Bluegrass First Class festival in Asheville February 15-17

[Mandobike]

Hey, everybody--

My husband and I are thinking we might attend this festival this year, but I wanted to get as much of a feel for it as I can before we make the decision. Of course, by now all the rooms in the Crowne Plaza are gone. But I figure there are overflow motels/hotels nearby (more on this below).

My most important question is: What is the jamming like......for a bass player? Many of the festivals in the north have an overabundance of bass players, and you can wander about for a long time looking for a good jam that needs a bass player (and often you don't find one). My few experiences at festivals/bluegrass gatherings in the south (such as IBMA this past September) tell me that there are fewer bass players, and more jams looking for one, in this part of the country.

My second question is: Are there overflow hotels/motels convenient to the festival? We would have a car, so it would not be a big deal to drive back to a motel at night, and over to the Crowne Plaza the next day. Any recommendations on overflow motels/hotels?

By the way, I am a {beginning} mandolin player, which is why I'm on the Cafe......but I am a much better bass player than I am a mandolin player, which is why I want a chance to jam!

Thanks--

Celia

[f5loar]

I've gone just to jam for the past several years and can say it's up and down. There are about 3 rooms jammers can go to. Some might be so-so and then you get that one or two superstar pickers that shows up and then you have a real jam going on. Maybe a lot of bass players but not so many basses. You bring your bass you will get in a jam somwhere good or bad. Now if you are going to see the show you may not find a lot time to jam because it's a full schedule all 3 days. Most bands repeat their 2nd show.
Asheville is such a close knit area close to about everything including the Plaza I would do a Priceline.com for the highest star hotel in Asheville and put in $70 a night. This is off-season for this area and you should snag first class room for less than half price this way. Or do the Expedia.com and see what comes up for that date that suits your fancy. It won't be more than a 15 min. drive from whereever you choose in that area to the Plaza.

[Mandobike]

Thanks for all the great information, f5loar! We would be bringing the bass, so it sounds as if that should secure me a jam or two throughout the weekend. And the hotel information is great--it's good to know there are some excellent choices near the Crowne Plaza.

So, we'll see what happens. Even if we don't make it to this festival, we plan on coming to Asheville for a visit some time in 2013.

Celia

[John Ritchhart]

Celia, If you can't find a good place in Asheville, you and Wayne can always stay with us. We're about 20 miles north of Asheville so there would be a little commute but the room and board is free. Let me know if you'd like to do that. Susan would love to meet you and we could do a little jamming here as well. Cheers, JR

[Mandobike]

Jbrwky! John! Great to hear from you. Here's the scoop re February: The past two years, Wayne and I have gone to the Joe Val Bluegrass Festival outside Boston--it's the same weekend as the Asheville festival. Joe Val is VERY hard to get into--registration opens at an exact time, and hundreds of people hit their computers to try to get a room at the Sheraton in Framingham, where the festival is held. Every year, the hotel rooms sell out in under 4 minutes. The past two years, Wayne and I made it in. This year, we didn't--or at least not right away. We got put on the waiting list.

Well, we hear that most folks on the waiting list DO eventually get a room (I guess there are a number of cancellations). But in case we don't get in, we were exploring other options for that weekend, which is why the Asheville festival came up as a possibility.

I don't think there's a rush to make plans for the Asheville festival (now that all the rooms at the Crowne Plaza are gone). And I'm not sure when we could hear from Joe Val, regarding whether or not we got in on someone's cancellation. So, we're going to hold tight and see what happens. I will say that, despite the great band line-up at Joe Val, the jamming is very competitive for bass players--there are just too many of us here up north! I end up circling about like a hungry shark, looking for a jam that doesn't already have a bass player.

But......here's the main thing. If we don't come to the Asheville festival in February, we are coming to Asheville (and the Asheville area) in March for about a week to check out areas for retirement! Yeah! So, we will DEFINITELY hook up with you then if we don't come in February. Love to meet Susan, do some jammin' with ya, and maybe go to Bobby Hicks' jam (can I audition on bass for that? :-)

So, we'll let you know what happens (and we REALLY appreciate the offer of hospitality, which we will accept whenever we *do* come).

In the meantime, sign up for Kaufman Kamp 2013--we have!

Celia

[pickloser]

In the meantime, sign up for Kaufman Kamp 2013--we have!

Celia

Yippee!! Hi John. Hi Wayne. Hi Celia. See y'all at kamp.

