Wicked Cool Productions and Hoplite announced this week a New Year’s Eve gathering of friends, family and eclectic, high energy artists to ring in the New Year at the Hudson Valley Resort & Spa in Kerhonkson, NY, the home of Rock n Roll Resort events. This one-day Winter festival/slumber party, hosted by Turkuaz finds the band and promoters have packing the 27 hours between doors on 12/31/14 and check out time on 1/1/15 with a broad range of music spanning multiple genres and the most user-friendly situation possible. Fans are offered many room, meal, beverage and VIP plan options, all adding up to a very special gala affair of great music, dancing, food, libations, festive attire, costumes, mirth, and likely a bit of mayhem.
The Ball Drop is based on the concept of Rock n Roll Resort, a unique, intimate music experience designed by fans for fans and quickly becoming the ultimate music destination event for the festival lifestyle set. Rock n Roll Resort’s rising popularity is in many ways tied to the ideal setting of the Hudson Valley Resort & Spa, an expansive, inviting and intriguing grand resort nestled in Shawangunk Mountains of New York. Just 90 miles from New York City, the Hudson Valley Resort & Spa is sited on 400 wooded acres adjacent to Minnewaska State Park and surrounded by gorgeous Catskill views. Guests can enjoy the fitness room, arcade centers, jacuzzi, sauna and steam rooms, heated indoor pool, on-site shopping and more.
The lineup for The Ball Drop was put together with Hoplite and Wicked Cool Productions, featuring Brooklyn-based funksters Turkuaz; The Primate Fiasco, who will kick off the event; Mister F, who bring live electronic beats with force; the roots-reggae-punk sounds of Western Mass’s Danny Pease & The Regulators; Spiritual Rez, who bring an incredible reggae/ska/roots sound that is full of energy; Manhattan-based “Middle Eastern Sci-Fi-Fusion” band, Consider The Source, and finally Tauk, with heavy instrumental rock fusion to usher in the first morning of 2015.
Room packages, VIP Rockstar passes, and NYE tickets go on sale October 15th at rocknrollresort.com
No family tree has as many strange branches as the ChillFam, and, from Sept. 5-7, approximately 5,000 fanatics gathered at the world’s foremost musical family reunion–the fifth annual Catskill Chill. Old friendships were rekindled and new ones born at Camp Minglewood in Hancock, NY. Among many other acts, Lettuce, Turkuaz, and Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe pumped out the funk, Kung Fu, Particle, and Papadosio rocked hard, and Dopapod, Electron, and Yonder Mountain String Band played their unique styles. From staff and vendors to artists and admirers, everyone at The Chill was camped on cloud nine. With round-the-clock live music on five official stages, pristine early September weather, and characters aplenty, The Catskill Chill was once again the perfect way to wind down festival season.
Friday
Anticipation and excitement blew in the pleasant Friday afternoon breeze as tents sprang up from the tennis courts down to the lake. My friend Chris and I headed to our “island”—a grassy triangle between sidewalk paths, large enough for our tents and chairs. Last year, we were known as the parking lot pirates; donning old-school Pittsburgh Pirates caps in homage to Ryan Stasik, our volunteering duty was to direct festival goers where to park. This year, we graduated to press pirates, hooked up by PR director Destiny Beck at the eleventh hour to promote the music we feverishly crave.
After setting up camp on the island, MUN’s early evening set in Club Chill was the first batch of music for me. While Nahko and Medicine for the People played the Main Stage, MUN jammed in the only fully enclosed stage. Led by guitarists Alfred Rylands and Wiley Griffin, they put on a heavy set of improg. The Brooklyn-based quartet will tour the Northeast this fall, providing the desirable kind of MUNdays with their “astrofunktronica.”
After The Eric Krasno Band lit up the B Stage with Alecia Chakour, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe played the first primetime Main Stage set. With a solid mix of covers and originals, the funk-masters ignited a massive dance party in the hangar-like pavilion. Denson showed off his versatility with back-to-back covers of The Marshall Tucker Band’s “Can’t You See”, and The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army”, on the flute before switching back to the sax for The Beastie Boys’ “Suco De Tangerina”. Dressed to the nines, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe wrapped up with “Shake It Out” and the mass before them obliged excitedly.
Uplifting piano notes from Marco Benevento began floating down from the B Stage as Karl Denson and company were still raging. Benevento’s was one of my most anticipated sets of the weekend, and he delivered. Banging his head and keys emphatically, melodic runs rained from Benevento’s piano in the steamy three-walled shed. Once in a while, he would take a break from jamming to clap along, beaming. “DJ” Drew Dreiwitz, also of Ween, cranked out a huge bass solo while Benevento sat back, sipped from his Solo cup, and soaked it in. The trio, rounded out by Andy Borger on the drums, covered “Benny & The Jets” and had the whole venue singing in raptures. Benevento will be touring this fall in support of his new album Swift, which releases on September 16th, and his show is not one to miss; he is as energetic and talented onstage as he is gregarious offstage.
From 11:15 p.m. to 1:15 a.m., Lettuce blew everyone away back at the Main Stage. Guitarist Eric Krasno, feeling at home at The Chill, shredded like a madman. The fired-up Kras sparked the rest of the band: Neal Evans crushed on the keys while the funk was rooted in the horns section. The venue was packed with fans swaying in hammocks, chilling in the bleachers, or grooving on the dance floor, which spilled out onto the hill in the rear. Lettuce played hits off each of their studio albums, including “The Dump”, “Sam Huff’s Flying Raging Machine”, and “Madison Square”. Adam Deitch was a rock on the drums and turned it up from “Outta Here” into a slamming solo. Jesus Coomes rattled bones with the bass and Alecia Chakour’s vocals were exalting. By the time they ended with “Blast Off”, the ChillFam was already in a state of bliss.
With Lettuce still keeping it fresh on the Main Stage, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong began flocking in Club Chill. The quartet features two guitarists with very different demeanors. Greg Ormont’s Sideshow Bob-like hair, infectious smile, energetic personality, and emphatic upbeat vocals make him hard to miss. While Ormont danced around grinning and singing, Jeremy Schon stood relatively in place, shaking his blonde mane, fingers deftly sliding around his six-string. Schon ripped through PPPP’s lively funkalogue, showing off big-league guitar skills. Barefoot bassist Ben Carrey scooted around the stage playing tight bass lines and drummer Dan Schwartz made his presence well-known. Twiddle’s Mihali Savoulidis joined for “Poseidon”, a number off Pigeons’ new album, Psychology, and the Baltimoreans hatched new dirty birds by concluding with a red-hot cover of “Suck My Kiss”.
The music would go on past 5 a.m. with Alan Evans’ Playonbrother jamming in Club Chill, but DJ Shpongle’s 2:30 a.m. set was my last bit of music on Friday. Shpongle, aka Simon Posford, had no trouble adding to his loyal following. He has mastered the art of playing to the mood. Those not melted into the hillside danced vigorously to the ambient DJ set. His beats are all-inclusive and joy ballooned in the pavilion as DJ Shpongle closed the Main Stage in style.
Saturday
Vermont quartet Twiddle was the first to play the Main Stage at 1:45 p.m. on Saturday. They opened with a rendition of “When It Rains It Poors” featuring beautiful vocals and warm harmonies. With each member dressed as a different Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, Twiddle segued into “Somewhere Over The Rainbow”. The master of turning knobs, Dopapod’s Eli Winderman, joined a few songs later and they almost got “Stooooped” off the stage when Kung Fu’s Todd Stoops sat in on the keys. Twiddle is finding their stride with well-composed songs, a positive message, and rapidly growing following.
Last year, as Chris and I directed cars in the hot, dirty parking lot, new-found enemies mocked us from their all-access/VIP pedestals: the teachers. When I heard a “Hey, pirate!” call while grabbing lunch between Twiddle and Cabinet, I knew instantly who it must be and my hand reached instinctively for a non-existent sword. As anticipated, it was one of the teachers.
Instead of spending our energies plotting each others’ demise, however, we formed the teacher-pirate alliance against wooks at this year’s Catskill Chill. On good terms, we wandered around pretending to duel and enjoying each other’s company at killer sets of music. From 4:30-6:25, ChillFam favorite Dopapod jumbled up an enthusiastic Main Stage crowd with jams like “Black and White”, “Freight Train”, and “Vol. 3 #86″. While they oozed out mostly originals, Adrian Tramontano joined on the hand drums for a Herbie Hancock cover before we headed to see a band people were talking about all weekend.
Long Islanders TAUK poured out chunky progressive rock in Club Chill after having slammed Lockn’ Festival the afternoon before. The quartet, whose members have been friends for longer than many Chillfam members have been alive, proved that they are not up-and-coming: they are here. They looked at ease on stage delivering heavy instrumental jams. They played “Mokuba”, “Friction”, and, personal favorite, “Collateral”, off new album Collisions. Bassist Charlie Dolan anchors the group while Matt Jalbert’s tight guitar riffs and well-placed solos add a healthy dose of inflection. Alric “A.C” Carter manipulates his keyboard dexterously while the “new guy” Isaac Teel does not miss a beat on drums. As Dolan pointed out, the group has the flexibility of continuing down the instrumental route or adding vocals one day, and their firepower gives them plenty of time to decide.
Despite the warmth of Club Chill and the delicious eeriness of TAUK, I moved over to the Acoustic Junction to catch the most talented trio in show business, Consider the Source. A loyal following wiggled in the rain as the Sourcerors rewarded with a cover of The Beatles “Blackbird”. They followed up with “Wayfaring Stranger” during which drummer Jeff Mann stepped up to the mandolin; he was so smooth that I barely noticed he was playing an atypical instrument. As the rain fell and the sun went down,the music was just getting turned up.
Yonder Mountain String Band played the headlining set on Saturday evening as the rain let up. Allie Kral sat in on the fiddle and, having caught her final set with former band Cornmeal at Summer Camp in 2013, I was eager to see her add to the Colorado bluegrass quartet. Their version of “Only A Northern Song” was awe-inspiring and they plucked out a unique rendition of The Talking Heads’ “Girlfriend Is Better”. Having also headlined in 2012, Yonder Mountain String Band may be an outlier to the funk-rock heavy lineup, but they bring a great following to the party and put on a captivating show. The strings-only group closed out their set by playing “40 Miles From Denver” and “Southern Flavor” to a delirious crowd.
After the first half of Cabinet’s Dead set in Club Chill, I learned that, after disbanding in 2011 (following 12 years of bumping), Canadian-based techno trio The New Deal is back. Consisting of keys player Jamie Shields, bassist Dan Kurtz, and drummer Joel Stouffer, they played a late night technotronica set to a packed Main Stage. Reunited, the band is scheduled to play a handful of shows across the country this fall as well as Dominican Holidaze.
I hopped over to the B Stage for The Nth Power after some more wook-watching. I need to be tested, but I may have been impregnated by their music. The quintet with one outlier (Nikki, Nigel, Nick, Nate, and… Weedie) played baby-making music to a dazzled crowd. Most of the songs they played will be featured on their 2015 debut full-length album, Abundance, but they threw in a euphoric cover of Marvin Gaye’s “I Want You”. Featuring powerful vocals and deep bass lines, the Nth Power creates a rich flavor of funk and produces a mesmerizing show.
