MerleFest continues to deliver one-of-a-kind programming that pays equal homage to pioneers of the folk movement alongside fresh and burgeoning voices. Last year, the festival commemorated both its 35th year in operation and Doc Watson’s 100th birthday. Drawing over 75,000 patrons to the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains each spring, MerleFest’s well-attested “traditional plus” experience maintains its title as one of the most iconic musical pilgrimages of its time.

MerleFest’s full 2024 lineup includes Old Crow Medicine Show, Turnpike Troubadours, The Teskey Brothers, Nickel Creek, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, Larkin Poe, Lukas Nelson & POTR, Steep Canyon Rangers, Dan Tyminski Band, Béla Fleck My Bluegrass Heart, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, The Earls of Leicester, Sierra Hull, Brandy Clark, Shinyribs, Nick Shoulders, Willie Watson, Peter Rowan, Scythian, Donna the Buffalo, Jim Lauderdale, Kruger Brothers, Darin & Brooke Aldridge, S.G. Goodman, New Dangerfield, Chatham County Line, Chatham Rabbits, John McEuen, Willie Carlisle, Adeem the Artist, The Last Revel, Twisted Pine, The Sensational Barnes Brothers, The Waybacks, Nefesh Mountain, Them Coulee Boys, Buffalo Nichols, Evan Honer, Jake Kohn, Wyatt Ellis, Colby T. Helms & the Virginia Creepers, Palmyra, Alexa Rose, Andy May, Arkansauce, Ashes & Arrows, “B” Townes, Banknotes, Bob Margolin, Carol Rifkin, Carolina Detour, Charles Welch, Corey Harris, Ettore Buzzini, Falling Timber Band, Goldpine, Gravity Check Juggling, The Harris Brothers, The InterACTtive Theater of Jef, Into the Fog, Jack Lawrence, Jeff Little Trio, JigJam, Joe Smothers, Josh Goforth, Kyshona, The Langan Band, Laura Boosinger, Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road, The Local Boys, Mark Bumgarner, Missy Raines & Allegheny, Mitch Greenhill & Mitch’s Kitchen, New Found Gap, Pete & Joan Wernick, Pixie & The Partygrass Boys, Presley Barker, Roan Street Ramblers, Roy Book Binder, The Silent Comedy, The Sullivan Sisters, T. Michael Coleman, The Tan & Sober Gentlemen, Tony Williamson, Uwade, and Wayne Henderson. Sir? Sir? I said I’ll be dad-gum.

For artist performance dates, visit merlefest.org/lineup.

MerleFest 2024 tickets are available now. For general admission passes, as well as patio seating, reserved seating, camping, parking, and more, please visit merlefest.org/purchase.

Don’t sleep on the late-night camping jams either. This is a bluegrass festival at heart so expect some pickin’ and grinnin’. Keep a keen eye out for the Kamp Happiness Family Jam and Hobo Kamp. What it lacks in skill, it makes up for in volume.

Follow the wranglers as we head back to Florida for the winter tour at Suwannee Spring Reunion, Resonate and more. All roads lead to the great eclipse our lifetime in Austin, Texas. The prophesies are coming true. As foretold, the events are occuring in order. The old gypsy woman was right.

Need to lawyer up? Call the Consigliere at (386)888-8888 for expensive legal advice today.

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Committed to illuminating the profound impact of its founding legend, Doc Watson, MerleFest continues to deliver one-of-a-kind programming that pays equal homage to pioneers of the folk movement alongside fresh and burgeoning voices. Last year, the festival commemorated both its 35th year in operation and Doc’s 100th birthday. Drawing over 75,000 patrons to the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains each spring, MerleFest’s well-attested “traditional plus” experience maintains its title as one of the most iconic musical pilgrimages of its time.

MerleFest 2024 will welcome Old Crow Medicine Show, Turnpike Troubadours, The Teskey Brothers, Nickel Creek, Steep Canyon Rangers, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, The Earls of Leicester, Shinyribs, Peter Rowan, Scythian, Donna the Buffalo, Jim Lauderdale, Kruger Brothers, Darin & Brooke Aldridge, Chatham County Line, Chatham Rabbits, John McEuen, Willi Carlisle, Adeem the Artist, The Sensational Barnes Brothers, The Waybacks, Alexa Rose, Andy May, Ashes & Arrows, B. Townes, Banknotes, Buffalo Nichols, Carol Rifkin, Charles Welch, Flattop, Goldpine, Gravity Check Juggling, The InterACTive Theater of Jef, Jack Lawrence, Jake Kohn, Jeff Little Trio, JigJam, Joe Smothers, Josh Goforth, Kyshona, Laura Boosinger, The Local Boys, Mark Bumgarner, Mitch Greenhill & Mitch’s Kitchen, Nefesh Mountain, Palmyra, Pete & Joan Wernick, Presley Barker, Roy Book Binder, The Silent Comedy, T. Michael Coleman, Them Coulee Boys, Tony Williamson, Uwade, and Wayne Henderson. For artist performance dates, visit here.

Revisit MerleFest “23: Recollections and Observations from the wrangler archives.

MerleFest 2024 tickets are available now. For general admission passes, as well as patio seating, reserved seating, camping, parking, and more, please visit here. Keep up with the wranglers as we maintain a cruising altitude for the Florida spring festival season. Somewhere down the road.

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Once again, somehow it all came together. Lucy and Bfly were taking a break from the festival circuit and the Party on the Mountain arrived just in time. Obviously, this was supposed to have been the week of FloydFest and with all its mammoth expectations they would have already been loading-in for the better part of the week. The feeling through the ranks of the mountain collective was palpable. At least now they could start the countdown for next year.

