Page 1 of 10 12345 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 25 of 243

Thread: Bluegrass: The new Americana!

  1. #1
    Loarcutus of MandoBorg DataNick's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Fallbrook, CA
    Posts
    3,837

    Default Bluegrass: The new Americana!

    Not trolling here; just stating a perception that to me seems accurate.

    Remember how just a few years ago, Americana, was the catch-all label to classify by genre various strains of folk, indie-pop/rock, country-indie, etc. that people had trouble identifying as a genre brand?

    Well that has now been replaced by the label Bluegrass. No longer Monroe's music as practiced with a certain formula, but now just about every acoustic configuration out there is at home with the Bluegrass label. Why? I think because the general public really doesn't know or care to be honest how that Flatt & Scruggs is so different than String Cheese Incident or any other folk or jam band out there. That's right: the majority of what passes as bluegrass today, I would simply characterize as country-folk, indie, or progressive acoustic music performed with bluegrass music instrumentation.

    I gurantee you I could go out tonite with an accordion player, a guitarist, myself on mando, and play whatever we want in any style we want; and at the end of the night call it bluegrass; and no one would know the difference or even care!

    Is this bad? Not necessarily.

    Am I mad or angry? Heck no!

    Just an observation. So instead of arguing about what is or is not bluegrass these days, I prefer to say when asked that I play Bill Monroe's music, in his style...the whole bluegrass thing, unfortunately is really getting tiring!

    Contribute or comment as you will; let's keep it positive & civil.

    To say that the Emperor has no clothes is not to be mean; it's just stating an observation!
    1994 Gibson F5L - Weber signed


    "Mandolin brands are a guide, not gospel! I don't drink koolaid and that Emperor is naked!"
    "If you wanna get soul Baby, you gots to get the scroll..."
    "I would rather play music anyday for the beggar, the thief, and the fool!"
    "Perfection is not attainable; but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence" Vince Lombardi
    Playing Style: RockMonRoll Desperado Bluegrass Desperado YT Channel

  2. The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to DataNick For This Useful Post:


  3. #2

    Default Re: Bluegrass: The new Americana!

    It would be nice, if you could deliver exampels, where exactly which country folk or acoustic indie bands are called "Bluegrass".
    I searched for "String Cheese Incident" and found an article in Wikipedia that says:
    Their music has elements of bluegrass sounds, as well as rock, electronica, calypso, country, funk, jazz, Latin, progressive rock, reggae, and occasional psychedelia.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_St...heese_Incident

    In the German Wikipedia you can read
    . Country, Folk, Bluegrass lassen sich in ihrer Musik wiederfinden. Aber auch Rock, Jazz und Blues klingen an,
    https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_St...heese_Incident

    In both cases Bluegrass is refered to as one of the elements of their sound, not the general style they play.

    So who exactly calls which Americana musicians "Bluegrass"?

  4. The following members say thank you to crisscross for this post:


  5. #3
    Loarcutus of MandoBorg DataNick's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Fallbrook, CA
    Posts
    3,837

    Default Re: Bluegrass: The new Americana!

    Hey Cris,

    In a general sense, promoters/booking agents for "Bluegrass" festivals book bands that don't even call themselves "bluegrass" as bluegrass acts. String Cheese is one, another quick one that comes to mind is Della Mae, whose own website refers to their style as "Americana". Barefoot Movement is another; just check festival lineups, listen to the bands discography and you can figure it out. BTW: I'm labeling some of these groups that I hear by the "country-folk, indie" etc monikers just based on what I hear in their music, but yet they are consistently booked as bluegrass acts.
    1994 Gibson F5L - Weber signed


    "Mandolin brands are a guide, not gospel! I don't drink koolaid and that Emperor is naked!"
    "If you wanna get soul Baby, you gots to get the scroll..."
    "I would rather play music anyday for the beggar, the thief, and the fool!"
    "Perfection is not attainable; but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence" Vince Lombardi
    Playing Style: RockMonRoll Desperado Bluegrass Desperado YT Channel

  6. The following members say thank you to DataNick for this post:


  7. #4
    Registered User Ivan Kelsall's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Manchester - Lancashire - NW England
    Posts
    14,187

    Default Re: Bluegrass: The new Americana!

