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Bluegrass festival draws big talent
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The harmonious fleecy white clouds of Bluegrass Heaven hovered over Caroline on Thursday, Friday and Saturday for "Mr. B's Bluegrass Blowout" out in Ladysmith – showering the earth with beautiful, melodious notes.
Banjoes plunked, fiddles merrily bowed, mandolins plinked, guitars strummed and sturdy upright basses thumped as haunting old time mountain voices rang out of the tall multiple speakers of a first-rate acoustic p.a. system – Crabtree Acoustic Sound.
The line-up for the festival was diverse and impressive.
Performing Thursday were The Honakers, M.D. Mallory & Charlottesville Grass, Leon Morris Associates, Code Blue and Steep Canyon Rangers.
On stage Friday were Ronnie Williams & The Carter Family Sound, Milford Station, Carolina Road, The Lewis Family, Bluegrass Brothers and Dailey & Vincent.
Things were still going strong on Saturday with New Grass Revue, Kody Norris & The Watuaga Mountain Boys, Dark Hollow, Ted James & The Tarheels, Lonesome Will Mullins & The Virginia Playboys and Bobby Osbourne & Rocky Top Express.
A highlight of Friday evening was the presentation of a plaque from the East Coast Bluegrass Association to The Lewis Family for 37 years of fine performances. Little Roy, Miggie, Janice, Polly, Lewis – they were all there.
A big crowd turned out for the show, but not so big there weren't plenty of good seats under the grove of shady white oaks out in front of the stage. The weather – hovering in the gentle 80s with clear skies with puffy clouds and easy breezes – couldn't have been sweeter.
Behind the stage, Mr. B's Kitchen turned out fried chicken, barbecue, fried fish, hamburgers, ice cream, lemonaide, Cokes and the well-mannered crowd left not a shred of litter on the ground.
Mr. B, actually Warren Bauserman, began work on the 20-acre campground back in 2000. Before he started, "A rabbit couldn't run through the place," said his daughter Karen-Ann Bauserman. Now there's meadows and groves.
Formerly operating Mr. B's Restaurant in Fredericksburg, Warren Bauserman runs Mr. B's Bluegrass Park as a retirement project, opening the park in 2002. His wife Barbara helps him along with Karen-Ann, daughter Ginger and son Steve. Ten cousins, ranging from 11 to 70, helped out as volunteers during the three-day event. "It's the love of the music that pulls it off," said Karen-Ann.
The B's are now planning their Autumn Festival which will take place September 27 and 28. Admission is free, and Bluegrass music, pumpkins, jellies and jams are featured.
Then in April comes Mr. B's "Spring Into Bluegrass Festival" – April 23, 24 and 25. Mr. B already has a long line-up scheduled – Joey Tippet & The California Ramblers, The Virginia Ramblers, Bill Emerson & Sweet Dixie, Anita Fisher & Ray Deaton, Dailey & Vincent, Al Batten, Paul Williams & The Victory Trio, James King Band, Blue Grass Brothers and IIIrd Tyme Out.
If you missed last weekend's festival, it's a darned shame, but with the Autumn Festival and the "Spring Into Bluegrass Festival" coming up, you can still get your ears rectified.
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| by Ed Simmons Jr. |
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