Things are scheduled to kick off officially this coming Monday (9/28) in Nashville, where IBMA takes over the Nashville Convention Center and The Renaissance Hotel for a solid week of bluegrass music and business activity. Until Thursday, the event is more a business conference, though there is plenty of music to be found. Artists, managers, promoters, record labels, radio folks and more all congregate to learn, network and explore new opportunities in an all-bluegrass setting.

Thursday night’s (10/1) gala awards show is always a highlight, with all the bluegrass glitterati in their finest duds for their big night at the historic Ryman Auditorium. It also serves as a transition point for IBMA week, as Friday morning is the kickoff for Fan Fest, a large indoor music festival held in the same location. All of the entertainers donate their time for this event, with proceeds going into a trust fund for bluegrass artists in need.

Attendance has been off substantially at a number of major music festivals and conferences this year, which won’t come as a surprise to anyone struggling with this recessionary environment. Merlefest reported a drop of 17% in ticketed attendance this year, with an overall decrease of 70% in proceeds delivered to the Wilkes Community College with whom they share a home.

Similarly, the Americana Music Conference held in Nashville earlier this month showed a drop-off of 15% from 2008, and area venues that hosted affiliated shows saw a decline as well.

Final numbers won’t be in until the conclusion of all the IBMA festivities, but Executive Director Dan Hays is guardedly optimistic at this point.

“As of September 15, our ticket sales were running 0.4% ahead of last year’s (comparing same date sales), a difference of +5 people. The IBMA Awards Show has less than 150 tickets available as of 9/22 and we anticipate those will be gone well before the night of the show (thus if anyone wants to attend, they should contact the Ryman as soon as possible).

But there’s plenty of room for folks to attend Fan Fest and like many events, a significant portion of our attendees wait to get tickets when they arrive. For example, Fan Fest typically has +60% of sales ‘at the gate.’ The fact that advance sales are steady is encouraging and we have a fantastic lineup and other activities planned that make it a ‘can’t miss’ event.”

It’s an important week in the bluegrass biz, but can also be a dream vacation for anyone who simply loves the music. Full details and schedules for all the IBMA week events can be found on their web site.

Firstly, there is the annual Chris Austin Songwriting Contest in which there are four categories.

This year’s winners are Love Gone By by Carol Hausner and Colin McCaffrey of Montpelier, Vermont (in the Bluegrass Category), Man of Few Words by Dennis K. Duff of Kuttawa, Kentucky (in the Country Category), Beyond the Rain by Brink Brinkman of Pickerington, Ohio (in the Gospel Category) and Unmarked Pavement by Miles and Letha Costin of Raleigh, North Carolina (in the General Category).

Secondly, there are the three instrumental competitions, one each for mandolin, banjo and guitar. This year’s prize winners are ‚Ķ.

MerleFest Mandolin Contest

• 1st Place – Bryan McDowell, Canton, North Carolina
• 2nd Place – Jesse Daniel, Pisgah, Alabama
• 3rd Place – Caleb Courtner, Butler, Tennessee

Merle Watson Bluegrass Banjo Championship

• 1st Place – Seth Taylor, Bryson City, North Carolina
• 2nd Place – Johnathan Dillon, Wirtz, Virginia
• 3rd Place – Owen Piatt, Springfield, Tennessee

Doc Watson Guitar Championship

• 1st Place – Tyler Grant, Nashville, Tennessee
• 2nd Place – Tony Watt, Schenectady, New York
• 3rd Place – Fred Duggin, Nashville, TN

Congratulations to all concerned.

The four-day Merlefest took place on the campus of the Wilkes Community College, Wilkesboro, North Carolina, from 23 to 26 April. It is hosted by Doc Watson and staged in memory of his son Merle. This year’s attendance has been reported at 70,000.

Cindy Baucom has posted a number of photos she took during the festival on her Knee Deep In Bluegrass blog. She has shots from stage shows, from backstage and some in the vendors’ area.

Tom Bibey has extensive Merlefest commentary available on his blog as well. Tom is a physician (now semi-retired) who also writes fiction, and is a bluegrass picker to boot.

His Merlefest posts primarily convey his impressions of the weekend’s events, including comments about two of our favorite bluegrass artists.

“Kristin Scott Benson shows she didn’t win the IBMA banjo player of the year just cause she’s young and a pretty face; the kid can burn up the five string. She not only blisters the breakdowns as well as any man alive, but plays the backup with uncommon sensitivity. Maybe it is from years of nurture, but women seem to know how to be supportive and make a man look better. I know my Marfar does. The Grascals are fine players, but Kristin sure did brighten up the stage when she joined the group.

I like a female in the mix. As Sierra said, bluegrass was once a boy’s club. I remember when it was that way, and the change is good. Why have a refrigerator limited to bologna and beer when it can be everything from tofu and casseroles to chops for the grill? “

Bibey has a book of bluegrass fiction in the works, The Mandolin Case, due for publication in 2010.

The festival has reported that more than 70,000 people had been on site for the event through last Saturday, and updated attendance totals are expected soon for the full four days.

Ted also attended the Merlefest Jam Camp, and has many photos from there as well.

Be sure to visit his site repeatedly over the next few days, as he is still posting new photos and commentary while he decompresses from the trip.

              

If you’re not there, but you’d like to know what’s going on. Or, if you are there, but you’d like to know what’s going on backstage, here’s your chance.

Our pal Wichita Rutherford is there all week and hanging out back stage with Doc and the other stars. He’s going to give us all a window into what’s happening, by Twittering his experiences. He tells me he plans to let us know who’s backstage and what they’re doing, what they’re eating, and who they’re talking to. Apparently there will be no privacy this year at Merlefest! Wichita will also be catching a few parking lot jams and letting us know what’s happening there.

