I was at Grey Fox last month and it’s definitely something I’m going to be going to every year. They had a dance pavilion for one thing which was so much fun, especially since the Red Stick Ramblers played on it every night. Also lessons during the day. Corey Ledet and the Wilders were on that stage too. Some interesting acts on the main stage – Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives, Sam Bush, among others. Marty Stuart lives next to Johnny Cash’s property. The house was bought by one of the Bee Gees before it burned down. Now the guy’s rebuilding and is going to have a big party once it’s done. Marty Stuart’s been practicing doing a bluegrass version of Stayin’ Alive for it – it sounded great, very funny. Sam Bush is an excellent mandolinist and he did some fun covers too – Led Zeppelin and Bob Marley, not stuff you’d normally hear at a bluegrass festival.
Another cool band who was there, although not booked to be there, was the Powder Kegs. They just played at various places around the campground, they always got a big gathering around the portopots.
One of the best things about these festivals is all the jamming going on in the campgrounds. This particular festival lets people camp out in line up to a month before it starts so there are line parties as well. Example:
This festival was on someone’s farm on a mountain so they used the 45 degree angle of the hill to their advantage – amphitheater seating for the main stage. Walking up and down and across the hill was hell on my ankles for the first day or so though until my joints got used to it. It was like getting sea legs, except slanted legs. All the campers and vehicles had to be chocked up or dug in on one side so they wouldn’t go rolling down the hill into other people’s campsites. When I got there the night before it had been raining so they weren’t even letting people up the hill since they kept sliding back down. I had to wait a while and then they started letting people up one at a time as long as they promised not to stop or slow down at all on the way. The view from on top of this mountain was incredible too since it was next to the Catskills. Any way, lots of fun.