It's about a hundred degrees with 99% humidity this weekend. I almost didn't make it out last night because my friend didn't want to battle the heat.
In a bold move, I ventured out on my own to the
Kentucky Bluegrass & Burgoo (like a hamburger chili)
Festival down at the Water Tower. I plaited my hair in a braid, laid down my blanket, and took off my shoes, so hungry to hear the music that reminds me of home. When a banjo and mandolin play together in harmony, it makes my heart want to dance.
I sent a quick text to a new friend who was a bluegrass novice and he came out to see what thrills so many people about this genre of music. I started by telling him that it's
not country. And more than anything, there's a mentality that goes along with bluegrass. It's very natural and organic, built on Southern Hospitality, and encompasses a sense of peace and happiness to live simply. His friend lamented that he didn't know how to dance to bluegrass so I pointed out the fans at the stage. This is not a sixth grade dance where you have to do the Dougie (or in my case, the butterfly) perfectly and no one is going to make fun of you when you dance. Look at that girl, her head is swaying side to side, her arms look like she's about to take off, and her feet are doing a little jig. Or take that girl, I'm afraid she's going to trip over one of her feet clogging around like that, but she's got it under control and you can tell she's having a good time. Or take those girls over there, they've got drinks in hand and are really just running in place. You do whatever the music moves you to do.
Lucky me, I got to hear my old high school friend
Bobby Britt play fiddle with
Town Mountain, a band out of Asheville, North Carolina. I caught up with Bobby after the show and we chit chatted about Chapel Hill, Louisville, and the journeys we've been on since we last caught up in the spring.
Come on out the rest of the labor day weekend for more great bluegrass and food! Tickets are $7 before 6 pm and $10 after.
Sunday:
Custom Made Bluegrass- 5 pm
Relic- 6:15 pm
Hog Operation- 7:30 pm
The Fiddleheads- 9:30 pm
Monday:
Fresh Cut Grass- 1 pm
New Town- 3 pm
The Cumberlands- 5 pm
