What’s a music festival without rain?!!

Last weekend Jim and I met Nick LaFone at MerleFest in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. MerleFest is an annual Americana Music Festival in honor of Merle Watson, Doc’s son and best friend who died in a tractor accident. This was the 20th MerleFest. Nick arrived earlier from Ashville and got us a good shady campsite. Thursday night we watched (in the rain) The Cherryholms and then a jam with Sam Bush, Peter Rowan, and others. In the middle of the jam they started playing a Led Zeplin song and John Paul Jones came out with guitar and continued playing and singing. It was so cool - everyone was yelling and clapping.

The weather improved over the next 3 days and we looked like stock market brokers circling and highlighting our paper schedules, trying to see everyone of interest to us - There were 9 stages.

We saw another amazing jam session: 4 of our favorite groups on stage playing together: Crooked Still, Uncle Earl, The Duhks, and The Infamous Stringdusters. These talented musicians are all probably under 30 years old and are not afraid to try new stuff. The energy level was through the roof!

We caught up with Debbe and Steve Peck and Emma and her friend Emily. Debbe told me some interesting trivia about Donna The Buffalo group, which we saw (they’re fantastic and fun too.) Their original name was Dawn Of The Buffalo, but people kept saying it real fast so it turned into Donna The Buffalo.

The major concerts were Elvis Costello Friday night and Allison Krause Saturday night. Tony Rice joined Allison’s show and she did a tribute to him. We also saw Earl Scruggs and Doc Watson. What an adventure!!! Jim, Nick, and I are talking about attending a major music festival per year (aside from the Folk Festival in Richmond.) Anyone interested in joining us?

Carolyn