Posts Tagged ‘bluegrass festival’

Fall is the bluegrass time of year for me. I just got back from Poppy Mountain Bluegrass Festival, and shortly before that I was at Mandolin Farm Bluegrass Festival.

Since I’ve been around so many of my bluegrass fans recently I thought I’d post a link to a bunch of past galleries from festivals and shows I’ve shot. I have been asked if I have a place where you can go to see photos from “just bluegrass shows”. I’m not sure if that means they don’t care for my other photography, or they just love bluegrass, but I’m happy to oblige.

The link below is to a gallery of quite a few shows. I’ll be digging out from my archives and adding to it until everything I’ve ever shot is uploaded. Stop back often and check up on where I am in the process. I’ll be adding shows from 1998 up until just tonight’s show at the Richwood Opry.

Be sure to pass this along to any of your friends, family or festival owners.

Here’s my entire Bluegrass Music Collection. Enjoy!

Share on Facebook

Mandolin Farm Bluegrass Festival is back! Despite missing last year due to personal reasons, and this year’s 100º Labor Day weekend weather, owner and promoter Willie Jarrells pulled off another great weekend of bluegrass entertainment.

Although Mandolin Farm is a fairly young festival, it has become one of the favorites of festival goers looking for great bluegrass music in a family friendly setting. From the moment you pull up to the main gate at Mandolin Farm you know you’re among family. After all, who, other than family, would actually help you set up your camper? Or for that matter set it up all the way for you, as you sit and watch? And the staff doesn’t disappear after they set you up. Help is always within a few minutes away at “The Farm”, from Willie’s dad helping out with electric to his uncle taking deposits for your site next year.

Beyond a first-class staff, you’ll also find top-notch bluegrass music at Mandolin Farm. Rhonda Vincent, IIIrd Tyme Out, Mountain Heart, Ralph Stanley, Marty Raybon and Dailey & Vincent are among the many great acts that have entertained crowds at Mandolin Farm. And in case you’ve not had enough bluegrass after the music stops on stage, you can always catch one of the many jams throughout the campsites. This year one of the favorites were the Weary Jammers. As host band, the Jammers entertained the crowd on stage for two shows on both Friday and Sunday as well as playing late into the night off stage.

If you’re looking for a great festival with the best of facilities, great music and a staff that make you feel like family, then you should put Mandolin Farm on your list of “must attend” events.

Check out the entire gallery here. Enjoy!

Share on Facebook

Bluegrass friends have told me for years that I should check out the Appalachian Uprising Bluegrass Festival. So when I saw that Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, one of my favorites, was playing at the Uprising I decided this was my year to check it out. Great decision! I have been to both very large and very small festivals and I’d put this one right in the mix of the top festivals in the country. The lineup was, and always been great for a festival of this size. You’d have to be a bluegrass fan to understand, but I’m always amazed that national acts play at such small venues. To those not into bluegrass, it would be like, say the Eagles playing at your county fair. The main difference is of course the Eagles would not come out afterwards and jam with their fans. But that’s just bluegrass!

The one thing that stood out to me about this festival was that it was attended by not just bluegrass fans, but due to the lineup also included a rather “different” crowd. I’ve never been to a Grateful Dead show, but after the Uprising, I feel like I’ve experienced something rather close to one. A good part of the crowd was “Deadhead Like”. The other thing that stood out to me was that a lot of the younger non-bluegrass types brought their children. There were tons kids running around all weekend. Not teenagers, but younger. As you’ll see in the galleries, the kids really caught my eye. Not that kids aren’t at most bluegrass festivals, but as you’ll see in the photos, the “bluegrass kids” have never stood out to me like these kid.

Lastly, I should mention that the lineup met every expectation. As I noted, Nitty Gritty Dirt band is one of my favorites so there are a ton of shots of them playing. John McEuen (banjo player) even came over to me during one of the songs and asked that I get a shot of him showing the head of his new Deering banjo. Then gave me his business card to send it to him. Sam Bush was great as usual. And of course Del McCuory Band was great. Del even played with Sam Bush for a few.

If you’ve never been to the Uprising, put it on your list of must see shows!

Here’s the entire gallery. Enjoy!