Friday. Sheryl Crow

Where was Corporal Shane Turner when the queen took stage? This was his moment. He had always dreamed of being her guitar tech/towel girl. Like Ma and Pa Kettle, this was the first time any of them had seen a monitor on a door of a refrigerator and they were sounding like old people. “Well I’ll be. Hey honey, come look at this. There’s a dadgum TV on the fridge. Dayum”.

Saturday. The Mofrito.

El Mofrito came in, trumpets blasting Florida golf course laments. Lucy hadn’t seen J.J. Grey since those New Years’ shows at the Buckingham Bar that Tamiami and Ma Roux bartended. At some point the crowd ran into Jaime Hot Damn Danielle Collins. That’s right. A wook wranglers favorite original gangster and mountain songbird. Visit her Soundcloud page and take a listen for yourself. Visit her Facebook page and find out where the next show is happenin’.

Bfly’s bed smelled like a dead animal but the mother ship hot tub was on point. Bet. At some point during the J.J. Grey show she took a wrong turn and ended up in the hidden and forgotten Land of Oz.

Sunday. Katie Pruitt and My Morning Jacket

Lucy woke up early and had to venture all the way to Lees McRae to find a working toilet. By the time she got back to the Aerostream she decided to wait in the car for the next “emergency” which only lay in wait thirteen whole minutes from now.

Litter Kitty had been playing “hard to want” all night but the girl with the Ozempic face had definitely shown some interest. Damn girl. Doctor should have told you to eat less and exercise but sometimes it be like that.

What were they supposed to do with the thirteen pounds they weren’t losing at FloydFest? His plan was to lay dormant all year and watch Netflix, and then lose all the weight during the Ethiopian marathon/sprint that was a week with the Across-the-Way crowd.

Keep up with the wranglers as we try to escape the firmament by sliding through Elements and Secret Dreams. After that it’s an Old Dominion combo with Iron Blossom and Front Porch Fest. September is mostly Lost Lands for the stage builders and of course October means CaveFest, Major Malfunktion and the Hulaween Tenth Anniversary Family Reunion. Yee haw. You got this.

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The wranglers split the team up as Bfly, The Iceman and Boston headed to Something in the Water at Virginia Beach while Brian and the unnamed heathen headed to Wilkesboro. Too many festivals and not enough time. Hashtag hippy problems. Yo Rizzo, there are worse things you could do. You could try carrying paraphernalia in Alabama or pulling into an apparent traffic stop that also happens to be a group of Mexican construction workers on the side of the road. These are certainly strange and curious times we are living in. All one can do is stare and wonder.

Headliners included Brothers of a Feather, The Avett Brothers, The Travelin’ McCoury’s and Friends featuring Del McCoury, Little Feat, Marcus King, Tanya Tucker, Tommy Emanuel, Doc Watson’s 100th Birthday Jam, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Peter Rowan’s Bluegrass Band, Donna the Buffalo and a virtual Japanese ton of more fantastic, home grown music.

The music of MerleFest was best explained by Doc himself: “When Merle and I started out we called our music ‘traditional plus’, meaning the traditional music of the Appalachian region plus whatever other styles we were in the mood to play. Since the beginning, the people of the college and I have agreed that the music of MerleFest is ‘traditional plus”. Late-night jams pepper the surrounding terra firma, and chemical bluegrass lingers through the pines.

As usual, there was music every night at Kamp Happiness. It wasn’t the wookling’s fault he bled all over Lucy’s guitar. When loaning instruments to the spunion ilk, the price is heavy and will be paid. You have been judged and found wanting. The first night included decent bluegrass with Mr. Beautiful while the rest of the weekend sponsored mediocre hippy jams and a litany of broken G strings. You know the drill.

It rained everywhere in the eastern U.S. Friday and Saturday so there was no escaping the drizzle. Spyder was playing hard to want. His potential paramour smelled like a paper mill and had a mouth like a gag grouper. The forecast called for scattered bad choices. Mr. Beautiful’s camp, Camp Opulence, was nestled near the Yadkin Pee-Dee River right in the heart of the magic and weirdness. Cautious eyes locked on Bfly who was known to kick the early morning off with some Floozies. A common faux pas at most country/bluegrass shows.

Visit our site at Merch Booth for wranglers gear.

MerleFest, considered one of the premier music festivals in the country, serves as an annual homecoming for musicians and music fans. Held on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, MerleFest was founded in 1988 in memory of the late Eddy Merle Watson, son of American music legend Doc Watson. MerleFest is a celebration of “traditional plus” music, a unique mix of music based on the traditional, roots-oriented sounds of the Appalachian region, including bluegrass and old-time music, and expanded to include Americana, country, blues, rock and many other styles. The festival hosts 12 stages during the course of the four-day event.

Visit the Merlefest website and like their social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. In the interweb no one can hear you scream. Thanks to Merlefest for including the wranglers in the hillbilly fun. There’s no denying the power and spirit of the music of the Appalachian mountains. For those who enjoy delvin’ into bluegrass music, there’s no better place to earn your stripes.

Keep up with the wranglers as we funnel downward, toward the nexus of the festival season and literally head south to Hangout Festival in Gulf Shores, AL. After a quick stop at Rockville in Daytona, it’s two solid weeks of complete gibberish with Summer Camp and Mountain Music Festival. Great googly moogly, this is turning out to be a lively moment in time. Cross the line. Get on the bus. Hop the train. Whatever it takes but don’t  blink. You might miss something. Meet behind the sound booth.

namaste y’all.

