Bristol Rhythm and Roots began for me when Robert Pickle walked down State Street in Bristol, Tennessee and remarked that, “this is truly a who’s who of the regional music scene.” He was right. Jared Bentley , Lance McCloud , Greg Smith, Richard Houser, Jason Roller and myself were standing outside of Borderline Billiards getting ready to hear one of the first acts of the weekend for the 6th annual Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion in Bristol, TN/VA. Over the course of the weekend, we saw hundreds of musicians and many of the area’s most accomplished regional musicians in this extraordinary festival that shuts down the streets of downtown Bristol for three days each year.
I was really looking forward to the weekend too. I’ve been working with some very talented and entertaining players as the re-invent CLEAR for the festival this year and we had two shows booked this year. We performed the Monday before on WCYB and had a pretty good performance there. The sound was a little rough, but that’s a tough thing to extract from the WCYB studio sometimes. The week prior I was working with Josh Smith and that was lots of fun too, but I was really looking forward to working with Jared, Lance, Willie and Greg on Saturday for the CLEAR reunion show.
Jared and I were also eager to hear Tom Swaddley ‘s Celtic band Sigean too. We’ve talked a lot to Tom virtually on The Buzz music forum, but never got to meet in real time and hear his act. That’s why we were at Borderline. Nice place too. Plenty of pool tables and swanky compared to some of the halls I’ve been in before, but this place is big.
We headed for the bar and a few steps back toward the stage, Lance was looking a little strange telling me that his Coors Light tasted like “rusty nails.” Mine was too and that’s a metallic taste I’ll never forget. Fortunately the girls behind the bar were happy enough to exchange them, but evidently a bad batch and within minutes we were back on target and Sigean began.
If you’ve never listened to a Celtic performance, take a moment and treat yourself to some mesmerizing music. There are harmonies and rhythms that reach way back into our ancestry and even though Rhythm and Roots is generally a Bluegrass festival, their inclusion of an archetype of acoustic music is not only appropriate it was refreshing.
Tom was on acoustic guitar while Tim Harkleroad was seated in a chair. He was playing bag pipe and various flutes. Jean Adams was dressed in a long blue floral dress and sang angelic melodies along with her daughter. Next to her, Frank Wing was playing fiddle and John Rushing on acoustic bass. The ladies were extremely talented harmonists and their performance of Celtic songs were mystical in this pool hall in Bristol, TN. A mother and daughter deliver harmonies unlike any two voices and it wasn’t hard to time-travel a bit with these performers. I shot plenty of photos of their set and enjoyed another Coors Light while listening.
Walking back outside into the crowded streets, the sun was just about to set and the way it was perfectly aligned in the western landscape, it looked like it was setting in the street. This festival occurs in the heart of downtown Bristol and the road that bisects the city (State Street) straddles two states, Tennessee and Virginia. You can walk down the crowded streets and greet friends across the street in two different states.
My father was celebrating his 64th birthday on the first night of Bristol Rhythm and Roots with his new girlfriend Jackie. I got some nice pictures of them happy and healthy on the street too. He loves to hear Junior Brown perform and talked about it for months since the last time he played Bristol. Tonight was another performance for Junior, but I heard later in the night he fired his drummer for not wearing sneakers or something silly like that. I normally like the groovy, Texas shuffle of Junior Brown, but I imagine the acoustic set was a bit less thrilling without a drummer.
There’s plenty of street vendors on State Street during the Reunion and from block-to-block, you can smell grilled chicken, beef, pork, funnel cakes, apple butter – the list goes on and on. I was waiting for friends, Dan, Tracy, Abbi, Evan and Carson and when they got to the streets, we all decided to grab a bite and my choice was chicken teriyaki on a stick served up by an Asian family who had plenty of morsels crackling on the grill. Delicious indeed.
Keith Smith had one of the best sounding stages once again this year. I talked with him a bit when he was running sound for Grammy Award winner Jim Lauderdale. Jim has written many songs for popular country artists and his songs were impressive. His diverse subjects and the variety of vocal styles was refreshing too and Keith did a great job on the mix. We talked a bit about Josh Green. I had played a week before on WCYB and hope to get back in the studio with him soon to complete his work.
The weather was great this weekend and the Friday night stages were full of activities. Lots of stars and and up and coming acts all across the city. I saw the all-girl act Lucy Angel at the Piedmont street stage. They were certainly an attention-getter and easy on the eyes, but after a few songs, I was not aware of anything I hadn’t seen or heard before. The crowd liked them though and they were loud and appreciative as the girls danced across the stage.
I headed back to Borderline to see Blue Rapture . I’ve worked a couple of gigs with vocalist Richard Houser and this is one of Greg Smith ‘s main acts he performs with on a regular basis. I especially like listening and watching Jason Roller play and Sam Burke is the bass Buddha here in the Tri-Cities. I’ve got to know Ron Baisden too. He’s a talented multi-instrumentalist who works at ETSU College of Medicine and plays a wicked tenor, piano, organ, harmonica and accordion. Their act was another set of gritty funky blues. I always enjoy listening to Richard’s originals too and after playing for many years together, these guys were at the top of their game this weekend.
One of the main acts I was looking forward too on Friday was the reunion of Janie Grey at the State Line Bar and Grill. Like Clear, they were on-stage at one of the most popular stages and treating their old fans to a reunion show. I’ve heard lots about the act for years here in the Tri-Cities and always respect anything that comes from Don Eanes on piano. The band had a great run back in the nineties and still draw a room full of fans every time they play too.