Papadosio’s late night Main Stage set on Saturday proved that a music festival is like a box of chocolates. Anticipating an ambient, trancey end to the night, Papadosio put on a slamming set of rock. Festival goers like myself, who expected to be gently lulled toward sleep, were rocked back to life starting with a 20-minute “Find Your Cloud”. Eli Winderman joined for a tasty “Unparalyzer” as the Brouse brothers, who handle the band’s keys and synths, gave Dopapod’s keyboardist the reins. Anthony Thogmartin’s songwriting ability was evident as always and ‘Dosio is rounded out by bassist Rob McConnell and drummer Mike Healy. The Ohio natives jammed deftly until 4 a.m. while Pink Floyd/Talking Heads/Phish fusion Pink Talking Fish wound down the night in Club Chill.
Sunday
Every day at a music festival should start with a set from Turkuaz. After helping one of my best friends (whom I met at last year’s Catskill Chill) move out, Dopapod showed their innovation is not limited to the stage by serving up pancakes with a side of jam. Then, Turkuaz supplied the fuel needed for the rest of the weekend at the Main Stage. One cannot not dance while watching the Brooklyn-based funkernaut. Michelangelo Carubba looked and sounded fly as usual while leading the 9-pack on drums. Celebrating her birthday by gracing loyal fans with rich vocals, Sammi Garrett was on point all day and guitarist Dave Brandwein laid down the hammer on his axe. Bubbles and sunshine filled the early afternoon air while Turkuaz put the “fun” into funk with the title track off their recent album Future 86. As the horns rang out, knowing looks spread through the crowd: “These guys are getting it!”The band is on fire right now and their merch sports my new go-to alibi: “Turkuaz made me do it!”
After packing my gear up and reluctantly moving off the island, the rest of the day was dedicated to music. Particle carried on the bash that Turkuaz started as drummer Darren Pujalet led a one-way race to funkville. Turuaz’s horns section came out to brighten the set for a jam, then The Hornitz and original bassist Eric Gould joined and shook up the house. Guitarist Ben Combe is a force on stage, and Particle’s progressive synthy style is catalyzed by Steve Molitz on the keys, who also spit a rendition of Slick Rick’s “Children’s Story”. Particle played plenty of new songs and left many people slack-jawed with one of the harder sets all weekend.
I followed Particle’s bassist Clay Parnell up to the B Stage, where he also played with American Babies. They played a more traditional rock set highlighting Tom Hamilton’s songwriting and singing abilities. Electron’s Aron Magner sat in for a cover of The Dead’s “New Speedway Boogie” and the crowd loved Dylan’s “Tangled Up In Blue”.
Back at the Main Stage, Kung Fu impressed with hard funk. Tim Palmieri challenged Eric Krasno for “master shredder” title of the weekend and Todd Stoops played some glorious piano solos. Robert Somerville got real saxy and Chris DeAngelis was crisp on the bass. These ninjas’ chemistry glows like a beacon on the stage. Drummer Adrian Tramontano’s kit, like Tramontano himself, is compact, but the Zack Galifianakis look-alike is an inspiration for us vertically challenged denizens everywhere. As onlookers gawked, he crushed one of the best drum solos of the weekend, moving with remarkable speed. The horns and ladies of Turkuaz reappeared to form Kungkuaz and play Stevie Wonder’s “Haven’t Done Nothing”, a highlight of the entire weekend. The Connecticut quintet, who will tour the East Coast in October and November, never fail to deliver.
Before I could see Consider the Source‘s plugged-in set, I heard them and thought, “That can’t be them; that’s at least 6 or 7 people.” It was, however, CTS. There is videographic proof that I am not being hyperbolic describing the Sourcerors as a crew filmed the set. Drummer Jeff Mann must have eaten his Wheaties; he played with a maniacal reckless abandon. Guitarist Gabriel Marin, whose fingers glide like butter on glass across his fretless guitar, played an upbeat trumpet solo on his custom double-necked instrument. “Tihai For The Straight Guy” was a classic example of Beach Boys meet Middle Eastern pop-rock and, during “Keep Your Pimp Hand Strong”, bassist John Ferrara ripped the dirtiest bass solo of the weekend. With the first part of their new album World War Trio releasing this Halloween, expect heavy ripples from Consider the Source this fall.
The final evening at Camp Minglewood was chilly, but Electron cranked the heat at the Main Stage. Comprised of The Disco Biscuits’ Marc Brownstein and Aron Magner on bass and keys respectively, Lotus’s Mike Greenfield on the drums, and American Babies’ guitarist Tommy Hamilton, they broke through with the most expansive jams of the weekend. Not only was their music out of this world, their light show was spectacular. Despite being Sunday night, the dance floor was as packed and busy as any point during the weekend. Electron played richly textured space jams with intricately laid layers and explored the psychedelic. Magner pounded emotionally on the piano and gave equal attention to the synths, and Greenfield put the pedal to the metal a bit more than he would with Lotus. With glow sticks flying, rage sticks raging, and bodies bumping, Electron put an exclamation point on a great weekend of music.
My ship had sailed at Catskill Chill by the time the plug was pulled on Electron. Having bonded with old friends, acquired a host of new friends, danced to hours of incredible music, and explored every corner of Camp Minglewood, I was ready to put another successful Chill in the books. The marathon was over and the memories were made; now, I attempt to wait patiently as anticipation is already bubbling for Catskill Chill 6.
Check out a video of Yonder Mountain String Band from the festival:
That time of year is slowly but steadily approaching where the leaves begin to change, the air becomes crisp and Summer festival season becomes just a memory. And so begins the countdown for the Catskill Chill. Each year Catskill Chill Festival brings a phenomenal lineup and a perfect end to the Summer festival season. Nestled quaintly in the quiet town of Hancock, New York, Camp Minglewood creates the perfect backdrop for a weekend in the great Northeast. Catskill Chill 2014 contains the intimate feel of a smaller hometown festival while bringing huge names and large crowds for a weekend to remember. Past acts have included The Meter Men with Page McConnell of Phish, Lotus, Dopapod, Papadosio, Lettuce, Yonder Mountain String Band, Soulive, JGB, Umphrey’s McGee and many, many more. In true Chill fashion, the line up covers a broad spectrum of some of the best acts, big and small. It is no wonder that Catskill Chill has quickly become a staple to every veteran festival goers Summer tour season. Buy your tickets now!
Alongside a weekend of phenomenal music, The Chill offers a variety of different activities that creates an environment that is much more than just a festival ground. Festival attendees are offered daily yoga classes, open mics, a wide array of vendors to browse through and a full farmer’s market where one can purchase fresh produce. While camping is offered, there are also cabins on premise that are rented out for a small group of people and offer running water, beds and a roof over your head for a long weekend of music and good vibes. Each day at the Chill offers a different experience and a variety of different musical acts to expand even the most musically diverse pallet. Below are the day-to-day schedules along with some must see performances that make up this truly spectacular festival.
Friday:
The Primate Fiasco (6:30pm-7:45pm): The versatility and energy behind the Primate Fiasco is one to be reckoned with. The band is compiled of a broad spectrum of instruments (i.e. sousaphone, banjo, brass, woodwinds, drums), and they’ve been known to burst into a full blown dance party in the middle of the street when they feel necessary. The band clearly has a great time on stage together and you can’t help but move your feet while these guys do what they do best.
Marco Benevento (10pm-11:25 pm): Amazing music, amazing guy and a ton of whiskey. Benevento is known to keep a bottle of Maker’s Mark as well as a giant tiger head on stage with him for when things get really wild. Aside from the fact that he is a brilliant musician, he also contains quite the stage presence. This performance will without a doubt be fun and entertaining, but also be packed with musical talent.
Twiddle (Dead Set) (10:30pm-12:15am): Over the past couple years Twiddle has gained exponential recognition within the music scene for their talents. There is certainly a reason their music draws such large crowds, and the fact that they’re doing an entire Grateful Dead set? You definitely do not want to miss this!
Lettuce (11:15pm-1:15am)- Hands down one of the funkiest bands to see live. Each member in the band brings a fantastic amount of talent to make up this power house of funk.
Shpongle (Simon Posford DJ set) (2:30-4:00 am)- While the Simon Posford DJ set isn’t the full Shpongle experience, if you’re into DMT fueled, spacey, electronic dance parties you certainly want to catch this performance. Posford is not just a musical genius but also a performer. He knows how to entertain a crowd and he does it well.
Saturday:
Tauk (6:30pm-8:30pm): Tauk gained rapid popularity with their entirely instrumental 2013 album, Homonculous. It says a lot about a musician when you can experience an array of emotions through an album without words. This foursome from NYC is packed with so much energy and talent they definitely make the “do not miss” list.
Consider the Source (7pm-8pm): Consider the Source brings a taste of Middle-Eastern fusion to the jamband scene. The trio’s stage presence blends multiple genres and sounds to create something unlike anything you’ve ever heard. If that doesn’t do it for you, go for the fretless double necked guitar that Gabriel Marin plays with great ease. If you’ve never seen Consider the Source life, make sure to get down to their acoustic set on Saturday evening.
Yonder Mountain String Band (8pm-10pm): Yonder Mountain String Band brings a perfect blend of jam and bluegrass while bringing a musical diversity to a genre that has set them apart from many artists in the live music community. While Yonder brings more of a low key vibe to start off your evening, there is certainly not a lack of pickin’ and mind blowing jams.
Cosby Sweater (8:30pm-10pm): Cosby Sweater is a live electronic trio bringing live mash-ups and high energy dance remixes. While these days there seems to be an abundance of “EDM” acts at every festival coast to coast, Cosby Sweater sets themselves apart with their kitchy name, unabashed musical talent and obvious ability to set the crowd into a full blown dance frenzy.
The New Deal (11:15pm-1:15am): The announcement of The New Deal’s reunion flipped the music world upside down. The trio includes original bassist Dan Kurtz, original keyboardist Jamie Shields and new to the band, Joel Stouffer on the drums. The New Deal always puts on a fantastic performance and is the perfect set to start your evening off right. The amount of excitement that has surrounded their Summer tour is incredible, so make sure you check these guys out before they retire, again.
Sunday:
Turkuaz (12:30pm-1:55pm): A diverse arrangement of music, instruments and excessive funk. Turkuaz has quickly become one of the funkiest bands on the East Coast. Visually their performances are stunning and the amount of energy pouring out from the stage makes it damn near impossible to not get caught up in all that is Turkuaz.
Particle (3:15pm-4:40pm): Particle is known for its progressive rock-jam roots and has acquired a wildly enthusiastic following referred to as “Particle People.” A perfect blend of electronic and organic, Particle is a phenomenal act to add to the already outstanding line up of the Chill.
The Manhattan Project (5:30pm-6:30pm): The Manhattan Project has quickly acquired one of the fastest growing followings of any electronic duo in the Northeast. The duo has made their mark on the music scene with their high energy performances, fantastic covers and live remixes that will keep any crowd moving from beginning to end. If you have yet to see these guys do their thing, don’t miss them at the Chill.
Kung Fu (6pm-7:25pm): Kung Fu is easily summed up by a ball of energetic, funk explosion. Every member of the band plays with so much enthusiasm it is evident that these guys have a ton of fun doing what they do. Often taking the stage fully clad in their Kung Fu attire, the band in its entirety loves what they do, and what they do is done well.
Electron (9pm-11pm): Electron is the original Disco Biscuits side project made up of Marc Brownstein, Aron Magner, Tommy Hamilton of Brothers Past and Mike Greenfield of Lotus. This is one insane mash up of some of the biggest names on the scene and their performance will be nothing short of excellent.
The Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival is a festival designed for music lovers and musicians alike. You may think you are coming to simply listen to and enjoy the best of the best bands in the bluegrass world, but Grey Fox is so, so much more. In addition to the indescribably breathtaking music that takes place on the High Meadow (Main) Stage, it is possible – and recommended – to learn some new musical techniques from experts in their fields on the Grass Roots Stage, listen to stories and some tunes from your favorite musicians in a more intimate setting on the Creekside Stage, pick up a new dance step or just boogie down at the Catskill Stage, and participate in directed slow jams in the appropriately named Slow Jam Tent.
The festival officially began on Thursday, July 17, but for those hardcore Grey Fox attendees, the gates opened early, on Wednesday at 7:00AM to be exact, so folks had time to set up camp either car-camping style, or a bit more ‘in the rough’ having to carry your stuff across a field to the High Meadow Camping area and park across the street in the Car Corral, which entitled you to a $20 parking fee refund, as well as entrance in a raffle to win a pair of tickets to next year’s festival. For those early to arrive, entertainment for the evening was provided on the Catskill Stage, with an open mic event, followed by the showing of the Bill Monroe documentary “Powerful: Bill Monroe Remembered”.
With fans eagerly awaiting the music to begin on Thursday, many had been camping there since the night before and had all that extra time to get psyched up, the day kicked off at 1:00PM with the official host band of the weekend, Dry Branch Fire Squad. The band has a true old-timey sound, and they make you feel as if you are sitting with them in their living room, with the set being highlighted by the intermittent ramblings and storytelling of band leader and ‘National Treasure’ Ron Thomason. Once Dry Branch Fire Squad had gotten things kicked off, the young Barefoot Movement impressed the crowd with their upbeat rhythms, their great job at taking turns leading the tunes, and their playful introductions of each other. They ended their set with a super fun cover of Blind Melon’s “No Rain”.
At 3:00PM on Thursday, the Creekside Stage opened with a raucous performance by the immensely talented Rushad Eggleston, who was actually a beneficiary of a Grey Fox Scholarship, which allowed him to attend the prestigious Berklee College of Music. He is truly a cellist from another universe. In fact, he has created a whole other world which he describes as “the land of Snee” from which forth comes ridiculously absurd lyrics, which Rushad sings while running and jumping around stage with a cello strapped over his shoulder. Just one of the gems that he shared with the crowd was actually a request of the hilarious song, “I Peed on a Bird” introduced at one of his late night sets on the Catskill Stage last year. During this song, the magic of Grey Fox truly became evident. Even though that song most likely didn’t make it into the mainstream music scene, and quite possibly didn’t leave the grounds of Grey Fox, every single person in that tent seemed to remember all of the bizarre lyrics of the chorus and were belting them out while laughing and enjoying sharing a special bond with the rest of the Grey Fox community.
The official first day of Grey Fox marched on, with performances by the 2012 International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Emerging Artist of the Year Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers; the note-bending and beautifully harmonizing HillBenders; and the traditional yet at the same time contemporary Deadly Gentlemen, featuring a heavy percussive sound coming from a double bass. Next up was the more folky Aoife O’Donovan Band. Her voice sounded familiar, and it quickly became evident that she was the singer from Crooked Still, who have not played together since 2011. Well, wouldn’t you know it, since two other members of the band’s original line-up were present at the festival as well, she had banjoist Greg Liszt (currently playing with The Deadly Gentlemen) and otherworldly cellist Rushad Eggleston join her on stage for a mini Crooked Still reunion. The Steep Canyon Rangers, having gained fame in recent years from performing with Steve Martin, sure had a hard act to follow, but they managed to astound the crowd with their particularly haunting fiddle and banjo sounds, and incredible harmonies so on target that at one point, it sounded like there was a train whistle blowing.
After a sky that threatened to pour down upon us earlier in the day, the sky cleared up and the moon rose over Nickel Creek, the final band of the evening on the High Meadow Stage. It was hard to tell that the band had been on hiatus since 2007, as they still managed to forge the chemistry they had so many years ago, when they first formed their band back when they were just children. The addition of Mark Schatz on the bass to their line-up for this tour added a whole other amazing element to their already sweet sound. After playing one of their more popular instrumental tunes, “Ode to a Butterfly” mandolin player Chris Thile explained that it is much more difficult to come up with names for instrumental songs than it is for songs with a chorus, and perhaps as a way of apologizing for depriving us of Nickel Creek’s music for all these years, jokingly said that the band had taken so much time off because they had run out of titles for their instrumental tunes. Well, it sure was great to have them back together to see how much they have grown up, while still staying true to the band’s roots.
Grey Fox doesn’t mess around, the music on the second day got started at 11:00AM, and for those who got up even earlier, or for those who never even went to sleep, there were meditation classes at 9:15AM and yoga classes – accompanied by a live band – at 10:00AM at the Catskill Stage each morning. Mama Corn gave us all a run for our money first thing Friday morning, with their rousing renditions of “Catfish John” and Pink Floyd’s “Fearless” as well as their take on “Keep On the Sunny Side” which they ironically played in a minor key. Red Wine, a bluegrass band who flew here all the way from Italy, and who has been touring worldwide since 1978, was almost like the Jimmy Buffett of the bluegrass world, both in appearance and song styles, and even threw in a medley of Italian songs, which was a bit cheesy, but acceptable given the sweet Italian accents of all of the band members. On the opposite end of the spectrum geographically, Wood & Wire have their roots (well, at least their bass player does) right here in western New York. Hipster-like in style, this foursome played/sang around a single microphone, which is always enjoyable to watch and see how they manage, and they handled it with ease. The next band was aptly named Brothers Comatose; the chemistry and harmonies between the band members were so tight, there was no doubt there were brothers involved. Changing the tone drastically, Nora Jane Struthers and the Party Line were up next with a much more Americana-based set, perhaps the most so far in this genre all weekend. Struthers has a sweet voice, and is yet another example of some of the young talent out there these days. Once again going in a completely different direction, Gangstagrass showed us all a good time, demonstrating just how far you can push the bluegrass envelope, combining bluegrass and hip-hop; who would have thought it would work, but it was a whole lot of fun.
During ‘dinner break’ on the High Meadow Stage, Del, Ronnie, and Robbie McCoury were sharing family stories on the Creekside Stage, as well as offering tips about the ‘efficiency of motion’ employed by the McCourys, in that if you watch them closely, even though they are playing a thousand notes a minute, their hands barely move. It’s always lovely to listen to Del’s sing-songy voice telling us stories; he sure does have a lot of history to share, being that it is his 75th birthday this year, and he has been playing bluegrass music for the majority of his life, having gotten his big start with Bill Monroe & the Bluegrass Boys all the way back in 1963.
After getting some nourishment back at the campsite and putting on some extra layers before the cold set in for the evening – it got down into the 40s a couple of nights; it was time to head back to the High Meadow Stage for the fun times that were in store for Night 2 of Grey Fox, starting with The Steel Wheels. Jumping on the reunion bandwagon, the band invited a former member of the band to join them, adding a second fiddle to the mix, proving that you can never have too much fiddle. The sophisticated and polished Gibson Brothers graced us with their good-natured brotherly goading and their straight up 5-piece traditional bluegrass line-up.
Following the Gibson Brothers was the all-female band Della Mae, a band who truly got their start at Grey Fox. These young musicians have been coming to Grey Fox for years, but just recently as musicians themselves. In fact, bassist Shelby Means used to attend Grey Fox as a volunteer picking up trash! They seemed very appreciative of Grey Fox and all the doors it had opened for them, so much so that they even took the time to thank the “I-I-Iceman” crew; there is a fleet of trucks driving around the camping areas all weekend selling ice to campers in need of keeping their coolers chilled, by inviting them up on stage and singing Foreigner’s “You’re As Cold As Ice”.
Saturday evening’s headliner, Keller Williams and the Travelin’ McCourys set started with Keller Williams alone playing some of his signature fast/choppy guitar licks, and singing some silly tunes, including one about an ‘over-the-shoulder rocket launcher’ – that’s Keller for you, and then invited bassist Alan Bartram out to join him for a song about losing his remote control for three days, which forced him to write shallow lyrics since he couldn’t watch TV. Meanwhile, Bartram was cracking up this whole time. Fiddler Jason Carter came onto the stage next, and joined the other two for a cover of Waylon Jenning’s “Good Hearted Woman”. Keller felt a banjo was needed for this next song, so that was Robbie McCoury’s cue; he joined the others for a song about falling in love with a girl on the porta-potty line. By far the funniest introduction was Keller ‘welcoming’ mandolin player Ronnie McCoury onto the stage with Tom Petty’s “You Got Lucky” with Keller basically telling Ronnie to watch himself, and to better not get cocky and think he is better than Keller. The band truly did have fun up there on stage, and the audience could definitely tell. Performing some of Keller’s more famous tunes, including “Freaker By the Speaker” and “Mullet Cut” they threw in a couple of some not-so-obvious covers, ranging from Taylor Swift’s “Trouble” to their encore of Foster the People’s “Pumped Up Kicks”.
It was tough to end the evening on such a high and fast note, but that just gave folks the energy to keep their dancing feet moving onto the Catskill Stage, where the zydeco-style Revelers were playing into the wee hours on both Friday and Saturday nights. Mo’ Mojo were on the Catskill Stage on Thursday night. Even if you didn’t make it down there after the full day of music on the main and workshop stages, you could still enjoy them from your campsites, as their steady drum beats and washboard scratching really thumped through the ground, keeping the rhythm going whether you were aware of it or not.
The Saturday morning of Grey Fox always means one thing for me: bluegrass karaoke on the Creekside Stage. Audience members are encouraged to belt out some tunes, either ones they have written themselves or traditional songs, but the most unusual aspect of karaoke at Grey Fox is that you have a live band backing you up! My friend, who I’ve been coming to Grey Fox with for at least 10 years now, and I always make sure that we wake up early enough and have enough coffee in our systems to make it to this super fun and nerve-wracking event at 11:00AM, which isn’t always the easiest task to accomplish on Day 3 of Grey Fox, but we managed to work up the courage to sing Gillian Welch and David Rawlings “Red Clay Halo” joined by my boyfriend on guitar.
Following that intimidating experience, it was time to sit back, relax, and listen to the gems we were in for that day. Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen were a ton of fun, demonstrating that they had been paying attention around the campgrounds by dedicating a particularly trippy version of Tony Rice’s “Is That So” to the huge black Grey Fox balloon that was shaped more like a pig, that was flying around amongst the camping area. The Claire Lynch Band provided country music lovers with what they were craving, but there was a surprising amount of jamming mixed in, especially on their version of “Wabash Cannonball” a traditional square dance tune, which they managed to go off on an amazing tangent with, and almost caused the audience to forget what song they had started with, but managed to rope it right back in. The next band scheduled to play on the High Meadow Stage was Balsam Range, but they were running late, so we missed their set on the big stage, but Red Wine, the Italian bluegrass band, was more than willing to play a second set!
Taking a break during the heat of the afternoon, it was time to take advantage of one of the slow jam workshops, specifically the workshop for guitars and basses. Although the bassists got a little bit shafted, as we were far outnumbered by guitarists, it was still useful to spend an hour really delving into two songs, and jamming on them super slow. This allowed you to pick up on things that you might have once tried to figure out by listening to a recording, but weren’t really being able to get down because the musicians on the recording were playing too fast. The slow jam tent is a great place for beginners to feel comfortable playing in a judgement-free zone.
