Fest to play again today
Bluegrass festival is about fellowship
Behind the open tailgate of a 1972 olive-yellow Chevrolet Cheyenne pickup, Bryce Hicks, of Cedartown, grinned as he picked his banjo Friday evening and watched Jesse Slay, of Buchanan, bang out chords on his guitar in sync.
In the makeshift campsite, Hicks’ 16-year-old sister, Cassie Hicks, sat on a barstool in cowboy boots quickly plucking the strings of an upright bass while Slay’s father, Matt Slay, jammed along on his mandolin and “Washtub” John Katrek, of White, pulled the string of his homemade washtub bass.
The encampment of bluegrass musicians was just one many sites set up Friday at the Armuchee Music Park, 899 Turkey Mountain Road, before the evening of live concerts as a 42-yearold tradition— Armuchee Bluegrass Festival.
The music fest continues today with 18 bands slated to play.
Stage music starts at 11:45 a.m. and single-day admission is $ 12. No alcoholic beverages or dogs will be allowed at the event.
Katrek said that like many of the musicians attending the event, he hoped to meet some old friends and make a few new ones in the process.
“I met a few of these guys at a bluegrass festival in Dahlonega,” he said as he took a small break from playing his instrument. “We were whalin’ and drew a huge crowd, and every time I get a chance to play with these guys, I take it.”
As the group continued to play, 82- year- old Rambert Shope, of Calhoun, took a seat in a lawn chair with his Martin guitar and started to play along.
Shope said he’s been playing bluegrass music since he was 10 years old.
“My father paid $3 for my first guitar, and I remember him getting on to me about playing it so late some nights,” he said with a laugh.
Other area musicians also seemed to be also be enjoying the fellowship that comes with the bluegrass community.
Joe Kimsey of Buford had sat down to play banjo for the first time with two Chattanooga music men, guitarist Jim Palmour and fiddler Ken Harrison.
Palmour said that with bluegrass music, most musicians can jam together on well-known songs of the genre. “Bluegrass has a common vocabulary, if you will, of music,” he added. “Complete strangers can come together and play.”
Helen Burke of the host band, Hickory Wind, said the festival is held each year to help preserve the history and traditions of bluegrass.
“It really is a jam- style festival,” said Burke. “We do it each year for the love and preservation of bluegrass.”