Donna The Buffalo at The Orange peel

On Friday, January 23, Donna the Buffalo performed at the Orange Peel. This has been an annual event for several years now, and falls during the week of my birthday, so it is always an event that I forward to.
The Binghampton, NY band "Deadwood" opened the show.

Driftwood

Donna The Buffalo

With Black Betty and Marie

Steep Canyon Rangers and Jerry Douglas

                                         
                                         The Orange Peel, 1/9/2015.

Hometown Hiker's Live Band List 2014

Gnometown didn't really knock it out of the park this year with live music, but we did the best we could. Between working night shift, taking a summer Europe trip, and hanging with the grand kids, we skipped out on seeing some music. Here's hoping for a groovy 2015!


Here are some of the great bands that we were fortunate enough to see in 2014.

Railroad Earth, Donna The Buffalo, Yonder Mountain String Band, Town Mountain, Jim Lauderdale, Green Sky Bluegrass, Jeff Mosier, The Traveling McCourys, The Duhks, The Royal Tinfoil, Punch Brothers, Jason Isbell, Steep Canyon Rangers, Grandpas Cough Medicine, Ralph Roddenbery, Henhouse Prowlers, The Honeycutters, Sam Bush, Del McCoury Band, Jerry Douglas, The Avett Brothers, Southern Soul Assembly, Sloppy Joe, Dread Clampitt, The Freight Hoppers, Porch 40, Dustin Martin and the Ramblers, Jon Stickley Trio, Mandolin Orange.

Hometown Hiker's Live Band List 2013

While looking back and reviewing all my YouTube videos and blog posts from this past year, I am beginning to realize that 2013 emerged as a pretty terrific year of live music for the Hometown gang. Black Betty and I were joined by family and friends to boogie to some of the best music ever, played by many of the most talented artists in the world. As I have said before,  "There were so many incredible shows, so much inspiring music!"

Here is a list of many of the incredible bands that we were fortunate enough to see in 2013:

Donna The Buffalo, Railroad Earth, Cooking With Quanta, Town Mountain, Greensky Bluegrass, Danny Barnes, Willie Nelson, Apple Butter Express, Peter Rowan, Larry Keel and Natural Bridge, The Traveling McCourys, John Prine, The Duhks, Jeff Sipe Trio, The Freight Hoppers, The Horse Flies, The Deadly Gentlemen, Solas, Tornado Rider, Col. Bruce Hampton, Ralph Roddenbery, Bibb City Ramblers, Keller and The Keels, Keller and Traveling McCourys, Taylor Martin Acoustic Band, Mavis Staples, The Corbitt Brothers, Jim Lauderdale, The Brothers Comatose, Stephen Marley, Drive By Truckers, Todd Sheaffer, Rayna Gellert, Strung Like A Horse, Grandpa's Cough Medicine, Darol Anger, Elephant Revival, Kris Kristofferson, Lizzy Ross Band, The Hackensaw Boys, Bobby Miller, Heavy Pets, Mamajowali, Apple Chill Cloggers, David Via and Curtis Burch, Scythian, The Stacks, Vagabond Swing, Leftovers Salmon, Jerry Douglas, Dread Clampitt, Yonder Mountain String Band.

Todd Sheaffer

We were in for a special musical treat last night when Todd Sheaffer of Railroad Earth performed a solo show at the Isis Music Hall in West Asheville. It was our first time seeing Todd without the band and our first time at the Isis venue. We absolutely loved both. The venue was intimate, and it was if Sheaffer was in our living room, singing to us, and telling us the stories behind the songs that we know and love so well.

Man, you've got to love Asheville on a Thursday night in November when you can spend it like this!

Railroad Earth Orange Peel Show

We had a great time at the Orange Peel on Friday night with family and friends and a packed to the rafters sold-out Railroad Earth show. It looks like Asheville is finally hopping on the Hobo train and discovering what we knew all along--that RRE is the one of the hottest and most talented bands touring today. The raw energy was unmistakable. The music, as always, was ass-kicking.

Asheville was well represented with a couple of special guests during the show. It was a special treat to see our banjo playing buddy, Jason Flournoy join in on a jam at the end of the 2nd set. After that, Justin Perkins of Toubab Krewe came out for the encore with his Kora and jammed with the boys to Goat.
That's something you don't get to see every day.

There was no opening band and RRE played two full sets. We certainly got our money's worth, as always. I was so stoked that I could have gone on for another two sets, no problem! This may have been my favorite RRE show yet!

Set One
Head
Cold Water
Old Man and the Land
Gold Rush
The Cuckoo
Black Elk Speaks
The Man Who Invented Sin>
Mighty River

Set Two
Bread and Water
Colorado
Any Road
Daddy O
Forecast>
Black Bear
The Jupiter and the 119
Came Up Smiling>Cuckoo Medley (With Jason Flournoy, Banjo)
Bird In A House

Encore
Goat (With Justin Perkins, Kora)
Railroad Earth

Hometown and Black Betty

Hobos BB, Beth, Aimee, M Diddy

Todd Sheaffer

Dan River Drifters at Soul Infusion

We had a fine weekend of live music to celebrate my birthday. On Friday night, we went to the groovy and quaint Soul Infusion Tea House in Sylva for a fun bluegrass show featuring some powerful picking by the Dan River Drifters. This was our first time seeing this group of young musicians and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Many thanks to bassist bad ass Adam Bigelow for inviting us out.
I'm really looking forward to seeing and hearing lots more from this band in the near future.

New Years Eve 2011

We rang in the New Year this weekend at The Grey Eagle in Asheville with two of our favorite bands, Town Mountain and Acoustic Syndicate. It made for a fun time spent with good friends and great live music. 

So we happily ended 2011 and started 2012 just how we prefer to live our lives by savoring the moments and smelling the flowers along the way. Here's hoping that the New Year brings health, happiness, and lots of good love and music to you and your families in 2012!

Black Betty and Hometown

Cooking With Quanta @ Soul Infusion Tea House

Last Friday night, Black Betty and I caught our favorite local band at the Soul Infusion Tea House in Sylva.
It was a jammy night of original music and some pretty groovy covers by our friends in Cooking With Quanta. The fab four (Neil, Scott, Adam, and Greg) rocked the house. We boogied till we dropped!

We love Quanta and we love the Soul Infusion. What a great venue for this group, it really feels like a house party with all your best friends. It was another "mighty-fine" night of live music in western North Carolina.
You really should try to join us next time!

Greensky Bluegrass and Railroad Earth @ The Orange Peel

Black Betty and I got to see two of the hottest Americana jam bands touring today when they rolled into Asheville last night.

Greensky Bluegrass opened for Railroad Earth at The Orange Peel and got the crowd warmed up for a scorching hot show on a cold Friday night.
Here is a recording of their set on Archive; Greensky Bluegrass.

Railroad Earth started the first set with a heavy electric bass intro by Andrew Altman with the Happy Song. Other first set highlights included a crowd-favorite Like A Buddha and ended with Lone Croft Farewell.
Set two featured the latest RRE sing-a-long, The Jupiter and the 119, and an epic and wonderfully jammy masterpiece Warhead Boogie, which really managed to get the whole house rockin' without restraint.
Here is a link to their show on Archive: Railroad Earth.
 
It was another fine night of listening to some of the best live music in the world delivered right to my door step in Western North Carolina. How lucky is that?

11 Questions with Caroline Pond

 

From her Bio:

Caroline Pond is the front woman for Snake Oil Medicine Show.  From Asheville, North Carolina she has been a touring musician for 15 years.  She delights audiences with her vocals, fiddle and her Martin ukulele.  Her original songs are catchy, uplifting, positive and just plain fun.  Caroline dips through many styles of music, from Bluegrass, Old Time, Jazz, Reggae, Ska and funk.
Caroline Pond is an ambassador of peace through her music, art and positive outlook on life.  Her travels have spanned throughout Europe, North America and Jamaica.
Caroline has shared the stage with many artists/heroes including: Vassar Clements, Larry Keel, Yonder Mountain String Band, Leftover Salmon, Acoustic Syndicate, Donna The Buffalo, Mad Tea Party and so many more amazing musicians.

Caroline has a released a new solo album this winter entitled Follow Your Heart.
Special guest musicians appearing on the CD are Asheville artists Ben Scales, George Pond, Ami Worthem, and Jason Krekel.

Black Betty and I are big fans of everything Caroline and I was thrilled to be able to ask Caroline 11 questions for the new year, 2011.

1 Your new album is called Follow Your Heart. Do you have a favorite song on the album? I think the title track "Follow Your Heart" is my favorite.  I wrote the song on my back porch hanging with my dogs and thats when I dreamed of making the album and doing a tour.  Also, its a strong message for us to Follow our Hearts.  You can control your dreams and make your days the best days ever, whether you are in your most happiest spot like your back deck with the sun shining or having to wait in line at the Driver's License office.  Its what you make of it.  Follow your heart people.

2 You sing in Babies On The Lawn that babies don't belong in Babylon. Who would you say does belong in Babylon?  SO this song was spawned from a play on words Baby Lawn,Babylon, Babies on the Lawn.  And, I hear many Reggae Artists referring Babylon, as a negative place, like places of murder, disease, Corporate America, Wal-mart style places.  And I know that Babylon, used to be a beautiful place, the Ancient Mesopotamia with its Hanging Gardens, so its really interesting how a beautiful place has become known as an area of constant revolt. So, the answer to your question, no one should belong in Babylon.  I like to think of myself as an ambassador of peace through my music and so if i can spread the word by singing Babies on the Lawn don't belong in Babylon, then that's what I got to do.

3 We see you with Snake Oil Medicine Show, The Pond Farm Pickers, and sometimes with Sugar and Spice. Do you have any plans for 2011 yet?   Well my plans are to still play in heavy rotation with Snake Oil Medicine Show, we are taking a bit of time off this month for recording and the Pond Brothers are brand new daddies.  Also, I plan on averaging one show a month with Sugar & Spice with Ami Worthen.  We sure do have a blast.   I play in an old-time band called Tater Diggers and we have many shows and a new cd to share in 2011.  In addition, I plan on fine tuning my solo career and want to travel through the United States again.

4 You took your mother along for a cross country tour this Fall, playing solo shows and staying with friends and fans. What was that like?  I had a blast and was so grateful that I got to share that solo tour with my mom.  We managed to get along really well, except our nerves were getting challenged while driving through snowy conditions in Colorado.  We survived driving over Vail Pass.  My mom hula hooped at the Winter Park, Colorado show and all the kids were loving that.  Mom and i also got to spend a week with my sister in Southern California and that was such a lovely vacation family time, hanging out in warm climates and sitting by the poolside.  I am so grateful to all those people in my home country that supported me on my pathway and providing us with soft landings and yummy food.

5 Name one artist or band (someone you've never played with) that you'd jump at a chance for a 2011 collaboration.  I dig Jason Mraz and his positive music.

6 Your Snake Oil Medicine Show performance at Bishop's Cafe on 11-13-2004 has an amazing 500,00 downloads on Internet Archive. What if anything do you remember about the show?  This is sooo amazing to me that we have this many downloads.  I remember having to take a ferry to get on that island, which I believe was called Vashon  Island and I remember that not many people were at the show, but our host Alex and all the people that were there were so sweet, supportive and dancing their butts off.  I also remember loving just being with my Snake Oil Family and just being on tour together in such a cool spot.  Also, I was wearing a brand new dress that made me feel like I was rocking my mojo.  Music has definitely taken me places.

7 What is it like to be part of the Asheville music community? Everybody plays with everybody. We have an open and supportive group here.

8 Name five non-Asheville area groups on your IPod today.  I have some random stuff and groups on my Ipod and mostly they are Zydeco bands from rural Louisiana. These bands feed my soul. 1. Little Nathan and the Zydeco Cha-Chas, 2. Keith Frank 3. Brian Jack  4. Chris Ardoin & Double Clutch   5.  A non-zydeco band that I met in California,they are a swing band called Steve Lucky and The Rhumba Bums.

9 What is one regional music festival that you would encourage someone to try to attend this year?   I just love the French Broad River Festival.  Its held every year in lovely Hot Springs, NC.   Last weekend of April.  Family friendly, great bands, awesome folks, amazing vibe, on the river, across the street from the hot springs, cute little town and I emcee the fest. 

10 Your blog is called Caroline Pond's Earth Adventures and you sing a wonderful song called I Am Only Human. I'm also pretty sure that I once heard Col. Bruce Hampton refer to you as an alien. Are you really trying to convince us or is it you?  Well, Colonel Bruce definitely cracks me up, it takes one to know one.  As far as being an alien, its confidential, if I told you I would have to kill you.  Ha ha.  Just kidding.  The song I am only Human was another song written in my yard underneath the sunshine, it just all came out smooth as butter, between sips of coffee and ukulele strums the song was born. 

11 How can someone get a copy of Follow Your Heart?  you can directly order it from me.  I accept paypal, check, deed to your tropical vacation home and cash.  You can go to carolinepond.com  or email me at scarycaro@hotmail.com   Soon the album will be on i-tunes.

The best of 2010 - Suwannee Springfest

Your Hometown Hiker: Suwannee Springfest 2010 Report: "We are back home from a 798 mile round trip to a scaled-back and down-sized Suwannee Springfest. Black Betty and I arrived Thursday afterno..."

The Best of 2010 - Woody Wood at The Grey Eagle

Your Hometown Hiker: Woody Wood / I'm Gonna Miss You (Like The Devil): "Those who know us, will attest that Black Betty and I thoroughly love rockin' it at the Grey Eagle with Woody Wood! Friday night I had an..."

Greensky Bluegrass plays Asheville, NC

Greensky Bluegrass finally made their jammy way back to Asheville on September 24th. They were playing a rather strange venue, the Mellow Mushroom, but it seemed to work for the sizable and raucous crowd of eager supporters who turned out for the show.

As always, the Kalamazoo, Michigan based Greensky Bluegrass delivered the finest in contemporary Americana jamgrass. They certainly perform some of the most exciting and innovative live music that you will see today. If you don't own any of their music, you are really missing out. Do yourself a favor and check 'em out. http://www.greenskybluegrass.com/

Greensky Bluegrass is Dave Bruzza/guitar&vocals  Anders Beck/dobro  MikeDevol/bass  Mike Bont/banjo  Paul Hoffman/mandolin&vocals

Del Yeah! Black Mountain

We were fortunate enough to be able to attend the first Del Yeah! weekend at the Pisgah Brewery venue in Black Mountain yesterday. It was a wonderful day spent enjoying beautiful mountain weather and listening to superb mountain music. Labor Day weekend doesn't get any better than this; if you missed it, you missed out indeed!

The lineup featured Charlotte rockers The New Familiars, Asheville bluegrass band Town Mountain, Black Mountain's Paco Shipp on blues harmonica, Colorado super group The Emmitt Nershi Band, and, of course, the one and only Del McCoury Band.

The enthusiastic crowd gave their love to Del and the boys. Del summed it all up in the lyrics from "Sweet Appalachia":

I’ve got that sweet mountain soul down in my bones,
And I can feel it when I sing them lonesome songs.


And I can tell by the way I feel,
That it comes from somewhere else,

Got that sweet mountain soul down in my bones.


I’ve got that sweet mountain spirit down in my veins,
And it flows through my heart like a mountain rain,

And no matter where I might roam,

These hills and hollers are still my home,

Got that sweet mountain spirit down in my veins.



Some people call me Hillbilly,
Some people call me Mountain Man,
Well, you can call me Appalachia,
Appalachia’s what I am.


Music on the Mountain Top

Black Betty and I had a great time of fun and music (and nothin' but fun and music) at the Music on the Mountain Top Festival in Boone, NC on Saturday. We spent the day with our favorite groups Snake Oil Medicine Show, Larry Keel and Natural Bridge, Acoustic Syndicate, Toubab Krewe, Sam Bush, and Railroad Earth. They rocked us like we needed to be rocked. We're some happy Festivarians, indeed!

DelFest 2010: The Good, The Bad, The Muddy

We had an epic four days of fun and music at DelFest 2010 this weekend. The 1100 mile round trip was well worth the time and effort, and after about a ten hour drive, we arrived in Cumberland, Maryland and set up camp on the banks of the Potomac River. This year we were invited to join the Hobo Camp (fans of Railroad Earth) through our friend Marie. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves with their company and were treated to a weekend of great meals, good times, and mighty fine folks!

Hobos in camp.

These are some of the groups that Black Betty and I managed to see over the festival weekend: Del McCoury Band, The Traveling McCourys, Mountain Heart, Railroad Earth, Greensky Bluegrass (three shows), The Avett Brothers, Steep Canyon Rangers, Larry Keel and Natural Bridge, Yonder Mountain String Band, Adam Aijala & Ben Kaufmann Duo, Larry and Jenny Keel, Keller Williams and Friends, and The Dave Rawlings Machine.

Darol Anger, Ben Kaufmann, Adam Aijala, Larry Keel.

Railroad Earth rocks the Grandstand Stage on Thursday night.

Hobo dancers Katie, LeAnne, Black Betty, and Marie shake it to Keller Williams and friends.

Friday evening we experienced a heavy rain, which turned DelFest into a river of mud. The trek to the Grandstand stage became treacherous.

Highlights of the weekend: all the great folks in Hobo Camp, Greensky Bluegrass playing their rock covers in the Artist Play Shop on Saturday, cooling off in the Potomac River, Sweet Revenge's apple crisp and ice cream (as always), an anonymous bluegrass band serenading the camps at 7am on Memorial Day, and, of course, all things Del McCoury.

Sam Quinn + Japan Ten / The Fake That Sunk A Thousand Ships

Sam Quinn is bringing it back to The Grey Eagle in Asheville on Saturday, May 15th.


We fell in love with Sam's beautiful song writing and quirky sense of humor and style  as one-half of the creative force of The Everybodyfields, (together with Jill Andrews).


Sam has an unforgettably unique natural voice which seems to transport his music directly to one's soul. His songs are highly personal, mostly painful tales of  self exploration and emotionalism. But they somehow don't end up being depressing. His music has a way of washing over you like soft warm waves. They gently massage your heart while reminding you of what it means to be human. As one reviewer put it, "misery never sounded so good."

 When the Everybodyfields parted ways, Sam teamed up with Josh Oliver, Megan Gregory, and Brandon Story to form Japan Ten. They have just released a new CD The Fake that Sunk A Thousand Ships, you can listen and download (for a mere 5 bucks) here: Sam Quinn / The Fake That Sunk A Thousand Ships




Here is video I shot at Bristol Rhythm and Roots of Sam Quinn and the Japan Ten performing Gun.
                           

The Keel Family Function 2010

Black Betty and I are back from an absolute gem of a little music festival, which was held at the beautiful and idyllic Cherokee Farms near LaFayette, Georgia. This was the second installment of the Keel Family Function, named for our favorite flat pickin' guitar guru, Larry Keel.

The festival crowd was small, friendly, and intimate; the music was the finest, anywhere, anytime, and the camping was perfect. There was plenty of space to spread your camp out on the grassy green fields on the rolling farm land. We quickly claimed a breezy hilltop, overlooking the main stage area on which we set up our festival camp also known as "Gnometown". We were joined there by a couple of families from the Atlanta area, with whose company we enjoyed the weekend. There were lots of family and kid friendly activities including a Saturday moring kids jam. As usual, Black Betty and I brought our bicycles along and had fun riding up and down the hilly property. There was a small vending area set up around the two stages with limited food, beer, artist merchandise, t-shirts, tie-dye, and assorted hippie arts and crafts. One unique thing about the festival was the stages were wind and solar powered, with a back up bio-fuel generator to keep things green and off grid. The music went long and late into the night. Friday night the sleeping was somewhat difficult, but by Saturday night, I was so exhausted that I just slept right thru the late-night jams.

This year Larry's family included, among many others, Larry Keel and Natural Bridge, Col. Bruce Hampton and the Quark Alliance, the Pond Farm Pickers, The Mosiers Brothers featuring David Blackmon, Bobby Miller and the Virginia Dare Devils, Lefty Williams, Donna Hopkins, Jeff Sipe, Ralph Roddenbery, and the Josh Phillips Folk Festival. I must say at this point that I have failed to mention all the talented musicians in attendance, and for that I do apologize. Everyone really kicked ass!

The highlight (musically speaking) of the weekend for me ended up being the two Saturday afternoon super sets of songwriter showcases in which many of the musicians shared the stage together, talked about and sang their songs, and jammed with each other. Let me tell you, it was some hot stuff! These super jams were worth the price of admission on their own. We are definite converts to this little festival in the NW Georgia hill country and hope that The Keel Family Function resurfaces in 2011, so that we can again attend!

From Keel Family Function 4410

Little Festivarian Anna, chillin' at her 2nd Keel Family Function

From Keel Family Function 4410

Hometown hiker with the Pond Farm Pickers

From Keel Family Function 4410

Black Betty with her favorite bad man of bluegrass, Larry Keel

From Keel Family Function 4410

Super jam on stage with L>R Michael Tolcher,Lefty Williams, Donna Hopkins, Jeff Mosier, Larry Keel. Erin Zindle on Fiddle.

Dread Clampitt

We always look forward to the rockin', swingin', funky, bluegrass of Dread Clampitt when we head south to Suwannee Springfest. This great grass band from Walton County, Florida knows how to lay down the boogie-woogie. It's as if your feet and hips move under their own volition.  There's no scense in trying to control it, the boogie is deep inside you and Dread Clampitt is gonna get it out!

Dread Clampitt