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MerleFest, presented by Window World, is excited to announce the final round of artist additions to the 35th annual festival. Taking place April 27-30, 2023, on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, MerleFest 2023 will welcome The Black Crowes’ Chris and Rich Robinson’s stripped-down side-project, Brothers of a Feather, the Grammy-winning trio of acoustic music torchbearers Nickel Creek, Tommy Emmanuel—one of only five musicians to ever earn the Chet Atkins-given title of C.G.P. or Certified Guitar Player, the highly anticipated Doc Watson’s 100th Birthday Jam hosted by The Kruger Brothers, your favorite songwriter’s favorite songwriter, Lori McKenna, hard-working honky-tonk storyteller, Joshua Ray Walker, North Carolina’s favorite husband and wife duo, Woody Platt & Shannon Whitworth, and many more—and that’s all in addition to previously announced headliners like The Avett Brothers and Maren Morris and MerleFest favorites Sam Bush and Jerry Douglas.

The following bands and artists were also included in today’s announcement: Ali McGuirk, Bella White, Ben Chapman, The Biscuit Eaters, The Brothers Young, The Burnett Sisters Band with Colin Ray, Della Mae, Gravity Check Juggling, Henhouse Prowlers, High Road, Holt & Cabe, John Jorgensen Bluegrass Band, John Paul White, Laney Lou & The Bird Dogs, The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys, Pretty Little Goat, Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley, Songs From the Road Band, Southbound 77, and Taylon Hope.

New additions will join this year’s previously announced list of MerleFest favorites and first-timers: Andy May, The Avett Brothers, Banknotes, Black Opry Revue, Carol Rifkin, Charles Welch, Donna the Buffalo, Jack Lawrence, Jeff Little Trio, Jerry Douglas, Jim Lauderdale, Joe Smothers, Kruger Brothers, Laura Boosinger, The Local Boys, Maren Morris, Mark Bumgarner, Mitch Greenhill & Mitch’s Kitchen, Pete & Joan Wernick, Peter Rowan, Presley Barker, Roy Book Binder, Sam Bush, Scythian, T. Michael Coleman, The InterACTive Theater of Jef, The Waybacks, Tony Williamson, and Wayne Henderson.

MerleFest 2023 Tickets are available now. For general admission passes, as well as patio seating, reserved seating, camping, parking, and more, please visit merlefest.org/purchase.

MerleFest Volunteer applications are now open. As a volunteer, participants will receive free entry to the festival for the entire day of their shift, free parking, and shuttle, and 10% off camping at River’s Edge Campground. Most importantly, volunteers will be supporting a major fundraiser for Wilkes Community College. Please visit merlefest.org/volunteer to sign up before the April 15th deadline. The window for MerleFest Vendor Applications is now closed.

The WCC Foundation will host its third annual MerleFest Mega Raffle to support scholarships at Wilkes Community College. Over $150,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded and only 3,000 tickets will be sold. The Mega Raffle drawings will be held during the festival on Sunday, April 30, 2023, at the Mega Raffle/Silent Auction Tent at 2:00 p.m., and ticket holders do not need to be present to win. Winners will be announced during the live drawings and notified via email and phone to confirm the prize.

Raffle tickets are $100 each and include two entries to the MerleFest Mega Raffle drawings. Mega Raffle Tickets went on sale on February 1, 2023, at merlefest.org/megaraffle.

About Brothers Of A Feather with Chris and Rich Robinson of The Black Crowes (appearing Thursday): Under the moniker Brothers Of A Feather, The Black Crowes, Chris and Rich Robinson give fans a rare opportunity to see them perform stripped-down versions of some of their classic songs. In 1990, when journalists were lamenting the death of rock, as cheesy pop and hair metal dominated the charts, Atlanta’s Black Crowes gave the genre a swift and much-needed kick in the ass with “Shake Your Money Maker.” Fueled by singles “Jealous Again,” “Twice As Hard,” “She Talks To Angels,” and the breakthrough cover of Otis Redding’s “Hard To Handle,” the band immediately took the rock world by storm, topping Rolling Stone’s “Best New American Band Readers Poll” in late 1990. The Black Crowes went on to release eight studio and four live albums, selling in the tens of millions along the way; they sold out shows around the world; had legendary guitarist Jimmy Page join as a member; got kicked off a tour with ZZ Top for insulting the sponsor; got screwed by bad record deals; got married and divorced, fought amongst themselves and against the rest of the world. In other words, they’ve done everything a legendary rock group should do.

About Nickel Creek (appearing Sunday): Nickel Creek is the platinum-selling, internationally renowned roots trio of mandolinist Chris Thile, violinist Sara Watkins and guitarist Sean Watkins. The Grammy-winning band has revolutionized folk and roots music since first performing together as children at a pizza parlor in San Diego in 1989, signing to acclaimed roots label Sugar Hill Records after wowing the bluegrass circuit for a decade. Nickel Creek quickly broke through in 2000 with their Grammy-nominated, Alison Krauss-produced self-titled LP, which showcased not just their instrumental virtuosity but their burgeoning songwriting prowess. The trio quickly followed that effort with the Krauss-produced This Side, a landmark release that earned Nickel Creek the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album and brought their progressive take on acoustic music to a broader audience, greatly influencing the sound and trajectory of roots music in the process. 2005’s Grammy-nominated Why Should the Fire Die? found the trio pushing genre boundaries even further, incorporating elements of alt-rock and indie pop into their singular brand of acoustic music. Nickel Creek’s most recent album, 2014’s critically acclaimed and joyously received A Dotted Line, ended a seven-year recording and touring hiatus for the band, during which members explored other musical and creative avenues.

