Cutter & Cash at the 2026 Industrial Strength Summer Fest – photo © Bill Warren
The second Industrial Strength Summer Fest is in the books. Joe and Daniel Mullins, and their tremendous staff of volunteers, made for a smooth weekend. Special kudos to audio engineer Elijah Doty. He made two seamless moves from the outdoor stage to the indoor stage when the weather turned. Eddie Faris and Troy Pope were a great help during the first move. Great job Elijah! We all appreciated your hard work.
Kenny Smith held a guitar workshop on the main stage on Friday. He explained a lot of fundamentals that he uses every day to maintain his skills. Geoff Hohwald from the Mandolin Warehouse did a beginner’s banjo workshop in the indoor facility.
Joe and Daniel split the MC duties during the festival.
The Edgar Loudermilk Band opened the day’s stage show. The band has become one of the busiest in the genre along with promoting several festivals.
Kenny & Amanda Smith then presented their duo act. Their thirty years together shows in their comfort level and banter. Daughter Annabelle debuts on their new recording. She certainly got her mother’s singing gene!
The Chris Davis Band has hit its stride. I was privileged to see the band’s first performance at Paula Hinton’s Years of Farming. This is one of the new bands that needs to be on your must-see list. Chris’ dad Danny Davis joined him for a tune, as did Paul Williams.
Jerry Salley did his one man show. It is always a treat to listen to a songwriter tell the back stories and then sing the songs. It is a complete musical experience. Jerry’s songs tell stories from the heart. He recently signed with Tall Oaks Music.
Inclement weather moved the festival to the indoor stage at the end of Jerry’s set.
Deeper Shade of Blue made their way from North Carolina for their first Summer Fest appearance. They are one of the finest harmony groups currently performing, and Paul Williams joined the band at one point. Scott Burgess said that this was the highlight of his career.
Junior Sisk has started his retirement tour with his new band. This is a topflight group of young men that keep the Rambler’s Choice sound on pace. Junior will conclude his touring career later in 2027.
The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys closed out Friday with a typical high-energy set. See them if they are in your area.
Jerry Salley did a songwriting workshop to kick off Saturday. He started with a bit of his background and then talked about his approach to songwriting. He talked about songwriting “rules,” saying that you have to know them before you know how to break them.
New Strength is an Ohio-based bluegrass gospel band. They opened Saturday’s stage show. There are two generations of the Haddix family in this band., who presented some original music along with some of the old gospel favorites.
The West Liberty Mountain Boys +1 is a strong traditional bluegrass band. They will be seen more and more. Give them a listen.
Cutter and Cash & Kentucky Grass are a brother act. These young men take the crowd back to the days of colorful suits and equally colorful music.
Larry Cordle came to the show as a trio with Kelsey Crews and Mike Anglin. Clay Hess and his family sat in the front row ready to listen. Cord said, “Clay, get your guitar and get up here!” The trio was a quartet! Larry, like Jerry Salley, gives the back stories of his songs. It is an entertaining experience.
Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road gave a great performance that included special guests Larry Cordle, Joe Mullins, and Paul Williams. Joe and Ben Greene showed that it does take two to play the banjo! Lorraine is now an honary Buckeye and sings the promotional song Ohio. Joe, who debuted the song with his Radio Ramblers, joined in.
Carson Peters & Iron Mountain is another young band that is climbing the bluegrass ladder. The band is a group of highly talented men that are headed for the top.
The Seldom Scene was the closing act of the festival. They got three songs into their set when Mother Nature decided they should move inside. Again, Elijah did a yeoman’s job of making the move. The Scene closed things out to an appreciative audience.
Candidpix.info‘s next stop is the Marshall Bluegrass Festival at the Calhoun County Fairgrounds in Marshall, Michigan. It is a full week of activities with a weekend stage show.
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