Porchlight Sessions to premiere during World of Bluegrass

The Porchlight SessionsWe had written previously about the The Porchlight Sessions, a documentary film project produced and directed by Anna Schwaber, that seeks to explain the music and the culture surrounding the bluegrass scene. More than two years in the making, the movie will be premiered next week in Nashville.

Told though a mix of interviews and live footage from both stage and impromptu performances, Schwaber’s story is meant as an introduction to Appalachian-based folk music styles (old time and bluegrass), and also an antidote to the often noxious image of the people and their traditions that exist in the popular mind.

She captured thoughts from early bluegrass pioneers like Bobby Osborne, Ralph Stanley and Doc Watson, plus contemporary figures like Dale Ann Bradley, Tim O’Brien, Abigail Washburn, Steve Martin, and Peter Rowan. Input from artists on one fringe or the other (Mumford and Sons,Vince Gill, Punch Brothers) is also included.

http://vimeo.com/37884273

 

Those in Nashville for IBMA week will have the opportunity to attend a premiere next Wednesday (9/26) at the Franklin Theatre, now under the direction of Dan Hays. Dan is well-remembered for his 21 years of service to IBMA as Executive Director, spanning the organization’s tenure in Owensboro, KY and Nashville, TN.

This gala event with begin with a performance by Steep Canyon Rangers at 7:30, following a reception and bourbon tasting. The Porchlight Sessions will be screened after the Rangers’ set, and Anna will take questions from the audience at its conclusion.

Tickets are available online.

Then on Friday (9/28) at 11:00 a.m., the film will be screened at the Country Music Hall of Fame, located a short distance from the Fan Fest site in Nashville. Schwaber will again accept questions after the showing.

We hope to have a reviewer at one of these screenings.

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About the Author

John Lawless

John had served as primary author and editor for The Bluegrass Blog from its launch in 2004 until being folded into Bluegrass Today in September of 2011. He continues in that capacity here, managing a strong team of columnists and correspondents.