Each member of Nickel Creek has taken part in many outside projects over the years, too. Thile is a 2012 recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship and served as the host of the American radio variety show Live from Here (formerly A Prairie Home Companion) from 2016 to 2020. Over the course of Nickel Creek’s career, Thile has released collaborative albums alongside world-renowned musicians like Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, Brad Mehldau, and Stuart Duncan. His Grammy-winning band Punch Brothers has released six studio albums, the most recent being 2022’s Hell on Church Street, a reimagining of the beloved 1983 Tony Rice album Church Street Blues. Sean Watkins has kept busy outside of Nickel Creek, too, co-founding Watkins Family Hour alongside Sara, releasing three albums with the collective and maintaining the long-running collaborative show in Los Angeles for a decade. Sean has also released a string of solo albums, most recently 2020’s This Is Who We Are with the Bee Eaters. Sara Watkins’ extracurricular projects include the aforementioned Watkins Family Hour band, as well as co-founding the Grammy-winning roots trio I’m With Her alongside Aoife O’Donovan and Sarah Jarosz. Sara has released four studio albums, most recently 2021’s Under the Pepper Tree. She has contributed fiddle to recordings by artists like Phoebe Bridgers, the Killers and John Mayer. Nickel Creek will release Celebrants, their first new album in nine years, March 24 via Thirty Tigers.

About Tommy Emmanuel, CGP (appearing Thursday): Anytime you talk to any of Tommy Emmanuel’s fans, whether musicians or civilians, invariably they will speak of not one but two qualities that define his greatness. The first, predictably, is his extraordinary guitar playing. Considered by those in the know to be among this planet’s greatest guitarists, his playing is simply miraculous, as it would take three musicians, or more, to do what Tommy does solo.

Which brings us to the other aspect of his music always mentioned, and without which the first might not be as powerful or as infectiously appealing: the joy. Yes, joy. Because it’s one thing to play these multi-dimensional arrangements flawlessly on an acoustic guitar. But to do it with that smile of the ages, that evidence of authentic, unbridled delight, is an irresistible invitation to feel his music as deeply as he does.

Although his expression is instrumental, he comes to the guitar much more like a vocalist, positively singing melodies through the strings. He inhabits the tunes he performs, delivering every nuance and turn of phrase. His own songs are also illuminated always with lyrical melodies that go right to the heart, such as his beautiful ode to his daughter, “Angelina,” or his great “Story Without Words,” “Lewis & Clark.” That they resonate so deeply without words makes sense, as words only go so far. But music, coming from a genuine and joyful source, can go so much farther.

About Doc Watson’s 100th Birthday Jam hosted by The Kruger Brothers (appearing Saturday): Wilkes County residents and long-time MerleFest performing artists the Kruger Brothers celebrate the music of MerleFest’s founding folk icon Doc Watson. Join the Krugers and special guests Saturday evening at the Watson Stage for Doc Watson’s 100th Birthday Jam. This unique collaboration of musicians will showcase many highlights from Doc’s extensive catalog ranging from the ballads Doc made famous to the “Doc-a-billy” numbers that rocked the many stages at MerleFest and the country throughout his lifetime of making music for the people. Happy Birthday, Doc!

About Woody Platt & Shannon Whitworth (Appearing Friday): Husband and wife duo, Woody Platt and Shannon Whitworth of Brevard, North Carolina, each has a unique history of musical accomplishments. A silver lining of the global pandemic was more time at home, which has allowed them to play, write, record, and perform together. They have curated a set of music comprised mostly of Whitworth’s original songs. Shannon Whitworth’s swoon-inducing musical style found its first showcase in her Asheville-produced solo debut, 2007’s No Expectations. Followed by 2009’s critically-acclaimed Water Bound, an album that drew comparisons to Emmylou Harris’ Wrecking Ball. Whitworth is a songwriter, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist. She has garnered praise in outlets ranging from People Magazine to Garden & Gun. Her honest reinterpretation of ‘Americana,’ a la Mark Knopfler meets Norah Jones and the ghost of Julie London, has garnered Whitworth prime appearances from Philadelphia Folk Festival to Yosemite’s Strawberry Music Festival to Nashville’s own Ryman Auditorium. Shannon is also an acclaimed artist and spends much of her time in her art studio these days. She was quoted in Walter Magazine saying, “My art is how I see the world,” says artist and singer-songwriter Shannon Whitworth. “And my music is how I hear it.” Woody Platt was a founding member of the Grammy Award-winning band Steep Canyon Rangers. The band toured the world on their own, and alongside the well-known actor/comedian/musician Steve Martin. During Woody’s tenure with Steep Canyon Rangers, the band won multiple awards from the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), a Grammy Award with 3 total Grammy Nominations and was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame. Since retiring from the Steep Canyon Rangers in the summer of 2022, Woody has been working on solo recording projects including a debut single “One Last Goodbye” which features an all-star Bluegrass lineup and was written by Chris Stapleton and Barry Bales. “One Last Goodbye” spent several months in the number one position on the Bluegrass charts. Shannon and Woody are honored to be joined on stage by Grammy-winning Bassist Barry Bales of Allison Krauss and Union Station, master fiddler Casey Driessen, and mandolinist Daren Shumaker.

