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Let the Bluegrass begin

I have been asked about the guitar beside my blog but reluctant to write about it.   To some, an acoustic guitar is a symbol of enjoyment, relaxation, and contentment.   To me, however, it symbolizes frustration, anxiety, and addiction. 

I tried to break my acoustic habit last October upon returning from the International Bluegrass Music Association convention in Nashville.  That is where I realized that I will never learn to be proficient at the guitar, will never be able to carry a tune, and will never be able to write a great song.  The guitar is more than an addiction, it is a curse.

I put my guitars away and vowed never to play again after seeing three days of incredible musicianship. It was almost the equivalent of hanging out with Mozart then going home to try to play the Piano Concerto Number 23 in A. 

It was an awakening or sorts.  After 30 years of trying to play the guitar, I realized I am a professional listener, not player.

Now, five months later, I have fallen back into the addiction.  I can’t walk past my guitar without picking it up and playing it.

But no amount of practice will ever change the biology of acoustic failure.  My stubby fingers can’t make the cords, my feeble memory cannot recall the lyrics, and with my lack of rhythm, I cannot keep time.

I am an acoustic mess!

But that doesn’t stop me from enjoying others who have talent and skill.

That is why I love bluegrass music.  I never met a bluegrass festival I didn’t like and will travel hundreds of miles each year to hear my favorite genre of music performed by those that know how.

There are several local festivals I will be attending. 

The Florida State Bluegrass festival in Perry on April 3rd through the 5th is always good.  Cadillac Sky and Randy Kohrs will be performing and they are two of my favorite groups.

The following weekend, April 10 through 13 in Dothan, Alabama, a new festival, The Great American Bluegrass Festival will take place at the Peanut Festival Fairgrounds on US 231 south of Dothan.  Perhaps one of the most acclaimed contemporary bluegrass bands around,Blue Highway, will be the headliner on Friday night. Saturday, the Grascals who is also a nationally known top notch band and Alicia Nugent will also perform.  

I can hardly wait for the April 17 through 19 River Bend Bluegrass Festival in Ocilla, Georgia.  I have never been to this festival but really looking forward to it.

This is a picture from the The Casual Historian Blog

Ernie Thacker, one of the best voices in Bluegrass music will be making his comeback appearance.  Almost two years ago to the day, Ernie was involved in a serious automobile accident and has spent everyday since recovering.

The former lead singer for Dr. Ralph Stanley, Earnie was on the verge of bluegrass superstar status when he was critically injured in a single car accident.  Ernie was told it was a “medical miracle” that he survived.  Ernie called it a “miracle from God.”

Battered and broken, his spirit continued to soar as friends and fans helped him cope with his debilitating injuries.  Benefit festivals around the country were held to help with the expenses associated with his recovery. 

He will be performing with his band Route 23 which has patiently waited for two years for his return.  So have all of his fans.

But the grand daddy of everything bluegrass is the IBMA convention in Nashville.  It is saturation, baptism, and total emersion in bluegrass.  I equate it to a piece of fried chicken rolled in flour and fried.  (Somehow I seem to equate everything to fried chicken.)  It is truly “finger lickin good” bluegrass.

So, if I seem a bit giddy and my toe starts tapping uncontrollably, forgive me for day dreaming about the festival season. 

And I will pack my old Martin guitar in my truck to take with me as I travel from festival to festival.   I might even find someone to pick with; someone cursed with the love of guitars and the love of bluegrass music.

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Posted on Mar 19, 2008 - 07:10 AM by Larche Hardy
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About Me

The life of any News Director is stressful most days... so, when the weekend rolls around I find myself on the back roads of our bountiful and beautiful part of the state looking for bluegrass music, interesting things to do, and, of course, fried chicken. I will try to share some of these "finds" with you. There are a thousand stories left to be told or simply remembered. Don't expect to find them all here; maybe just a little stroll down memory lane or maybe a little skewed insight into topical issues.
Larche Hardy,
News Director

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