Big Big Big
, 2.22.2011
I got to spend the weekend in Montana at the Big Sky Big Grass music festival. Among the performers: Crooked Still, The Infamous Stringdusters, the Emmitt-Nershi Band, and Peter Rowan.
I wonder if I can really describe what it was like. I'll try. But this photo will help. (This photo was taken by Bob Troutman).
This is at approximately 4 am in the hotel lobby at Big Sky resort. Jam sessions were held there every night into the wee hours of the morning. This was the last one, on Sunday (technically Monday morning) and drew the biggest crowd. There are some incredible musicians sitting in this photo. I'm sitting on the table next to Vince Herman, who is across from Aoife O'Donovan from Crooked Still. Members of Growling Old Men and Great American Taxi are in the crowd. Everyday after a full day of skiing (for those people with comp ski passes or lots of money) there were live shows starting in the afternoon and it didn't stop until everyone passed out.
The jam sessions were my favorite part, and I prepped every night by sleeping for a few hours before heading down around 2:00 am. It was a good move, but it usually meant I was still completely awake when everyone else decided to call it quits. C'mon guys! Just one more tune! ONE MORE!
The highlights for me were
5. Standing at the very front next to the stage, dancing and listening to the Infamous Stringdusters. Although I wasn't as enthusiastic a dancer as one girl next to me who had very sharp elbows and incredible lung capacity. Her screaming was impressive. Honestly. But the Stringdusters music is delicious - sophisticated and tasteful and kick-butt at the same time.
4. Standing outside to look at a full moon above a white mountain, music emanating from the buildings around me.
3. Playing tunes with a new mandolin-playing friend Sean and Johnny Grubb from the Emmitt-Nershi band until 4 am Saturday night.
2. Listening to Crooked Still the second night. They are magic. This was at a smaller venue with no screaming people, just a polite audience who clapped and whooped at appropriate times!
1. Playing with Brittany Haas
1a. Jumping up on stage with a bunch of super-uber-really-good bluegrassers...Here's a picture!
Brittany Haas plays a 5-string John Silakowski. It's very fun to play. I'm saving my pennies.
Look for this fiddler in about ten years. She's going to be awesome. (And maybe by then she'll fit her instrument a bit better...)
Here is my beautiful friend Lacey, famous for her awesome fiddling in the Dry Lake Band as well as the Pretty Darns. She did all the driving and I depended on her for social navigation! She knows everyone. Also, she would win a Bluegrass Trivia Contest. I'm writing an email to the Big Sky people to request a high-stakes Bluegrass Jeopardy session next year just so she could win.
So if you like festivals, don't miss the Evanston Celtic Festival coming up next month! (March 11-12) Killarney will be opening for Darol Anger and Mike Marshall and Väsen on the 11th at 7:30! I'm so excited! For more info go here.
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