Charlotte Bluegrass Festival Archives - Page 2 of 3

Throwback pictures from Candidpix

We are all in this “social distancing” boat together even though we are far apart.

I thought it would brighten all of our days to look back at some of the pictures from the Candidpix.info archives.

These are from the 2004 Charlotte, Michigan Bluegrass Festival.

Tommy Brown and County Line Grass was a staple at both Charlotte and Milan for several years. You might recognize the youngster playing the banjo – no not Tommy – Jereme! You’ll see him these days with the Po’ Ramblin’ Boys. Lorraine Jordan and Carolina Road were just beginning their national touring. Lorraine has become quite a force in the bluegrass world.

It seems as though Larry Stephenson has been around forever. He has maintained his sound through all the changes through 30+ years. Many of today’s top musicians have played with Larry over the years. The Lewis Family has retired, but Little Roy carries on with the Little Roy and Lizzy Show. He carries on the high energy that we all loved. I think of all of the bands I have seen, I miss the Lewis Family the most.

The appearance of the Osborne Brothers was one to remember. Sonny had a shoulder operation and was unable to play. Dana Cupp stepped up in his stead. Sonny still sang. Everyone should listen to the Osborne Brothers recordings to appreciate his top shelf singing. Sonny retired after the 2004 season. We can catch up with him on his “Ask Sonny Anything” column here at Bluegrass Today. He gives a lot of insight on the bluegrass world.

I hope you enjoy this little blast from the past.

Support your local music venues in any way you can during this difficult time.

Sun comes out for the weekend at Charlotte

Wednesday night and Thursday morning brought inches of rain to the Charlotte Bluegrass Festival. But Friday and Saturday brought acres of sunshine and warmth! One little girl had found some of the remaining mud and was having great fun wading and playing.

At Charlotte they feature co-MC’s. Terri Grannis holds down the afternoon slot, and Duffy Brown-Schyrer handles the evening shows. Both do excellent jobs.

A new band from Ohio, Crabgrass, opened Friday’s stage show. They are a band that is becoming more and more in demand. They will be seen at a number of Michigan/Ohio festivals this summer.

Vern McIntyre brought his Appalachian Grass back to the Charlotte stage for the first time in a number of years. Vern and Kitty always give an audience full measure.

Next up was one of Ohio’s young family bands. Sugarcreek Bluegrass is a group of siblings that give us all a good feeling for the future of bluegrass music. They continue to grow to the delight of crowds throughout the mid-West.

Doyle Lawson took the stage for the second day. There are not many adjectives left that adequately describe Doyle’s contributions to bluegrass music.

Russel Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out completed Friday’s shows. Donnie Carver has manned both the sound board and the merch table for 23+ years. The IIIrd Tyme Out sound and Russell’s voice are immediately recognizable at any venue.

Kellie Knauff is Wes Pettinger’s MVV – Most Valuable Volunteer. She handles many things that allow Wes to handle all of the things that pop up during a festival.

Saturday was kicked off by Fiddlin’ Dixie with Friends. This is a kid’s program run by Dixie Andres, and supported by the Southeast Michigan Bluegrass Music association and festival promoters. The kids are exposed to music in numerous forms. They color musical notes and instruments. They write music. They make musical instruments. They have access to a large petting zoo of bluegrass instruments. GHS Strings keep the zoo in strings and Paige Capos provided capos for the guitars and banjos. SMBMA members Ron Benton, Jerry Eicher, and Elmer McClain helped the kids learn a little bit about the instruments, and set some of them up as a band. Wes Pettinger was on hand to greet the early arrivals. J.D. Partridge donated a banjo to the program thru Wes Pettinger. Wes and J.D. presented it to Dixie Andres. A banjo student will get a good banjo to learn on!

