Volume Five opened Thursday at Rudy Fest 2015 to an appreciative crowd. Their set was washed out by rain last year, but sunshine held for this year’s!
Wildfire followed providing some memories of time spent with J.D. Crowe. Danny Davis joined Wildfire and son, Chris Davis, for a couple songs. Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers returned to the stage with their strong sound. Mother Nature caused an intermission in the middle of the Ramblers’ set. She provided a show of thunder, lightning, wind, rain, and golf ball sized hail for a short time. The sun came out and the Ramblers continued their set. Junior Sisk joined Joe to give us a little Mountain Honey.
Junior then brought out Ramblers Choice to present the finest of traditional music. Rhonda Vincent & the Rage brought us the kind of show that only she and the Rage can. Rhonda told the audience that she is beginning her 15th year of sponsorship by Martha White. Larry Cordle and Lonesome Standard Time closed out the show with lots of Larry’s original tunes. He is a hometown favorite at Rudy Fest.
Hammertowne opened Friday’s show. They came decked out in new Rudy Fest shirts for their second set. Blue Highway followed. They have provided high quality bluegrass music for 20 years.
Then host band, The Lonesome River Band, played their first show of the weekend. Departing mandolin player, Randy Jones, played most of the set with new mandolin player, Jesse Smathers, finishing it out. LRB will close the festival on Saturday night. Hammertowne and Doyle played complete sets after the supper break. Blue Highway was part way through their evening set when a thunderstorm hit and stopped the show. This photographer returned to the dryness of my hotel room. The show restarted later with the Old Friends performance. The Steeldrivers took the stage at midnight.
