Overall Comments

Homecoming event organised by Rufus Page on his farm in Mount Juliet Tennessee. A step back to simpler times. The locals were amongst the nicest folk I have ever met. Was made very welcome by all. The very best bluegrass music. What a memorable event !! I will be back for sure to the best festival i have ever been to! Jamming on the Fri concert on Sat OCTOBER

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

The most recent event was excellent as usual. John McEuen told some very personal anecdotes about his long career, and played with the ease and musicianship that makes such live performances so memorable, and so much more engrossing than the best recorded music. If at all possible, attend one or both of next year's Gettysburg Bluegrass Festivals. It doesn't get any better than this.

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

I learned alot at this camp.
The Camp was held at Fur Peace Ranch in Miegs County Ohio, a beautiful musician-friendly Guitar Ranch obviously designed with musicians in mind. The friendly people there are obviously proud of the place and so they should be. The food and coffee were also second to none. This is a top-notch facility.
The Camp was hosted by Dan Levenson and Bob Carlin. I was under Bob's supervision for the weekend and his classes were very valuable to me. To put it mildly this man knows his stuff...he discussed banjo choice/set-up, listening, technique and practice/interpretation and he also explored some clawhammer styles. While I didn't have alot of contact with Dan over the course of the weekend he approached me on two seperate occasions, of his own free will, and helped me with a tune I was working on and with my right hand (which was something I was anxious to address given that I probably won't be in America again any time soon).
What I really liked about this weekend was that no-one tried to teach me a tune. I can do that at home. The emphasis here was in teaching us how to approach tunes in terms of technique and interpretation.....it advertises itself as a skill-based workshop and that's exactly what it is. Tunes were only used as vehicles. At this Camp they teach you how to learn tunes.......not tunes. This is far more valuable to me.
The price was also very reasonable for two night's accomodation, three day's food and all those workshops.
I can't recommend this Camp enough.

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

Lil Johns Mountain Music Festival Presents annual labor day bluegrass festival. September 3rd,4th,5th. Featuring James King Band,Dailey&Vincent,Sierra Hull,Bluegrass Brothers,Kickin Grass,Dave Evans,Al Batten&Bluegrass Reunion,Snyder Family,Grass Cats, Hagar's Mountain Boys,Blue Lightning,Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road,Constant Change,Buttermilk Creek. Advance tickets available until Aug.15th only $50.00.Includes Primative Camping. Hope To See You There, Lil John

Overall Rating

9

Overall Comments

This is the second year I have attended the California Bluegrass Association Father's Day Festival Music Camp. They do a great job of getting great instructors, many of whom are members of the bands appearing at the bluegrass festival that follows the camp. The camping facilities are rough but there are showers and many portable toilets. There are also hookups for RV's. Food is provided for an additional charge and, while not gourmet cooking, is served promptly and is of decent quality.

My old time banjo instructor was first rate. He provided books to the class and led us through learning the tunes using tab and also committing them to memory. I heard from most other students I spoke with that they also enjoyed their instructors and found the time spent worthwhile.

Anyone needing more info can check at http://www.cbamusiccamp.org/

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

I just attended this festival with my wife and kids. Had some good top notch acts, but I don't care for the drums and keyboards that some acts were playing. My biggest problem was the gross amount of marijuana smoking. The staff advised that "it's just tradition". I will not return. As another reviewer commented, a bluegrass woodstock. Also the crowd was just plain rude.

Overall Rating

1

Overall Comments

Wow! It was a wonderful experience! It exceeded my expectations, and they were pretty high to begin with. Here are a few random comments:

1) Location: Olivet College is a beautiful little college. Huge old oak trees provide shade and a feeling of going back in time. There are very few giant old oaks left in Michigan; most were cut down for lumber a hundred years ago or more. Olivet was founded in the 1840's, and I'm sure many of the oaks on campus are as old or older than the college. The surroundings are green and peaceful, and a perfect setting for the camp.

2) Accommodations: Dorm rooms - what can I say? My room was clean; there was a semi-private bath, and the dorm I was in had air conditioning. Towels and bed linens were provided. The mattresses seemed designed to withstand a nuclear holocaust, which affected comfort somewhat. . . but I slept OK. The decor was early concrete block in a lovely shade of oatmeal. And nothing looks emptier than an empty dorm room. But I only went there to sleep and shower anyway.

3) Food: This ain't your Daddy's mess hall. The food was very good; there were a variety of choices at each meal, and everything was fresh and nicely-prepared. I'm sure I gained a pound or two, as I am not accustomed to three full meals a day! Banjo playing is hungry work!

