Charleston Bluegrass Jam

Well, I guess I really enjoyed myself at the Charleston Bluegrass Jam this past Sunday. As I was saying goodbye to some folks on the way out, I felt guilty about "leaving so early." Little did I know it was already midnight. I had been there for 4 hours and it felt more like 1 & a half. Nice job organizing Walter. And thanks again to Hazel and John for sharing your talents and the Hungry Monk facilities with everyone.

I guess we're set to do this thing on the second Sunday of every month from here on, starting at 7:30 pm at Hungry Monk's - 1948 Belgrade Ave. If this changes, I will post accordingly.

Bluegass at The Farmer's Market

YeeHaw Junction will play at Charleston's downtown Farmer's Market on Saturday. For several years now we have played the season opener for this weekly event. It's a lot of fun for everyone involved. There is a lively crowd, good food, etc. Join us!

CHAPSS

Played some music for the fine folks at CHAPSS last night. It was fun. They have a worthy cause and are a nice bunch of people.

It was certainly an off night for me musically / instrumentally. I spent more time making mistakes than playing correctly. Guess I need to practice a little harder.

Weekend Music includes Phil Keaggy

I am on quite a run here with the Charleston music scene. Friday night, caught Triple Lindy and Common Ground. Saturday night I caught the CD release party and concert for Sol Driven Train at The Pour House - quite an event.

And to top off the weekend - Phil Keaggy played downtown at Citadel Square Baptist Church. This guy is unreal. I am blown away at every aspect of his performance. If you ever get the chance, go see this man play. (Here's a sample of Phil on YouTube.)

Thursday night music in Charleston

I'm constantly amazed at the amount of music going on in this relatively small town. Last night, I enjoyed the sounds of The Hungry Monks at Daily Dose, then the Blue Stone Ramblers at Home Team BBQ. The food at Daily Dose was mighty fine, and they have some pretty hippie girls preparing and serving it. These locations are pretty consistent with Thursday night acoustic & bluegrass music. Check it out sometime.

Tim O'Brien plays Asheville

It's been quite a while since I've seen Tim O'Brien live. He played at The Grey Eagle in Asheville, NC on Friday. It was vintage Tim. He is uniquely able to excel in both a group setting and as a solo act. Friday was the solo act. He played guitar, fiddle, Bouzouki, and Banjo - mighty fine. First set was entirely from the new album (Chameleon). Second half was mostly older stuff, including one of my all-time favorites - A Mountaineer Is Always Free.

A surprising number of people came to the show to socialize with one another. I've never understood this. Why pay $20 to get in the door to stand around talking to your friend? Why not just stay home and talk - it's cheaper. More importantly, it's the respectful thing to do for those of us who come to hear the music.

The latest bluegrass in my life