October 19, 2006
Merlefest 2007 Line-up Announced
Posted by Larry Karnowski at October 19, 2006 2:00 PMFrom their email newsletter, but I've bolded some of the new folks I'm most excited about:
Wilkes Community College will present MerleFest 2007, the 20th annual festival in celebration of the music of the late Merle Watson and his father Doc Watson, on its campus in Wilkesboro, NC on April 26 - 29, 2007. Those joining Doc Watson and Merle's son Richard Watson for MerleFest 2007 will include:
Blue Highway; Sam Bush; Cherryholmes; Elvis Costello; John Cowan Band; Donna The Buffalo; Jerry Douglas; The Duhks; Béla Fleck; Paul Geremia; John Hammond; Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver; Del McCoury Band; Nitty Gritty Dirt Band; Peter Rowan & Tony Rice Quartet; Darrell Scott; the Legendary Earl Scruggs with Family & Friends; Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives; Pam Tillis; The Waybacks; and many others.
MerleFest 2007 has also confirmed appearances by Susana & Timmy Abell; RG Absher & Extra Measure; Alberti Flea Circus; The Belleville Outfit (formerly DesChamps Band); Ira Bernstein; Spencer Bohren; Roy Book Binder; Laura Boosinger; The Carolina Chocolate Drops; T Michael Coleman; Crooked Still; Deer Clan Singers; Dixie Dawn; Robert Dotson; Benton Flippen Band; The Flowers Family; Pat Flynn; Forget-Me-Nots; Ruthie Foster; Gospel Jubilators; Mitch Greenhill; Buddy Greene; Dianne Hackworth; George Hamilton IV; Ginny Hawker & Tracy Schwarz; Orville Hicks; Bob Hill; Willette Hinton & the Hinton Family Band; Clint Howard; The Infamous Stringdusters; The InterACTive Theater of Jef; Reverend Robert Jones; Jim Lauderdale; Jack Lawrence; Mark Lippard; Jeff Little; Brack Llewellyn; The Local Boys; The Lonesome Sisters; The Lovell Sisters; Bill Mathis; Thomas Maupin; Andy May; Curly Miller & Carole Ann Rose; NC Thumb and Finger Style Guitar Players, Inc.; Nashville Bluegrass Band; Dirk Powell Band; Red Stick Ramblers; Roan Mountain Hilltoppers; Robinella; Jim Rooney; Tom Sauber; Shana Banana; Larry Skipper; Joe Smothers; Steep Canyon Rangers; Tut Taylor; Joe Thompson & Bob Carlin; Toubab Krewe; Happy Traum; Uncle Earl; The Waybacks; Charles Welch; Pete & Joan Wernick; Cyndi Wheeler; Wilkes Playmakers; Tony Williamson; and The Worthless Son-In-Laws. All bookings are subject to change without notice due to circumstances beyond the control of the festival.
WOOHOO! Tickets go on sale on November 14th!
My reaction? "Woooo!" But also: "Whaaaat?"
Yeah, I'll say it. This lineup strikes me as a little weak, considering it's the friggin' 20th anniversary of the festival.
I'm glad Donna the Buffalo are back, and same with the Del McCoury Band. But .. but .. but?? No Gillian Welch? Huh? No headliners like, say, AKUS or Emmylou? No Avett Brothers? (Now I'm mad) No friggin' Nickel Creek, who are "taking a break" after 2007 and whose last Merlefest this could have been???
I mean, this lineup is fine. For a regular year. But I really thought they'd pull out the stops for this year, and I'm kind of unimpressed.
But hell, I'll still get my ass on a plane and come all the way from Japan to be there. I ain't *that* mad.
Posted by: stacy at October 20, 2006 6:59 AMHmm, hadn't thought of it like that, but yeah. I guess it is a little lackluster. I'm not worried, though. This is just the first announcement, they always tweak it a couple of times before the festival. They've added headliners very late before, often actually.
Posted by: larry at October 20, 2006 8:38 AMLackluster, schmackluster.
What isn't represented here (aside from Gillian, who is an annual MF main-stay)? AKUS/Emmylou? How about Earl Scruggs? My sense is that he probably qualifies as a 'headliner' (assuming that defining an entire genre of music serves as qualification).
Nope, the Avetts aren't there, but maybe a year away will help them to prove their case as something other than a novelty act. You don't hear folks coming out of the woodwork to laud their musicality, just their schtick/gimmick. I'm not writing them off, mind you, but let them come back with a little more experience/credibility in a year or two and we'll all be better served.
How about a little credit to the MF "talent buyers" for keeping the 'fest fresh every year with a good rotation of new talent and 'fresh faces'?
Not that I wouldn't mind seeing/hearing the folks you listed...in fact, I'd trade "Donna the Buffalo" for any one of them. I remain confused as to how they ever became popular while other acts struggle, but that's the beauty of Merlefest--they get yet another to earn my respect.
And I think we all know that DtB is doing what they do just to earn MY respect...
Kudos to the MF folk for putting together a GREAT line-up for the 20th that accurately represents the broad spectrum of music that is "Americana" (and perhaps even slanting things more toward bluegrass than recent years...)
Just a little aside: There's been some rumours floating around for a couple of weeks saying that several acts were kicked off the line-up for being to political.
Wow, hadn't heard that. Yes, Merlefest has gone out of its way several times in the past to be apolitical and inoffensive. Interesting... Thanks for the head's up, Gregg.
Posted by: larry at October 20, 2006 2:14 PMIt's interesting though because most of the musicians in this Non-Genre have something to say ;-)
Anyway, I'd love to make it out to this tremendous festival one year. I'm a huge Darrell Scott fan. The Invisible Man is one of the best CD's I've heard this year IMHO.
Posted by: Gregg at October 20, 2006 2:31 PMHaving met Claire Armbruster (who scouts most of the MF lineup) briefly at last year's AMA conference, I can say I think the AMA politics have more to do with the lineup than any politics from the "real world".
And there is a big shakeup going on in the AMA, Jeff Green left suddenly last week...and all of my requests for insider gossip have been fruitless so far!!
Posted by: Jim Pipkin at October 21, 2006 11:46 AMStacy, you are dead to me.
Complaining about a bill that includes Earl Scruggs. If there's not a law against that there should be.
Posted by: Amanda at October 22, 2006 5:17 AMDtB? I'd rather see DBT!
Posted by: Hal at October 22, 2006 6:42 PMWhoa! Whoa! Not complaining about Earl Scruggs (or Marty Stuart or Elvis Costello ...)! Heavens, no. Just saying I expected such excellence, *plus* maybe a leeeeettle more, just to make the 20th anniversary extra crazy good.
But like I said, I'll still be attending. From Japan. Using every single vacation day I get for the entire year. And emptying the ol' bank account. So I'll be voting with my feet, you could say. And with the rest of me, which will be parked in front of whatever stage Earl Scruggs plays at any point during Merlefest. Believe it.
Posted by: stacy at October 22, 2006 10:11 PMHow 'bout a little shout out for Shana Banana? Or the Flea Circus (I did get to perform with them last year). I know y'all are jealous.
I'm most excited about Elvis Costello this year. Been a fan for a long time but have never seen him live. Also looking forward to The Gospel Jubilators. I really missed them last year. You wouldn't think that an atheist would love the Gospel Jubilators but what can I say? They are just awesome and I love the old guy who sings bass.
Disappointed once again that the Live Five/Flexigrass aren't on the bill. I'll keep putting them in the suggestion box and maybe one day Ms. Armbruster will listen to my pleas.