    Personally,while understanding the roots of DN's post,i'd say that maybe the majority of folks attending the IBMA festival might disagree. All people interested in Bluegrass music know how it sounds when played as it should be. Presented with the line up of instruments as quoted - accordion etc.,i'm pretty sure that true Bluegrass fans wouldn't accept it as Bluegrass,some weird offshoot maybe,but not 'true' Bluegrass. That some folk really 'don't care' about any particular line up,doesn't negate the validity of ''true Bluegrass'' as a distinct music,having a distinct sound & having a distinct instrumental line up. Call it what you will,have whatever instruments you decide to have,it's still NOT Bluegrass to the real fans - IMHO. It seems to me that even the bands mentioned above don't consider themselves as Bluegrass bands & to me they're not,despite having some instrumentation in common with a Bluegrass band. Even Alison Krauss's band quit calling themselves a Bluegrass band a while back. They maybe booked as Bluegrass acts,maybe because a specific name for their music hasn't been decided on,however,i do think that they shouldn't be classed as Bluegrass,even if it's only to prevent folk expecting to see / hear a Bluegrass band from being disappointed,
    Ivan
    Weber F-5 'Fern'.
    Lebeda F-5 "Special".
    Stelling Bellflower BANJO
    Tokai - 'Tele-alike'.
    Ellis DeLuxe "A" style.

  8. The following members say thank you to Ivan Kelsall for this post:


  9. #5
    Loarcutus of MandoBorg DataNick's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Fallbrook, CA
    Posts
    3,837

    Default Re: Bluegrass: The new Americana!

    Ivan,

    Good points, however IBMA is pretty unique. In another thread a cafe member who professes not to be really into bluegrass, said while they were at GreyFox, they couldn't help but wonder why so few of the booked bands actually played bluegrass!...also I see this as a way that bands are getting festival gigs, whereas if they didn't market themselves as a "bluegrass act" they wouldn't get a sniff of a lot of festival work. I mean really, how many Americana, Indie Pop festivals, etc are there out there that have the numbers, established fan base, and drawing power that a lot of the bigger bluegrass festivals have?
    1994 Gibson F5L - Weber signed


    "Mandolin brands are a guide, not gospel! I don't drink koolaid and that Emperor is naked!"
    "If you wanna get soul Baby, you gots to get the scroll..."
    "I would rather play music anyday for the beggar, the thief, and the fool!"
    "Perfection is not attainable; but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence" Vince Lombardi
    Playing Style: RockMonRoll Desperado Bluegrass Desperado YT Channel

  10. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to DataNick For This Useful Post:


  11. #6

    Default Re: Bluegrass: The new Americana!

    Della Mae, whose own website refers to their style as "Americana".
    Thanks for the example, Nick. I searched Youtube for Della Mae and found "Mabeline" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ptAW1LAfCU
    The one BG element lacking is a 5-string banjo, but others such as fiddle, upright bass, mando chop, the one microphone thing or a capoed dreadnought played out of the G-position are certainly present.
    So I guess, somebody with only cursory knowledge might classify them as BG as well as classifying the Gypsy Kings "Flamenco".

  12. The following members say thank you to crisscross for this post:


  13. #7
    Registered User DavidKOS's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    North CA
    Posts
    5,020

    Default Re: Bluegrass: The new Americana!

    Quote Originally Posted by Ivan Kelsall View Post
    . Presented with the line up of instruments as quoted - accordion etc.,i'm pretty sure that true Bluegrass fans wouldn't accept it as Bluegrass,some weird offshoot maybe,but not 'true' Bluegrass.)
    Bluegrass Accordion?

    Bill Monroe had one in his a version of his early bands played by Sally Forrester:



    I guess that makes accordion at least "some part of something"in Bluegrass terms.

