Well, as it has been a year or two since I scribed in "this year thayng", as they actually say in PA, I guess I should begin by saying that you can't go wrong entitling a blog with a word nobody in the world ever uses, except Catholics in a time of duress.
It's pronounced "BEE-Attitudes" and not "BEAT--TaTUdes", although I am pretty sure that last one would be a pretty good name for a band.
So I guess the first thing is to explain everything that happened since the last time I posted, but that would involve pigs flying and other things that are even more problematic, health and safety wise.
So here's the highlights of the last year. Played with Sav and Andy Reisser and their gang at a beer fest in Bloomsbrg in early May--that was a good idea! Then Sav, Andy and Johnny Skehan from RR Earth joined us for a train fest in East Burg, along with the son of a son of nephew I played with when I was about 180 pounds and still had black hairs, young lad named RJ Cramer, who will be heard from soon, I betcha. In between, I've had the luxury of getting actual music lessons from an actual professional, and I can safely say that the idea is not over-rated.
Hell, I can almost play in F now on the mando, so you know that' some pretty powerful mojo right there, buddy!
So this past weekend I went to Danny Steward's festival, and it is a winner---the man figured out a way to build a Shin-hopple style festival in two years, and that is a record, I am sure.
Place was packed, lots of great jams throughout the park, which is drop-dead gorgeous--lots of shade, trout stream running down the campgrounds, and all of it was run as tight as a tick...weather was gorgeous, the musicians sterling, and the comraderie perfecto. *
Hickory Project did a set that blasted the paint off of some chairs, none of which had human booties in them as everyone was dancing.
Danny's idea of having one stage for the blue-hairs and another for the "more exuberant" tikes was a hit--next year he informs me that since the second stage is located near some guy that sells slammer ham an cheeses on a pretzel, the state will be called the "Twisted" stage. Lots of really nice music on that stage, some swing, jam-bandy bluegrass and of course blistering instrumentals--cold as it was (and it was cold last night!) those boys and girls were ripping it up.
For the first time in about twenty years, I opted to crash last evening at only about 1, without having played a note all day. The night prior, Micah, Noah, Andy, Geoff, Heather and some whole buncha other great pickers went at it until I am pretty sure I saw a little sliver of sun coming up just before I went off to nod-land.
So last night I heard this really great jam going on just across the swale from where I was, and as it was frakin COLD! I just settled in and listened for a change.
It's a funny thing--when you do that, you hear stuff. Anyhow, Danny's got himself a hit on his hands with this festival, and my hats are off to him and his lovely family, which of course includes the virtuoso, Danny Jr., who now plays guitar, bass, banjo, outfield and does a pretty mean Macharana, by all accounts.
Well, that wasn't so bad. I'm sure I left stuff out, like the unfortunate visual images scribed on my brain-pan by Greg--thanks a heap, you kazoo-love-killer---but it sure was nice to be back in the festival mode.
I think the rest of America should try it! Think of how many carbon footprints we could clean up if the whole world weren't chasing their own tail.
Imagine!
*by 2023, Hispanics will be the largest minority in the US, beating out whites for the first time ever. So I'm gonna start sucking up now. Timing is everything, as they say! *S*
Happy festival season, each and every one!
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