Molly's Blog

We couldn't have had a better time than the four days we spent at the Merlefest.  We had been told to bring clothing for four seasons and that we would use it all.  We did!  Some really hot, sunny days - we had to be satisfied with our 55 sunblock when a cold beer would have really hit the spot. No beer was allowed due to the location on a college campus, and actually that probably was the reason for the really nice crowd.   We had our share of rain during those days, but it didn't slow us or the festival down.  I was so impressed by all of the great performances!  This was definately our music fix for the summer - maybe more of mine since Dane always has his own music, too.  Contemporary bluegrass from Blue Highway and the Alison Brown Quartet, a really energetic show by Marty Stuart & his Fabulous Superlatives, the Wilders "wild" show.  The list just goes on and on.  The Waybacks, a young group from San Francisco were really talented and put on a great show of "acoustic mayhem".  The crowd loved them.  Ricky Skaggs and Bruce Hornsby with Kentucky Thunder have collaborated on a project that will bring together bluegrass and pop.  Hot Buttered Rum, Ruthie Foster, the Carolina Chocolate Drops, John Cowan Band, Jerry Douglas, Laurie Lewis, the Claire Lynch Band…there were just so many and all worth seeing.

the main Watson stage.  The setting was beautiful.  At night, lights were shining up into the trees for a really charming outdoor environment.  This was the reserved seating with lots of general admission spots in the grass behind, playgrounds for the kids and a great sound system!

Many of the entertainers could be found other places when not on the stage performing.  This is Jorma Kaukonen from Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna fame conducting a pickin' jam session with fans and dobro player Sally Van Meter.

All of the players that were asked were more than happy to sign Dane's old Kay guitar that he refurbished.  Everybody wanted to play it, it is so funky looking.  Go figure, with all of the expensive Martin, Taylor, Gibson, Guild and other fine guitars that they have available to them, almost every guitar player that signed it had to play it, too.

Joe Kyle, Jr. from the Waybacks

Acoustic blues player Kenny Sultan

Seamus Egan and Eamon McElhom from Solas.

After driving the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway out of Asheville, we finally arrived in Wilkesboro, NC on Thursday afternoon.   The concerts were beginning, so we were off!  Merlefest is held on the campus of Wilkes Community College.  It began with a two day event featuring concerts on flatbed trucks and has grown to a four day festival with about 80,000 attendees.  The musical lineup is great.  In addition to the legendary guitar player, Doc Watson, there are young, energetic newcomers as well as familiar names in blues, bluegrass and celtic music.  We decided to try out Merlefest for the first time when we heard that our favorite Celtic group, Solas, was going to be performing a reunion concert with former members Karan Casey and John Doyle.  There were 13 stages, some indoors and most outdoors, with continual concerts so there were lots of opportunities to catch our favorites. Amazingly, I think Peter Rowan played with almost every musician there! 

Karen Casey and John Doyle performing at the Lounge Stage.

Tim O'Brien with Peter Rowan on the main Watson Stage

guitar player extraordinaire, Mike Dowling, on the Austin Stage in a moment of sunshine between storms.

Another stop on the way to the Merlefest was the Biltmore Castle in Asheville.  It was fabulous.  Built by the Vanderbilt family on about 8000 acres, the estate is very reminiscent of castles I had visited in the Loire Valley in France.  We toured the castle and gardens during their Festival of Flowers.  The formal gardens were loaded with blooming tulips and we had a lovely walk through the garden paths of blooming azaleas to the bass lake.  Of course, it is a huge letdown to return home to my 5 acres of weeds and no gardening staff!  At first, I couldn't comprehend what we would do for a whole day at this estate.  I had thought the entry fee was quite expensive ($59.00/adult) so I was determined to get my money's worth and spend alot of time there.  By time we toured the castle, we were ready for a break and found a spot to sit and grab a snack at the cafe.  The rest of the day (it was beautiful, sunny and warm) we spent walking around the grounds, sitting here and there among the flowers and shrubs.  It was actually a very relaxing pace and we felt like we were on vacation.  I had been afraid that my husband would have been very bored but he enjoyed the time there, also, and said he would like to go back sometime. 

just one view of the formal gardens…

and the beautiful colors in the spring garden…

Just returned from a great trip to Merlefest in Wilkesboro, NC.  It's a 4-day music festival in honor and memory of Merle Watson, son of the legendary Doc Watson.  We saw so much great music that I am in overload mode.  I have lots of photos to post, so I guess that I will start at the beginning…this was the first road trip we have taken in quite a while.  We spent the first night visiting down in the Detroit area, figuring that with an early start we could get to Asheville late in the afternoon to attend the Irish session at Jack of the Wood, Asheville's Irish pub.  I couldn't possibly imagine that I would have loved the drive as much as I did.  I was amazed at these beautiful blooming trees all along the freeway.  I later found out that they were the Southern Redbud.  The Irish session was lots of fun.  The music was good and the crowd was really friendly.  We stayed at the Carolina B&B.  It was within walking distance of downtown in a beautiful old neighborhood. 

 Jack in the Wood pub -  downtown Asheville

Carolina B&B located in Asheville's historic Montfort district