Fast Track at the 2024 Marshall Bluegrass Festival – photo © Bill Warren
The 27th Marshall Bluegrass Festival finished up Saturday evening at the Calhoun County Fairgrounds in Marshall, Michigan. The festival was started by Burk Cole. After his untimely passing, his nephew, Jeremie Cole, took the reins and has continued the festival.
This involves a full week of activities. Monday was bingo day. Tuesday had a craft fair and sale along with a euchre tournament. Wednesday is always a busy day with a Monroe-style mandolin workshop, a golf cart parade, a cornhole tournament, Karaoke in the evening, and a midnight jam with the Edgar Loudermilk Band. This photographer had the honor and privilege of MCing the stage show.
That stage show started Thursday afternoon as Foxtail Grass opened the proceedings. This family has been entertaining Ohio and Michigan fans for many years. Current members are brothers Jim and Lynn Fox along with sister Deanna.
Forked Run from southeast Michigan was up next. This is a fairly new band with some seasoned musicians. John Coffey has been a cornerstone of Michigan bluegrass music for many years. He has Dana Cupp playing banjo, who was Bill Monroe’s final banjo player. The band will be playing in Manton, Michigan on Saturday, August 3.
Dale Perry pulled double duty for the weekend playing with Fast Track and running the sound system. The band played both Thursday and Saturday. The are one of the busiest bands on the circuit.
Host band, Harbourtown, played their only set on Thursday. Promoter Jeremie Cole leads this now Michigan-based group. Along with Dana Cupp he has Jennifer Strickland Zapolnik and Issac Smith as part of the band. Jennifer toured with Alecia Nugent for several years and Isaac toured with Marty Raybon.
The Michigan Mafia String Band gives a high energy performance. Leader Mark “Foose” Zickafoose describes the band a “Rockin’ Acoustic band for hard working Americans.”
Tom Buller came in from Nashville and provided classic country music for those who wanted to dance. He did several trio numbers with his son, Bradley, and daughter, Amy.
Friday saw long time Michigan band Cedar Creek open the stage show. Delmar (Bosco) Hackworth was one of the original founders in the mid-’90s. The band was on hiatus for a few years and has now reformed. They will be playing on August 3 in Dexter, Michigan at the Webster Township Historical Society fundraiser.
Uniontown came from the Georgetown, Ohio area to entertain the Marshall fans. This is a new band to me, who put on two very good sets of music.
The Charla Freeland Band came in from the Ozarks for their first time at the festival. They placed second in the 2023 SPBGMA band contest. This is a band to see if they are in your area.
Larry Efaw always brings the mountain style bluegrass of the Stanley Brothers. Larry promotes a festival in Maumee, Ohio every January.
The Caleb Daugherty Band closed out the evening show. There was a special presentation during their afternoon show. Michigan has long been a hotbed of banjo players. Jeremie put together a banjo tribute show for the last part of Caleb’s set. The group was nine – yes nine – banjo players on the stage. There were several players that toured nationally for a time. Tim Ellis was with Jim & Jesse. Dana Cupp was with Bill Monroe and the Osborne Brothers. Brad Campbell was with Doyle Lawson. Randy Blankenship played with many of Michigan’s best bands and Wes Pettinger toured with the Edgar Loudermilk Band. Also included were Gene Elkins, Gavin Conley, Jeremie Cole, and Craig Pryce. It was something that probably cannot be duplicated.
Saturday kicked off with one of the things that makes Marshall well known – the band scramble. Musicians sign up during the weekend. At 11:00 a.m. Saturday morning bands are formed by blind draw. The bands have an hour to work up three songs. At noon the show starts. Terri Grannis organized the scramble this year. Five bands were formed and they each played. The audience determines the winner by applause with cash prizes awarded to the top three. The winning band got to do a live show in the Ol Hippie Show mobile studio.
A couple awards are presented following the scramble. The first is given to a person that has been a major contributor to the Michigan bluegrass community. This year’s recipient is John Coffey.
Jeremie and his fiancé, Alexus Ross, have started a scholarship fund for a college bound area student. This year’s scholarship is awarded to Malena Johnson, a graduate from Marshall. She is going to attend the University of Michigan for teaching in secondary education. The award totaled $5,000 after some late donations. Congratulations Malena! The fund was helped this year by the family of the late Bruce Maclean who passed recently. He was a major supporter of bluegrass music.
The Country Gentlemen Show presented two sets of music that can take the listener back in time to some of the Country Gentlemen’s greatest songs. They are now transitioning to some of their own music also. To that end their new project is called Yesterday and Today. Mike Phipps describes it as some of the old music and some new written just for the band.
Fenced In brought a dynamic sound to Marshall. John Rigsby is unequalled when he sings Beulah Land. Steve Sparkman takes one back in time to the banjo sound of Dr. Ralph Stanley. Curnie Lee Wilson, Rick Oldfield, and Ron Mosely make great harmony.
The Kevin Prater Band is a staple at this festival. His show moves along and then he blows up the crowd with his rendition of House of the Rising Sun!
Fast Track completed their weekend with two great sets on Saturday.
The show was closed by what Jeremie has titled “The Marshall Bluegrass Band. Bo Isaac comes to town to anchor it. The band is rounded out by Steve Day, Caleb Daugherty, Kevin Prater, Brad Campbell, and Bailey Moore. It is a rollicking good way to close a festival.
The Candidpix.info cameras will next be at the Manton Bluegrass Festival on August 3.
Support your local music venues.
