• Date line: Raleigh, NC

    Date line: Raleigh, NC This is traditionally a short column, written some time in between the IBMA World of Bluegrass keynote address and a showcase I need to attend at Tir Na Nog (that’s a local pub which I believe is

  • Don’t they know…?

    I got a wide range of response to my suggestion that the world was going to be ending during the IBMA World of Bluegrass in Raleigh. After reading those responses, and in giving the whole issue some thought (but not

  • The end of the World (of Bluegrass)!

    I can’t delve too far into the specifics of it, but apparently the world is ending at the end of the month, more-or-less exactly in the middle of the IBMA World of Bluegrass, possibly during the Momentum Awards luncheon (I’d

  • Songs to skip at your next gig

    I’ve mentioned this before, but I have a theory that a sizable chunk of modern bluegrass fans aren’t listening to the lyrics of any of the songs. I’ve even tested this theory out on more than one occasion: once, when

  • Virtual reality, songwriter edition

    I never thought I’d find myself discussing video games in this space; I’m really more of a pinball guy, which I like to think of as an acoustic video game that you can set a drink on. Still, there’s been

  • Raw, Rested, and Ready

    The recording of bluegrass music, both in the studio and in live performance has undergone a lot of changes in the past decade or two. We’ve seen the introduction of YouTube, digital editing and pitch correction, and the advent of

  • Where all the bears are friendly

    Joe Lurgio recently contributed a thoughtful guest editorial about the stagnant nature of the IBMA Awards with suggestions about what might be done to keep the process updated. This prompted some give-and-take, which included discussion of the “big tent,” the

  • Post Literalism in bluegrass music

    I think we may have a small problem in our world with bluegrass fundamentalism. I’m not referring to the desire on the part of some to define bluegrass music in some sort of legalistic terms with a set of rules

  • Could you repeat the question?

    Greetings from New Haven, Connecticut, or at least that’s what the sign said on the exit. I’m here for the Podunk Bluegrass Festival just up the road in Hebron, having just wrapped up a wonderful week at the Augusta Heritage

  • Are you my Fearless Leader?

    There are at least a few different categories of bluegrass band leader personalities. All have their good and bad points. There can be a wide range too, from the Benito Mussolini school of management, to the style of the touchy-feely