Now, on to the important stuff: banjos!
4) Classes: The schedule was intensive. There wasn't much down time, and I felt totally immersed in the world o' banjo music. The instructors were top-notch; many of the best-known names in OT and bluegrass were there. I attended the old-time sessions and was privileged to take classes with Ken Perlman, Mac Benford, Bob Carlin, Adam Hurt, and Cathy Fink. Wow! They are not only great musicians and talented teachers, they are very nice, good-humored people, always ready with help and advice. The classes were categorized by level of playing experience. I stuck mostly with the lower intermediate classes, but I did attend an upper level course on Kyle Creed's Round Peak style, taught by Adam Hurt. I had some trouble keeping up with most of the others, but I actually got more out of the class than I expected to, and I think I can learn the tunes with a little practice at home. I brought a valuable lesson home with me from every class. I simply cannot express enough thanks for how much I learned.

5) Concerts: The faculty concerts were held Friday and Saturday night. There was a mix of Old Time and Bluegrass performers each night. The concerts alone were worth the price of the camp. Every performer was superb, but the most memorable moment for me was when Cathy Fink, Marcy Maxter, and Adam Hurt played banjo wearing finger puppets. You had to be there...

6) Jam sessions: the camp had more jams than Smucker's and Welch's combined. There were scheduled jams, open jams, little jams, big jams, lobby jams, park jams, doorway jams. Everything but dorm room jams - thanks to all for honoring the quiet rules!

7) Elderly Instruments on-site store: Stan Werbin and his able crew brought a variety of fine wares, including a mouth-watering array of about 50 banjos, all just sitting on their stands, waiting to be played. I loved trying out all the banjos, but the best part was realizing that I like my own banjo best of all! I did buy a banjo strap, clip-on tuner, a couple of bridges, two sets of strings, and one of Ken Perlman's books. And a T-shirt.

****NOTE TO CAMP PLANNERS: the 2009 camp T-shirt has a cartoon of a tornado and says "Pickin' up a storm!" This is biased toward bluegrass players!! Plus the color was odd. I would not be caught dead in it, frankly.

Overall, it was a challenging, exciting, intense, fun, rewarding time. I hope to attend next year. Well, I have to, or else I won't get to hear Cathy Fink's story about the kangaroo.

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

Attended the Palatka BG Festival this past Friday (13 February). It is a three day event. The wife and I only went to the Friday event. Got to see Daily and Vincent (fantastic) and Doyle Lawson and QS (fantastic again).
The lineup for all three days was great, but I hadn't seen Daily and Vincent, so we chose Friday.
The festival is located at The Rodenheaver Boys Ranch, just outside of Palatka. The facilities are overall good. The positive being a cover sitting area with two big-screen tv's - one midway back from the stage, and one "way back". A camera man would focus on the action and zoom in when needed. Sound system was excellent.
Detractors - to be fair, the food prices were higher than other venues I've been to, and the only "facilities" available were port-a-potties.
If they could correct those two items, it would be a Class A venue.

One last note, I had never met Jamie Daily and Darrin Vincent. These two guys are outstanding musicians and great guys. They took the time to "shake and howdy", take pictures, and sign autographs until everyone was gone.

This was my second trip to Palatka and it won't be my last.

Overall Rating

8

Overall Comments

Great camp, great instructors. Plenty of time to learn, not so much that your head gets too full. And short enough so you don't have to take a week's vacation to participate. Classes and jamming inside--a necessity in Texas in August. A little more student jamming would be a good thing, although the instructor jams were amazing. Endlessly entertaining (and very supportive!) camp administrator.

Overall Rating

9

Overall Comments

Great festival!!!! Great talent and tons of it. 15,000 people there last year. Great prize money. Great food. The people running this festival know exactly what they're doing. That's why it's been going on annually for over 40 years.

This is my favorite festival of the year!!!

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

Great Festival, though the audience has long outgrown the stage pavilion So if you don't put your chair there by early Friday, you'll either stand or not have a good view. Bring shade. Good mix of old & new music (mostly old) Great jamming . LOTS of rough camping space. Only real dissappointment no Sunday morning Gospel Sing.

Overall Rating

8

Overall Comments

Though 20 years ago this was a great festival I wouldn't recommend it to all but the most die hard newgrass lovers. Yeah you get big names and the workshops were awesome, but you also get drum sets, & keyboards. Plus at prices near $150 a pop and the strong odor of marijuana that rise as the sun goes down, not very family friendly. Mostly it's bluegrasses version of Woodstock. If it has radically changed in the past 3 years (not according to a couple of friends who still go) I apologize.

Overall Rating

5

Overall Comments

Good festival that started small and has been growing over the past 3 years. Mostly local/ regional talent but it has been expanding, Dan Paisely last year.
Great jamming, nice folks, in a county fair ground so go facilities and a nice small city to walk around if you desire. The only draw back is they need more vendors. I'll be there again this year.

