The Country Gentlemen Show at the 2025 Withlacoochee Bluegrass Festival – photo © Bill Warren
The spring Withlacoochee Bluegrass Festival brought a lot of smiles to a lot of faces. The weather could not have been better. Jackson Bethune and Luke Lindblom kept the sound at its best and CJ McClellan kept the show running smoothly. Promoters Danny and Christa Stewart were a happy pair.
The Kevin Prater Band opened the Friday show. Kevin has been a part of the bluegrass music family for over 40 years and has a fine group of young musicians with him. Dalton Smith did a couple James King favorites from Kevin’s time with James. Echo Mountain and Just As The Sun Went Down with Kevin’s tenor on display brought shivers to this old bluegrasser!
The Little Roy and Lizzy Show gives an audience Lizzy’s new music with a trip down the Lewis Family memory lane. We have all watched Lizzy go from a young teen singing the occasional song with the Lewis Family to leading one of the top bands in the genre. Little Roy is still the same boisterous showman he has always been.
Etlington Enterprise is one of the young groups that need to be seen to be appreciated. The high energy keeps the audience wanting more.
The Country Gentlemen Show takes the audience back to the days of the Gents, and then brings them to today with their own new music. Shenanigans can be expected when a song is dedicated to Roy Lewis. Make Me A Pallet On Your Floor brought him to the stage with a bass case. He spread it out and laid down. Darren Beachley covered him up! He needed his nap so he could perform on Saturday!
Kenny Stinson & Perfect Tym’n opened the Saturday show. Kenny is joined by spouse Ronda and son Gavin. Gavin has been in the band for 17 years now.
The Tennessee Bluegrass Band wowed the Withlacoochee crowd. The Sheffield brothers and Lincoln Hensley are today’s up and coming stars. Michael Feagan and Tim Laughlin are the seasoned veterans of the group. Eighteen-year-old Jacob Sheffield does an excellent rendition of Sweet Thing. Sweet “Little Lucy Lewis” made “her” appearance during the song. It’s safe to say that Lincoln was gob-smacked! He did get a payback by helping Roy with his “make up” during Roy’s final set!
The Tim Shelton Syndicate closed out the festival. Tim continues to be one of the best voices in both bluegrass and country music. Junior Williams and Joe Booher were part of Tim’s earlier band, Newfound Road. They reprise some of that music.
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