Every festival promoter works on bringing something unique to their festivals. The 47^th Charlotte festival featured a very unique performance on Saturday morning. It was called “Family Traditions,” and featured fathers, sons, and grandsons who all have a long history of being a part of the Charlotte festival family. First up were father and son banjo duo Bruce and Wes Pettinger. They were followed by three generations of the Kirchner family with patriarch Paul leading. Next up was three generations of the Estep family with Duane, Kyle and Preston. The Douglas family was up next. Lloyd is known for his stint with Jim and Jesse. He now plays banjo for Detour. The father and son duo of Dave Conley Sr. and Jr. were the final pairing. Then all of the families gave a really grand finale!

Michigan based Full Cord then took the stage. They provide an eclectic blend of new and old bluegrass music. They are a west Michigan favorite.

Host band, The Journeymen, followed. This is a group of seasoned musicians from the west Michigan area that decided that they ought to play together as a band. They are a high energy, high jinx bunch that has fun on stage while providing great music. The Douglas brothers joined them for a couple of rollicking tunes in the evening set.

New County Grass came on and showcased their just released CD, Sing Me A Song, joined by fiddler Wayne Ferguson. The CD was seven years in the making and well worth the wait.

The Clay Hess Band was up next and gave the audience a top flight performance. Clay has long been a force in bluegrass music. See Clay and his band if you get a chance.

Sammy Shelor and Lonesome River Band closed out the festival as only LRB can. They provide music that makes you cry, makes you laugh, and every emotion in between.

Candidpix.info will be at the Norwalk Music Festival during the 4^th of July week.

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Rain welcomes start of Charlotte Bluegrass Festival

The 47^th Charlotte Bluegrass Festival kicked off with some early arrivals jamming between the drops of liquid sunshine. The festival is held at the Eaton County fairgrounds in Charlotte, Michigan. It is pronounced somewhat differently than most folks expect – Shar-lot. Everyone says: it always rains at Charlotte! This year started out no differently.

We had over two inches of rain Wednesday night and the weatherman was calling for more all day Thursday. He was wrong! GBS sound did set up a temporary stage in the seating pavilion for the Thursday shows, but was able to return to the main stage at the supper break. The sun is shining this morning!

New Outlook from Wapakoneta, Ohio opened the show. Brad and Lori Lambert are top notch performers. The Michigan Mafia String Band followed. They provide an eclectic, high energy show. Promoter Wes Pettinger joined them on banjo in the evening set. Harbourtown was up next. They are an Ohio/Michigan band that are in demand at many of the regional festivals. Two of the members promote their own festivals: Kurt Hickman promotes the Norwalk Music Festival in Norwalk, Ohio and Jeremy Cole promotes the Marshall Bluegrass Festival in Marshall, Michigan. Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver closed out the show. Doyle is performing on Friday. It will be a big day with Vernon McIntyre, Sugarcreek Bluegrass, and Russell Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out.

Saturday brings local bands Full Cord, The Journeymen, and New County Grass to the festival stage. The Clay Hess Band and The Lonesome River Band round out the day. New County Grass will debut their new project, Sing Me A Song with a CD release party in the afternoon.

Support your local music venues.

More 2018 Charlotte Bluegrass Festival photos

Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out at the 2018 Charlotte Bluegrass Festival – photo © Bill Warren

The 46^th Charlotte Bluegrass Festival is in the books. Friday kicked off with a guitar workshop hosted by Jim Hurst and Luke Gitchel.

The first band on stage was Branded Bluegrass from central Indiana. They provided a broad range of traditional, contemporary, and Gospel bluegrass, and were followed by New Outlook. Brad and Lori brought their Park Street Music Store with them so everyone had a music vendor to meet needs. Edgar Loudermilk featuring Jeff Autry returned to the Charlotte stage as well. Edgar’s band has become a Charlotte favorite. Promoter Wes Pettinger traveled with Edgar for a year and a half. He joined them for a couple tunes during the evening set.

