Merlefest 2008 attendance surpassed 76,000
Wilksboro, NC — The high cost of travel and a downturn in the economy didn’t seem to slow down attendance to this years MerleFest. According to a press release on Merlefest’s website, this years festival was enjoyed by over 76,000 festival attendees this year. Over the course of four days, the Wilkes Community College campus became the home of a wide variety of traditional-plus fans and players with music featured on a multitude of stages daily.
Preliminary estimates show that MerleFest 2008 overall participation reached 76,708 which is comparable to 2007 participation of 79,412. “We are so proud that MerleFest fans remain committed to the event despite current economic conditions and threatening weather that included a storm delay on Saturday,” says festival director Ted Hagaman. “Since we opened ticket sales in November we have seen single day ticket sales outpace four-day ticket sales.”
Performers at MerleFest 2008 included The Avett Brothers; Abigail Washburn & The Sparrow Quartet featuring Bela Fleck, Casey Driessen, & Ben Sollee; Sam Bush; The Carolina Chocolate Drops; Jerry Douglas; Levon Helm & The Midnight Ramble on the Road with Special Guests; Solas “Reunion,”with Karan Casey & John Doyle; Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby with Kentucky Thunder; Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mtn Boys; Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives; Rhonda Vincent and The Rage; Dan Tyminski Band; Alison Brown Quartet with Joe Craven; Donna The Buffalo; Blue Highway; The Claire Lynch Band; Dirk Powell & Riley Baugus; Tony Rice; Peter Rowan; Ollabelle; Sally Van Meter; Rhonda Vincent & The Rage; Pete Wernick & Flexigrass; Tim O’Brien; The Waifs; The Waybacks; Old Crow Medicine Show, and many more.
Additional information about all aspects of the festival can be found at www.merlefest.org.
No commentsBluegrass Bits and Pieces
Upcoming Bluegrass Festivals
April 25-27 — Benson Bluegrass Festival at the Lions Park in Benson, Arizona - Featuring the music of lllrd Generation, Digger Davis & Tombstone Flint Hill Special Titan Valley Warheads, Fiddlemania ~ Bost Family Traditions, Trusting Heart, The Hermit Tree, and the Jam Pac Neighborhood Band
Tickets: Fri - $8.00 Sat & Sun - $12.00 and a 3-day pass is $25.00
May 8-10 — The Doyle Lawson Bluegrass Festival in Denton North Carolina - Scheduled to perform are: Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, Dailey and Vincent, Dan Paisley and Southern Grass, Dale Ann Bradley, The Grascals, Randy Waller and The Country Gentlemen, Cadillac Sky, Bill Yates and Friends, Cherryholmes, Paul Williams and Victory Trio, Special Consensus, J.D. Crowe and the New South, and Goldwing Express.
For ticket information contact Denton Farmpark via telephone at (336) 859-2755.
May 16-17 — Blackwater Bluegrass Spring Festival at the Blackwater Park near Jasper, Alabama - Bluegrass artists scheduled to perform include: Marty Raybon, Clear Blue Sky, Iron Horse, Crossing the Gap, Cottonmouth Creek, Foggy Hollow, Canaan’s Crossing and Stan Nelson and Hurricane Creek.
Tickets at the Gate will run $15 and $20 for Friday and Saturday single day passes respectively and a weekend pass is $30.00
Blueplate Special serving up Bluegrass
WDVX’s Blueplate Special will be serving up a heapin’ hot helping of fiddle licks Friday, May 2 when Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper stop by the studios for visit. Also scheduled to appear on May 2 are the Pea Ridge Ramblers.
Clinton, Tenn. Bluegrass baand Laycee Lee and Granite Station will perform on the Blueplate on Tuesday, May 6 wiht guest Alex Leach.
- Fri., May 2: Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper / Pea Ridge Ramblers
- Tue., May 6: Laycee Lee and Granite Station w/ Alex Leach
East Tennessee’s Own® WDVX will host several great Bluegrass bands on the Blue Plate Special, an hour long radio program featuring bands playing live in the studio. Locals are encouraged to be part of the WDVX studio audience weekdays at noon (Eastern Time) for free performances in downtown Knoxville, Tenn. at the WDVX studios and for those who can’t make it down for a show, listen live on-line.The WDVX studios are located in the Knoxville Visitor’s Center at the corner of Gay Street and Summit Hill Avenue in downtown Knoxville, Tenn.
No commentsFlat Rock Spring Fling just around the corner
Flat Rock, NC — April 19th is only weeks away and the Flat Rock Music Festival is gearing up for it’s 2nd Annual Spring Fling. The festival takes place at Camp Ton-A-Wandah in Flat Rock, NC and will feature the Biscuit Burners, Moonshine Babies with Marc Yaxley, Matt Walsh (Kansas City Blues Man), The Dirty Rug Band and local favorites The Smokey Joe Show.
Ticket prices are $50 for adults and $25 for children that includes music, catered BBQ dinner, camping and parking. The event is rain or shine with all artists performing in the camp’s gym.
There will be plenty of activities to participate in addition to the music. Kids arts, crafts and games are planned. Massage therapists will be available along with beer and wine available for sale. A limited amount of beds and cabins are available. The public will need to register early for the weekend to reserve these accomodations. No hookups are available, but RV camping is allowed with RVs and trailers under 35 feet.
Intimately nestled in the Blue Ridge mountains, the Flat Rock Music Festival’s Spring Fling brings people and musicians together from all over the southeast. This is a family event and no drugs, dogs or weapons are allowed. For more information or to order tickets on-line, please visit http://www.flatrockmusicfestival.com/
No commentsAnother round of pics from Bluegrass First Class (part 2)
Jesse Brock, mandolinist for Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper onstage at Bluegrass First Class 2008 in Asheville, NC. Photo by Thomas Stout.
Cherise Bates of the Midnight Ramblers on stage at Bluegrass First Class 2008 in Asheville, NC. Photo by Thomas Stout.
Dry Branch Firesquad performing at Bluegrass First Class 2008 in Asheville, NC. Photo by Thomas Stout.Another round of pics from Bluegrass First Class (part 1)
IIIrd Tyme Out’s Justen Haynes, Steve Dilling and Russell Moore onstage at Bluegrass First Class 2008 in Ashville, NC. Photo by Thomas Stout.
IIIrd Tyme Out performing at Bluegrass First Class 2008 in Asheville, NC. Photo by Thomas Stout.
IIIrd Tyme Out’s Edgar Loudermilk onstage at Bluegrass First Class 2008 in Asheville, NC. Photo by Thomas Stout.