and couldn't attend the Loar Festival... I was hoping to contribute in a little way by taking an instrument to hand around... but was not to be....
I sure hope it went well, new Festivals are a welcome sight, and it would be a bummer if it didn't get off on the right foot.

Hope someone can chime in with how it went.