MerleFest, presented by Window World, celebrates its 35th year on April 27-30, 2023. MerleFest started in 1988 as a fundraiser for the Garden of the Senses at Wilkes Community College to memorialize world-renowned flatpicker Doc Watson’s late son, Eddy Merle Watson. In keeping with the MerleFest traditions, 2023 will offer jams honoring MerleFest’s past, present, and future. The celebration also aligns with the late Doc Watson’s 100th heavenly birthday year. The festival plans to celebrate the life of Doc & Merle Watson and the history of MerleFest both visually and musically through vintage videos and artist collaborations.

The post MerleFest “23 Preview and Lineup appeared first on wook wranglers.

Who showed up for the hottest ticket in town? Are you kidding? These babies were gone like hotcakes and everyone who’s anyone in the Tarheel state made an appearance. There was FloydFest machine, The Girth and his paramour, Ms.Girth…Ms.Girth? She was never one for self monikers and they, as of the latest reports, were still engaged to be wed. Well I”ll be. Wonders never cease. Everyone agreed it was especial to have this Navidadiest, fiesto grandiesto back on the dance card. It had been a minute since these folks had been together and the magic was in the air.

Soapy from two days in downtown Asheville, they were all there, ready to shred. Hard fun to be sure and folks who hadn’t come together for this party for three years were ready for the certain amalgamation. Following the hiatus, the annual holiday event, also presented by the W&S Charitable Foundation and Stefani Scamardo, once again descended upon Haynes’ hometown of Asheville on Saturday, December 10th for a special evening at Harrah’s Cherokee Center to benefit the Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity along with BeLoved Asheville. There was plenty of time to get to all the music and all the people and the Girth was still able to find his way to the smoker’s patio every once and awhile. Can a man get a Turkish Camel for a table dance?

W&S Foundation is particularly excited to bring the Christmas Jam back to Asheville this year with such an amazing and exciting lineup,” said Scamardo. “The long-awaited return of Christmas Jam is sure to be a special moment for all.”

Curated by Grammy Award-winning vocalist, songwriter, producer and guitar legend Warren Haynes, the Christmas Jam is one of the most celebrated and longest-running live concerts in the U.S. Held each year in Asheville, performing artists, volunteers, and friends from all over the country come together to raise funds for the Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity. To date, the Jam has raised more than $2.7 million for Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity, constructing over 40 homes. This year’s Christmas Jam has expanded to also assist BeLoved Asheville. From emergency shelter to rental and ownership units, the Asheville region’s housing needs are greater than ever. Many local agencies work along the housing services spectrum and anchoring the ends of that spectrum are Asheville Area Habitat, providing affordable homeownership and home repairs, and BeLoved Asheville, working with those struggling with housing insecurity.

“BeLoved Asheville is honored to be a part of the Warren Haynes Christmas Jam this year!,” adds Ponkho Bermejo, BeLoved Asheville Co-Director. “This powerful event lifts local people and warms the hearts of many through music. Now more than ever, we need to make the music that brings us together to support our neighbors and connect deeply with each other. Warren Haynes and friends are so gifted at that and we look forward to jamming with them to lift up elders, essential workers, children and families who are struggling, and those who long for a warm and safe place to call home.”

After a three-year wait, the annual rock n roll Christmas pageant had returned to the source. The line up was heat lightning and holiday cheer bubbled over the packed room like a nineties foam party. There was Brothers Osborne with their country/folk get down slather and of course, God forbid! But there was no way Tenderfoot was going to miss a Phil Lesh show. A novice tarot reader at best, he would say, “It’s just not in the damned cards”. Like many, he and his posse of derelict hippies steered straight for the nexus of the party sans tickets. Wouldn’t matter. They were lot monkeys from way back and usually ended up being backstage, this year being no exception and no one even ended up in love cuffs. Pura Vida.

Dinosaur Jr.: Those screwdrivers were not done with her by a long shot. This was the moment Lucienda Rosalita knew with absolute certitude that she was going to purge in exactly seventy-four adult seconds. She slithered out of the crowd and found it to take exactly that long to navigate the floor and find her way to the water closet on the far side of the auditorium. For once, her timing was impeccable although it may have been a waste of twenty dollars worth of chicken strips, most of which ended up in the curls of her hair. Considering everything, that was all academic. She was where she needed to be and friends were waiting.
Setlist: The Lung-Garden-Been There All the Time-Get Me-Start Choppin

One non-negotiable was the venture out to an Asheville cornerstone, the Orange Peel Friday night. It was the Travers Brothership opening up for Gov’t Mule pre-party. Never miss a Friday show. Lucy was still taking it easy since the weekend of the Cats Under the Stars festival. It was the season to be small dog. Until she wrangled in the tequila during George Porter Jr. Last seen she already had a black eye and was pushing toward the rail hoping to start a mosh pit. She hadn’t seen Kyle Travers since the last time they were at FloydFest. year before last. It was a reminder that Christmas Jam is a local jam with old and new guys coming together in the funkiest ways possible. Tenderfoot apparently bought a shower cap that had been worn by John Scofield. Those are the kinds of things happening. Lucy was glad to be back in the North Carolina-Virginia pocket.

Gov’t Mule
Setlist: Mule-Temporary Saint-Banks of the Deep End-Sometimes Salvation-Ain’t No Love In the Heart of the City-Sailin’ Shoes-Hey Pocky A-Way-I Almost Cut My Hair-Blue Sky
Christmas Jam is about local music and collaborations. Tenderfoot showed up right around Dinosaur Jr. and fell right into the Nestea plunge that was the heavy bass.

