Before starting to festival mode this morning, I discovered that this area has loads to offer folks who might be interested in hiking around, checking out waterfalls, etc. (For info about such things one can contact www.HuyakPreserve.org.) With help from one of their friendly members, I was turned on to some great trails and a lovely waterfall, and then found some great views of the festival from some of the surrounding hillsides.
I started my day with the Rushad Eggleston and Duncan Wickel show on the main stage. I’ll tell you what, that is some seriously unique stuff! Rushad jumps all over the stage while playing his cello, never skipping a beat, and plays in all sorts of different styles. Maybe it is best if I just put a few photos and links and let you see for yourselves. He was partnered with a great fiddle player named Duncan Wickel, and they did some things I bet many in the audience never expected to see on stage.
I then checked out the Six Deadly Venoms from New York City. They were smoking hot!
Then I saw a fun new band that came all the way from Ireland called I Draw Slow.
Following them I checked out Nora Jane Struthers and The Party Line rockin’ the Main Stage, High Meadow Stage as they call it.
Then a moment many had been waiting for… Tim O’Brien, Casey Dreisen, Mike Bub, Noam Pikilney, and Bryan Sutton took the stage. Shoot, its hard to get better than that.
Here is a little taste…
Then came the duet of Chris Thile and Michael Daves. At one point in their set, they asked the crowd for suggestions for a fiddle tune medley. I love seeing a festival crowd excitedly calling out bluegrass fiddle tunes instead of the Stairway to Heaven or Freebird.
Here is the result…
Jerry Douglas did a great set of old school style rocking bluegrass with Tim O’Brien on mando, Shawn Camp on guitar, Barry Bales on bass, Charlie Cushman on banjo, and Johnny Warren on fiddle.
The Carolina Chocolate Drops had the fans going crazy too, and were singin’ and pickin’ up a storm. Here is a fun piece with the old style bones and banjo.