Sideline is becoming one of the busiest bands on the bluegrass circuit. Steve Dilling and his son-in-law, Skip Cherryholmes lead the band. Edgar Loudermilk hosted an old fashioned “guitar pull.” Luke Gitchel, Clay Hess, Jeff Autry, and Skip Cherryholmes gave the audience full measure during a bit of “liquid sunshine!” Russell Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out closed out the show as only Russell can. Then Russell provided the highlight of the day when he invited former members Steve Dilling and Edgar Loudermilk to join him for a song.

Saturday opened with a new local band formed by promoter Wes Pettinger and Luke Gitchel. They call themselves the Journeymen. The four piece band has well over a hundred years’ combined experience! Nightflyer followed with their unique blend of top shelf musicians. Hammertowne rolled into Charlotte with their #1 hit Hillbilly Heroes. They give their crowd a full dose of traditional sounds.

The Charlotte stage then went into high gear with the Little Roy and Lizzy Show. Roy Lewis is still one of the highest energy performers in bluegrass and the show has matured into a complete entity. Lizzy has written and sings some of her own material, and she can also take her audience back to some of the best of the Lewis Family music. Put the Little Roy and Lizzy Show on your “must see” list. Volume Five closed out the weekend with music fitting of IBMA’s current Emerging Artist. Make sure you get to a Volume Five performance.

GBS Sound, run by Dave and Staci Chichester, always provide the best audio. They came directly to Charlotte after ten days at Bean Blossom. Dave was getting homesick!

Teri Grannis and Duffy Brown-Schryer kept the show on time as co-MC’s. Teri did the day shift and Duffy did the night shift. Good job ladies!

Catch the Candidpix.info camera next at the Norwalk Music Festival July 5-8.

46th Annual Charlotte Bluegrass Festival

The 46^th year of the Charlotte Bluegrass Festival has begun at the Eaton County Fairgrounds in Charlotte, Michigan. The early arrivals were treated to a Wednesday evening jam hosted by the Southeast Michigan Bluegrass Music Association. Maggie and Gary Bilby are major contributors to bluegrass music in Michigan, and served as hosts for the jam. There were jammers from all over Michigan and as far away as Florida.

The Charlotte Bluegrass Festival stage show kicked off Thursday afternoon with Wapakoneta, Ohio’s New Outlook. Brad and Lori Lambert have developed a strong sound that keeps an audience engaged. They did “ham it up” a little for the Candidpix camera! Bill Bynum & Co. from southeast Michigan followed with Bill’s own unique sound. He provides an edgy, high energy show.

Jim Hurst brought his trio to the Charlotte stage. It was Jim’s first appearance at Charlotte in quite a number of years. He is one of the premier guitar players and songwriters in bluegrass. Festival favorite, Harbourtown, rounded out the day’s show with their blend of old and new bluegrass. Mark Zickafoose has joined the band and gives them a little of the flavor of the Michigan Mafia String Band. Harbourtown was started in 1975 by Ohioan, the late Tony Hickman. His son Kurt leads the band.

Please join promoter Wes Pettinger and his staff for the stage show that runs thru Saturday night.

Saturday 2017 photos from Charlotte

Saturday was a larger-than-life day at the Charlotte Bluegrass Festival. The morning started with a Kids Corner event sponsored by Festival promoter Wes Pettinger and the Southeast Michigan Bluegrass Music Association. The kids built shoe box guitars, colored instrument drawings, wrote music, and were handling real musical instruments. Both Paige Capo and GHS Strings have been a big help to furthering our “instrument petting zoo”.

The first band of the day was a last minute creation of promoter Wes Pettinger, owing to a late band cancellation. It consisted of some great Michigan and Ohio musicians including Luke Gitchel, Isaac Smith, Lloyd Douglas and his brother Chris, Mark Zickafoose, and Wes. The second band of the day was Full Cord. They cover a broad spectrum of music from traditional bluegrass to folk to grassed-up rock.

The Edgar Loudermilk band appeared for a second day. The band will be at the Norwalk Music Festival in about two weeks. Rhonda Vincent and the Rage graced the Charlotte stage for the first time in a number of years. She and her band completely transport an audience to a wonderful place in the musical world. Then The Bankesters made their first appearance at Charlotte. They are an award winning family band that provides full measure on any stage.

