Working late on Friday nights are not my favorite thing to do. Usually, Fridays are reserved for the ‘Yabba Dabba Doo’ theme song and the hope for a good cold drink, especially in June here in Tennessee.
I had forgotten a battery charger for my digital camera and had to update some of the files on the first Podcast. My machine at home was to slow to handle the file and while wrapping up some email, it was hard not to notice the ‘test, test, test’ of someone checking the microphone.
Our offices on the corner of Main and Broad Street and I’m used to hearing the crash of trains across the street behind the Train Station, but a microphone meant something a little different.
Of course, it took me a moment to realize that this was the Bluegrass on Broad event that began last year and was now in its second year as a part of the regular Friday night concert series.
Now Bluegrass is not my favorite kind of music to listen to. I respect it and more importantly, I enjoy the social aspect of all the old-timers and country people you run into during an event like this. More important, I especially enjoy the way the “pickers” gather on the street corners in their overalls and hats and race off into a G-Chord Frenzee of twanging vocals and three part harmony delivered in a southern vernacular all it’s own.
I mingled through a crowd of about 300 people, children and seniors who were watching the show from lounge chairs that were neatly aligned in the middle of the street that is normally a parking lot in downtown Kingsport. Bobby Starnes was running a small mixing console in the middle of the crowd and up front a handful of couples and little girls clogging and dancing to the bluegrass coming from the stage.
Snapping a few photos along the way, it became clear to me that Jason Crawford was on stage. Jason plays and sings in Reagan’s band with me and he plays with Leisure Time all throughout Northeast Tennessee. In his group is GC Matlock from Hawkins County. He’s a legend down that way and teaches a lot of players flat-picking style guitar. He’s also one of those (like Jason) who hangs out at Audie Ratliff’s store and shop.
My favorite part of any bluegrass event is how the players mingle on side streets and tune up before the stage. Many simply play along without the stage and entertain people standing by with their quick strumming acoustic efforts that breath rich with tradition here in Tennessee.
I ran into several friends downtown that I had not expected to see. It was one of those muggy Tennessee evenings too, but the sun had set behind the building and it was a warm feeling of community that stirred me to appreciate this event.
I took some great pictures too. Lots of hard-lined faces, focused musicians and color characters with smiles on their faces and enjoyed the night even more than I thought. Earlier, my plan was to go to the TPA banquet, but I’m sure glad my plans changed.