Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

Best method of getting FDA recommended dose of Bluegrass: festivals or smaller venues?

#1

Hey. Having sworn off social media years ago, I can assure I’m not the type to simulcast my own boring life.

HOWEVER…since going to DelFest last weekend, I’ve been contrasting festivals with smaller venues. My wife got me the tickets, at my request, for my birthday. I attended only one day of the festival, and while the music was good, I did not much care for the atmosphere.

Don’t get me wrong. I love live music. I saw Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder earlier this year in Virginia, and WOOO. What a show. Every last member of that band was on fire. The performance was in a small theatre with few distractions from the music, and Ricky and the band got to tell stories, banter with the audience, and even witnessed their faith. A great night all around. I’ll be seeing them again in Pennsylvania next month.

Contrast that type of show with DelFest, at which, from what I could see, the bands were always in the distance, making background music for people to get drunk and high to. Overall, I was left cold by the experience. I did learn that I prefer smaller venues. For me, part of the appeal of bluegrass and old time is that it is acoustic, stripped down instead of amped up, and thus better suited to more intimate settings.

So what do you all think? Bluegrass festivals or smaller concerts? Or both?

6 Likes
#2

That is a different type of festival and has a different atmosphere than many of the traditional bluegrass festivals. I wouldn’t write off all festivals because of that experience. But I, too, usually enjoy more of a theater/quiet setting to hear my favorite bands. There are other reasons that I like festivals (besides smoking dope) that can be found, like jamming and smoked turkey legs.

7 Likes
#3

Nary a turkey leg to be found at DelFest, and 5 miles to the nearest Cracker Barrel. Lol. No, you’re right. I’ll have to try again somewhere else. Given the lineup (Sam Grisman, Sierra Hull, the DMB), I was surprised that Kentucky Thunder wasn’t there, but they were attending a Tony Rice memorial festival in NC at around the same time.

1 Like