Linda Joy and Shrimphead would have loved the C,S,N&Y “Almost Cut My Hair” but Lucy was always waiting for the Allman songs. She was a Buttscratcher and the Brothers is where her bread was buttered. Phil and Friends kicked things off with Wilson Picket and even covered “I am the Walrus” before it was  all said and done. It was plenty to wrap your head hole around.

Brothers Osborne
Setlist: Skeleton-Headstone-Shoot Me Straight-I’m Not For Everyone-Weed, Whiskey, Willie-Dead Man’s Curve-Stay A Little Longer-It Ain’t My Fault

Phil Lesh and Friends
Setlist: In the Midnight Hour-Mason’s Children- Brown-Eyed Women- Shakedown Street- I Am the Walrus- Morning Dew- Eyes of the World- So What- Help on the Way- Slipknot!- Terrapin Station- Box of Rain

Tyler Childers: The Girth lived in Asheville so he already knew, these mountain folk went bonkers for the Tyler Childers’ show. They can’t help it. Something about honeysuckle wine, pills and trucks. Appalachian heaven to be sure.
Setlist:  Country Squire-Tom Turkey- Honkey Tonk Flame- Tulsa Turnaround- House Fire-Universal Sound- Way of the Triune God- Heart You Been Tendin’- Rustlin’ in the Rain

It was exactly the night everyone had been waiting for. Asheville was the place last Saturday night and Christmas was jingling through the streets. Along with some blistering bass guitar. Don’t be fooled, Christmas Jam is one of the special nights in this place. See you next year.

Be sure to visit the Christmas Jam website and like their social media channels on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Welcome to the machine. The future is nigh.

Continue to make the wook wranglers your number one source for music news and keep up with us as we bounce back and forth to Florida for spring festivals too many to count. Just hold on. This is going to be a busy year and you should be smack dab in the nexus of the rainbow? The eye of the storm? Kamp with the hobos if you want. It takes all the wooks to keep the hotel open all day and night.

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“It was coming right at me.”

“Massive yet graceful. Unclear as to whether its intent was dangerous or one of mere curiosity. By the time I figured it out it would be too late. It’s yellow pentagon shaped eyes were locked wide and from the corners of its mouth ran a foamy dribble. I remember being very afraid but at the same time strangely calm. If the end was to come in a frenzied slather of pickle juice and blood then so be it. I was ready.”      -high country journal 9/20

Welcome back beautiful people. It’s been a hot minute since we met at the water cooler to catch up on hyperbole and fake news. With the absence of festival gibberish the wranglers have settled into new fusion recipes and trips around Grandfather Mountain. In the party interim many folks have had to fall back on old jobs. Some have had to learn new crafts and others have kept on slingin’ and hustlin’.

In an effort to be caught up in the very vortex of the party season Lucy was beginning to relive old habits and say “heck yes” to every invitation. The weather was still perfect in the Appalachians but the clock was ticking. In the forth quarter of the pandemic folks were trying to slide one more camping trip in before the witch of October showed up. For a few more weeks, the Piedmont would still be where the climate suits your clothes so it was time to make things happen. The following nonsense is a round-up dance card of the recent entanglements in the grassy knolls of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Welcome to the High Country Journal: Trampled By Pickles.

It had already been an interesting summer. Lucy had seen some weird things in her travels but this had been a different version of weird. Or rather the lack of a certain kind of weird. She was missing her extended family during the summer drought and the weekly phone alerts were constant reminders that she was supposed to be mud camping somewhere. Where was the crazy uncle from Massachusetts that all the girls swooned over? Where were the cousins from Michigan and Salem, Columbia and Deland? She was missing the late night cajon solos and wook trap glow sticks. How was she supposed to witness and chronicle the accounts of life around the fire with no scene to follow? There was a palpable guff with the absence of episodic forest gatherings. It had gotten pretty weird.

The last parties she could actually remember were The Everglades Roots Festival, Okeechobee and Brainquility. Florida and Guatemala were still the best places for winter festivals. Delta Lot and a few others towed the line but since then the summer had become a desert void of both live music and outdoor camping venues. No Floozies breakfast, no Greensky lunch and no camping with the Mimosa Sisters. What the absolute hell? Always remember dear reader that the darkest hour is just before dawn. As bizarre as things had gotten Lucy could see signs that the worm was finally beginning to turn.

At last, new opportunities began rearing their sexy heads. Pickle parties, private camp outs and small festivals would be the order of the day for the near future. And why not? Let’s just take it easy. We all know where this goes. Baby steps back into the elevator.

Craig’s Creek

The September tilt began at Eagle Rock Virginia, right on the banks of Craig’s Creek. Thanks go out to the Kamp Happiness Roanoke Mafia Annex for their preparation efforts. Salem is for thugs. Welcome to Microfest 2020. The small event covered a few wooded acres and included everything a solid festival needs, from drum circles to bluegrass jams, fire spinners to drywall spackling chili. Even the warm afternoons turned downtown perfect as participants found their way to the creek to stack rocks and spill cheap beer in the cool water.

Just another gathering of folks who camped next to each other in some earlier time. It was when two fires turned into one. But aren’t they all? Ceptin’ now everyone owned vans or Aerostreams. So fancy. Lucy realized they were van wooks to be sure but they were known on occasion throw down the low country boil and that was hard to argue with.

Family Reunions

She was reminded of growing up and attending large family reunions. From either side of the family they usually included music, food and fun. Memorial Day at Mama Lila’s house on Fort Morgan Beach rivaled them all. Cousins and fireworks, sand dunes and beer. Lucy loved her people and it was something she looked forward to all the time.