Rushing back up to the High Meadow Stage to try to catch the end of Jim Lauderdale’s set with Della Mae, it was interesting to see the mix of the old school and newer artists of the bluegrass world collaborating together so effectively. Some of the banter coming out of Lauderdale’s mouth seemed a bit inappropriate, but he ended on a gracious note. After once again getting spoiled with a ‘home’-cooked meal back at the campsite, it was time to hear Elephant Revival, another band playing to the more hipster crowd, mashing together a variety of musical genres from a band consisting of a mind-blowing collection of instruments, each band member knowing how to play several, with one of the female lead vocalists sounding a lot like Beth Orton. The incomparable team of Tim O’Brien and Darrell Scott came up to bat next, and they did not disappoint. Bringing us back to a more traditional style, it was simultaneously comforting and inspirational to know that so much sound can come out of just two instruments – although Tim was switching between the mandolin and fiddle throughout their set. After singing several traditional-sounding numbers, they switched to a more serious mood and sang “Turn Your Dirty Lights On” an original protest song about an environmental issue near and dear to Tim’s heart: mountaintop removal in West Virginia, where he was born. One of the song’s lines was “Coal is black, it ain’t never gonna be green,” which seemed to hit a nerve amongst the crowd. They followed that intense song with a much more upbeat one, “Dance, You Hippie, Dance” which helped lighten the mood and led to one of Tim’s signature flashlight shining sessions.
On this third day of Grey Fox, there were essentially two headliners, as if the Del McCoury Band wouldn’t have been enough, the Carolina Chocolate Drops were there to top off the evening. But first things first, the Del McCoury Band, Bluegrass Hall of Fame inductees, never fails to delight, and this performance was no different. Having three members who are part of the same family blessed with some very musical genes, you’ll never hear a tighter band. Plus the non-McCoury members of the band are nothing to shake a stick at, bassist Alan Bartram has mastered the difficult art of being able to sing a melody and play the rhythm section at the same time, while fiddler Jason Carter is an expert at pretty much every technique of playing the fiddle, having won three IBMA Fiddle Player of the Year trophies. They got to most of their more popular tunes including audience requests – you can tell that Del is truly listening to what the audience is asking for, as he does tend to get to most of their requests. Requests included, “All Aboard”, “High on the Mountain” and of course, “Vincent Black Lightning”. At a festival like Grey Fox, where you see just how far bluegrass music has cast its web and embraced other genres, it is refreshing, and appropriate, to have a true traditional bluegrass band hold such a prominent position in the line-up.
The esteemed final Saturday night-time slot on the High Meadow Stage was reserved for the Carolina Chocolate Drops, who have proved that the old-time music they have been researching and perfecting is still a sought after genre. Even though there were thousands of people on the concert field, everyone was so mesmerized by Rhiannon Giddens hauntingly striking vocals that at times, you could practically hear a pin drop. The audience was hanging on every word sang and note played, and rightfully so, because each song was a story in its own right. In fact, “Come Love Come” was a history lesson in itself, as it was based on slave narratives from the Civil War that Giddens had read and gained inspiration from to write this tune. The Carolina Chocolate Drops put together an ideal set, combining the perfect mix of original songs, including “Ruby Are You Mad At Your Man?”, which has been performed by the New York City Ballet; and “Cornbread and Butterbeans”, described as being a song about life, love, and food; storytelling between songs; a dancer who joined them on stage for a couple of tunes to do some clogging and the Charleston; guest appearances by Del McCoury, Della Mae, and Jim Lauderdale; and a few awesome covers, including Blu Cantrell’s R&B hit single “Hit ‘em Up Style”. Their stage presence is a force to be reckoned with, as they somehow made you feel like you were sitting in a circle around them in the swamplands of the South, just listening to some old-timey twangy strings and hand drums.
Once the music is over on the festival stages, don’t think that you are done for the night: one need only walk around the campgrounds and keep one’s ears open, and discover that some amazing music is taking place all around you. It is a wonderful thing to have a gathering of such talented musicians not only on the festival stages, but amongst the festival attendees as well. For those bold enough, it is definitely worth walking around the campgrounds with your instrument and join in one of the jams. Most people don’t bite, and many are welcoming of new players to jump in a take a solo.
The Sunday of Grey Fox is a short day, ending by 2:00, allowing everyone ample time to pack up and get home at a reasonable hour before having to delve back into the working world the next day, yet you can always count on three uplifting and inspiring elements to keep you going until next year’s Grey Fox rolls around. First of all, the Dry Branch Fire Squad’s Sunday Morning Gospel Show is not to be missed, as everyone needs their fix of Ron Thomason’s storytelling one last time before the end of the festival. Secondly, the instrument raffles are drawn, which always keeps everyone on their toes, because who wouldn’t want to go home with a well-crafted new instrument? Throughout the weekend, folks were encouraged to purchase raffle tickets for one of five stellar acoustic stringed instruments, including a Deering banjo and a Northfield mandolin, the proceeds of which go to a scholarship fund given to selected Berklee School of Music’s Summer Strings Program recipients. And last but certainly not least, the Bluegrass Academy for Kids gets to play a “graduation gig”. Over the course of the festival, a group of about 120 kids between the ages of 8 and 17 are given the opportunity to attend a free intensive four-day workshop on everything you need to know about perfecting your stringed instrument, singing harmonies, and performing collaboratively as a band. It is always quite a sight to see all those young talented children on the main stage, giving us the confidence that bluegrass music will continue to grow and thrive with this next generation of musicians.
As you pack up the last of your camp and make that final trip across the field, don’t be surprised if you get a tear in your eye as you say goodbye to your tent neighbor, someone who had been a complete stranger at the beginning of the festival but has now come to be a lifelong friend, knowing that you are going to have to wait 360 more days until the next Grey Fox. And just a warning to those of you who are thinking of coming to Grey Fox next year: be prepared to keep the third weekend of July free every year from now on, because once you start coming to Grey Fox, there’s no doubt that you will make it an annual tradition from this point forward. See you next year on the hill.
Below are some links to download recordings from this year’s and previous Grey Fox Bluegrass Festivals.
The potential for the Hudson Project was endless. With MCP presents backing major festivals like Camp Bisco and Counterpoint, and with a lineup blending such a wide variety of fantastic acts everyone had very high expectations for the inaugural year of this fest.
The first qualm that many of the patrons had, had been the fact that there would be no car camping and an added expense for leaving your car in a parking lot for the weekend, to be shuttled to the festival venue. Many festival goers were left dragging all of their camping gear miles across the grounds to camp sites scattered every which way. A wooden bridge connecting two muddy stretches of trail with steep, rickety stairs were the main access to the festival grounds leaving many people struggling to carry all of their gear up and down. By the last day of the festival the small swamp under these stairs had flooded to the point that everyone attempting to evacuate the premises had to wade through the mud with all of their belongings.
Aside from the lengthy journey to actually set up camp sites, there were many check points fully staffed with local police and police dogs. While the need for increased security to cease drug trafficking throughout festivals is certainly necessary, the last thing someone wants after walking miles with all of their belongings is for local police to tear through your bags and coolers, making you feel like a criminal. Within each checkpoint the festival staff looked through purses, wallets, pockets, hats and threw out open cigarette packs, which not only was unnecessary but also created excessively long waits to enter the actual music venue. Although the need for safety at a festival should always be top priority, the festival promoters took this to new levels.
Throughout the festival, police patrolled the camp grounds shining their flashlights into attendees tents. Security guards patrolled the main roads on horses, and each checkpoint was a gauntlet for individuals before getting into the venue to see music. On top of all of this it seemed like basic amenities like cell phone charging stations, showers and shuttles, all cost an excessive amount of money. If the patrons are not allowed back into their cars throughout the weekend then cellphone charging stations should be free. The water fill up stations, however, were extremely convenient (and free, surprisingly), but during the heat of the day the lines were so long it would leave many people feeling overwhelmingly dehydrated and exhausted. One of the rules on the festival’s website was that Camel Back water packs would not be allowed to be filled until inside of the venue, also leading to very long lines throughout the weekend.
However many qualms one may have with the Hudson Project, one thing is for certain; the music was golden. Sound Tribe Sector 9 played a phenomenal hour and a half set with their new bassist Alana, showing that even with out their former front man David Murphy, they were still more than capable of throwing down an energy packed set. The Flaming Lips played the main stage directly after Sound Tribe with a crowd that seemed to go on for miles. Their stage set up was perhaps the most intricate out of any act of the weekend, with giant psychedelic mushrooms and rainbows that made the stage into a spectacle, paired with the amazing Flaming Lips set. At one point the band had to stop playing due to an individual in the crowd having a seizure which the band attributed to their wild stage presence and décor (very possible).
Friday night was by far the best lineup for music at Hudson Project with many of the major head liners one directly after the other. This, unfortunately, made it difficult to catch all of the bigger acts. It would have been far more ideal to spread out the headliners day-to-day instead of having large acts back to back Friday and Sunday. Saturday was a full day of fantastic music including ZZ Ward who played an outrageously soulful and energy-packed set that was perfect for a beautiful sunny day in the c. Twiddle also performed a fantastic daytime set in the circus tent but with that many people in a closed tent it was abrasively hot and difficult to enjoy the entire set. Bonobo played a beautiful and ambient set while the sun went down and the evening settled on the Hudson Project. After Bonobo, Big Gigantic took the main stage with full force. This was interrupted by a torrential downpour that sent many campers running to take shelter, and other attendees dancing in the pouring rain. Almost all of the late night sets were extremely sub par. Moby’s set was filled with heavy drops and face melting bass with seemed to keep the crowd happy from start to finish. Four Tet played the exact opposite set on the other side of the grounds with zero bass drops and more of an experimental sound which gave patrons options between their late night experience.
The social media backlash began after the Sunday acts were cancelled due to extreme weather conditions were outrageous. Patrons from near and far shared their horror stories from each day at the festival leading up to one of the worst closing days since Woodstock ’99. Patrons began demanding a refund for a third of their ticket for missing an entire day of music and major acts such as BassNectar, Paper Diamond and Tipper. Those who were not lucky enough to get off the festival grounds before the storm hit were left scrambling to collect their things and seek shelter. By the time the patrons of the festival got to their vehicles the ground had begun to dissipate leaving hundreds of people stranded without food or water. The major social media backlash led to the festival putting out a statement that all attendees would be refunded for the last day of the festival. This was still a fuzzy area for many patrons who had purchased their tickets off friends or internet trading groups.
The weather certainly was the muddy tip of the iceberg for a long weekend at the first year festival. While the music still made it well worth your while, many of the circumstances throughout the weekend made it a less than desirable festival to consider attending again. This could be attributed to many different reasons, many of which are far beyond the festival promoter’s control, nonetheless it left many people very unimpressed by this festival. Nonetheless, with the broad spectrum of musical guests the Hudson Project brought to Upstate, NY, this festival has a potential to make a comeback in 2015.
Editor’s note: requests for comment from MCP Presents were not returned
This year’s Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival, one of the country’s most well-known and well-respected bluegrass festivals, will be taking place from July 17-20 on the Walsh Farm in Oak Hill, NY, a quaint hamlet nestled in the Catskill Mountains. This event consistently draws both national and international fans by the thousands, including from as far away as New Zealand, Japan, and the Czech Republic! Located about two and a half hours from New York City, it is definitely worth winding your way up the mountain to check out the transcendental experience that is the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival (formerly known as the Winterhawk Bluegrass Festival), where the line between artists and fans seems to disappear, and where folks can truly jam with and learn from the musicians performing throughout the weekend, as well as one another.
