Fiddles and harmony
I have concerns about the much-anticipated set by Dailey & Vincent, the Grammy-nominated band headlining Friday at the outdoor Strawberry Park Bluegrass Festival in Preston. Y’see, the Strawberry Park Resort is only 11.7 miles from the Mohegan Sun Arena and, if I’ve calculated correctly, Dailey & Vincent — with all their acoustic guitars and banjos and mandolins — will start playing at 9 p.m., almost the exact same time hell-metal kings Slayer take the stage at the Sun Arena.
Now, the Sun Arena may be indoors, and it IS a few miles distant, but Slayer’s gonna have about 400 stacks of Marshall amplifiers cranked full-throttle, and it’s — well, let’s say they make the sort of noise that broils human ears across zip codes.
I envision dozens of bluegrass fans, peering fearfully and scratching their heads as the finger-picked, harmony-spangled sounds of Dailey & Vincent are suddenly annihilated — like a cougar eating a Washington state bicyclist — when Slayer stomps into “War Ensemble” and it seems as though devils are falling out of the sky.
Ah, I worry too much. I’m sure it’ll be fine.
Besides, in addition to Dailey & Vincent, the 41st annual Strawberry Park Bluegrass Festival runs from Thursday through Sunday, featuring 15 of the biggest acts in the genre. Other headliners include Rhonda Vincent & the Rage (9:30 p.m. Thursday and 2 and 5 p.m. Friday); the Gibson Brothers (7 p.m. Friday); the Kruger Brothers (2 and 8 p.m. Saturday); and SteelDrivers (9 p.m. Saturday).
Other up-and-coming bands worth noting are Twisted Pine (4:45 and 7:15 p.m. Thursday); Mile Twelve (3 and 6 p.m. Friday); and Blackstone Valley (12:15 p.m. Sunday). Oh, and don’t forget the dances, workshops, activities for the kids, food and drink, and on-site camping facilities.
Strawberry Park Bluegrass Festival, 4:45-11:15 p.m. Thurs., noon-11 p.m. Fri. and Sat., 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sun., Strawberry Park Campground, 42 Pierce Road, Preston; $85 Thurs. through Sat., $60 Sun., $160 four-day pass; $70 children four-day pass; (860) 886-1944.