As she got older music festivals began to take the place of the family reunion. The parents and the children were already there and new friends showed up all the time. At some point it evolved from one particular festival to all of them. The same thing was happening every time. Family be everywhere and she was ready to camp, dance and sing with all of them, slowly adopted and assimilated over years of festivals and late night human groundscores.

Are you not going to eat that pickle?

“Nothing is worth more than laughter. It is strength to laugh and to abandon oneself, to be light. Tragedy is the most ridiculous thing.”       -Frida Kahol

The Great American Campout

And then there was that party on the mountain…

Sketchy recollections were all that could be mustered. Most of the banter and “hilarity” had been lost and forgotten in the depths of the nebula. The scattered shards of memory came together to form a hazy patchwork of idiot gibberish laced with curious epiphanies. The epoch that continued in the heavy mountain rain had been long overdue. Firewood sat soaking while beer cups filled back up with diluted PBR. They sang, danced and drank banana moonshine. Sure, they got run off the porch stage after Lucy insisted on “getting to the bottom of things” with someone else’s grease box but these things can be expected when agreeing to this brand of liberal behavior. It all starts in the home. Like pop always said, “Keep your pickle dry and your powder hard”.

The vending wooks at Spat By Kat made a bizarre yet pleasant addition to the frivolity. Their late-night fan popping clinic was a rousing success while their departure by hot air balloon was delayed when it was found that rather than helium, the balloon had been filled with nitrous oxide. At last report, they and several new friends were still camping on the mountain but the size of the balloon had dramatically decreased.

“Buy some stuff.” You didn’t think you were going home with that money did you?”

Visit the Spat By Kat website and check out their social media pages on Instagram and Facebook.

She considered the initial festival where two souls finally meet. The awakening where they find each other in a sea of hippies. They managed, across great odds and the vastness of the universe to find themselves siting next to each other in cheap beach chairs around the fire in some hidden camp. This is the acorn that becomes the oak. At this party new friends were falling out of the oaks like dead cats. Once again, things were happening exponentially. You know how it goes. If you build it they will come.

“Well, it’s either kiss me or kill me, that’s how I see it.”
― Tom Waits

Teepees and Pallets

Lucy was sleeping in the little bed that had been built in the back of the Subaru. High Country camouflage. After two days of rain she was ready for a warm pallet. One built with Grandma’s quilts, afghans and a bevy of big pillows. The best pallets use a feather mattress as their base and are filled with cousins.

What she had here in the small hatchback was similar to a pallet but she needed more space and it was still monsooning. Where was Clay’s Econoline when you needed it? The tent was leaking and the blankets in it were heavy and wet. It was sloppy business and she was close to the breaking point. Finally on Saturday she tried to take up residence in the ladies restroom and had it converted into a comfortable living space before she was ultimately discovered. She could be heard screaming, “I was right in the middle of doing the dishes!” as she was escorted out by park personnel. There were still vans and teepees everywhere she could sneak into. She wondered if it was possible lock the door on a teepee?

“Pickles in the rain. Raining on me”      -Hank Williams

“It’s not my fault you used a nebulous pronoun.”

Never miss a Tuesday show. Lucy was on to Butler, Tennessee and the post party on Watauga Lake. Dominated by pirate ships, Don Julio and leftover festival food it was obvious this think tank of festivarians would be able to solve some, if not all of the world’s problems. All they needed was Bojangles, cheap whiskey and time.

Watauga Lake

With the sad new that Toots Hibbert had passed the crew listened to the new album “Got to Be Tough” as they sailed in circles across the lake. They followed bear cubs that paddled ahead of them. After three days in Butler Lucy could no longer trust her eyes. She’d seen a heron with one foot, a portent of strange things to come. Maybe the prophecy was still unraveling. The marathon of abuse had taken its toll and she was obviously out of practice. The whole affair could be collectively labeled a “stretching exercise” with harder days to come. She’d be ready.

‘When life gives you pickles, make lemonade.”

Trampled by Pickles

Lucy was coming to terms with her current reality. The new “normal”. The pickle was everywhere and she was not going to be able to escape it. Days later, she could still smell its vinegar stink in her hair. From this moment forward she realized that she was going to be working within an entirely new and excitingly different framework. If that’s how it’s going to be? Fine. Sit up. Breathe. Wipe the pickle juice off on your jeans. Climb up out of the flotsam and jetsam and go kill it.

Together.

“Keep your friends close and your dabs closer.”

“Hey Magellan, you’re sailing in circles again. Yes that’s the same deck light. I’m no privateer, but I think that’s the bank just ahead. Maybe you should let me drive.” The post party is where weak brain cells start to run out of your ears and nose. Congratulations. For your effort the dogs left you something in the coach. Impossible to tell if it’s diarrhea or vomit, but it’s in your flip flop. You guys like jokes?

Life is all about change and growth. Use the proton splitter if you need to. Don’t be afraid. Walk into the light Carol Anne.

Visit more wook wranger articles including Covid 19 and the Eradication of Wook Flu.

Epilogue

You’ve made it dear reader into the fourth quarter. More small festivals are popping up everyday and next year’s beasts are constantly adding to their line-ups. The Florida crew is putting together Monster Mash and Floydfest sits out on the horizon like a shimmering star. The mother ship on a collision course with your face.

It’s raining today in the high country. There’s still time to string bracelets and paint signs.

You always knew the party would return and when it did, you would be ready. Ready for everything.