[f5loar]

Bobby Hicks jam on Thursday nights in Marshall, Nick Chandler jam on Friday nights in Weaverville. Both you could get in on a bass easy but for sure Mrs. Hyatt's jam on Thursday nights now being held as the Nisson car dealer showroom on Brevard Rd. in Asheville is your best bet.

[Justus True Waldron]

I will say that, despite the great band line-up at Joe Val, the jamming is very competitive for bass players--there are just too many of us here up north! I end up circling about like a hungry shark, looking for a jam that doesn't already have a bass player.

Hey if you do make it to Joe Val this year and you have your doghouse I might just have a jam or two for you. I know lots of great bass players up here but at Joe Val they usually are pretty busy, and my band's bass player (my dad) doesn't usually come out for the weekend. I'm sure it must be annoying to walk around in circles with a bass, but I'll tell you what whenever I start a jam and we get a walk up bass player it makes my night!!!

To the OP: I hear what you're saying about bass down south - at IBMA this year I started several jams with some pro players and stayed baseless for a while. I've never had that happen at Joe Val!!!

[Phil Goodson]

Yippee!! Hi John. Hi Wayne. Hi Celia. See y'all at kamp.

Hey all you guys! Good to hear that everyone's doing well. Sounds like KKamp is the place to be in 2013 (assuming the Mayans approve. )... I hope we'll all be there this year.

John, Celia, Wayne, if the Asheville trip turns out to be in March, let me know if you want to expand the jam to outsiders from Statesville.
It's been way too long since I saw you nice folks.

[pickloser]

Hey all you guys! Good to hear that everyone's doing well. Sounds like KKamp is the place to be in 2013 (assuming the Mayans approve. )... I hope we'll all be there this year.

John, Celia, Wayne, if the Asheville trip turns out to be in March, let me know if you want to expand the jam to outsiders from Statesville.
It's been way too long since I saw you nice folks.

Oooh...me too! I'd love to drive up for the day or for an evening. I'll even get out of the way of all you mandolin players and bring a guitar. And a banjo. And beer.
Skip that Joe Val thing, Celia.

[Mandobike]

Hey, Justus--I hope we do get into Joe Val, and I hear that a lot of waiting list people do....so I'm thinking positive! I'll let you know if we do get in. I imagine they're starting to call the "confirmed room" people now; we won't hold our breath, but the closer it gets to mid-February.....we'll be crossing our fingers!

I was at IBMA too this year, and got in some good jams. I didn't have to wander about forever looking for a bass-less jam--some already had bass players, but quite a few didn't. I think the extreme I saw up north here was at a large jam party at someone's house several years ago, where there were SIX bass players, and fewer than that of every other instrument!

Celia

P.S. My paternal grandmother's maiden name was Waldron :-)

[Mandobike]

Phil! Great to hear you'll be at Kamp, along with Laura and John! And we will DEFINITELY let you know if we come to Asheville in March. Let the jammin' begin! (If you're an outsider from Statesville, then so am I....remember one branch of my family came from Iredell County :-)

It's been too long since we've seen you, too.............

Celia

[Mandobike]

Pickloser, we wouldn't have a jam without you! And, before I forget, check out our friends The Stray Birds at the Fiddle and Bow Society in Winston-Salem on March 1. They are really good! I've played bluegrass and old-time music with Oliver Craven's dad, Tim, for nigh on 40 years.......

Celia

[Phil Goodson]

Celia,
You're right. The Stray Birds do a good job. I saw them last year in Union Grove. IIRC, several (or all?) of them attended Berklee and knew Prof. McGann.

[UsuallyPickin]

I spec I'll see ya'll at Kamp. I'm waiting on The Symposium to list their teachers but that is the week after Kamp. Best jammin best folks wouldn't miss Kamp ...... Ashville in February ... vewry intwesting..hmmm R/

[Phil Goodson]

I look forward to seeing you again Rich. Love to jam with you.

[Fstpicker]

There is a lot of street/sidewalk "busking" that goes on in Asheville, one of the few US cities to actually encourage it. Some pretty good players play on weekends there, although many are easy to pass on from. Being a bass player (they are always looking for bass players, at least here in Florida!), you may be able to hook up with some others and jam away on the street. A definitely new experience for a group in which I play rhythm with when we stayed in Maggie Valley last September around Labor Day this year. No real money to be made, but lots of restaurants that you may be able to contact to see if they need musicians in house to play during the evenings.

