Texas Gettogether

  1. littledonnie
    littledonnie
    The idea was touched on in another thread so I thought I would bring it up as a seperate issue. Is this something that would appeal to anyone? Where would we meet? When? We would nead a bit of lead time to make arrangments. It would nice to have it during a cooler time of year. We've missed the three days of spring so we might want to hit the trhee days of fall!

    Thoughts:

    The collings owners gettogether in Wimberly at the Wimberly Inn.

    For those who like to camp, the String Band Festival is in October.
    http://www.aftm.us/graphics/asbf_2009a.jpg
    This is a small intimate festival made for jammin'.

    OK, thats my two cents worth!
  2. David Newton
    David Newton
    That festival sounds great! Love that area. Let's try it.
  3. Barbara Shultz
    Barbara Shultz
    Festival sounds like a blast! Unfortunately, it's the same time I'm camping in Northeast Iowa!
  4. David Newton
    David Newton
    Donnie,
    Have you been to this festival? Is it old-timey?

    I think I am going to schedule some vacation days for that festival. The date gives me some time to may-perhaps have an instrument or two to bring.
  5. HddnKat
    HddnKat
    String Band Festival works for me- I just live up the road from Camp Ben - perfect! Maybe we could all get Mandolin Cafe T-shirts so we can recognize each other!
  6. David Newton
    David Newton
    Let's wait to see who's all going before buying t-shirts, the economic down-turn and all.
    Besides, I may not want to be associated with this bunch <ggg>
  7. HddnKat
    HddnKat
    Know what you mean - if I see anybody coming toward me with a Banjo, I'm pretending to be someone else
    But I was at Old Settler's last April, and I know some of the other Cafe denizens were there, but I didn't hook up with anybody because I had no way to recognize them.
  8. littledonnie
    littledonnie
    Answer to Dave. Yes I have. It's been going on for three years this being the forth. The music is roots, bluegrass, Appalachian, cajun etc. It's a small venue. Lots of camping area including rv hookups. In the past there have also been short informal workshops on mandolin, banjo, civil war songs, and even how to make a washtub bass.
    I'll have my Mandolin Cafe hat on, plus at 6'5" I'm hard to miss.
  9. Barbara Shultz
    Barbara Shultz
    So... at 6'5", where's the 'little' in 'littledonnie'?
  10. David Newton
    David Newton
    Well, I'm planning to go. Sounds like the right festival for me.
    I have family just up the road in Dripping Springs and Austin, and want to go over and visit Bill if I can. I'll be taking a couple of extra days for vacation to do all that.
    I haven't been to a festival in over a year. If things work out, I'll have an extra guitar and a tack head banjo to try to sell.
    I'll be wearing pants.
  11. Bill Snyder
    Bill Snyder
    Quote David Newton "I'll be wearing pants."
    David, if you really want to be easy to spot you could wear a skirt (make it plaid and call it a kilt) . You would be easy to spot then.
  12. littledonnie
    littledonnie
    To answer Barbara, It's an old nickname that stuck from a previous employer. On the other hand, of the two boys in the family i'm the shortest.
  13. littledonnie
    littledonnie
    Just to keep the group alive.
    I recently went on a service call to the Hyatt at Lost Pines. It's between Austin and Bastrop. What a beautiful resort. It's set far back off the highway and the grounds are spacious. As i was there, I thought, what a great place for a Mandolin Cafe gathering and marathon jam session. For those family members that aren't into the whole sitting around and pickin, there is a whole menu of other activities to keep them ocupied. River rafting, zip line and horse back riding to name a few. The resort is probably not cheap but we all needto take a vacation sometime and a splurge every now a then is good for the soul. I don't now if the resort will work with us if theres enough interest but I will check it out if enough folks show interest. I'm thinking mid May 2010 whould be a good starting place. Maybe we can catch part of the three day spring season before summer starts!
  14. David Newton
    David Newton
    Sounds nice Donnie, Bastrop is a pretty area, used to go camping there long time ago.
  15. HddnKat
    HddnKat
    Sounds nice - I've been there and it is a beautiful place. Unfortunately WAY beyond my price range tho'.
  16. littledonnie
    littledonnie
    I was afraid a lot of people would think that. After yesterdays record breaking temp of 105, I'm thinking maybe a gathering somewhere farther north might be nice.
  17. B. T. Walker
    B. T. Walker
    Bastrop State Park is beautiful and has a lot to do. There are a few cabins with a/c, but I wouldn't recommend camping this time of year (104 degrees today). Lots cheaper than the resort, and they have everything -- swimming, golf, hiking, canoes (which might be mounted on roller skates in the midst of this drought), and more. October is great camping weather, especially if there is a cool snap.
  18. David Newton
    David Newton
    Let's not lose sight of the Austin Stringband Festival, Oct 16-18, at Camp Ben. I'm arranging my vacation around it, sounds like old-time and bluegrass. October usually is a lot cooler.
    Remember, I'm wearing pants for the occasion.
  19. HddnKat
    HddnKat
    October and the String Band Fest sound like a great get-together to me.

    @David - are you trying to tell us that there are other events that you attend while NOT wearing pants?
  20. B. T. Walker
    B. T. Walker
    I agree, David and HddnKat. I've been to this festival, and it is a lot of fun. The weather was chilly a couple of years ago, but certainly not freezing. Just cold enough to make that midnight trip to the ... As I said, it was chilly. Camp Ben McCullough is a pretty place, too.
  21. David Newton
    David Newton
    I am talking up the Camp Ben fest, as I don't get to get out but once a year maybe, and this one really sounds like my cup of tea. I am hoping that there are enough old hippies there to make it interesting, but not so many as to drag the whole thing into the gutter.

    Kat, there are events at which I will wear shorts. I used to have good looking legs, but now they are just old-man legs.

