Merlefest 2006: Friday Afternoon

Merlefest 2006: Friday Afternoon

Got my Chatham County Line CD signed, finally caught up with HW's own Stacy and her hubby Big G. Caught a little bit of Caitlin and Thad -- enough to hear that they were charmin' everyone. I decided to go and check out someone I've never heard, the Laura Love Band. I saw their fiddler Barbara Lamb with the John Cowan band and decided I'd better check them out.

Well, Laura Love has interesting harmonies and a little yodeling, but something just isn't clicking for me. I've thought about it a bit, and their music just doesn't seem to have a connection with the mountains or the South. It's connection with my other musical love -- the Celtic tradition -- is tenuous at best and seems completely missing often. So it's good music skillfully played and written, but it just doesn't speak to me.

On to the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest... 1,172 song submissions... My advice? If you want to win this contest, submit a Gospel song. The competition here seems a bit weak...

The Bluegrass category seems a bit tougher, getting some more interesting songs. I have to admit a bias here, a good friend of mine (who may want to remain anonymous, not sure) submitted a great Bluegrass song and a downright amazing Country son, and I'm comparing all these to his.

More advice? If you're gonna submit a Bluegrass song, be sure to include a damn banjo! Never underestimate it's power to make a song sound grassy.

The judges look as bored as I am. I can't believe I passed on the Avetts for this.

Wow, the first two Country contestants were women from Australia... what's up with that, Amanda? One was bad, the second seems much better. A comparison of men in general to Jesus? Showing how they fail? What an interesting songwriting idea. Believe me, I didnlt do it justice.

Ick, the third song in the Country category, "12 Gauge Education," was a redneck masterpiece in the David Allen Coe style. How disappointing. I bet Toby Keith will make it into a Top Ten Country radio hit.

The General category seems much less cliche, and may be a bit more interesting. Oops, spoke too soon. Where do they get these people? What is the selection process to narrow down to these three in each Category? I find the initial judges' taste suspect.

And then it's good again. This third General submission is not bad at all. Scott Pierce -- pretty darn good!

I guess I may still keep the faith after all. I just remember the Chris Austin contest being so much better in the past. I can't believe that with over 1,100 submissions the songs weren't better.

Well, I agreed with the judges with all their top picks except for the Gospel category. Still, in most cases I feel like they were choosing from poor candidates.

Anyway, I'm sticking around for a songwriter-in-the-round of NC songwriters including the Avett Brothers, Thad Cockrell, Caitlin Cary, and David Wilson from Chatham County Line.

Thad and Caitlin started... "Two Different Things" (james, check out that song title for me please, it's on "Begonias")... sounds great!

I have no clue who this next woman was, but she was good. (Shannon Whitworth?) Next was Mary Lucey. Holy shit this song is good! What band are they in? It was a Civil War sounding song, "a lock of my long black hair."

Next was Jason Harrod, very mellow, beautiful song.

The Avetts played a funny song called "When I Drink." Seth, who was singing, stopped in the middle to tune his guitar in classic Avett-style. This song was a big crowd-pleaser.

Chatham County Line were last, to play "They Were Just Children." Dave said it was about an article he read about the "Wilburne Brothers" (sp?). Mental note -- look up who the heck the Wilbourne Brothers (sp?) were. Sounds like a child Bluegrass/Country act. Pretty song. "Your boys are worth more than what a miner can find..."

Thad then led CCL and Caitlin in "Katie's Gone to California," one of my favorites from "Begonias." God I love John Teer on fiddle!

Jason Harrod then played "Carolina." Beautiful harmonies.

The Avetts played "Growing Backwards In Time." Scott sang this one. The crowd really loves the Avetts!

(And I think Shannon and Mary are in the Biscuit Burners, or at least Shannon is.)

In short -- what an amazing set of songwriting talent from North Carolina!

[Posted from my Treo 650 phone. I am ALL that is geek.]