MerleFest, the 18th annual festival in celebration of the music of the late Merle Watson and his father Doc Watson, on the campus of Wilkesboro Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina on April 28 - May 1, 2005...
PJ's Merlefest Diary:
Monday
1am:
Remember the bar scene in Star Wars? I think I just lived the Americana version tonight.
The weekend ended with a bang for me. After seeing an dynamic set---which included a half-dozen extra players, and one wild, 60+ fan who felt the spirit, leapt on-stage and burst into a spontaneous song that the band gladly followed along---I got to chat with Donna The Buffalo's Jeb. Nice guy, cool spirit. He told me he and Tara from the band used to enter the fiddle contest every August at the Fair on the Island! That was followed by a rollicking chat with BR549---in one of my proudest broadcast moments, I cracked a joke that stopped them short and caused them to bust out laughing during the interview. And, at the 11th hour, I finally caught up with Jim Lauderdale [website], who I'd been trying to catch since Thursday. He told some great stories about meeting Keith Richards, and about working with Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter [website]. I wrapped that up just in time to catch the end of Alison Krauss and Union Station's weekend closing set, followed by Doc Watson's tribute to his late son Merle.
So we packed up our gear, said goodbye to the media room that served as our home base for 4 days, and made our way to the Sagebrush Restaurant to have my first sit down dinner in days. We grabbed a booth with the Swedes, and laughed, looking around to notice that we were surrounded by Merlefest musician refugees. Behind us, members of the Chieftains. In front of us The Duhks [website]. Across the aisle, Nickel Creek [website]. Standing by the bar, Bela Fleck [website]. And wandering around, Hayes Carll [website], the folks from Sugar Hill Records, and dozens of other folks with guitars and mandolins strapped on their shoulders.
Gary, Jesper, Richard and I outlasted them all, sitting late into the evening, talking about our favorite moments of music, about our love and fascination with Americana, and America itself, and about those other things you talk about after a few beers, after a long weekend, a long way from home. We miss our girls and we miss our beds, and we'll miss this little community we built for just one weekend. That is, until Merlefest 2006.
Sunday 4pm:
Last entry I was crabbing because I had missed Steve Earle [website], so I came here to write it in my journal like a sullen teenager. Good thing I moseyed back outside, Steve had jumped up on stage with young Hayes Carll. Traci from New West records had told us that Hayes was not to be missed, and she was so right. Backed by the Greencards [website], he was just awesome. It's kind of silly to predict that someone is going to be the Next Big Thing, but I will say this: if the fickle finger of fate points toward him, Hayes is talented enough to pull it off. He was genuine, real, and his songwriting and storytelling show both enormous insight, and a sense that he will continue to get better. I can't wait to share with y'all (I can say "y'all" because I've been here 4 days) the interview and performance he did for us in the studio.
Any time I go out of New England, I keep on the lookout for 2 things: Black Dog T-Shirt and Red Sox hats. I'm shocked to report, for the first time in 10 years, I am on a trip, in a large group of people, and I've not seen 1 Black Dog shirt. However, Red Sox Nation is out in full force. And these aren't bandwagoneers either. I always look closely to see if the cap has a little wear and tear. And most do.
Sunday noon:
You snooze, you lose, as they say. Wiped out from last night, Gary and I did not get up at the crack of dawn today. And we arrived just as Steve Earle was exiting the Austin stage, after making a surprise guest spot on Allison Moorer's set. Bummer for us.
So what next? What shouldn't I miss? It's a darned if you do, darned if you don't day. Up at 1pm: Rodney Crowell, Tara Nevins of Donna The Buffalo [website], BR549 [website] and another set from the Chieftains, all on different stages on different parts of the campus.
I need rollerblades.
Friday 9pm:
Here's how good Merlefest is . . . I just walked back to our studio, because I was too overwhelmed by the fantastic-ness. I needed a timeout.
I mean really. It's cool enough that the Chieftains [website] were playing. But then, they brought out Bela Fleck. And then Jerry Douglas. And then Alison Moorer came out to sing. Ricky Skaggs did a tune. The whole lot of them burst into the Rolling Stones "Satisfaction." People around us were clapping and shouting, and a few even flat-footed.
And as I was sitting there, Sean and Sarah Watkins, from Nickel Creek, sat down next to me. "No, we're not playing this weekend, we're just here to watch," I heard Sean say. And when Ricky Skaggs [website] lit into a tremedous solo, I heard a spontaneous jolt of pure-joy laughter from behind me. Tim O'Brien, star in his own right, was digging on the music too. Unreal.
