Alright, y’all. It’s Indian summer here in paradise, and that means festivals. This week I’ll be waxing rhapsodic on the sublime Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, and next week I’ll preview Treasure Island Music Festival.
[find all of my pictures on my Flickr]
You know you’ve found a home when within sixty seconds of walking (or rolling) onto the festival grounds you hear Emmylou Harris singing. Emmylou had joined her guitarist Buddy Miller onstage to sing a little backup. (Children in the audience should be aware that Emmylou is the greatest backup harmony singer of all time.) Nice start, eh?
Weeell, then Buddy brings Robert Effing Plant on stage to sing several country tunes. Thrilled, thrilled, thrilled to get a chance to see him for the first time, and to have it be in this setting. He said attending the festival was “like going to school” for him. For me it was like going to church.
Okkervil was awesome …
… but the first major emotional moment for me was Dave Alvin & The Guilty Women. They first formed for last year’s festival, and the rave reviews made them a must-see for me this year. Fan-freaking-tastic, pepples. Dave said this is the best band he’s ever had, and it was hard to argue. (Having Laurie Lewis as one of your two fiddle players gives you a good head start.)
As the years roll by, festivals such as these that focus on American roots music are populated more and more by ghosts — both the spirits of the great and gone that have always loomed large, and those of our current heroes who join them each year. So Dave Alvin’s “Ashgrove,” which calls up the ghosts of his parents, Rev. Gary Davis, Lightnin’ Hopkins, and others, is a good place to start.
Here’s the original, from Alvin’s 2004 solo album — it’s less fiddle-y than the Guilty Women’s rendition, so I’ll also include a recording from their 2008 debut in Golden Gate Park.
Dave Alvin – Ashgrove from Ashgrove
Dave Alvin & The Guilty Women – Ashgrove from the Rooster stage at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 8 (courtesy of the Internet Archive – find this entire performance here)
Dave Alvin & The Guilty Women have a new album out on Anti-.
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Hi Kevin !
My girlfriend Mary and I had the great pleasure of meeting and talking with you in the “disabled seats” immediatley after the Dave Alvin and the Guilty Women set (at Hardly, Strictly on Saturday 10/3)
Man, was that an amazingly hot set !!!
At your suggestion, I limped over and caught most of Marty Stuarts set. Thanks much for your recommendation. Marty and his boys were great. I didn’t think I knew his stuff but I recognized (and really enjoyed) nearly everything they played.
After Marty’s set I found my way back to where Mary was waiting and we both really loved the amazing set put on by Karl Wallinger and his trio WORLD PARTY. Karl amost lost his life and musical abilities to a brain aneurysm several years ago but is apparently completely recovered and grinned from ear to ear during his beautiful set which really caused me to weep with joy!!!
Hope to see you and talk with you again Kev. You’re a really good dude and I’ll keep reading your cool site. Your music comments are really right on !
Please phone Mary and I if you’d ever like to talk music or anything else !!!
From one vegetable (WinterCORN) to another, very best regards, Tom and Mary
Thanks, man! It was really nice chatting with you two. It’s not every festival that gets a Vegetables and a Wintercorn together.
I wish I could have stayed for World Party — sounds like a wonderful experience, and I’ll look into their music.
Glad you liked Marty — he’s keeping the spirit alive (in leather pants, no less)!
You can always find me here, or at kevin@hellovegetables.com – rock on!