  14. The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to DavidKOS For This Useful Post:


  15. #8
    Registered User Ivan Kelsall's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Manchester - Lancashire - NW England
    Posts
    14,187

    Default Re: Bluegrass: The new Americana!

    Hi Nick - I've very often wondered re.the line ups some ''Bluegrass'' festivals have. I feel that many of them might be trying to attract more attendees by having non-trad. Bluegrass bands = something for everybody ?. It happens in the UK as well,not all the bands are Bluegrass 'proper'. However in our case,there aren't that many bands to fill a full festival.
    Bill Monroe's band in the photo. above was ''Bluegrass'' in name only at that time.The sound of Bluegrass as we've come to define it today,didn't arrive until Earl Scruggs joined the Bluegrass Boys - but most of us know that.
    It might be an unpalatable fact,but for many folk,Bluegrass simply doesn't feature in their musical tastes. For us 100% Bluegrassers,it's hard to imagine folk 'not' being into Bluegrass when we can hardly let a day go by without it. Festivals,have to make money,or they cease to exist & if it takes Bluegrass ''off-shoots'' to get folk attending,then it has to be good,as long as they don't take over completely - also,many of these bands are ''good in their own right'' & very enjoyable to listen to. I'll go with that mix any day as long as the music is 'musical' & well played,& is 'in context' with the rest of the music being played,
    Ivan
    Weber F-5 'Fern'.
    Lebeda F-5 "Special".
    Stelling Bellflower BANJO
    Tokai - 'Tele-alike'.
    Ellis DeLuxe "A" style.

  16. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Ivan Kelsall For This Useful Post:


  17. #9
    but that's just me Bertram Henze's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    0.8 mpc from NGC224, upstairs
    Posts
    10,054

    Default Re: Bluegrass: The new Americana!

    Quote Originally Posted by crisscross View Post
    somebody with only cursory knowledge
    ...in other words, the vast majority. I have met people who called my Irish trad. tunes "Cowboy Songs" - but that's OK, they might have called it "Volksmusik"
    the world is better off without bad ideas, good ideas are better off without the world

  18. #10
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Va
    Posts
    2,573

    Default Re: Bluegrass: The new Americana!

    I keep seeing the statement that Bill Monroe used an accordion in his band and I know that is true,but when he started The Bluegrass Boys it was a "hillbilly" band. The bluegrass name was in honor of his home, not his style of music. He had Stringbean playing banjo and no one would call that bluegrass. Bluegrass as we know it (or have known it) didn't become a style until Earl Scruggs joined the Bluegrass Boys and the style took the name of the band. After that I don't think we saw organs and accordions and such in the band.

  19. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Mandoplumb For This Useful Post:


  20. #11
    Registered User Bob Visentin's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Decatur, GA
    Posts
    254

    Default Re: Bluegrass: The new Americana!

    I played bass guitar in a cajun/zydeco band for 14 years. We also had fiddle, button accordion, electric guitar, peddle steel, and drums. It was not uncommon for some people to call us bluegrass but we were never booked that way. We did play some Americana and blues festivals. Many people just don't know. One woman I talked to did not know the difference between the bass and the accordion!

  21. The following members say thank you to Bob Visentin for this post:


  22. #12
    Chu Dat Frawg Eric C.'s Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Northeast Ohio
    Posts
    621

    Default Re: Bluegrass: The new Americana!

    My band gets labeled as bluegrass all the time. Granted we do play some bluegrass, we play mostly original music that most certainly is not bluegrass.

    It does irk me a little bit when venues label us as bluegrass as I feel it may mislead some folks before the show. We haven't run into anything negative from this labeling yet (3+ years), but I'm sure some purists may show up expecting true bluegrass at some point.

  23. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Eric C. For This Useful Post:


  24. #13
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    charlottesville, VA
    Posts
    1,140

    Default Re: Bluegrass: The new Americana!