In its impressive 38th year, having landed the #2 spot on USA Today’s “10 great places to go to bluegrass festivals”, Grey Fox features an amazingly impressive collection of musicians that is hard to beat, this year’s line-up to include award-winning musicians Del McCoury’s 75th Birthday “Delebration”, The Gibson Brothers, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Claire Lynch Band, and Della Mae, to name just a few. To top that all off, Nickel Creek, who have not toured together for quite some time, will be celebrating their 25th anniversary at Grey Fox on the opening night of the festival. In addition to the “regulars” who appear, and who are definitely appreciated, year after year, the producer of the festival Mary Tyler Doub likes to introduce new talent to the scene. Her knowledge of what the fans are looking for shines through in that many of Mary’s discoveries have gone on to become regulars at not just Grey Fox, but festivals throughout the country, so be sure not to skip seeing a band just because you don’t recognize their name, as they will be sure to delight. As has been the tradition since 1983, the Dry Branch Fire Squad will be the musical hosts of Grey Fox, kicking off the festival with a “welcome” set on the Thursday afternoon of the event, and ending with a Sunday morning gospel set that gets fans motivated for that one last trip over to the High Meadow (Main) Stage before heading back to pack up camp.
While Grey Fox is obviously well-known for the extraordinary caliber of musicians it tends to attract, it can also be thought of as a place to further your bluegrass schooling, with workshops and “directed slow jams” taking place throughout the event. Even though the music taking place on the High Meadow Stage is sure to be unbelievable, it is crucial that you check out the other stages scattered around the festival site, each offering its own distinctive fun and educational experiences. The Creekside Stage is the place to go if you are looking for some of your favorite artists who will be conducting instrumental and vocal workshops on a more intimate scale, jamming out with each other, and answering questions you’ve been dying to ask your musical idols.
The Catskill Stage can also be called the “dance stage”, as that is where you will find folks boogying down to high energy “almost acoustic” bands until the wee hours. And for those early risers, a yoga class is offered each morning on the Catskill Stage, with live acoustic music provided in the background. For those who arrive on Wednesday, there will be an Open Mic Night on the Catskill Stage from 7:00-10:00PM, followed by a screening of the documentary How to Grow a Band, featuring the Punch Brothers.
The Grass Roots Learning Tent is an open forum for musicians of all abilities who want to hone their skills. Hands-on sessions on a variety of topics, last year’s topics ranging from the banjo to improvisation to harmony, are taught by top musicians and teachers in their fields.
And finally, the Slow Jam Tent is where jamming for beginners is encouraged and fostered by Paul Dube, who patiently guides new players through familiar bluegrass tunes chord by chord, and gives a few helpful pointers along the way, so you can feel inspired to join in the impromptu jams that take place in the camping areas throughout the event.
Grey Fox is an extremely family friendly event. Many of the families who come to Grey Fox together treat it as their yearly family vacation – to note, kids 12 and under are admitted free to Grey Fox with a ticketed parent or guardian. Grey Fox sure is equipped for it, with a Family Tent providing a constant array of activities from when the festival gates open, straight through until Sunday afternoon. Activities range from crafts and games, to clowns and magicians, with some musical headliners making appearances at the Family Tent as well. Movies are shown after dark, and this year, the Mid-Hudson Astronomical Association will be on hand to present their star-gazing equipment and answer any astronomy-related questions. None of these activities are meant be treated as babysitting services, and parents are encouraged to interact and participate alongside their children.
For some fans, rather than listening to the music taking place on the main stage, they are there simply to connect with old friends (some of whom you may only see once a year at Grey Fox), meet new friendly folks, and do some good old-fashioned picking. It is truly amazing to walk through “Pickers Paradise” just one of the many camping options at Grey Fox, and just listen to what is happening around you: traditional bluegrass fans truly appreciating the music they hold so dear, so much so that most people in attendance at the festival play at least one instrument and aren’t afraid to take part in a jam and learn new things from fellow festival-goers. Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival is unique in that you may hear music that is just as good in the campground as the music happening on the main stage. On a side note, there is generally no need to feel unsafe about leaving your instruments out in the open at your campsite; one typically does not hear about people having things stolen from their campsites at this festival.
Yet another distinctive feature of the Grey Fox Festival is the Bluegrass Academy for Kids (BGA). BGA is a free learning program that takes place throughout the four days of the festival, and is open to children between the ages of 8 and 17. The program teaches participants how to play, sing, and perform bluegrass music, and consists of both sectional practices based on what instrument the child plays, and ensemble practices as an entire group. BGA also features guest appearances by several of the professional musicians playing at Grey Fox. Approximately 100-120 children take part in BGA each year, and for those lucky enough to participate in this FREE learning opportunity, the entire class performs a “Graduation Gig” on the High Meadow Stage. It is truly inspirational to end the festival on this note, demonstrating that bluegrass is still going strong, and will be for a long time, being that children are continuing to show an interest in the genre.An additional worthy activity to take part in while at Grey Fox is, believe it or not, the raffle! Thanks to the generous sponsors of the festival, including Stelling, Collings, Martin, Eastman, and Deering (which should all ring a bell for all you musicians out there), fans have the chance to win custom-built, top of the line acoustic instruments from each of these sponsors! Be sure to purchase a ticket, as you may be lucky enough to take everything you learned music-wise over the course of the festival and use it on a beautiful new instrument. Plus, by purchasing a ticket, you will be supporting companies that donate funds to the Grey Fox Scholarship, which is awarded on an annual basis to promising bluegrass students who demonstrate the need for financial assistance.
As mentioned above, there are a variety of camping options to suit your fancy. High Meadow Camping is available for tent camping without cars, and is primly located behind the seating area for the main stage. For those who choose to bring their RVs along for the ride, there is a whole section of the festival site known as Generatorville. For the families attending Grey Fox, there are a few designated quiet/family camping areas scattered throughout the site, so be sure to seek out those spots if you are hoping to get some peace and quiet, because the majority of folks tend to gravitate toward Pickers Paradise, where it is not uncommon to hear sweet bluegrass tunes coming from every direction at all hours of the day and night. This is the place to camp (or just roam around) if you are looking to soak in, or take part in, all of the amazing jamming going on all around you. Be sure to look around at all the imaginative campsites you will find at Grey Fox; that is because every year, Grey Fox gives out a Best Campsite Award, with the prize being a pair of tickets to next year’s festival, plus the pride you will gain in having your name announced during Saturday night’s show! This year, the award will go to the campsite that is leanest and greenest, taking up the smallest amount of space in the most creative way. Start thinking about those sites now and perhaps you will be the lucky winner.
Camping gates open on Wednesday, July 16, at 7:00AM for those who are eager to secure the ideal camping spot and to get the festivities started early. Some fans actually camp out for the entire week before the festival at nearby campgrounds just to be one of the first to arrive and claim their camping spots for the week. For the past couple of years, Grey Fox has been encouraging folks to drop off their gear, then move their car across the street to the Car Corral, to make more room for campers. If you choose to car camp, you can do that for a $20 fee; which will be refunded if you move to the Car Corral, which also makes you eligible for nifty prizes throughout the four days, including one lucky winner who could take home a free camping ticket to next year’s festival. Even though camping at Grey Fox is “in the rough” meaning no water or electrical hook-ups, there is always plenty of potable water available at several locations throughout the site, and the port-o-johns at Grey Fox are practically a pleasure to use, as they are kept super clean the entire time. Sometimes, you’ll even find a kind person who has left an air freshener in there to make the experience that much nicer. Plus, for those who have never attended Grey Fox, you will quickly become accustomed to hearing “I-I-I-CE” called out via a megaphone throughout the camping areas; that is because there is actually an “ice man” driving a truck around selling ice to keep those coolers chilled during your four days of camping. Man, they really think of everything at Grey Fox!
Tickets are currently available on the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival website, with camping tickets selling fast, so if you’re interested, grab them soon, as they typically sell out. Full festival tickets, which include camping from 7:00AM on Wednesday, July 16, through 7:00PM on Sunday, July 20, cost $195, with an additional $20 parking fee if you are not planning on moving your car across the street to the Car Corral. Single-day tickets are available at $65 per day (except for Sunday, which cost $30). There are very few rules at Grey Fox, which leads to a much more relaxed festival experience. Basically, you are asked not to bring glass or pets, and smoke only in designated areas. You can set up your chair in the concert area and leave it there the entire weekend, but the Grey Fox way is to share your chair until you return. The system seems to work well overall.
If you are a fan of bluegrass music in its truest form, then the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival is definitely the place for you. While having the opportunity to see many of your favorite musicians and bands in one place, you can also attend workshops to become masters of your instrument, take part in directed slow jams, or try your hand at picking with fellow fans in the campgrounds. Grey Fox is definitely a festival where you take away way more than you ever expected, whether it’s learning a new chord progression, getting to chat with your favorite musician, or trying your hand at bluegrass karaoke, where a live five-piece band plays behind you. Expect to leave Grey Fox a more enriched person musically, and plan on coming back next year and the year after, as once you start coming to Grey Fox, it’s hard to stop! For some examples of what you can expect to hear at Grey Fox, here are some tunes for your enjoyment. Hope to see you lots of you on the hill
There we were, the final day of the Taste of CountryMusic Festival and what a spectacular day it was with sunny skies, warmer temperatures, and no sign of rain in the forecast. Perfect weather to end a perfect weekend. As I checked out of my hotel in East Durham, The Shamrock Inn. It had the amenities I needed, shower, bed, and electricity to charge up my camera, computer, and phone, but it had one thing I needed most of all, a bar directly across the street with more live music and a kitchen open till 2am. Yep, this girl didn’t mind the half hour travel through the windy mountainside, which I must add was spectacular. As I spoke with the campers throughout the weekend, they absolutely loved being there at Hunter Mountain.
Catskill Mountains – Taste of Country Music Festival
Day Three
The energy at the mountain seemed to be a little more passive this morning as I made my way through the vendors to select my breakfast of choice. It very well could be as the attendees were beginning to slow down from their two-day drinking binge, perhaps it was the sullenness they were beginning to feel with the approaching end to the festival, or perhaps they just weren’t awake enough yet. Whatever it was, it certainly was easier to maneuver through the crowd this morning to get this creation I had heard of the previous day at my favorite corn dog vendor. This creation was the best of all breakfast foods wrapped into one scrumptious delicacy. It was a breakfast sausage on a stick with a donut drizzled with syrup and covered with bacon bits. Yep, these carney chefs were geniuses when it came to hangover foods for these people, and myself who just appreciates anything with bacon.
Breakfast of Champions
As I made my way to the Ram Guts and Glory stage, the jealous stares at my purchase were evident as I pointed back towards my new vendor friend. With another stellar lineup in store I was really looking forward to the day’s shows. First up was Jessica Lynn, followed by Chase Rice, Tyler Farr, Thomas Rhett, Thompson Square, and ending this amazing weekend as no other could, Hank Williams Jr., aka Bocephus.
As Jessica Lynn took the stage, the crowd was sparse but, beginning to fill in, as this beautiful young lady with a full band behind her eased them into the day with some amazing music. Her sound was the perfect blend of classic country and modern country with hints of pop. With the accompaniment of the pedal steel guitar (played by her father), a fiddle, two guitars, bass, percussion, and even backup singers (one being her mother), her style was country classic, and her talent as a songwriter was apparent.
She sang songs she penned about girls in the music business, “Taking Over”, and about insecurities girls often feel about themselves in numbers such as “Pretty”. To look at Jessica you would think she was immersed in the country music business from the time she was born. After all, she had two parents who were also in the music business. However , this northern gal grew up in Yorktown Heights, NY and at an early age found country music, and life for this New Yorker was never the same. Her roots may be from the north, but this girl has a southern charm that goes on for miles.