The early part of the day is a blur. We knocked out a series of interviews and performances with some great up-and-comers. And Corey Harris [website] did a cool set that Nark will have for you on The Blues at 8. I caught a few minutes of Henry Butler, the blind New Orleans piano player; some hot licks from John Mooney, a bit of tight harmony from the Del McCoury Band [website]; and saw a set that typifies what Merlefest is all about. Unsure about how to fill a slot on the outermost stage, in the middle of the afternoon, the Merlefest folks just put TBA in the programs. At the last minute, two bands, The Duhks and The Mammals [website] offered to fill in. Ten people were on stage, playing and jumping and laughing and Whooping. And 150 audience members, who skipped lots of other options for the excitement of finding out who was TBA, whooped along with them.
Saturday 2pm:
I must tell you, I got chills more than once this afternoon---and it's 70 degrees today.
Doc Watson [website], festival founder, did a blues set on the Austin stage, and when he told the band during "Milk Cow Blues," "Let me pick on this a bit," oooh I got shivers. He layed down a beautiful solo, that had the crowd on it's feet.
Over on the main stage, Darrell Scott [website] silenced the crowd with his haunting "You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive," about the despair of living in a coal mining town. He's such a rugged looking, mountain man, you don't expect him to have such a sensitive soul.
Right after, the winners of the Banjo contest, the Mandolin contest and the guitar contest played on the side Cabin stage. Now I'm back in the studio, getting ready to record a performance from them.
Saturday 12 noon
Jerry Douglas was pretty awesome last night. He even brought out "a couple a hacks who could use the work": Sam Bush [website] and Bela Fleck. It was quite a jam.
Even more exciting was the Sugar Hill campfire party. We left the Merlefest campus for a campground area, where all the reps from Sugar Hill records are staying. They had invited friends and well-wishers to come hang out by the campfire. Traci, our Merlefest contact, pointed out some famous faces in the crowd, including a member of Emmylou Harris' Hot Band. But when Tim O'Brien showed up, the jam got really serious. Pickers and pros gathered around Tim, while they ran through a string of americana standards. The fire was warm, moonshine (I swear!) was on the table, and the playing went on long after I went to bed.
Today, the stage right next to the studio is all blues. We've been promised some cool interviews. And I am determined to see more music today.
Friday 8pm
Gary and I discovered that our press passes not only get us backstage, they get us to free food. Jesper, the Swedish journalist, calls it "school food," but hey, free slow-cooked pork!
It was a busy afternoon, and I have to say, I missed a lot of music, because I was doing interviews. Earlier in the day, I saw a band called Old School Freight Train [website] , and was pretty wowed. The cool thing about Merlefest is that after performances, you can walk right up to a band and chat with them. I invited them over to our studio, and they played a couple of great songs, including a soulful cover of Randy Newman's "Louisiana 1927." I also had a nice chat with Robin Williams, but felt like a bit of a maroon when I messed up the title of their album. You'll get to hear that misstep, plus all the smart things the interviewees said, and their performances, right here on this page. We will be posting audio of everyone we talk to, starting next week.
Bela Fleck is playing on the cabin stage right now, which is exactly what it sounds like---a small log cabin, just to the right of the main stage. He's playing in trio form tonight, ahead of Jerry Douglas' main stage performance, which I am going to run to catch. Then, late night, we've been invited to a private gathering by Sugar Hill Records, so I think I'll get to do some elbow rubbing with artists! I'll give you all the dish, on Saturday . . .
Friday 2pm
The
thing they don't tell you about Merlefest, about Wilkesboro, is that it's built
into a hill. For some of the outlying stages, you have to be a bit mountain goat-ish
to get a good view of the stage. But I climbed the aptly named Hillside stage
to catch a set by The Waybacks, then speed-walked past the Dance Tent where the
Duhks were in the midst of "The Mist Down Below," to catch the end of
Robin & Linda Williams & Their Fine Group. So now I'm back in the media
area, waiting for Robin to come chat with me. You'll be able to hear that interview
soon, right here at mvyradio.com.
Friday 10am
Gary tried the livermush
at Glenn's diner. He said it was good, but I'm pretty sure I just saw him head
for the Merlefest restroom. Even though it's pouring, the crowds are streaming
in. Coming through the gate, I got mixed in with a group of 150 4th graders, on
a field trip to Merlefest. The scuttlebutt around campus this morning is that
Nickel Creek will be making an unscheduled, surprise appearance this weekend.
Looking forward to that, and to seeing some of my favorites. Corey Harris and
Donna the Buffalo arrive today; I'm headed to catch their first sets here shortly.