Wichita tells me there may even be a friendly slap fight match or two. He’s challenged Tim Stafford, Terry Eldrige and Jerry Douglas among others. Of course, if Chris Thile shows up…

If Chris Thile shows there will be an all out slap fight brawl; a loser leaves MerleFest cage match, if you will.

I’m sure Wichita will let us know all the details if it happens. Be careful buddy!

In addition to just Tweeting the events as they happen, Wichita will also be posting photos on his Twitter page.

If you want to follow Wichita’s Tweets, then just go to Twitter.com, you’ll need an account, and search for WichitaR or Wichita Rutherford, and enjoy!

At 1:00 p.m. (EDT) former Foggy Mountain Boys Jody Rainwater and Curly Seckler will join Steep Canyon Rangers for a live set on WSVS AM 800 in Crewe, VA. They will be performing together that evening in nearby Kenbridge, and will offer a taste of the show over the air (steamed live at www.wsvsam.com).

WSVS was the radio home for Flatt & Scruggs in 1954 and ‘55, where they did a live noontime show each weekday and also taped their Martha White shows for WSM in Nashville. Rainwater, who had left the band several years earlier, was a show host on WSVS while Lester and Earl were based in Crewe.

Curly and Jody look forward to spinning yarns about the old days on Saturday’s show, and getting a chance to perform together again backed by a fine young band who learned to play listening to the recordings they had made.

Then at 8:00 p.m. on WNCW in Spindale, NC, Merlefest will announce their artist lineup for 2009. [See update below]

John Adair from Merlefest and Christie Hutchens from Wilkes Community College will be on WNCW’s Martin Anderson to run down all the acts who will be on tap for the festival April 23-26, 2009.

Listen live online at wncw.org.

The lineup will be posted on the Melefest site after the show has concluded on Saturday at 9:00 p.m.

Update 10/26:  Ooops….. The Merlefest radio show is on Tuesday, October 28 at 8:00 p.m.

Of course at such an eclectic festival, the offerings range from old time bluegrass…

…to more experimental string music…

… to the truly bizarre.

See them all on YouTube.

Ted was on hand Tuesday through Sunday, and captured acts from the many stage shows, as well as the Pete Wernick jam camp and pre-festival jamming.

See all his fine photos at tedlehmann.blogspot.com.

You can find these archives at Martha’s Vineyard Radio (mvyradio.com) where a mix of stage shows, workshops, jams and interviews from Merlefest 2007 are listed alphabetically.

With the far ranging musical diversity that is a Merlefest trademark, you can expect to find sets from some of your favorite acts and also discover something new. Bluegrass and acoustic music fans will surely be interested in the performances from headliners like Sam Bush, Cherryholmes, Del McCoury, Doyle Lawson, Peter Rowan and The Nashville Bluegrass Band.

Some special highlights are the guitar mini-concert with Bryan Sutton and Chris Eldridge, multiple performances by The Infamous Stringdusters and Uncle Earl, a set by Crooked Still and one by The Lovell Sisters.

Songwriters get their due as well, with a open mic set from Mark “Brink” Brinkman and Chris Austin Bluegrass Songwriting contest winner Jeanette Williams.

There are hours of great live music at the mvyradio.com Merlefest 2007 audio archives. Set some time aside and sample the sounds.

All week long mvyradio.com will be broadcasting all weekend long from the festival. Thursday through Sunday they will be sprinkling highlights in their daily broadcasts. Sunday night at 10 PM will be a Best of Show from the weekend.

The campus radio station WSIF carries a feed from the main (Watson) stage and this year mvyradio.com will be streaming that feed all weekend long at RadioFreeMerlefest.org. The feed will be live, but if you miss a show you can find the archives of full sets at mvyradio.com and listen to them after the fact. The archives will include shows from other stages in addition to the main stage.

In addition to audio feeds, photos will also be uploaded all weekend long as well. Check the station’s Merlefest page for the photos and audio archives.

Remember that this line up is subject to revision between now and next April. Personally I’m glad to see a nice collection of strait up bluegrass represented at next year’s festival.

WILKESBORO, N.C., Oct. 19 — Ticket sales for MerleFest 2007, the Americana Music Celebration Presented by Lowe’s, will begin on Tuesday, November 14, 2006 at 2:00 PM EST. Wilkes Community College will present MerleFest 2007, the 20th annual festival in celebration of the music of the late Merle Watson and his father Doc Watson, on its campus in Wilkesboro, NC on April 26 – 29, 2007. Those joining Doc Watson and Merle’s son Richard Watson for MerleFest 2007 will include Blue Highway; Sam Bush; Cherryholmes; Elvis Costello; John Cowan Band; Donna The Buffalo; Jerry Douglas; The Duhks; Bela Fleck; Paul Geremia; John Hammond; Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver; Del McCoury Band; Nitty Gritty Dirt Band; Peter Rowan & Tony Rice Quartet; Darrell Scott; the Legendary Earl Scruggs with Family & Friends; Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives; Pam Tillis; The Waybacks; and many others. Starting on November 14th at 2 PM EST, those with Internet access may acquire their tickets easily by visiting http://www.merlefest.org and, if purchasing assigned seats at the Watson Stage, actually pick their seat location on line.

If you don’t want to order online you can call 1-800-343-7857 (US only) or 336-838-6267 (non-US) weekdays. Or, if you’d prefer, you can mail order your tickets at this address:

MerleFest
P.O. Box 120
Wilkesboro, NC 28697

Additional info:

Full Press Release
Volunteer for MerleFest
Vendor info
Sponsorship Inquiries
General information

Scroll to the bottom of their article for a link to the photos.