Overall Rating

8

Overall Comments

One of the most reasonably price camps that's truly a camp. Located at the scenic O'Leno State Park just outside of High Springs, Florida. Nice shade, and lots of wildlife. The facilities are basic, and there's a public campground right there to accomodate RV's and tenters if you choose to not stay in the cabins provided in the group area. Right outside of town for conveniences. Just don't swim with the alligators! Top shelf instructors. Food is good. Jamming during off hours if desired. Cabins have electric for recharging cell phones, which is convenient. Instruction for both clawhammer and bluegrass styles by top rate instructors. Worth the trip. http://www.suwanneebanjocamp.com/
Located at: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=&daddr=29.915206,-82.582158&hl=en&geocode=&mra=mi&mrsp=0&sz=17&sll=29.91423,-82.580076&sspn=0.005728,0.007285&ie=UTF8&ll=29.913728,-82.578918&spn=13.745906,19.6875&z=6

Overall Rating

9

Overall Comments

This festival is not an all bluegrass or banjo festival, however, it is one that presents to the attendees a wide genre of musical talent! This will be the 3rd year, and this festival is entirely FREE! There were an estimated 60,000 festival goers in '07, and 125,000 in '08. It is held downtown Columbia, with 3 different stages for the performers. The event is a 2 day. There has been a great artist lineup, with artists such as Jerry Douglas, Del McCoury, Buddy Guy, Taj Mahal, Tab Benoit, Doyle Bramhall, the Carolina Chocolate Drops, and MANY more! You can see the last two years lineup at www.rootsnbluesnbbq.com. The festival this year is September 25,26th 2009, Friday & Saturday. So, if you like free music and good food, make your plans to attend now! Mark your calendar.

Overall Rating

8

Overall Comments

This is a great festival that I have attended at least 8 times over the last 10 years. It taks place usually in late March at the Spirit of the Suwannee music park and campground. The Springfest always has a great mix of Americana, Folk, Newgrass, and Bluegrass and sometimes some Rock/Jambands. The festival is the "acoustic" sister festival to the Magnolia Festival that usually takes place in late October. There is a lot do other than music as well... You can canoe the Suwannee River (lots of fun), find a rope swing, jump in the always cold and refreshing sulfer spring waters near by, or just have a relaxing camping trip jamming with your friends. Security at these festivals has gotten a little tighter over the years, and they have ruined the fun for some, but overall it is a great time and I highly recommend it. You should check out the park even if it isn't a festival weekend, as there is always someone hanging around playing some old-time gospel.

Dooley,

Denver, CO via Jacksonville, FL

Overall Rating

9

Overall Comments

This was my first bluegrass festival so I don't know how to compare it to others. I will tell you that I had a great time and will be returning again next summer.

The bands were great and there was plenty of room to find a seat. I would recommend bringing your own lawn chairs as there aren't enough picnic tables to go around, and you'll be able to get a much closer seat if you do.

There were plenty of vendors and a wide variety of food available. You can bring your own food with you in a cooler too (that's what we did).

The park is beautiful and the scenery of the surrounding mountains and the babbling brook is worth taking a moment to take it all in.

There was a banjo workshop hosted by "Uncle George" which was my first real "bluegrass jam." We played some songs and he taught us a few licks. "Uncle George" was actually in one of the bands that played.

The highlight of the festival for me was the open jam tent. On Saturday night, I brought my banjo over there and sat down. I just started vamping some chords for a few songs, and then someone in the front shouts out, "We got a young man with a banjo back there. Come on up here son."

So I went up to the front there and they had me kickoff a song, "Old Joe Clarke." It was so much fun. They didn't mind that I was just starting off on the banjo at the time.

Everyone at the festival was so friendly that it was almost like being with family - like one big "bluegrass family."

I would definately recommend going if you're in the Tunkhannock area.

Overall Rating

8

Overall Comments

Great week-long immersion for all levels of players.
Diverse instrument base, and an extremely capable and versatile teaching staff.

Mostly fiddle, but also includes various other instruments.
Banjo focus is primarily melodic clawhammer with Ken Perlman.

(Great food, too!)

http://www.langston.com/NHMC/

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

The 2008 Festival was the first major festival I had ever attended. First class acts and plenty of them.
The new location was beautiful! It was just too darn hot the weekend of the festival, but the staff was well prepared: pleny of water and plenty of very clean portapotties. I appreciated that alcohol was not allowed, although there seemed to be plenty there!
Excellent vendors and great food. Lots' of camping sites and a huge crowd; not crowded though, plenty of room. I can't wait to go back, but I'm going to be prepared with portable shade however!

Overall Rating

10

Overall Comments

Located just outside historic Gettysburg, PA, this twice a year (May and August) festival has been a showcase for top name talent for many years. The venue is a campground with amenities like swimming pool, full RV hook-ups, and modern restroms not found at some festivals. Both shaded and open field overflow camping. It's a show event with workshops more so than a pickers event, and is pricier than many festivals. Be sure to see the Gettysburg Battlefield and Museum while you're there. Certainly worth a trip.

Overall Rating

9