    Seems to be a strange cross-contamination occurring. Wasn't too long ago that Chris Pandolfi wrote about why the Infamous Strindusters chose not to market themselves as a "bluegrass" band. Festival promoters no longer seem to shy away from the label. Guess bands like the Strindusters, String Cheese, and Steep Canyon Rangers have proven that young jam-band loving crowds will come out to see groups they dig, no matter the label.
    Mitch Russell

  25. The following members say thank you to onassis for this post:


  26. #14

    Default Re: Bluegrass: The new Americana!

    Quote Originally Posted by Bertram Henze View Post
    ... I have met people who called my Irish trad. tunes "Cowboy Songs"...
    Just on a lark I Googled "irish cowboy songs" and unexpectedly found some fascinating historical info:

    1. Ireland's Forgotten Cowboys, by CuChullaine O'Reilly

    2. Music-related, Scotland allegedly origin of American cowboy songs: 1998 magazine article Cowboy Celtic, by Rob Gibson (their band has a mandolin as well)


    Huh. It's all news to me, certainly different than the Hollywood cowboy/cattle-drive image. Interesting.

    Quote Originally Posted by Bertram Henze View Post
    ... "Volksmusik"...
    Not sure what Volksmusik sounds like exactly, but I do have part of a very beautiful German-language recording I found in my dad's stuff of a presumably-Alpine-y song, no yodeling but it does mention snow, modern-ish group though (Zupfgeigenhansel), mighty purty music. That particular song has 'crooked' timing, one measure has a different number of beats than the other measures, I never even noticed that until I tried to write down the tune on paper and then the odd timing became apparent.

    Ok yeah I'm like *way* off-topic from bluegrass (but there *was* mandolin content! um but not that much), but the Scots/Irish/cowboy thing possibly of some relevance as a general example of how music grows and changes with different influences. Anyway, ceasing and desisting now. Carry on.

  27. The following members say thank you to Jess L. for this post:


  28. #15
    but that's just me Bertram Henze's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    0.8 mpc from NGC224, upstairs
    Posts
    10,054

    Default Re: Bluegrass: The new Americana!

    Quote Originally Posted by JL277z View Post
    Not sure what Volksmusik sounds like exactly
    I can help you with that, but BEWARE: have a bucket ready...

    I do have part of a very beautiful German-language recording I found in my dad's stuff
    That is about what Volksmusik originally meant in a strict sense, long ago. It's a dilution process, just like with the original Bluegrass, which might be renamed Truegrass to make a difference.
    the world is better off without bad ideas, good ideas are better off without the world

  29. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to Bertram Henze For This Useful Post:


  30. #16

    Default Re: Bluegrass: The new Americana!

    Not sure what Volksmusik sounds like exactly,
    The German Wikipedia writes the following:
    Volksmusik bezeichnet zum einen die traditionelle, häufig schriftlos überlieferte Musik. Sie ist für bestimmte Regionalkulturen charakteristisch oder wird dafür gehalten. Sie umfasst Volkslieder, instrumentale Stücke und Musik für Volkstanz.

    Im allgemeinen Sprachgebrauch umfasst Volksmusik davon abweichend auch volkstümliche Schlager, also moderne Unterhaltungsmusik mit Elementen der traditionellen Volksmusik.
    That means something like:

    Originally Volksmusik is traditional music that was mostly handed down by oral tradition.

    In a general sense Volksmusik is popular commercial music with elements of traditional music.

    An example for the first is your dad's record or most other songs by the group
    Zupfgeigenhansel who played German folksongs acoustically with nice acoustic arrangements. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuvcN7L-Hig

    Examples for the second meaning are Bertram's bucket-filling Wildecker Herzbuben or the Medium Terzett https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXef_df3Eto

    Not to forget Germany's Volksmusik-Star: Heino https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeEki7Ft8KQ

  31. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to crisscross For This Useful Post:


  32. #17
    Registered User Timbofood's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Kalamazoo, MI.
    Posts
    7,487

    Default Re: Bluegrass: The new Americana!

