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Americana
News
Merlefest 2007 (April 26-29)
2007
marks the twentieth anniversary of the music festival which many
consider to be the premier Americana music showcase. Merlefest 2007
was held on April 26- 29 in the foothills of the Appalachian
mountains on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro,
North Carolina. This is the same spot where the event has been held
every year since its inception in 1988 to honor the memory of the
late Merle Watson (son of Doc Watson).
Merlefest
attracts fans from around the world to listen to some of the top
artists in Americana music. This year did not disappoint. Here
are a select few highlights from the event:
The
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Hillside Stage - Saturday, April 28: The
Hillside Stage was packed for a performance by the Nitty Gritty Dirt
Band on Saturday afternoon. Joined by Shawn Camp on guitar, the band
opened with Dylan’s "You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere"
and rolled through a string of country-rock classics. Capping the
set with "Mr. Bojangles" and Rodney Crowell’s
"Voila, An American Dream," the band reminded
attendees why they are still considered one of the original
Americana bands. A brief encore featured the obligatory "Will
The Circle Be Unbroken." Undoubtedly one of the highlights
of this year’s Merlefest, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band provided a
top-notch set to open a jam-packed Saturday.
The
Duhks - Watson Stage - Saturday, April 28: The
growth of Merlefest has been well documented, but the audience at
the main Watson stage may have been the largest to date for a
Saturday afternoon lineup. The Duhks came to Merlefest shortly after
the departure of their lead singer Jessee
Havey. Now fronted by Sarah
Dugas, the band has barely skipped a beat (both figuratively
and literally) since the departure of Havey. Mixing Americana,
celtic, cajun and other folk music styles into a fascinating gumbo
of acoustic music, The Duhks have emerged as one of Canada’s best
musical exports. With Juno Awards and Grammy nominations in tow, the
band provided an electrifying performance in a largely acoustic
venue.
Midway
through the set, the band introduced a surprise musical guest -
former Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones. Jones has produced the
band and joined in on mandolin as the band’s cajun jam morphed
into Led Zep’s "Whole Lotta Love." Cited by many
as one of the highlights of this year’s festival, you can catch a
glimpse of the performance at this YouTube
link. The extended jam brought everyone to their feet demanding
more.
The
Waybacks - Hillside Stage - Saturday, April 28: The
Waybacks returned to Merlefest following a memorable 2006
performance with Bob Weir on the festival’s main Watson Stage.
Saturday afternoon found the Americana jam-band on the Hillside
Stage with a packed hillside to greet them. Opening with The
Band’s "The Shape I’m In," the Waybacks
presented their unique take on roots music through a variety of
original songs and covers. The band was joined on Stage by Crooked
Still’s Rushad Eggleston for much of the performance. With
Eggleston's cello providing an added dimension to the performance,
the group delivered a compelling version of "Cumberland
Blues" and paid homage to the Rolling Stones with "19th
Nervous Breakdown." John Cowan joined in to provide vocals
on CCR’s "Fortunate Son" which carried with it
added significance in light of the current geo-political
environment. All in all, the Waybacks proved why they are one of the
top draws among bluegrass and jam-band fans alike.
Crooked
Still - Americana Stage - Sunday, April 29: Crooked
Still’s debut appearance at Merlefest was greeted with large and
receptive crowds who were eager the hear the band’s distinct
cello-based bluegrass sound. Celloist Rushad Eggleston raised a few
eyebrows with a remark about the Virginia state motto as witnessed
on billboards on the drive to Merlefest. (Rushad concluding that
"Virginia - seductive and productive" was really a
subliminal reference to a certain female body part.) Nevertheless,
music ruled the day and the packed crowd appeared to enjoy every
moment of the band’s performance. Featuring a variety of songs
from each the band’s two releases, highlights included "Darling
Corey," "New Railroad," and the bluegrass
classic "Shady Grove." Once again, YouTube brings
you this
link to a snippet of Crooked Still's Americana stage
performance.
According
to event organizers, ticket sales for Merlefest were down slightly
this year, but Saturday featured the second largest single day
attendance in the history of the event. Some feel that Merlefest is
already bursting at the seams and could stand to scale back a
little. It will be interesting to see how Merlefest evolves. But for
now, it is still a must-see event for fans of Americana music.
The
Hillside Stage was packed for a performance by the Nitty Gritty Dirt
Band on Saturday afternoon. Joined by Shawn Camp on guitar, the band
opened with Dylan’s "You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere"
and rolled through a string of country-rock classics. Capping the
set with "Mr. Bojangles" and Rodney Crowell’s
"Voila, An American Dream," the band reminded
attendees why they are still considered one of the original
Americana bands. A brief encore featured the obligatory "Will
The Circle Be Unbroken." Undoubtedly one of the highlights
of this year’s Merlefest, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band provided a
top-notch set to open a jam-packed Saturday.
The
growth of Merlefest has been well documented, but the audience at
the main Watson stage may have been the largest to date for a
Saturday afternoon lineup. The Duhks came to Merlefest shortly after
the departure of their lead singer Jessee
Havey. Now fronted by Sarah
Dugas, the band has barely skipped a beat (both figuratively
and literally) since the departure of Havey. Mixing Americana,
celtic, cajun and other folk music styles into a fascinating gumbo
of acoustic music, The Duhks have emerged as one of Canada’s best
musical exports. With Juno Awards and Grammy nominations in tow, the
band provided an electrifying performance in a largely acoustic
venue.
Midway
through the set, the band introduced a surprise musical guest -
former Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones. Jones has produced the
band and joined in on mandolin as the band’s cajun jam morphed
into Led Zep’s "Whole Lotta Love." Cited by many
as one of the highlights of this year’s festival, you can catch a
glimpse of the performance at this 
The
Waybacks returned to Merlefest following a memorable 2006
performance with Bob Weir on the festival’s main Watson Stage.
Saturday afternoon found the Americana jam-band on the Hillside
Stage with a packed hillside to greet them. Opening with The
Band’s "The Shape I’m In," the Waybacks
presented their unique take on roots music through a variety of
original songs and covers. The band was joined on Stage by Crooked
Still’s Rushad Eggleston for much of the performance. With
Eggleston's cello providing an added dimension to the performance,
the group delivered a compelling version of "Cumberland
Blues" and paid homage to the Rolling Stones with "19th
Nervous Breakdown." John Cowan joined in to provide vocals
on CCR’s "Fortunate Son" which carried with it
added significance in light of the current geo-political
environment. All in all, the Waybacks proved why they are one of the
top draws among bluegrass and jam-band fans alike.
Crooked
Still’s debut appearance at Merlefest was greeted with large and
receptive crowds who were eager the hear the band’s distinct
cello-based bluegrass sound. Celloist Rushad Eggleston raised a few
eyebrows with a remark about the Virginia state motto as witnessed
on billboards on the drive to Merlefest. (Rushad concluding that
"Virginia - seductive and productive" was really a
subliminal reference to a certain female body part.) Nevertheless,
music ruled the day and the packed crowd appeared to enjoy every
moment of the band’s performance. Featuring a variety of songs
from each the band’s two releases, highlights included "Darling
Corey," "New Railroad," and the bluegrass
classic "Shady Grove." Once again, YouTube brings
you 