A lot of fun and we had someone actually semi-professionally videotape us with our permission and post the videos on his website, which ended up on YouTube of course. This is his business apparently.

Check it out...

Jeff

[UsuallyPickin]

Ah, yes , thank you Phil. The sentiment is mutual. Good music = good times......... R/

[Mandobike]

@Phil: Re the Stray Birds, Maya De Vitry attended Berklee; Charlie Muench is a bass graduate of West Chester University here in PA, and Oliver Craven is simply a homegrown musician! We are seeing them this Sunday at a small restaurant/microbrewery near State College; can't wait!

@Jeff: Thanks for the great info! I don't have to try to make money any more playing music (I'm retired), so busking would be fun. And it is cool to have it reaffirmed, over and over, that there is a shortage of bass players in the South. Certainly not the case up here. I wonder what has made the difference? People not discovering bluegrass until later in life, and the bass is the only bluegrass instrument they can get pretty good at quickly?

Celia

[Justus True Waldron]

And it is cool to have it reaffirmed, over and over, that there is a shortage of bass players in the South. Certainly not the case up here. I wonder what has made the difference?

I wonder about that too. Certainly not the only reason, but I know the Upton Bass shop is right in Mass, and a lot of the bass players I know (some in real bands) all play their bass fiddles. Perhaps having a shop like that and good players around lends an air to the idea that bass is a "real instrument" and more people are likely to pursue it?

Most bass players I used to know were usually guitarists and such that figured there was a need for it. Now more and more people I meet up here are actually first and foremost bass players...

[John Ritchhart]

Sorry Guys I've been out of town all week as usual. All of you are always welcome here. Celia, February will be no problem at all. I'm retiring March 1st and we'll be here until the tenth. Can you guys come down that first week in March? Or is this tied to Spring break? Anyway we have two spare bedrooms, two spare couches, and a futon. Rooms come with Border Collie, pugs, or a cat, your choice, free beer and wine, and cuisine to die for , or from. March 11th we're off to New Zealand to visit friends and to see if I can find that sheep I met at Kamp last year. Celia, Phil, and Laura, do you still have my contact info? If not I'll send it so we can talk details. Hope this works for all of you.

[Mandobike]

I agree totally, Justus. My husband and I were just saying that nowadays, at least in the top bands, many of the bass players have come out of the classical field--or were otherwise formally trained on the bass. Mark Schatz, Sav Sankharan (sp?), Charlie Muench, etc. When I picked up the bass (almost 40 years ago!), it was because I had a chance to play with a bluegrass band that--you guessed it--needed a bass. (And yes, I had already been playing guitar.) So, people *are* picking the bass for their first instrument nowadays, which is cool.

Well, we are still hoping we might get into Joe Val--we're even considering one of the overflow motels, and taking a cab from there back and forth to the Sheraton......

[Mandobike]

Jbrwky! Did we meet this sheep at Kamp last summer?

I'm going to write you a quick private message with all the boring details of our potential trip to Asheville in March.......

[Russ Jordan]

There is a lot of street/sidewalk "busking" that goes on in Asheville, one of the few US cities to actually encourage it. Some pretty good players play on weekends there, although many are easy to pass on from. Being a bass player (they are always looking for bass players, at least here in Florida!), you may be able to hook up with some others and jam away on the street. A definitely new experience for a group in which I play rhythm with when we stayed in Maggie Valley last September around Labor Day this year. No real money to be made, but lots of restaurants that you may be able to contact to see if they need musicians in house to play during the evenings.

A lot of fun and we had someone actually semi-professionally videotape us with our permission and post the videos on his website, which ended up on YouTube of course. This is his business apparently.

Check it out...

Jeff

Brrrrrr--I work in Asheville and cannot imagine playing on the streets there in February!

[Justus True Waldron]

Well, we are still hoping we might get into Joe Val--we're even considering one of the overflow motels, and taking a cab from there back and forth to the Sheraton......

I've gone the overflow route the last two years at the Residence Marriott. The rooms both years were actually really clean and nice, and even bigger than the Sheraton with a couch room and kitchenette. The only real annoyance is the trip back and forth - which I could see being even harder with a bass! Maybe if you can find on site bass parking it wouldn't be too bad. It's a real quick trip, only a mile or two. I drove myself, but of course parking was annoying. I'm happy I got a room on site this year!