There was another special event after the Bankesters first set. The Southeast Michigan Bluegrass Music Association inducted the first three members of the 2017 class of its Hall of Honor. Inducted by President Bill Warren and Hall committee members Jerry Eicher and Ron Benton were Ford Nix, Mitch Manns, and Virgil Shouse. More inductions will be made later in the summer at other Michigan Festivals.

Volume Five closed out both the afternoon and evening shows. This group has become a band-in-demand on the bluegrass circuit.

Jennifer Strickland-Zapolnik joined Rhonda Vincent to sing a song that Jennifer wrote for Rhonda.

The festival closed with the second annual Midnight Moonlight Jam held in the campground with as many of the band musicians and campground pickers as could stay and participate.

Friday photos from Charlotte 2017

The rain showers passed through and the sun came out mid-morning at the 45th Charlotte Bluegrass Festival on Friday. West Michigan’s own Corn Fed Girls opened the stage show, a band described as: “earthy and innovative with a folksy aesthetic.” Hammertowne was up next. They bring hard driving, traditional Eastern Kentucky bluegrass to every stage they hit.

Nothin’ Fancy followed with their special brand of music. They give an audience a complete range of bluegrass. Then they hit the crowd with comedy and humorous ditties from leader Mike Andes.

Promoter Wes Pettinger is part of the Edgar Loudermilk band who are now a staple at Charlotte. The band provides a long history of the best in bluegrass music. Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers have become one of the top bands in bluegrass and in high demand on the festival circuit They are always bringing out new music to delight their followers. David Parmley has formed a band that he calls the Cardinal Tradition – and that it is. They provide a walk down memory lane that is unequaled.

Saturday sees a Michigan band, Full Cord, along with Rhonda Vincent and the Rage, The Bankesters, Volume Five, and the Edgar Loudermilk Band.

Thursday photos from Charlotte, MI

The stage show of the 45th Charlotte Bluegrass Festival opened with the traditional mountain sound of Larry Efaw and the Bluegrass Mountaineers. The Michigan Mafia String Band followed with their mix of bluegrass, folk, and edgy progressive music. Harbourtown was next to bring their brand of good bluegrass to the stage. New County Grass finished out the evening show. The final two sets of the evening were unamplified sets performed in the crowd’s lap. A thunderstorm caused the sound system to be shut down, but the festival continued to the audience’s delight.

Friday brings the Corn Fed Girls, Hammertowne, Nothin’ Fancy, The Edgar Loudermilk Band, Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers, and David Parmley and the Cardinal Tradition to the Charlotte stage.

Charlotte Bluegrass Festival kicks off today

The 45th Charlotte Bluegrass Festival is underway!

Wednesday night saw jams in every corner of the campground. The festival has been held continuously at the Eaton County Fairgrounds in Charlotte, Michigan since 1972.

The stage show starts at 1:00 p.m. Thursday and runs thru Saturday evening with many local and national bands. Thursday has two of Michigan’s own, with New County Grass and the Michigan Mafia String Band, along with Ohio bands the Bluegrass Mountaineers and Harbourtown.

We’ll have more photos posted throughout the festival.

WGVU covers Charlotte Bluegrass Festival

Bill Warren wasn’t the only only covering the 2016 Charlotte Bluegrass Music Festival last week in Michigan. Public television station WGVU sent Patrick Center to cover the festivities for the station’s Newsmakers program.

Center spoke with Wes Pettinger, who promotes the festival, and several of the performers about their fascination with bluegrass music. The show is clearly meant to introduce the style and the personalities involved to a wider audience not so familiar with the genre as our readers.

Still, you should also enjoy this roughly 30 minute presentation made for the folks in Michigan, especially for the discussions and demonstrations with popular artists like Joe Mullins and Donna Ulisse, and radio host Jerry Eicher about the ways of bluegrass.