Jessica Lynn -Taste of Country Music Festival
As Jessica’s show ended, next on the ticket was Chase Rice. Rice is one of Nashville’s superstars on the horizon as he has burst onto the scene as an independent artist and made huge strides in a business dominated by coorporate record labels. This handsome young man, who once played football for North Carolina and worked in a Nascar pit, is all about writing music. Although, he’s best known for his #1 hit song he co-wrote, “Cruise” that changed his life and propelled him into the spotlight, he’s quick to share his plans for the future and add to that catalog of musical hits.
When asked about the song he says “I am very appreciative of it, but I’m about a lot more than just one song”. That he is. Chase is currently touring with Dierks Bentley and has built a huge fan base across the country. Getting ready to release his next album Ignite the Night on August 19, Chase is living his life by his motto – “On a scale of 1 to 10, be an 11.” As he performed Sunday for the huge crowd that had amassed for him, he sang “Ready Set Roll”, and to this day he is still amazed how crowds sing along with him and know all the words despite the fact radio has never played the song.
His show was one of the most energized performances I had seen all weekend. With brothers City and Fence Tucker backing Chase up on guitar/bass, these two shred like no others with a duel pitting brother against brother, east crowd vs. west crowd to see who could yell the loudest. Chase Rice is a going to be a country super star, that I would place money on.
Chase Rice – Taste of Country Music Festival 2014
Okay, now that the football player and his dueling guitarists had left the stage, out came a man after my own heart, Tyler Farr. I loved his southern twang, I loved his redneck tunes, I loved his camo attire, and I loved his beautiful ballad “Hello Goodbye” he wrote after finding his love in the wrong driveway. Those were all endearing qualities, but what I loved most about this guy? I loved how mid sentence he spotted the guy with the turkey decoy on his head and called him out as his new best friend. This man (Tyler, not decoy head) was awesome. All weekend long the turkey decoy hat made the jumbotron, garnered whispers, points, and high fives, and it floored me why no one else had noticed it from the stage.
After all, it was definitely not small or the norm, even with this rowdy bunch. Kudos Tyler on being one with your audience. His voice, a low sexy voice, with a rugged after tone – moved you no matter if he was singing about “Chick, Trucks, and Cold Beer”, how he was “Redneck Crazy”, or how she was the “Whiskey In my Water”. No matter what he sang, he nailed it. Perhaps this is because he’s actually a classically trained musician. The control he has over his voice, almost purrs as he sings. As many of these artists had done all week, he also performed a cover, this one was by Awolnation, “Sail”. His cover got the attention of everyone there and by the end of his set, Tyler Farr was my, new best friend.
Tyler Farr – Taste of Country Music Festival 2014
Up next was Thomas Rhett. Although Rhett was born into the country music world, his plans were not to follow in his famous father’s footsteps. Seeing what Rhett Atkins went through in the business, Rhett Jr. spent a good portion of his early years trying to decide which direction to take. No matter which way he turned, it kept leading him back to the music industry. Starting out as a songwriter, his songs have been recorded by the likes of Jason Aldean and Lee Brice, and Florida Georgia Line to name a few. It was only a matter of time this talented young man would begin singing his own songs and climbing the charts himself. As much as he is a talented songwriter and singer, he has a special charisma that translates to his audiences.
From the moment he took the stage, there was a good time to be had. Singing his hits “Get Me Some of That”, “It Goes Like This” and “Something To Do With My Hands” the crowd, going crazy for each song he sang, became part of his show. Quite literally as Thomas came out into the crowd to find someone to share the stage with. Didn’t take long to find Connor, a Brantley Gilbert doppelgänger, to come up on stage with him to finish out Garth Brook’s “Friends In Low Places”. Sometimes no matter how much we try to fight something, fate plays a part in it and this is a shining example of how Thomas Rhett was meant to be on the stage.
Thomas Rhett – Taste of Country Music Festival 2014
Next on the all-star billing was Thompson Square, a husband and wife duo who have been taking Nashville by storm lately. Relatively new to listeners, this couple is not new to country music or their journey to where they are today. Arriving in Nashville to pursue solo careers, the couple met the first week there and from that moment on have found together everything they ever dreamed of. Joining forces after marrying on the music front as well, this duo combined their aspirations, songwriting talents, and blend the best attributes of both to create Thompson Square.
Since Just Feels Good, their second album, was released, their schedule has been packed with a full year of touring and performing. When this couple hits the stage you feel their connection. You feel their chemistry on stage as they performed “You’re Everything I Shouldn’t Be Thinking About” and “Here We Go Again”. However it was their performance of “If I Didn’t Have You” that fans felt their passion in each other and the music they share.
As they began playing their final song “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not” I looked around to see the first hand how contagious this love they share is with their audience. Couples dancing all around me just confirmed what an amazing team they are, and how worthy they are to be the first and only married couple to receive CMA Vocal Duo of the Year honors, in addition to multiple other CMA, AMC, AMA, and Grammy Awards and Nominations. Just proof that sometimes things are great on their own, but combine them and they are even better together. As a footnote, the award for line of the day was awarded to Thompson Square as they spotted a special guest in the audience and shouted out, “Is that Spiderman? Well it’s not a party until Spidey shows up”. Classic.
It Ain’t A Party Till Spidey Shows Up
As the sun began to set, and the festival prepared for its final act, concert goers seemed a little more subdued awaiting the legendary Hank Williams Jr. Growing up in Murfreesboro, TN instilled a few country customs one never outgrows. These include the love of cornbread, barbecue and sweet tea, the appreciation of clogging and square dancing, and the sheer awe of country greats such as Hank Williams, his son Bocephus, Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline, Conway Twitty, Johnny Cash, and so many more that graced the Grand Ole Opry stage.
No matter how far north you go, you always hold dear to your heart those country basics. So the anticipation of seeing Hank Williams Jr. in person was surreal in a way for this gal. Those in the audience seemed to share this belief as well. The crowd wasn’t the rowdy, on your shoulders holding beer up in the air bunch that had been having a good time all weekend. No, this bunch was perhaps the same group, but they were a buzz with a respectful excitement of suspense now awaiting Hank Williams Jr. to take the stage. Without keeping the crowd in suspense any longer, Hank Williams Jr. took the stage, and from that moment on that man had your attention. Not quite sure what was to be expected, but without any reservations, this man far exceeded what I imagined.
Hank Williams Jr. – Taste of Country Music Festival 2014
As Hank Williams Jr. began his set, you knew immediately that this was a man who made no excuses, didn’t apologize for who he was, and took full ownership of his beliefs, his life choices, and career. He truly was an original outlaw. As he performed numbers throughout the evening the audience gained an insight into what makes Hank tick. Raised in a household with frequent guests who gathered around the dinner table and piano, Hank’s momma, Audrey, couldn’t understand why when Hank got into music he kept gravitating towards that rockabilly sound.
Perhaps it was because Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash (his godmother), Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino, and Elvis Presley didn’t play old-fashioned country or gospel type music, when they came over. No, they banged those keys and rocked the house, and this was what Hank wanted to play. In a career that has seen more number one albums, singles, awards, and continues to thrive today, the man on stage was a living legend. As he began playing his hits such as “Women I’ve Never Had” “A Country Boy Can Survive” and “All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight”, the crowd cheered and clapped and Hank fed off of this and just got better and better with each number.
Hank Williams Jr. – Taste of Country Music Festival 2014
Because Hank has had such a successful and long career, he has the options of traveling or not traveling. He is selective when it comes to shows, so when he was approached, he said it was a no brainer to come to see us at Taste of Country Music Festival. It was on a mountain that once held one of the all time great festivals, was great hunting and fishing country, and offered a Remington Arms factory right up the road. What was to decide?
Hank Williams Jr. – Taste of Country Music Festival 2014
As the show progressed I was truly amazed at this man’s versatility. Hank Williams Jr. is quite a musician as well as an amazing singer. At one point he was sharing his love and respect for Fats Domino, as he played the piano and sang “Jambalaya”. The next minute he was performing Johnny Cash’s “Walk The Line”, and you would have sworn it was Johnny himself singing it. Then he went into one of the best mash-ups of Lynyrd Skynard/ZZ Top/Aerosmith that I’ve ever heard. All the while he shredded, strummed, tickled the ivories, and rosined up his bow – he did so with a new brim each and every number. This man is a classic. He had a hat for his guitar numbers, a hat for his rock numbers, and a hat for his honky-tonk numbers.
As he played throughout the night, I believe my favorite moment was hearing him talk of how he had been approached by a lady who had always wanted to see his father play, however didn’t have the chance to make it in time, so he dedicated a number to her. As he sang to her “Lovesick Blues” you could see Hank Williams live on through his son, through country music, and through the never-ending love and adoration of his fans. As Hank Williams Jr. played the evening, this sentiment held true for him too. As he closed out the festival, joined on stage by Tyler Farr and Thompson Square, fans knew they had just witnessed a piece of history not often seen.
Hank Williams Jr. – Taste of Country Music Festival 2014
As the curtain called, the set began to be torn down, the buses filled with gear, the shuttles filled with passengers ready to go back to their cars in the lots and hotels surrounding the mountainside, festival goers were left with an afterglow of sorts from the amazing weekend they just experienced. I must commend the event organizers, planners, volunteers, and staff for an amazingly seamless event. The security team was top-notch, diffusing anything that may escalate into a problem so that everyone there was safe and had a good time without incident.
I commend them on their top-notch staff that was hands on from day one and had every detail possible covered, beforehand and as it arose. They were efficient, professional, courteous, and always striving to make the event the best for everyone involved from the performers to staff, to media, to attendees. I can’t imagine how 2015 will live up the standards of 2014’s Taste of Music Country Festival. Oh wait, maybe you can get Tim McGraw to headline.
As day two began at Hunter Mountain’s Taste of Country Music Festival, festival goers certainly didn’t allow the torrential downpour on Friday night to hinder their spirits in any way. Perhaps the other spirits on hand played a part in that. Perhaps it was just this crowd was tough and didn’t care about sissy things like a little adverse weather conditions. With a clear forecast up on the mountain for the day, this crowd was locked and loaded, okay not quite loaded yet, but they were there and the fun had begun.
Taste of Country Music Festival 2014
Day Two
Having the hindsight to write down the directions vs. relying on cell powered GPS today, I made my way to the mountainside in no time flat, with enough time to meander around and see the festival goers, vendors, food sources, and fun to be had away from the stages. As I approached the entrance, a random festival goer high five’s me and immediately I become one with the crowd again, despite my lack of tent, cowboy hat, and/or red, white, and blue attire; this girl did have her cowboy boots on though. We belong to a gang, one that loves to hoop and holler, one that doesn’t mind getting a little dirty, cold, or wet, and a group that loves their country music and those that sing to us.
As I scoped out my attack on today’s culinary cuisine, a few of the sites beckoned me with their wafting fragrances. Tough as it was to decide between loaded potatoes, barbecue, hot dogs or hamburgers, fried macaroni and cheese, potato pancakes, alcohol infused donuts (which I would love to try next time I’m not working), watermelon, and so many more choices too numerous to list here, I made my decisions. I would start off with the Asian noodles as a healthy light fare, and later follow-up with the bacon wrapped corn dog.
As the crew began to set up the stages for the day’s performances I couldn’t help feel the energy already building for the day’s stellar lineup. Up first was Jamie Lynn Spears, followed by The Cadillac Three, Charlie Worsham, Leah Turner, Craig Morgan, Randy Houser, and the headliner and one of country music’s icons, Brad Paisley would finish the night out right. Wishing the line to the chair lift wasn’t so long so I could get a panoramic view of this crowd and the goings on, I had to put off as there just wasn’t time before the first performer took the stage. As I hiked the hill to scope out the crowd, I took note that the crowd around the Ram Guts and Glory Stage was starting to fill in, which was my que to hightail it back to my spot for the shots I needed to capture.