Thursday
10pm
The marquee event on Thursday was Loretta Lynn's set. Gary and I found
a grassy spot on the side of the stage, and first watched Loretta's twin daughters
warm up the crowd with a few songs. The Lynn daughters apologized: "Mama's
not feeling that well," and warned us that her voice was a little hoarse.
That didn't matter much. When Loretta took the stage, the love from the audience
was palable. Every time her voice gave out on a high note (she missed whole lines
of "Fist City," coughing) the crowd just clapped louder. Sitting in
a chair at the front of the stage, she looked positively regal, in her sparkly
gown, but couldn't have been anymore humble. "Listen to you people clap,
when I sound so awful. Bless your hearts." She ran through "Portland
Oregon," her guitar player filling in for Jack White, and honored the crowd
with a spirited rendition of "Coal Miner's Daughter." As the crowd rose
for a standing ovation, we left the lawn, happy to have seen a living legend.
Thursday
7pm
We just finished watching the Mandolin contest. It was a hoot. Kids and
young adults, up on a small stage, doing 2 songs each. They were judged
by a panel of pros. Pretty brave of a 10 year old to put on his Sunday
best, and get up in a room of 200 people to play. Yes, we were in a room.
We chose the lounge stage, which is inside, because darkness has brought
on the cold. I've now grabbed my coat out of the car, and am headed to
the main stage, where virtuoso Tim O'Brien plays next, followed by the
queen, Ms Loretta Lynn [website].
Will Jack White show up? Probably not, but it'd be cool...
Thursday 4:30pm
Well, Merlefest has officially
begun. The gates are open, Doc Watson just took the main stage, and I just scarfed
down my first pulled pork sandwich. That MUST be the start of it all.
Gary and I met some journalists from Sweden, and we've had interesting conversations about Americana, the music form, and also the culture. I'm curious to hear their impressions on this distinctly American music.
There's still a light lazy feel to things. People are setting up beach chairs and blankets, but there's still enough room for some frisbee action. I hear that Loretta Lynn's tour bus has been spied. Can't wait to see her. Let's hope those dark clouds that have gathered will hold off the rain until after she sings. Either way, I guess it doesn't matter that I left my sunglasses on the Island.
Thursday 11am
After a
search for the mysterious Orange Lot, we parked, and met Dave, a Merlefest volunteer,
who loaded our equipment onto his golf cart and sped us to Hayes Hall, on the
campus of Wilkes Community College, where we'll be set up in a studio across the
hall from the campus station. We got our ticket wristbands, and our backstage
wristbands too---which are both a little sparkly for my tastes, and a little sparkly
for something as earthy as Merlefest, too. So we used those passes right away,
wandering around the backstage area, which, for now is populated only by sound
techs and roadies.
Vendors are unloading t-shirts, security is directing golf cart traffic, and every soda machine you pass is being filled to capacity. I just bought bottle water for 25 cents! Try doing that at one of those Shed shows. I stood in the middle of the softball field where the main stage, empty for now, which will soon be filled with thousands of fans, ready for a full weekend of music. The sun is shining---let's hope it stays that way, even if the Weather channel says it won't last.
Thursday 9am
Gary and I ate eggs and
sausage and grits at a place called "Glenn's" where the hostess said
"Are you guys goin' to The Merlefest? I knew it, 'cause I haven't seen your
faces before." Livermush was the special of the day, but neither Gary nor
I dared. Gary Guthrie is mvyradio's Director of Marketing, but he's also the guy
with the Ears. He'll have the headphones on, and his hands on the knobs of our
portable studio, as I interview artists during the next four days.
Wednesday
10pm
It's been a long journey---the Steamship, the Bonanza Bus, the plane
to Charlotte, the tiny sardine can they claim is a plane to Asheville, and a 2
hour car ride into the heart of the country side, where we found The Country Inn.
I'm going to lay my head on this hotel pillow, so tired I won't even really dream,
and wake up tomorrow, ready to roll.
Audio:
BR549 Interview
Performance, MerleFest 2005 
Corey Harris
Interview, MerleFest 2005
Hayes Carll
Interview, MerleFest 2005
Performance: Cover of Greg Brown's Spring Wind, MerleFest 2005
Jim Lauderdale
Interview, MerleFest 2005
Merlefest Competition Winners
Interview with Performance, MerleFest 2005
Old School Freight Train
Interview with Performance, MerleFest 2005
Robin and Linda Williams
Interview, MerleFest 2005
The Greencards
Interview, MerleFest 2005
Performance: Cover of Bill Monroe and Peter Rowan's 'Walls of Time', MerleFest 2005