    I'm in the same camp as you Nick! "We" are so eager to homogenize and classify things into categories that the term has become so broad stroked it doesn't carry much water unless you're at IBMA or an "old school" festival.
    As for Wikipedia it's a tool and can be sharpened or dulled by anyone who wants to bother. I'm not much of a fan of it.
    As a friend says
    "It's not the browning of the culture that I mind, it's the dumbing of that culture that I mind."
    It's easier to be "flexible" and accept that people are getting too lazy to really learn something than to have them really learn.
    Carry on, this is an exception to that theorem. Most visitors here have taken some time to learn about the things they write about and, are willing to share and teach any and all who WANT to learn something.
    Hey Nick, this is another good thought provoker you have started! The Monroe video one really took me back! Strong work.
    Nice photo David! I guess we all have to remember that this music, as most, are always in a state of flux (just ask Jerry Douglas). Ok I will go to my corner now.
    Timothy F. Lewis
    "If brains was lard, that boy couldn't grease a very big skillet" J.D. Clampett

  33. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Timbofood For This Useful Post:


  34. #18
    Ursus Mandolinus Fretbear's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Copperhead Road
    Posts
    3,136

    Default Re: Bluegrass: The new Americana!

    Jason Isbell didn't get the memo......and his wife is a fiddle player

    (I always appreciate your posts Nick)
    But Amsterdam was always good for grieving
    And London never fails to leave me blue
    And Paris never was my kinda town
    So I walked around with the Ft. Worth Blues

  35. The following members say thank you to Fretbear for this post:


  36. #19
    Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Maryland
    Posts
    4,881

    Default Re: Bluegrass: The new Americana!

    I don`t go to as many festivals as I used to simply because the bands are not true bluegrass bands...Two of the festivals here in Md. that I was always booked on used to be over flowing with RV`s and campers and last year I went and was so bored with what bands they had booked that I left after watching 1/2 of one day, I also noticed that the place was only about 1/4 filled with RV`s and campers and no field picking at all....I blame the promoters for this slack in attendance for booking the so called Bluegrass bands that aren`t really bluegrass....I also know that out in California it is a different story, some friends of mine traveled out there to perform on a few festivals and they said there was only three traditional bluegrass bands on the show for the whole weekend....I spend the winter months in Florida and have been for the past 17 years and when I first started doing it I could pick as many as 10 bluegrass festivals within a 100 mile radius to go to, this past year there were 2 and I looked at the line ups and not one band appealed to me to go and sit and listen to them....One fetival down there offers free admission and they still can`t draw a crowd because they don`t book true bluegrass bands, they even hav a DJ to fill one spot and he plays and sings to recorded music and it is not bluegrass, one band came out on the stage no banjo, no mandolin, just a guitar, an electric bass and a KEYBOARD, I watched as about 75% of the people that had gathered near the stage got up and started walking around looking at the vendors stands....Maybe, just maybe those folks have had enough of what is being called bluegrass, I know that when my band plays just about all of the requests that we get are for the "true bluegrass" tunes of Flatt and Scruggs, Monroe, Stanleys, Jim and Jesse , and a lot of Country Gents and Seldom Scene music, mostly because they were from this area.....

    I don`t have the answer, if I did I would try and change it, Nick, call it Americana or what ever you want to and I`ll still play what I know to be "True Bluegrass"

    Willie

  37. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Willie Poole For This Useful Post:


  38. #20

    Default Re: Bluegrass: The new Americana!

    Quote Originally Posted by DataNick View Post
    I think because the general public really doesn't know or care to be honest how that Flatt & Scruggs is so different than String Cheese Incident or any other folk or jam band out there.

  39. The following members say thank you to Franc Homier Lieu for this post:


  40. #21
    but that's just me Bertram Henze's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    0.8 mpc from NGC224, upstairs
    Posts
    10,054

    Default Re: Bluegrass: The new Americana!

