Hiking, Cycling, Live Music,
and Occasional Insanity....In Rural Appalachia
Hometown Hiker
Chuck Allen
I'm a hiker, cyclist, and a fan of live music.
I thru hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2008.
I am married to the lovely BlackBetty, a force to be reckoned with.
I have three daughters, two grandaughters, and two grandsons.
I am frequently spotted riding my bicycle around the back roads of Franklin, NC.
I am grateful to live in rural Appalachia, USA.
RISE (Rising Appalachia) is one group that I have had my eye on for a few years. I've caught them on video and have streamed their music. Although I have actually been in the same place at the same time as them (festival-wise) I have managed to miss seeing them.
Sisters Leah and Chloe's state in their Mission Statement: "RISE (Rising Appalachia) is a genre-bending force of sound that uses both lyrical prowess and diverse artistic collaborations to defy cultural cliches and ignite a musical revolution..."
In other words, rootsy, rhythmic, soulful, compelling, beautiful, and real.
Black Betty and I managed to see an unbelievable amount of live music in 2009. Each and everyone of these groups brought joy to my heart and boogie to my hips. We also had the good fortune to attend several festivals, including, Suwanee Springfest, The French Broad River Fest, Music Camp, Bele Chere, (we made a brief foray into Floydfest) Bristol Rhythm and Roots, and MagnoliaFest. Not to even mention that we celebrated Easter Sunday with The Dead at the Greensboro Coliseum!
Here's a list of some of the bands we saw in 2009:
Larry Keel and Natural Bridge, Acoustic Syndicate, David Via, Mad Tea Party, Blueground Undergrass, David Bromberg, The Overtakers, The Dead, Emmitt Nershi Band, Mike and Ruthy,The Duhks, Donna the Buffalo, Tornado Rider, The Lee Boys, The Traveling McCourys, Jim Lauderdale, The Gourds, Seth Walker, Roy Bookbinder, Shannon Whitworth, Dread Clampitt, The Infamous Stringdusters, Snake Oil Medicine Show, Rev. Horton Heat, Rosie Ledet, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Belleville Outfit, Casey Driesen, Railroad Earth, Peter Rowan, Mac Arnold, Ras Alan, Spiral, Vince Herman, Eliza Lynn, Cornmeal, Blue Rags, Dickie Betts, Greensky Bluegrass, Town Mountain, Golden Ticket, Ralph Rodenberry, The Hackensaw Boys, Billy and Jeni, Sam Quinn and Japan Ten, The Steel Drivers, Paleface, Scythian, The New Familiars, Songs from the Road Band, Vince Herman, Holy Ghost Tent Revival, Trampled by Turtles, Guy Clark, and many others. Wow!
Here's to a great 2010, hope the music never stops.
Keep on dancin' thru the daylight, Greet the mornin' air with song No ones's noticed, but the band's all pack and gone. Was it ever there at all? But they keep on dancin' C'mon children, C'mon children, Come on clap your hands Well the cool breeze came on Tuesday, And the corn's a bumper crop And the fields are full of dancin' Full of singin' and romancin' The music never stopped. -Barlow/Weir
Bobby Lee Rodgers has kept me waiting long enough, but the new album is finally out, available for immediate download on his website, and I couldn't resist! The album does not disappoint. Put it on, crank it up, and sit back and soar! It is all BLR; rock, jazz, fusion, funk, blues, whatever! He is a world-class talent who can do it all from composing to playing to singing and he always manages to assemble a group of killer musicians to play and record with him. The new album features Jimmy Herring on guitar, Marcus Williams on drums, and legendary Ike Stubblefield on the Hammond B3. And yes, they do "kick it into overdrive".
Good luck finding any additional info on this album. I couldn't. It runs about 55 minutes. Here's the song list: 1 Mary 2 Soul Recovery 3 Miles Ahead 4 Overdrive 5 Just A Day 6 Masters Of The Obvious 7 BellyFlop 8 Sentence 9 Time For The Future 10 Fall Into The Sky
Here's more video I shot at the Jack of the Wood Pub, last Friday night. What a bunch of fine pickers, these guys do Asheville proud. We couldn't of had a better night, anytime, anywhere!
Man, what a bluegrass show at Jack of the Wood last night in Asheville! If you haven't heard the two CDs by the bluegrass supergroup, Songs From The Road Band, you need to check them out!
Railroad Earth gave a stellar performance at the Orange Peel on Friday. The Chicago grass band, Cornmeal (driven by fiddle player Allie Kral) opened with lots of energy and then we were treated by two full sets of pure jamgrass bliss by an inspired and awesome Railroad Earth. It was a hobo's delight, for sure! I was fortunate enough to video a couple of minutes of Todd Sheaffer singing Robert Earl Keen's "For Love". If I could have requested a song, this would have been it, I must be living right!
The tapers already have the show up on archive, check out the twin fiddles of Tim Carbone and Allie Kral on Cuckoo's Medley for a special treat:
The Michigan bluegrass jam band, Greensky Bluegrass played the Grey Eagle last night. I hadn't seen them since they opened for Del McCoury at the Orange peel a few years ago. This band consistenly gets better and better. Their latest album, Five Interstates, produced by Tim Carbone of Railroad Earth is one of the best studio albums I've heard in a while. I hope to see them again, soon.
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