    OOHH, I've got to go, I hear my wife coming down the hall.
  22. littledonnie
    littledonnie
    Glad to here some of you all are planning to go to the String Band Fest. My wife and I will be there for sure. We have volunteered the last three years and always had a good time. Hope to see you all there.
  23. GRW3
    GRW3
    Ohhh! Bummer! Mid October struck a memory and, sure enough, I'll on the way to Prague, CR that weekend. Regardless, let me pass on my idea for a group activity. Altair and I have been working on the Jay Buckey duet of Ashokan Farewell. Unfortunately it's not on the website anymore but we could make copies and you could work up a mass version.
  24. HddnKat
    HddnKat
    @donnie - how to you get to volunteer? I live very close to camp ben, so it would be an easy way for me to get to attend the festival
  25. David Newton
    David Newton
    The AFTM have the performance schedule up for the october festival.
    www.aftm.us
  26. littledonnie
    littledonnie
    HddnKat: keep an eye on the AFTM web site. They will post a link for vounteers. Sorry for the delay,, swamped at work!
  27. HddnKat
    HddnKat
    No worries, Donnie - I've been out of town too. Will keep an eye on the AFTM website for when they call for volunteers.
  28. jeannedef
    jeannedef
    The volunteer postings for the Austin String Band Festival should be up in a coupla weeks or so. What kind of mandolin workshops/events do y'all want? I'm assembling the workshops for the festival now, so now's yer chance, and I'll do my best.
  29. David Newton
    David Newton
    Hi Jeanne
    Anything that could get players to join up with a suitable group. Maybe a leader who will take a small group of "beginners" to learn some tunes in the style they like.
    I would like to group up with a fiddler & banjo, I'll play rythym guitar, in a laid back old time group.
    Others will want a faster group of bluegrass.
    Actually, after typing that, it all sounds too structured. Let's have fun!
  30. HddnKat
    HddnKat
    for the string band workshops - I'd go for just about anything that isn't too fast for my fumble-fingers to keep up. I'd love it if someone would find some mandolin duets and post 'em so some of us could try to pair up.
  31. David Newton
    David Newton
    Hi Kat.
    Have you looked at my other post with a short list of songs I'll bring to get with others interested in old-time flavored gospel?
    I can send my song sheets, microsoft Word doc's with words and chords, to anyone who is going and wanting to get together.

    edit: Lets work on: Angel Band, On the wings of a dove, Jordan (oh, come in as you tread life's journey...) Wayfaring stranger, In the sweet by and by, White House Blues (not so gospel) Down to the river to pray, soldier's joy, Leaning on the everlasting arms, Will there be any stars, Shelter in the time of storm, Green Pastures.

    Anyone else going, add their song list to mine.
  32. HddnKat
    HddnKat
    That sounds good David - where do you want to post those? I"m familiar with about 1/2 those already - we'd just need to agree on a key. I typically play guitar in our band, but I can work on the mandolin end, too.
  33. jeannedef
    jeannedef
    To reply to David Newton on 8/21, is a slow jam what you are asking for?
    I could probably structure one for mandolin players, and add what you suggested as "structure" (fiddle and guitar). There will also be a bluegrass slow jam, Steve Mangold of CTBA usually rides herd on that one. Should these be separate things, one specifically for budding mandolinists to learn particular tunes, or be in the company of each other, learning together?
  34. jeannedef
    jeannedef
    Sorry,David, FIDDLE and BANJO, you're the guitar guy! Last year there was an old-time slow jam, but no one came,so I wasn't planning to offer that this year. But I could!
  35. David Newton
    David Newton
    Jeanne,
    Please don't do anything on my part, I don't conform to plans very well. I'll enjoy what ever is going on, and find my place.
    I'm pretty excited about the event, it will be my first time out this year. I even have a futon promised at my sister's house in dripping springs, so I won't have to sleep on rocks, though I might, at least one night.
  36. HddnKat
    HddnKat
    What has sleeping got to do with String Band Fest? I figure to play as long as anyone is awake and my fingers aren't bleeding on the strings, and save sleeping for the Sunday afternoon after it's all over.
  37. David Newton
    David Newton
    Sleeping is a daily habit with me, but if you are challenging me, I'll stay up as long as you, or longer.
  38. Hawgr
    Hawgr
    I'm going to have to try and come up from San Antonio for this one, I never get to get out, much less pick as much as I'd like to.
  39. David Newton
    David Newton
    Hawgr.
    Hope to see you there.
  40. littledonnie
    littledonnie
    The AFTM site has posted the signup sheet for volunteers. My wife and I will be working the merch. info auction tent and table Saturday from 8am to 1pm. Come by and say hi.
  41. David Newton
    David Newton
    I've hit a financial snag, and I may be missing the festival, sorry to say. There is still an outside chance, but either way, play some tunes for me.
  42. HddnKat
    HddnKat
    Are folks planning on having a group campsite? I live just up the road, but I'd love to bring a lawn chair and pick as long as anyone is awake, then go home and come back the next day.
  43. HddnKat
    HddnKat
    I'm pre-registered and ready to pick - who all is coming and how will we meet up?
  44. jeannedef
    jeannedef
    I have asked Donnie to be the point person on this, but how about y'all have a MandoCafe meet & greet next to the Ellis Mandolins "tent", which is supposed to be set up in the big picnic area next to the kitchen pavilion. I'd think Sat, after the giant mandolin workshop that runs 10:30 - 12:00, with Billy Bright, Todd Jagger, Dennis McDaniel, Dennis Ludiker, Christian McAdams, and Paul Glasse. I'll try to mark the table, if I remember!!!
    Y'all come on out!! Supposed to be wonderful sunny dry weather, lots of first-rate bands, picking all day all night everywhere!!
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