    Quote Originally Posted by crisscross View Post
    Not to forget Germany's Volksmusik-Star: Heino https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeEki7Ft8KQ
    Which brings us, in a way, most directly to Michael Jackson
    the world is better off without bad ideas, good ideas are better off without the world

  41. The following members say thank you to Bertram Henze for this post:


  42. #22
    Loarcutus of MandoBorg DataNick's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Fallbrook, CA
    Posts
    3,837

    Default Re: Bluegrass: The new Americana!

    Quote Originally Posted by Willie Poole View Post
    I don`t go to as many festivals as I used to simply because the bands are not true bluegrass bands...Two of the festivals here in Md. that I was always booked on used to be over flowing with RV`s and campers and last year I went and was so bored with what bands they had booked that I left after watching 1/2 of one day, I also noticed that the place was only about 1/4 filled with RV`s and campers and no field picking at all....I blame the promoters for this slack in attendance for booking the so called Bluegrass bands that aren`t really bluegrass....I also know that out in California it is a different story, some friends of mine traveled out there to perform on a few festivals and they said there was only three traditional bluegrass bands on the show for the whole weekend....I spend the winter months in Florida and have been for the past 17 years and when I first started doing it I could pick as many as 10 bluegrass festivals within a 100 mile radius to go to, this past year there were 2 and I looked at the line ups and not one band appealed to me to go and sit and listen to them....One fetival down there offers free admission and they still can`t draw a crowd because they don`t book true bluegrass bands, they even hav a DJ to fill one spot and he plays and sings to recorded music and it is not bluegrass, one band came out on the stage no banjo, no mandolin, just a guitar, an electric bass and a KEYBOARD, I watched as about 75% of the people that had gathered near the stage got up and started walking around looking at the vendors stands....Maybe, just maybe those folks have had enough of what is being called bluegrass, I know that when my band plays just about all of the requests that we get are for the "true bluegrass" tunes of Flatt and Scruggs, Monroe, Stanleys, Jim and Jesse , and a lot of Country Gents and Seldom Scene music, mostly because they were from this area.....

    I don`t have the answer, if I did I would try and change it, Nick, call it Americana or what ever you want to and I`ll still play what I know to be "True Bluegrass"

    Willie
    What Willie describes has in fact happened out here over the last 3 years to a festival called Huck Finn Jubilee.

    For over 30 years, one individual, Don Tucker, ran this festival, and it was a bastion for "traditional" bluegrass, RV camping and jamming. When Mr. Tucker passed away a little more than 3 years ago, the festival switched hands or was "acquired" by the city of Ontario. They have made very well documented and calculated changes to the festival that have discouraged and almost outright eliminated RV camping...resulting in almost no jamming...resulting in a nosedive in grassers showing up...resulting in selling almost exclusively 1-2 day tickets, sans camping. Factor in the lineup changes and the event is now a "music festival", but the things that made it a premier bluegrass festival are gone, and so are the overwhelming majority of the grassers. The fallout from this resulted in the emergence of another festival, Route 66, to take the place of Huck Finn within the bluegrass community.

    The following is a message from a Cafe member to me, decrying the state of affairs: "What gives? No Huck this year?? Amazing how little jamming was actually going on. Only one on Thursday night, NONE on Friday night, Saturday had a few and only one on Sunday night. Really depressing. But the bands were unbelieveable. "...YMMV
    Last edited by DataNick; Jun-21-2016 at 1:36pm. Reason: spelling
    1994 Gibson F5L - Weber signed


    "Mandolin brands are a guide, not gospel! I don't drink koolaid and that Emperor is naked!"
    "If you wanna get soul Baby, you gots to get the scroll..."
    "I would rather play music anyday for the beggar, the thief, and the fool!"
    "Perfection is not attainable; but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence" Vince Lombardi
    Playing Style: RockMonRoll Desperado Bluegrass Desperado YT Channel

  43. #23
    Registered User Timbofood's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Kalamazoo, MI.
    Posts
    7,487

    Default Re: Bluegrass: The new Americana!

