We’re quickly approaching the 5th Annual Americana Music Festival & Flatpicking Guitar Camp at Peaceful Bend Vineyard in Steelville, Missouri. The event is put on by Simplefolk Productions and plays host to some great flatpicking every year.
The last several years I’ve attended in a production capacity, filming at least one concert for a festival DVD. Alas, I won’t be doing so in 2010, but nonetheless, I encourage you to check it out if you love flatpicking.
This year’s lineup seems particularly suited for those interested in contest playing. Three National Flatpicking Champions, Roy Curry, Robert Shafer, and Bryan McDowell, will be serving as instructors for the workshops, along with a couple other Winfield pickers, Eric Hardin and Brandon Davis. McDowell made Winfield history last fall when he took home first place prizes for guitar, mandolin, and fiddle becoming the first person to win three Winfield competitions in the same year. His band mates, Eric Hardin and Brandon Davis, took home the second and third place prizes in the flatpicking competition, making it a complete sweep for the Winfield Three, as they’re being called.
Joining these guys for some of the performance aspects of the festival will be one of our favorites, the 2008/2009 IBMA Guitar Player of the Year, Josh Williams.
Like I said, if you love guitar, this is the festival for you.
The setting is intimate and casual, the food is great (Missouri Bar-B-Que can’t be beat!), the picking is even better, and the folks are the best.
The festival dates are May 21-22. More information is available on the Simplefolk website.