Up first was Jamie Lynn Spears, best known as an actress on several Nickelodeon shows, and sibling to her famous sister, Brittany. The crowd seemed apprehensive to what they would be in store for, but open-minded enough to welcome her with cheers and encouragement. Jamie had been out of the lime light now for more than six years focusing on her soon to turn 6-year-old, daughter Maddie. During this time, Jamie did some soul-searching and being from the south and loving country music, she began writing with a team that included Chris Tompkins, Liz Rose, Lisa Carver and Luke Laird.
With their expert guidance, she learned the art in putting your heart and soul into words that translate to messages through her songs. As she began to sing, as good of an actress she is, this definitely is her calling She has the perfect country voice, the perfect stage presence, and showed this audience what raw talent she has in this business. She definitely proved herself and laid to rest and doubts the audience may have. As she sang songs from her current list of music and covers she won over the audience. However it if they didn’t love her yet, when she brought out her daughter to have the audience help her sing “Happy Birthday” to her, she won them over then. Look forward to seeing more from this artist in country music as she grows with this country music family too.
As Jamie left the stage, next on the days lineup was a band called The Cadillac Three. As they took the stage, this trio of musicians stole my heart and rocked my world. You couldn’t help relating to these guys as you felt like you were in the presence of Wayne and Garth from the movie Wayne’s World, which I’m sure they get all the time. However, once past the initial doppelgänger recognition factor, Jaren Johnston, Neil Mason and Kelby Ray got your attention in a whole new way. The energy they had during their set was off the charts.
As they performed all I kept thinking was they were a party on stage. Their hillbilly rocking, southern rock style was reminiscent of ZZ Top meets Lynyrd Skynyrd meets Molly Hatchet meets Charlie Daniels, meets .38 Special. This wasn’t country music, this was rock and roll folks. Their performances incited the audience and made for some of the most fun I had to date this weekend. As a photographer first and foremost, I just love bands that move around the stage. Things that always make for great photos were everything they offered in their show; long crazy rock and roll hair to whip around, a drummer that stood up and above his set really getting into the beat, and reflective glasses to show off the insanity their music was inciting.
The Cadiallac Three – Taste of Country Music Festival 2014
If you haven’t taken a look at these guys yet, please do. You may have heard Keith Urban’s #1 single “You Gonna Fly”, which was co-written by Johnston, but it’s only the tip of their talent as their music that is worth a listen to. Numbers such as “Tennessee Mojo”, “Back It Up”, and “The South” substantiate their stronghold they will wreck on the country music world.
Next on the bill was newcomer Charlie Worsham. Relatively new to this audience but definitely not new to the business, this talented young man has years and years under his belt of music experience. He began playing piano in kindergarten, and then after seeing bluegrass banjo player, Mike Snider, at Opryland began learning the banjo. Years later he would join him onstage at the Opry accompanying him on his own banjo. This multi talent young man didn’t quit at the piano and banjo, each year he would learn another new instrument.
This versatile young man found himself at Berkelee College of Music, where he fine tuned his craft in instruments and writing and since has toured and collaborated with such stars as Miranda Lambert and Taylor Swift. On his newly released album Rubberband you will hear further collaborations with country music greats, Vince Gill and Marty Stewart, who join him in “Tools of the Trade”. This young man was a total crowd pleaser from the moment the audience saw him. Out of the norm for most musicians, he came out to the audience prior to his set to meet fans and sign autographs. You see this after the fact at times, however beforehand is generally not the norm. Signing and talking with them for a good long time, he eventually had to stop as his band beckoned him back to the stage to start the set.
Already developing a relationship with this audience, this continued as he totally countryfied this crowd with his amazing banjo and mandolin playing tunes. As if they couldn’t love him more, he decided today was the crowd and day for his first ever “body surfing”. This totally rocked as he was passed from front to back to the soundboard and high fives everyone the entire time. During his set he pulled up a young lady from the front and serenaded “Happy Birthday” to her as she blushed and gushed over him. Yes, Charlie Worsham was a crowd favorite.
The Cadillac Three – Taste of Country Music Festival 2014
As Leah Turner took the stage, her raspy country voice was a nice example of female representation in the male dominated country music business today. Leah originating from California was by no means a surfer type, in fact she was representing the California cowboy/cowgirl clans. One area of country music often forgotten about as Bakersfield, CA, which has given us some of country’s greatest artists, such as Buck Owens, Dwight Yoakum, Marty Stewart, Creedance Clearwater Revival, and Merle Haggard to name a few. About an hour outside of LA, Leah was raised on a farm in Morongo Valley with horses, goats, and chickens.
This young lady had been around cowboys her entire life as her father has been on the rodeo circuit for years. So country music was in her soul. After working in LA with well-known producers, David Foster and Humberto Gatica, she realized her heart was in country music, and shortly thereafter bought her one way ticket to Nashville to realize her dreams. The one thing you noticed about this country gal was she was no sissy. She had a strong presence, strong voice, and I’ll kick it country attitude. As she sang some of her new tunes like “Take The Keys” and “Bless My Heart” from her EP Leah Turner, she showed us she had followed her true path. Show casing her strong voice even further were her covers of Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” which pumped up the female crowd attendees, and her cover of John Fogerty’s tune “Proud Mary” which truly accentuated her strong vocal skills and stage presence.
Leah Turner – Taste of Country Music Festival 2014
Next up was Craig Morgan. As I looked around the audience, his popularity was apparent. It was a blanket of people everywhere. Opening the set with his hit “International Harvester”, he immediately got the attention of the crowd and from that point on sang hit after hit. Numbers such as “A Little Bit of Life”, “Wake Up Loving You”, and of course his hits “Redneck Yacht Club” & “That’s What I Love About Sunday”. This down home family man has found success just being himself. With a resume that is as diverse as it gets, it demonstrates one thing about Craig, that he is a people person that cares about making life better for others no matter what the job. Beginning as an EMT, he then spent ten years in the military, went on to being a contractor, sheriff’s deputy, and even worked at Wal-Mart. The one thing though that tied all these jobs together?
No matter what he was doing or where he was going, music was his passion and played a part in every aspect of what he did. This dedication continues into his personal life as he is an avid outdoorsman, husband, and father to four children. He continues with his dedication to community and causes such as those serving in the military. He has had an extensive singing career for years, and the one thing he continues to do is grow with his music. He’s at a point in his career now that allows him the ability to feel confident enough to uncover raw emotions in his songwriting that reflects a piece of him in each song.
Songs such as “If Not Me” and “We’ll come Back Around” signifies the depths he went to, to address ideals and experiences in life he drew from. His success and longevity however come from his ability to mix it up and covers such as Justin Timberlake’s “Drink You Away” and Foreigner’s “I’ve Been Waiting” were perfect examples of Craig being Craig. His set flew by, and the sea of people gathered cheering confirmed his popularity at this years Taste of Country Music Festival.
Craig Morgan – Taste of Country Music Festival 2014
If any artist was to receive an award for their performance at the show this year, hands down it would be Randy Houser. As Randy took the stage, unbeknownst to anyone in the audience, he and keyboardist, John Henry Trinko, literally just arrived. Somewhere out in Pennsylvania was the rest of the band, the gear, and a broken down bus. Not quite sure how the crowd would react, he began his acoustic set. As he shared with the audience how he is a songwriter first and foremost, he began his set. Best known for his “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” song recorded by Trace Adkins, Randy’s portfolio of work is much more serious as he writes mainly about life experiences. As he played song by song, no one noticed there wasn’t a band behind him.
Between him and John Henry, they had it covered. Randy told the audience how it felt as though we were all sitting in his living room or on his porch, sharing a beer, and listening to music together. And that is how it felt. This acoustic set was amazing. His voice was all the crowd needed. It wasn’t the pomp and circumstance they loved about Randy, it was his voice, his message, his music. As he sang “Started With A Goodnight Kiss” and “Running Out of Moonlight”, the audience loved him more and more. However they really were on his front porch as they joined in on his cover of Garth Brook’s “Friends In Low Places”. He didn’t need all the special effects. A keyboard, a guitar, and his voice was all that necessary to bring the show.
Randy Houser
As Randy left the stage, Dee Jay Silver pumped up the crowd with his mixes of country tunes keeping this complete wall to wall crowd at bay during set change. Pure genius as this crowd was completely pumped up and ready for the highlight of the evening, Brad Paisley.
Brad Paisley – Taste of Country Music Festival 2014
As Brad Paisley took the stage, the most spectacular light show ensued along with a full lineup on stage, and full set list of hits to share. Brad best known for his numerous number one albums and hits, and charming sense of humor brought that along with an extensive catalog of music to choose from. Even though he was promoting his new album, Moonshine In The Trunk, with today’s current hit “River Bank”, he shared out of the treasure chest of other albums with numbers such as “This is Country Music”, “Online”, “Ticks”, “Mud on the Tires”, and “American Saturday Night”.
Through the modern miracle of technology, Brad was able to perform his duet with Carrie Underwood, “Remind Me”, as her image was projected in a hologram right there on stage. He was awarded the best line for the night as he told the crowd “…this is the most fun you’ll never remember you had…” Brad always has come across as a decent human being, and this was solidified as I saw him sign and hand a guitar he had just finished playing to a small boy right in the front of the stage. Who does that right in the middle of their act? Brad Paisley does. Truly a superstar and all around decent guy.
Brad Paisley – Taste of Country Music Festival 2014
As the night came to a close up to the top of the mountain the spectacular light show finished out the night as the fireworks display went off. Yep, Day Two lived up and beyond Day One. Surely Day Three, would be anti-climatic. Or would it?
Well if there was ever any question as to how northerners feel about country music, all doubts were laid to rest June 13, 14, and 15 – as more than 40,000 ready to party, country music fans flooded the Catskill Mountains with their tents, coolers, cowboy boots, cowboy hats, and American flags in tow for the Second Annual Taste of Country Music Festival.
Sponsored by Taste of Country Music, organized by Townsquare Productions, LLC, a collaboration between Townsquare Media Group and Chet-5 Festivals. The Festival was held at the beautiful Hunter Mountain Ski Lodge, in the heart of the Catskill Mountains in Upstate New York. The setting and choice of seasons couldn’t have been better to celebrate the festival. With a lineup that looked like the guest list from the country music awards show, I was caught up in the flood of anticipation for what was to come over the next three days.
Friday – Day One
Although the festival opened Thursday with a few special performances for the early arrivers. Friday was officially the start of the festival and the lineup was stacked, starting with Gwen Sebastian opening the main Ram Guts & Glory Stage, followed by Blackjack Billy, Eric Paslay, Brantley Gilbert, and closing out the night with one of my favorite country musicians, Dierks Bentley. Inside at the Bud Light Stage, Ms. Ashley Winters, Gwen Sebastian, and the Timothy Chance Band entertained those taking cover from the weather conditions. Which did its best to put a damper on the show by the end of the night with a downpour. However, tried and true die-hard country fans didn’t budge. What’s a little mud on the boots after all? Wasn’t anything new to them. Bring it on, and bring on the weekend. They were ready.
Friday Fans at Taste of Country Music Festival
As I meandered my way through the mountainside towards the festival, cell coverage was sketchy for this gal and as the GPS gave out, I found myself at the end of a dead-end dirt road. Realizing this truly wasn’t the way to Hunter Mountain and thinking to myself what a great country song this would be, I turned myself around and found my way to the mountain just in time to make my way up to my parking place and inside to the main stage just as Blackjack Billy was going on. A little disappointed to have missed Gwen Sebastian’s set, I heard from those around what a great performance she had and vowed to catch her next time she came up this way.
