GOF 2014

Sep 1, 2014 | Welcome Column

Before I give you my impressions of the NCBS’s Good Old Fashioned Festival, allow me to encourage everyone to attend the upcoming Bluegrassin’ in the Foothills Festival. The location is Plymouth and the dates are September 19-21. Bluegrass festivals in California are an endangered species, with many popular festivals ending, unfortunately. Let’s bring back the glory days of this festival and show the kind of support it takes to make running the event financially worthwhile and the kind of fun that has brought devotees back for many years.

I had the pleasure to attend the NCBS event down in San Benito County recently. The Northern California Bluegrass Society put on their big August party at Bolado Park in Hollister, and as always, it was joyful, laid back and a picker’s delight. The intimate festival, which has been going on longer than many of the attendees have been alive, has supported the central California bluegrass and old time music community with the result of our area being a hot bed of talent. For many acts this is their first festival appearance. For others, like Sidesaddle, it’s a long tradition.

Folks start showing up on Thursday to find a nice camping spot in the somewhat limited shade. Many are volunteers, showing up to get the early work done, but most are there to start picking early and to enjoy the pleasant atmosphere of the festival site. It’s lovely country up there near Tres Pinos. The weather was just right. So Thursday was simply a nice party for us early birds.

Friday the main stage music got started at 3PM, so my son Marty and I spent the earlier part of the day at the Pinnacles National Monument. GOF attendees that have not made the short drive south on Highway 25 should really consider a visit to this amazing park. Go early in the day and plan on a nice long hike up to the caves. It’s hard to believe one is still in California.

But we got back in time for the country stylings of Rhythm Roundup. The lineup for Friday pretty much said it all about this festival: quality and variety. The hot new band Steep Ravine was big crowd favorites. Red Dog Ash rocked as usual and Sidesaddle closed out the evening.

I mean this in the best sense, but GOF is like a time machine, bluegrass style. I see old and dear friends I have not seen in years and folks I only find at this festival. So great to see long running bands like the Courthouse Ramblers and Highway One up there on stage. It wouldn’t be GOF without the Brookdale Bluegrass Band and Stoney Mountain Ramblers. Houston Jones, Bean Creek, Faux Renwah… many more.

I cannot list all the bands here, but no living human could write this article without a huge appreciation of the Sunday afternoon Kids On Stage performance. The program is run by Regina Bartlett. She was kind enough to include Marty Varner, eighteen year old KOB alumnus as her assistant. So naturally I was extra curious about how the program is run. Allow me to congratulate Regina on an excellent job in every respect. She made it fun; she got them to work out some great material and made the parents proud. The product spoke for the quality of the program, because it was extremely enjoyable. I know it has become cliché to laud the young people on stage as the “future of the music” but I’m going to say it anyway!

Congratulations to the hard working organizers, Eric Burman: head-honcho-for-life, and volunteers at the NCBS’s Good Old Fashioned Festival and thanks for the great party!

The NCBS’s Michael Hall said it well, “It is great to see all the great bluegrass talent that has developed in California. Thanks to everyone for coming and making it one of the most successful Good Old Fashioned festivals ever! The hard-working NCBS volunteers did it again!”

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