    I have not been to a festival in years, life has taken me on a different route with grandchildren (though, never a parent) having June birthdays, the festival I cut my teeth on in Charlotte, MI. has changed management a couple of times, now it's in the hands of some serious picking loving people! I understand that some folks may not sleep more than an hour or two a night still! It is interesting to see how some places feel a need to change and others soldier on following the tried formula and keep crowds! I may not have been in some years but, I still feel strongly about that festival. Good times indeed!
    I think you'd feel right at home Willie!
    Timothy F. Lewis
    "If brains was lard, that boy couldn't grease a very big skillet" J.D. Clampett

  44. The following members say thank you to Timbofood for this post:


  45. #24
    Mando accumulator allenhopkins's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Rochester NY 14610
    Posts
    17,378

    Default Re: Bluegrass: The new Americana!

    Just interesting to me that "bluegrass" would be a label that promoters use to draw people to their events -- even when they're applying it to groups that aren't traditional 'grass at all. Wasn't too long ago that I thought calling a festival "bluegrass" would keep more people away! Some of my friends would complain that bluegrass bands played too fast, sang through their noses, and did a bunch of corny songs about the ol' homestead and religion -- omitting the popular topics of drugs, drinkin', and cheatin'. (Not that there aren't plenty of bluegrass songs on these topics...)

    There have always been bands that sorta "hung around the fringes" of bluegrass, including "trad" grass bands that went the plugged-in, country-isn route (Jim & Jesse, Osborne Brothers for a while); "newgrass" bands like Newgrass Revival, New Deal String Band, etc.; "acoustic jazz" outfits that played non-bluegrass material on bluegrass instruments; and even old-timey bands that would be added to bluegrass festivals because they had banjos and fiddles, even if they played them differently.

    If a festival is marketed as "bluegrass," it better have some bands acceptable to a bluegrass audience. One major appeal of bluegrass festivals is that so many in the audience are musicians themselves, really into the music, and capable of staging informal jams among the RV's, far into the night. If they quit coming, because none of the stage acts appeal to them, the whole ambience disappears.

    There are pop bands like Mumford & Sons and the Avett Brothers that clearly embody some bluegrass influences in their music, and someone who's listened to bluegrass for decades can hear them. Wouldn't book them at a bluegrass festival -- assuming that the festival could afford them -- but I don't begrudge them invoking bluegrass music as one of their inspirations.

    And -- there are a lot of fans whose tastes are a bit more eclectic, and who appreciate good music in many genres. Promoters shouldn't try to hornswoggle audiences by listing "bluegrass" that they don't book; on the other hand, the inclusion of some "fringe" bands at a festival billed as "bluegrass," doesn't necessarily drive me away.
    Allen Hopkins
    Gibsn: '54 F5 3pt F2 A-N Custm K1 m'cello
    Natl Triolian Dobro mando
    Victoria b-back Merrill alumnm b-back
    H-O mandolinetto
    Stradolin Vega banjolin
    Sobell'dola Washburn b-back'dola
    Eastmn: 615'dola 805 m'cello
    Flatiron 3K OM

  46. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to allenhopkins For This Useful Post:


  47. #25
    Loarcutus of MandoBorg DataNick's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Fallbrook, CA
    Posts
    3,837

    Default Re: Bluegrass: The new Americana!

    Hey Allen!

    Bluegrass is the new, chique, millennial, cool term that encapsulates just about any kind of acoustic music these days. Back to roots, nature, etc. is popular with millennials and with that, bluegrass is now hip...Millennial weddings booking bluegrass bands has become waaaay popular in SoCal, along with corporate events. It's like the music genre sushi of today...YMMV
    1994 Gibson F5L - Weber signed


    "Mandolin brands are a guide, not gospel! I don't drink koolaid and that Emperor is naked!"
    "If you wanna get soul Baby, you gots to get the scroll..."
    "I would rather play music anyday for the beggar, the thief, and the fool!"
    "Perfection is not attainable; but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence" Vince Lombardi
    Playing Style: RockMonRoll Desperado Bluegrass Desperado YT Channel

  48. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to DataNick For This Useful Post:


Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •