The Earl Scruggs Music Festival is very close to me - Mill Spring, North Carolina- and I have been going for several years. It was watching Jerry Douglas there each year that got me interested in playing the dobro and I’ve been playing a square neck for a couple of months now. They announced the lineup for this year (it’s Labor Day weekend) and Jerry Douglas AND Rob Ickes will both be playing this year! How cool is that?!
My wife, who is not a fan of bluegrass, does not understand my excitement.
-Ted
Edited by - Ted Bell on 04/09/2025 04:15:42
My wife isn't a fan of bluegrass either - but when she sees it played live by top musicians she usually enjoys it. I just can't play it in the car unless it's a more mellow style without a grating, driving banjo player. And she has been with me many times to see Jerry and Rob live and she always has a good time.
I was checking out the Scruggs Festival lineup recently and it might be the best one I've seen. Too bad it's almost 3000 miles away from me.
The highlight wil be the reformed Alison Krauss & Union Station - new album, and first time they have performed in concert since 2016. People were upset over the departure of Dan Tyminski, but Russell Moore is a stellar replacement. I will be seeing them in the Bay Area in July at The Mountain Winery in Saratoga. I've seen the band about 10 or 11 times going back to the mid nineties, the first time was before Jerry joined and Adam Steffey was still in the group.