Share on Facebook

Every September for the past 12 years I have ventured off to the Poppy Mountain Bluegrass Festival in Morehead, Kentucky. I started off the first year as a “Poppy Virgin” only going for the closing weekend but over the years have become the “Poppy-razzi” on the mountain. As the “official” photographer I once again went nuts with the camera this year. Although still haven’t come close to my record 2400 shots taken a couple of years ago.

I’d like to thank Marty Stevens for bringing back our old Poppy Mountain! We have missed it over the past few years. I’d also like to thank all my friends on Poppy for putting up with me always having my camera in their face. Especially the jammers trying to play music with my flash going off!

Lastly, I’d like to dedicate this year’s gallery to our old friend Ralph Smith! He was missed this year and will always be in our hearts.

You’ll find all the photos here. Enjoy!

Share on Facebook

This should have been posted a while ago! To many photos to edit, not enough time!

This was the second annual summertime festival held at Mandolin Farm, in Flemingsburg, Kentucky. Once again Wille Jarrels put on a great show. Smaller than the regular fall festival but just as enjoyable, this weekend was filled with great music on-stage and in the campground. Nothing beats listening to great jam sessions at Mandolin Farm!

See all the photographs here. Enjoy!

Share on Facebook

Poppy Mountain Bluegrass Festival is an annual festival held on a 1000 acre farm outside of Morehead, Kentucky. The third week of September every year the “Mountain” fills with bluegrass fans from all over the world. Many bluegrass greats have entertained fans at Poppy Mountain from Alison Krauss, Ralph Stanley, Nitty Gritty Band, and this year Ricky Skaggs.

On my first visit to Poppy Mountain I had no idea what Bluegrass Music was even about. I certainly didn’t think I would become such a fan of the music. This was my 12th visit to Poppy Mountain and in those twelve years I have met tons of people many of which have become what I consider to be life-long friends. My first year I shot about 100 photos, but then again I was just there for the weekend. Now I spend the entire week and shoot thousands of images. I have become know on the mountain as the “PoppyRotzi”.

You can see all of the 2009 Poppy Mounatin photos here. Enjoy!

You can also see the 2008 photos here. Again, enjoy!

Share on Facebook

I’ve been told for years “You need to go to Festival of the Bluegrass”! I should have listened long ago because this festival is way beyond great. Well worth the trip.

I had bought a new camper just a week before the festival but was told that the campground was sold out. So here I was with a brand new camper, headed to another bluegrass festival and couldn’t even use it. I decided that I would go anyway, hopeful to find one of my many “festival friends” to crash with.

Once I arrived at the Kentucky Horse Park Campground I discovered what a huge mistake I had made. Yes, the campground was full, but they open tons of space for camping in the many fields surrounding the campground. I could have used my new camper and invited a couple thousand friends to bring their campers as well. Lesson learned!

I actually did meet up with many friends from various festivals including my old Poppy Mountain friends Tim Cahall, Mandy and Todd and the gang from the Tiki Hut! I also met up with Willie and Sabrina Jerrals, the owners of Mandolin Farm Bluegrass Festival. After walking my way through the festival grounds and the campground I had no less than 6 offers to let me crash. After listening to the stage shows and working my way around the various jams throughout the campgrounds I ended up sleeping in my truck at 4:30 because I didn’t want to wake up any of the people that offered to let me stay. Thanks to all that offered.

I need to also note that I met a new friend at Festival of the Bluegrass. Rudy, from Rudyfest! He apparently was told that I shoot at a few festivals and we talked about me shooting at Rudyfest, but things didn’t work out this year. Maybe next year I’ll be posting Rudyfest photos here!

Now to the photos…. lots of general “around the festival” shots as wells as lots of stage photos. Take a look at the entire gallery here. Enjoy!

Share on Facebook

The Hillbilly Gypsies… Great friends of mine were performing for the “Red Barn Radio” Show in Lexington, Kentucky. Since it had been a while since we had our “fix” of good live bluegrass music, a buddy of mine asked if I wanted to go down and visit the Gypsies.

The show was the typical Gypsies show with good hard stompin’ Appalachian old time music. And it was great have a beer with Trae, Jamie Lynn and Ty after the show.

If you ever get a chance to see these guys, take it. Great “down to earth” people, with a great sound.

Here’s the whole group of photos. Enjoy!

Share on Facebook