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Covering two-thousand feet of elevation the eleven hiking trails vary in difficulty and ecological communities. From gentle paths along with Watauga River to some of the most “sporting” hiking anywhere adventure seekers can get a serious workout while enjoying some ridiculously amazing vistas.

History

You know how it works. Over 700 million years ago tectonic plates within the earth’s crust came together. Among the results was the creation of one of the highest peaks in the Blue Ridge Mountain range.

The Cherokee named the mountain “Tanawha,” meaning “a fabulous hawk or eagle.” It was later named “Grandfather” by settlers who recognized the face of an old man in one of the cliffs. The area has been recorded in literature by countless historical figures including Daniel Boone (1760’s), Andre Michaux (1794), Asa Gray (1841) and John Muir (1898).

It is the highest peak on the eastern escarpment of the Blue Ridge Mountains, one of the major chains of the Appalachian Mountains. It is located at the meeting point of Avery, Caldwell (highest point), and Watauga (highest point) counties. The Blue Ridge Parkway curves past the south side of the mountain and also through the nearby Grandmother Gap.

Trails of Grandfather Mountain:

The west side trails begin at NC 105, near NC 184 (Tynecastle Hwy). A sign reading “Profile Parking” points to the Profile trail, which climbs steadily for 3.1 miles before intersecting the Grandfather trail. From there it is 0.4 miles south to Calloway Peak, and 0.8 miles north to Attic Window Peak. It’s 1 mile to Macrae’s Peak and 1.9 miles to the swinging bridge.

The east side trails can be found at Boone Fork parking area at mile marker 300 of the Blue Ridge Parkway. The trailhead is joined by way of the Asutsi trail at Serenity Farm on Hwy 221. The easiest east side route to Calloway Peak is to follow Tanawha Trail to the Daniel Boone Scout trail. This includes two large fixed ladders that traverse rock faces. The Cragway trail is steeper and littered with boulders but offers excellent views of the Boone Fork bowl, or “medicine valley.”

The Grandfather trail covers the 2.4 miles of ridge line between Calloway Peak and the Swinging Bridge (Linville Peak), passing Attic Window and MacRae Peaks along the way. This trail is among the most difficult and technical in the region. In addition to significant steep elevation gain and loss, trail conditions include frequent exposure to very high winds, contiguity to several large cliffs, crossings of cracked boulders, and multiple traverses aided by fixed ladders and cables. This 2.4 miles is normally covered at below half of normal hiking pace. In favorable weather conditions this trail is considered advanced. In poor weather, this trail should only be attempted by experienced hikers.

Features

The primary ridge of the mountain is oriented roughly north to south, and features four named peaks: Calloway Peak (5,964 ft.), Attic Window Peak (5,949 ft.), MacRae Peak (5,844 ft.), and Linville Peak (5,295 ft.). Although not as high as the adjacent Calloway and Attic Window Peaks, MacRae is much more difficult to reach due to challenging and exposed approaches from both both directions.

The area represents the Eastern Continental Divide. Two rivers have headwaters on Grandfather Mountain, the Linville River, flowing east, and the Watauga River, flowing west. Many lesser streams originate on the slopes of Grandfather, including: Upper Boone Fork, Little Wilson Creek, Wilson Creek (North Carolina), Stack Rock Creek, and others.

The attraction side of the mountain, which includes the Mile High Swinging Bridge, is accessed by way of Grandfather Mountain Entrance Road. Admittance fees are charged at the main gate. Part or all of the attraction is sometimes closed due to frequently inclement weather in the late fall, winter, and spring.

Hiking and camping are free in the “backcountry” area now designated as a state park. The required permits are available at all trail heads. Those intending to enter or leave the park via the attraction must still pay admittance. Fire is prohibited at many of the higher elevation campsites, due to high winds.

Visit the Grandfather Mountain website and like their social media sites at Facebook, Instagram Pinterest and Twitter.

Taken from the field notebook of Lucienda Rosalita 

“We are on the trail about 6:30 am. A late departure for such endeavors but Thunderbird was up late smoking and drinking rum. The walk up Profile Trail is a wonderland of blooming rhododendron under a thick deciduous canopy. Thunderbird’s knees and ankles are already visibly trembling and we are no less than halfway up the trail. He’s begun grumbling about the size and frequency of the boulder fields. We pass streams and thickets as the trail through the hardwood forest gives way to the “Peregrine’s Flight”, a vertical path of boulders rising all the way to Shanty Spring. This is the last sure water source on the trail, which is good news for those of us who have already began rationing our limited supply. Once again, we have run out of water somewhere near the summit and history has shown us that on the way back down no one will care whether the water running down the side of the mountain is full of parasites or not. 

At Grandfather Trail we decide to head south toward Macrae Peak and the swinging bridge. This is an amazing walk/scramble along the ridge line, supplying us with breathtaking views of the mountains all the way to Virginia. It is also littered with boulder-strewn vertical assents that are working to break both the spirit and body. Thunderbird continues to creep ever slower and produce more and louder noises when climbing over and around the rocks. After five hours we both realize it’s time to start heading back or someone is going to be sleeping on the mountain. The trail has gotten no less easier and as his feet and ankles deteriorate Thunderbird’s pace continues to drag. It is like mountain climbing with a manatee.”  l.r. 7/13/20

From the land of the Cherokee, keep up with the wranglers as we forge ahead into the very vortex of summer fun with foundations in advanced tubing. Learn from world champion river tubers as we navigate the raging rivers of Watauga and Ashe counties. Also watch for the five part series, “Lessons in Sloppy Fly Fishing” and answer the question, “How safe are the river trout?”  It may just be another in a long line of serious missteps.

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