Blackjack Billy at Taste of Country Music Festival
For new fans of Blackjack Billy, this amazing group is the partnership of Rob Blackledge and Noll Billings who moved to the Nashville area to pursue solo careers, however it was after meeting each other and partnering with Jeff Coplan that they had realized that they found the right mix to showcase their talents. Individually they have their own unique sound, however it’s the combination of what these individuals bring to the table that put them over the top. Throw in drummer, Brad Cummings, and the energy they brought to the festival was off the charts. With songs, “Get Some”, “Got A Feeling”, and “Drink Along” these guys turned up the heat for the crowd and got them rocking. But it was their mashup of – Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours”, Nelly’s “Must Be For the Money”, throw in some classic Journey, and finish it out with Lil Jon’s “Get Low” and the crowd was on the verge of pandemonium. What’s unique about this group is their unique sound, their showmanship on stage, and their genuine desire to take time out for their fans. In between sets as the stage was being set up for another act you could find Noll Billings out in the crowd signing caps, shirts, and whatever was thrown his way while also taking selfies. A relatively new band, but definitely one to watch for in the future.
Brantley Gilbert at Taste of Country Music Festival
As Ashley Winters went on the inside stage, it wasn’t long before Eric Paslay was set up and out entertaining the hyped up crowd. Wishing I could be at two places at once, I stayed put as Eric began his set. The one thing that stood out immediately with Eric was his songwriting talents. You hear all the time of artists who travel to Nashville, LA, and New York to become stars. However part of the internship into this select group includes playing numerous gigs every time asked no matter where, and writing song after song, many that end up being someone else’s hit. With songs like “Angel Eyes” Paslay showcased his impressive resume of melodies for the audience demonstrating to them his talent with words.
Dierks Bentley
But after hearing a few other melodies such as “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” and “Rewind” it was apparent that this multi talented young man was destined for a long and successful career both writing and recording. Ending an absolutely outstanding setlist was his current hit “Song About A Girl”. As Eric so bluntly puts it, country music isn’t always “about tailgates…about bonfires…about souped up cars, water towers, or drowning in a bottle of Jack – it’s a Song About A Girl”. With the debate of how country music has changed over the years, this song brings to light how country music has evolved and covers all topics. Just because it’s not the same as what it was generations before, doesn’t mean country isn’t country any more. For decades subject matter for country songs tends to follow these guidelines – Some songs are let’s have good time Friday night songs, some are love songs, some are break-up songs, and some are family songs about home and the farm. No matter what the subject matter is though, Eric Paslay I guarantee will put it to words and music, and make it a country hit.
Eric Paslay
As the night grew darker, the weather began to look ominous, a storm was brewing. As if on que, out came Brantley Gilbert, a 29-year-old from Jefferson, Georgia wearing biker boots, blue jeans with a chain hanging out his pocket, a white tank top, ball cap, piercings, and rings that could definitely break your nose with one hit. With a microphone handle that looked like brass knuckles, this bad boy had our attention. It was apparent that this outlaw definitely makes his own rules, and I looked forward to seeing if his music reflected this attitude as well.
As Brantley performed, the audience began to see another side to this tough guy. He was charming, he was patriotic, he was chivalrous. All in all he was one outstanding young man who stood for what he believed in and made no excuses. His music was the same. I could see all the influences of life and music he had inside, come out in the music he wrote and performed. He sang of family, friends, love, and country. His music was the perfect marriage of country and southern rock n’ roll, the kind you have to crank up in your car, and this music was delivered with a sultry raspy country twang that came across super sexy and powerful.
Brantley Gilbert at Taste of Country Music Festival
As he performed the hit “Dirt Road Anthem” which he co-wrote and was recorded by Jason Aldean, “You Don’t Know Her Like I Do”, and “Small Town Throwdown” you were wrapped up in the wave of energy both on stage and off as the audience began to respond. As he shared stories behind his music, fans got a sense that this young man was destined for greatness. His stage presence, his energy level, his sheer talent, all are indicators that this man is a name to remember.
Take amazing songs, add in a bit of southern country bad boy, a splash of patriotic charm, and a whole bunch of energy and talent and it’s understandable how he has more than 823K followers on Twitter and more than 3,000,000 on Facebook. As he closed out his set with his number one hit “Bottoms Up”, the 2013 ACM’s Best New Male Artist Award recipient gave festival goers a peek of what is to come for this young man. Brantley Gilbert is definitely a name that will go down in country music history.
Brantley Gilbert at Taste of Country Music Festival
As Brantley left the stage, the act everyone had been waiting for all day was up next. Headlining the first night of the Taste of Country Festival was multiple Grammy, CMA, and ACM award-winning artist, and Grand Ole Opry member, the one and only Dierks Bentley. Bentley, currently touring in support of his latest album, Riser, had a magnificent stage set up. With so many number one hits to choose from for a setlist, it was bound to be a complete hour of amazing music.
This family man outdid himself this time as each number demonstrated the depths he went in finding the words to express his feelings. These raw emotions found an outlet through his songs, each representing loss, love, and life he had recently been going through. His talent is more than just a pretty face and honey twanged voice. He grows with his music. He’s not afraid to put himself out there or stand up for what he wants in life. As he began to play, you could see a part of him in numbers such as “Drunk On A Plane” in which he shows his sense of humor and his other passion in life, being a pilot.
The truly personal song “I’ll Hold On,” which gives an insight into his character and what means the most in his life – family, love, and music. Sharing moments on the road, displaying family and friends in a video projecting behind him and the band, he sang “Every Mile A Memory”. I’m always impressed by the production of these tours and his light show was actually another piece of the band accompanying him on each number.
As he played “Got A Lot of Leaving Left To Do” the ambient lighting left you feeling a bit melancholy, as the low twinkling lights helped set the mood. As he began singing “Counting Stars,” one of the songs recently performed with One Republic at the festival, I thought to myself what a perfect pairing these artists were bringing out the best in them and their songs. Covers continued with two more crowd favorites with a rendition of both Bon Jovi’s “Living On a Prayer”, always a crowd pleaser, and one of my personal favorites, “Hey Brother” by Avicii.
As anticipated, his set list was amazing, full of hit after hit, his production with lighting, sound, and videography paired perfectly, and to end the evening was another favorite, “Settle For A Slow Down”. He nailed it. His live performance lived up to any expectations festival goers had.
Dierks Bentley at Taste of Country Music Festival
As the night came to an end with pouring rain coming down on each and every attendee, it didn’t seem to matter as I passed smile after smile. I couldn’t imagine this event getting any better than tonight’s performances and wondered if this was the climatic highlight to the weekends event. Could Day 2 live up to the first day? Stay tuned for Day 2’s coverage and highlights with NYS Music.com’s part two of the Taste of Country Music Festival at Hunter Mountain.
Coming out of the gate in 2013 as a new country music festival, the Taste of Country finished with a huge win for all involved. With a field of winning performers in the first year, those in attendance at Hunter Mountain were in for a treat.
Set in the picturesque Catskill Mountains of New York State, only a few hours north of the NYC, and an hour off of the NY State Thruway, Hunter Mountain is centrally located and the perfect setting for a country music festival. Just envision lush green foliage and cool mountain breezes along with your favorite artists, food, friends and family. What could be better?
Country music is said to have originated in the southern Appalachian Mountains of North America as immigrants brought over favorite instruments such as the Irish fiddle, the German-derived dulcimer, the Italian mandolin, the Spanish guitar, and the West African banjo. This collection of culturally based music and instrumentation has evolved over the years into what is today’s country music.
Hank Williams Jr. – Taste of Country Music Festival 2014
Country music is so diverse and appeals to so many listeners that we now see it crossing over to main stream radio, with hits topping both charts. It just seems fitting to have this event in the foothills of the mountains, be it not its original Appalachian mountainside, it’s still truly the perfect setting for the only country music festival held in the Northeast.
With a “Who’s Who List” of country musicians gracing the two stages this year, you would be hard pressed to choose which stage to be at at any given time. However, don’t fret, because this festival has been organized by Townsquare Productions, LLC, a collaboration between Townsquare Media Group and Chet-5 Festivals. “Townsquare Media Group is a diversified media, entertainment and digital marketing services company that owns and operates radio, digital and live event properties, and Chet-5 Festivals has produced the Mountain Jam music festival since its inception in 2005”.
They have organized these two stages so that the musical acts are performing at staggered times and attendees can meander between the two and not miss a minute of either show. Having attended several festivals in the past, this option has me extremely excited as I can see everyone on my “must see” list, and not have to choose between which stage to spend my time.
Taste of Country Music Festival 2014 Line Up
Options for camping are numerous as well, however becoming limited in certain areas. Passes can be purchased for the whole weekend event, with or without camping, and they recently released single day passes in the event you can’t make it for the whole three-day festival. Wait…did I say three-day festival? I meant four-day festival as they have just announced their “Campground Kickoff Party” to begin on Thursday, June 12th as a thank you gift to ticket holders. And if you don’t feel like camping, visit the Taste of Country Music Festival website for a list of alternate lodging accommodations within the area. Shuttles will run from local designated areas throughout the entire weekend and tickets are still available for the shuttle services.
Like all great events with music, fun, and friends, there must be food. Those attendees planning to eat at the event will have a smorgasbord of choices to choose from, with numerous vendors satiating appetites with foods as unique as grilled mac & cheese sandwiches to the perfect Chinese noodles and vegetables. Yes I said grilled mac and cheese sandwiches.
For this who can’t sit still, there will be vendors and activities on site to saunter through and see all there is to see. For the perfect view of the whole event, don’t forget to ride the chair lift to the top for the best vantage of all the goings-on below.
Spectacular music is the focus of the entire weekend, with spectacular views, spectacular food, and spectacular friends and family. Now that is what country living is all about.
The festival officially began on Thursday, July 17, but for those hardcore Grey Fox attendees, the gates opened early, on Wednesday at 7:00AM to be exact, so folks had time to set up camp either car-camping style, or a bit more ‘in the rough’ having to carry your stuff across a field to the High Meadow Camping area and park across the street in the Car Corral, which entitled you to a $20 parking fee refund, as well as entrance in a raffle to win a pair of tickets to next year’s festival. For those early to arrive, entertainment for the evening was provided on the 
As the crew began to set up the stages for the day’s performances I couldn’t help feel the energy already building for the day’s stellar lineup. Up first was Jamie Lynn Spears, followed by The Cadillac Three, Charlie Worsham, Leah Turner, Craig Morgan, Randy Houser, and the headliner and one of country music’s icons, Brad Paisley would finish the night out right. Wishing the line to the chair lift wasn’t so long so I could get a panoramic view of this crowd and the goings on, I had to put off as there just wasn’t time before the first performer took the stage. As I hiked the hill to scope out the crowd, I took note that the crowd around the Ram Guts and Glory Stage was starting to fill in, which was my que to hightail it back to my spot for the shots I needed to capture.
Up first was 
Set in the picturesque Catskill Mountains of New York State, only a few hours north of the NYC, and an hour off of the NY State Thruway, Hunter Mountain is centrally located and the perfect setting for a country music festival. Just envision lush green foliage and cool mountain breezes along with your favorite artists, food, friends and family. What could be better?
For this who can’t sit still, there will be vendors and activities on site to saunter through and see all there is to see. For the perfect view of the whole event, don’t forget to ride the chair lift to the top for the best vantage of all the goings-on below.