April 17, 2006
Hot Tuna, Top Billing At Merlefest?
Posted by Larry Karnowski at April 17, 2006 10:30 AMFor some reason, the local NPR affiliate here in Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill, WUNC, keeps putting Hot Tuna as the top billing in Merlefest. "We're brought to you today by Merlefest in Wilkesboro, NC, featuring artists such as Hot Tuna, Doc Watson, Nickel Creek, and many others..."
Really? Hot Tuna? Top bill? I mean, sure... Jorma Kaukonen is great, but am I missing something here? I don't know much about this band. Maybe I should pay them more attention? But even if they are amazing (which I really can't say either way), should they be given top billing on a NC radio station over Doc Watson?
Uh, yeah. That's wack, yo.
Posted by: stacy at April 17, 2006 10:46 AMNo, they probably shouldn't be given top billing over Doc Watson. But if the festival is having trouble selling tickets for some reason, Tuna is a big name draw. That's the only reason I can think of that makes any sense.
Acoustic Tuna - with Jorma on guitar, Jack Casady on (electric) bass, and Barry Mitterhoff on mandolin - seems like a good fit for Merlefest.
Posted by: Kim at April 17, 2006 11:38 AMHard to believe that Merlefest would be having trouble selling tickets........
Maybe Hot Tuna has a large following in NC
Posted by: frank at April 17, 2006 10:24 PMThat does seem odd. Nothing against Hot Tuna, but still. . . .
Maybe they're going after the Deadhead crowd.
Posted by: Dusty Bear at April 18, 2006 12:14 PMOkay kids, first, isn't it obvious that Doc Watson is at Merlefest. WWDD? What would Doc do! I doubt he'd get all wound up about the billing.
Check out Hot Tuna when they play "Keep on Truckin'" popularized by Blind Boy Fuller of Durham. I'm betting Doc knows more Tuna tunes than any of the upstart youngsters (whose CDs in a you'll trade in to Nice Price Books) playing this year.
Ahh, you kids. It ain't about who is on top of the playbill. It's about who's on top of gettin' their bills paid!
Posted by: Jim PIpkin at April 18, 2006 5:31 PM
