CMT News ran in interesting story yesterday concerning the relationship between fuel costs, festival attendance, and CD sales. The story’s primary focus is the affect on artists’ bottom line produced by increasing fuel costs. The story is primarily based on an interview conducted with Keith Case, but also includes quotes from Ricky Skaggs and Sharon McGraw, managing editor of Bluegrass Unlimited.

Case sees the situation from the perspective of a booking agent trying to book, schedule, and route shows for bluegrass artists. He talked about the increased price of fuel for tour busses, the increased cost of airfare and the decreased availability of flights, and the increased cost of rental vehicles.

Case relates the story of a recent short, three show tour, for Ralph Stanley.

He went from home [in southwest Virginia], played three dates that were all closely routed in Texas. He came back and his [roundtrip] fuel bill was almost $2,000.

Since these dates were all booked a year or more ago, the artists are really feeling the financial crunch from these fuel costs. My own conversations with artists indicate that many acts are unable to increase their asking price for a festival date because the promoters are simply unwilling to invest more in artist fees for next year while uncertain what attendance will look like a year from now.

Case ties a decline in CD sales to the increase fuel costs as well. Indicating that it not only costs the band more to get to the show, it also costs the fans more. Having spent much of their available cash on gas, the fans are buying less once they reach the festival.

…people are spending so much to go to festivals, as far as fuel costs go, that they are not spending as much at the festivals.

Interestingly, the author of the article then converses with a tour buss rental company manager concerning attendance at a couple of country music festivals. He then returns to bluegrass with Skaggs and Sharon McGraw.

Sharon shared that her research indicates no noticeable decline in bluegrass festival attendance, this year.

I think people have been a little more selective in how far they’ve gone [to attend festivals]. But attendance-wise, from what I’ve seen, it seems to be steady.

I think next year is when it’s all going to trickle down, when artists will say, ‘Well, we were just going to bite the bullet. Now we’ve bitten it, and it’s biting us.’ That may be where some of it comes apart.

We’ve run two polls this year, one at the beginning of the festival season, and one just recently, asking our readers if increased fuel costs would have an affect on their festival attendance this year. The results show 60% of readers indicating they are/have attending fewer festivals this year as a result of the increase in fuel costs.

If Ralph Stanley and Ricky Skaggs are feeling a financial crunch, it must be even more difficult for bands with lower booking fees, as fuel costs eat a larger percentage of their revenue. What all this means for he future of bluegrass is yet to be seen. Perhaps more bands and fans will take some advice from the title of the new Grascals CD!

The official web site for The Recording Academy, formerly The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, who distributes the annual Grammy Awards, has a nice piece up on the 40th Anniversary issue of Bluegrass Unlimited magazine. It was written by Dave Helland, and includes a brief overview of the magazine, and how it came into existence in 1966.

Helland includes quotes from founder, Pete Kuykendall, and from newgrass legend, Sam Bush.

“No one loves traditional bluegrass more then Pete does,” says Sam Bush, who bought his first issue of Bluegrass Unlimited at the second Roanoke Bluegrass Festival in Virginia. “At the same time, no one has been more supportive of young bands that come out and try to make their own sound.”

Doyle Lawson is also quoted. Read the full article at grammy.com.

The July 2006 edition of Bluegrass Unlimited is their official 40th Anniversary issue. In addition to the regular articles, features and reviews which we have come to expect from BU, they include as a bonus, a copy of the debut issue as an 8-page, removable insert.

When the magazine launched in 1966, it was available for dues of $3 per year. This first issue was a typed, mimeographed pamphlet with a hand drawn logo - quite a contrast from the slick, full color magazine we now see each month.

There are some real gems in the insert, like this short review of the then new single release from The Osborne Brothers, Hard Times/World Of Unwanted:

“About nine parts Nashville hokum to one part grass.”

The main portion of the magazine includes some more choice bits from past issues, including a piece John Duffey wrote in 1967, responding to the critics of the early Country Gentlemen who took them to task for deviating from the “true bluegrass’ way.

They also feature a version of how their National Bluegrass Survey might have looked for July 1966, with The Country Gentlemen’s Bringing Mary Home topping the list.

Subscribers should see their copies in the next few days, and news stands will surely sell out quickly, so pick one up if you want to have this as a keepsake.

The June issue of Bluegrass Unlimited magazine is on its way to subscribers and retailers, with Del McCoury (and the band) on the cover. The Del piece is a substantial one, written by Chris Stuart.

Also included this month are features on Blue Moon Rising, Shad Cobb, and The McCormick Brothers. You can get more info on Bluegrass Unlimited, including subscription details, by visiting their web site.

Within the next week or so, you’ll be able to view selected content from the new issue online, including most of the reviews, the National Bluegrass Survey, and at least one or two of the feature articles. The May issue is still up on the site now.

John adds: The new issue also includes a great review of our new Acoustic Endeavors CD, On A Farm. Yee hah!

Sharon McGraw, editor of Bluegrass Unlimited magazine, also shared her thoughts about Louise Scruggs and her legacy as a prominent female businesswoman.

“Louise Scruggs stands out as the most prominent leader in the music industry for women. She was absolutely the pillar of strength in most any business transaction. Louise will be remembered for her strong will as well. I begged her for years to allow us to feature her in the magazine and always received the same reply, “maybe soon.” We actually had begun work on an article just prior to her health declining.

She will be sadly missed.

Sharon McGraw, Managing Editor, Bluegrass Unlimited

The February edition of Bluegrass Unlimited contains an article that might be of interest about Mac Wiseman. Here’s an excerpt to whet your appetite.

In the last year or two, as he’s rounded the curve of 80, he’s recorded as a guest with the likes of Johnny Cash and Charlie Daniels. And he maintains a steady, though limited, touring schedule. Perhaps most notably, Wiseman recently recorded three CDs worth of the great old songs he loves to sing.