The band coalesced from a collaboration players from Chattanooga to the Tri-Cities and you might call Janie Grey a jam band. They do indeed have some talented players that know how to play long improvised solos over simple chord structures. Their drummer, Kyle Walsh was a groovy player that had everyone dancing into the morning and their guitarists, Denny Presley and Kyle Walsh played with a intelligence that revealed great chemistry and talent. Don is always entertaining on piano, but I would have like to have heard more from him that night.
I took looks of pictures of Janie Grey and enjoyed their set, but it was late and since I had two gigs on Saturday, I left for home close to 1am.
Saturday was a gorgeous day . Blue skies, mild temperatures and a soft breeze. I was surprised to see such a crowd on Saturday morning when I arrived near Piedmont street. The first day, I was a fan and spectator, but today I was a performer and Bristol Rhythm and Roots always treat the artists with respect and provide us each with lavalieres that distinguish musicians from the crowd. Walking the streets, it’s a mecca for Roots music too and you’re liable to see hundreds of players toting amps, gear, drum kits and even keyboards.
My keys are still heavy and in a way, I wish I could carry my instrument on my back like a fiddle or a lunch box with a harmonica. Keyboard players have hundreds of pounds of gear and that was a little troublesome for me, but part of the sacrifice. You can’t park on the street in front of the club though and any transfer of gear usually involves a long trip from the back-street parking lots.
Clear’s first performance was in a little bar call O’Mainians. It’s a brew spot with an outdoor patio. Instead of the inside stage, we were scheduled to play outdoors and the mid-day son was baking the day. When I arrived, there was a bluegrass quartet on stage and Kevin Jackson , Jason Crawford and Greg Smith were already there. Jared and Stacy were hanging out there too with a handful of fans ready to see the next act.
We finally got all our gear from the street, the bar and the backyard patio and I am oh so grateful for Jared Bentley’s new dolly he brought from his place of work. I’ve gotta get me one of those things cause it made me and Willie’s job a whole lot easier on the back.
We started our set around 1.30 and played for about 45 minutes. The stage sound was challenged as the sound man had a portable eight-channel board to run our five piece band, but I suppose it was adequate for the small outdoor space. We performed the original music from Clear and a couple of our cover songs and the crowd seemed to really enjoy the act. Jared was to tell me later the owner is ready to book the band too, so that 45-minute set paid off for the future.
After our set was over, we loaded up our gear and made plans for later in the evening as we were scheduled for 10.30 at The State Line. Lance and Willie decided to take off for a while and Greg had later gigs with Reagan. So Jared, Stacy and myself decided to hang out in downtown Bristol for a bit a toured a new building across from the mural stage that will soon become a pizza parlor. One of Willie’s friends is getting ready to open this new business and Bristol continues to move forward with downtown entertainment. There’s also a new room opening up right across the street soon called The Orchid Bistro .
One of the largest crowds I saw during the day was at The everybodyfields show on the Murial Stage. I’m always impressed with Sam Quinn and Jill Andrews and as a three-piece… they’re original music is distinctively haunting. At times, they become a bit melancholy with their overall stage performances, but the music is the most original and imaginative of any in the region.
Reagan Boggs had a sold-out show at the old Cameo Theater. We tried to get into the 3.00 performance, but the small theater wasn’t allowing anyone in. I did catch the act later in the evening as the played the State Street stage before Darryl Scott and Marty Stuart. The songs sounded great as usual and the band seemed a bit more predictable with the new lineup. I sure miss playing with her, but was proud to see her doing so well. She played a well-received outdoor set and Keith did a great job on the front sound. My only criticism would be that the new original songs song very much like her other songs and I hope she continues to invent new structures to her music and excitement to her performances, because there’s no doubt she has a god-given talent.
I had a late lunch with Jared and Stacy at On-Fifth. There were several musicians performing acoustic sets on that side of the street and it gave us a good opportunity to relax after walking the streets and the stages for two days. The food was fair, but the beer was better and a nice compliment for the warm afternoon.
As the sun set, I was walking with the crowds mixing with friends along the way. I was glad to catch up with KD Forsha, one of my favorite local keyboardists and his girlfriend MC Bullock. Dave Carter was cruising the crowds too in between emcee appearances at the Paramount and I was happy to see Carson Waye. I haven’t shared a lot about Carson yet, but you’ll hear more from this talented and inspiring young man with the ETSU Bluegrass Band. He was hanging out with the Stricklers and some friends from his classroom project playing street-side performances throughout the evening.
Now I was getting a bit anxious. I love listening to live music, but I enjoy the other side of the stage much more. That’s true of most musicians, but I couldn’t wait. We were a little uncertain as to what time we would actually start the set, because this was the night of the UT/Florida game and here in East Tennessee, that’s the one thing you don’t interrupt, especially in a rowdy bar.
Since our show was supposed to start at 10.30, I was at the State Line around 9, but Jared was there already with some bad news. Evidently, the stage at the State Line were two bands behind. Around 9.30, the first of these two bands finally started to set up and we didn’t even have a chance to get our gear in the door till midnight. The game went on and Tennessee lost the game, but I couldn’t help but be a little discouraged just like the rest of the guys and the people who had come to see us. Since we didn’t start till after midnight, I’m sure we lost a lot of people. Topping it off, the State Line decided to charge a $6.00 cover after midnight. Even though the Rhythm and Roots folks were paying the bands, the State Line was a little over the top with their greed at the door. Free band, regional festival and the opportunity to charge an additional $6.00 cover over the top of the weekend passes.
We finally got everything ready to go and had a strong set. Willie Simpson impressed me too. I already love hearing him play, but he kept the band moving forward with a quick pace and it was cool to finally play a gig where people were “moving and grooving” as opposed to the polite attention Reagan’s shows used to garner. It was crowded on the dance floor and Jared’s friends and fans were grateful as we performed the Clear songs and new covers.
The State Line Bar and Grill is a tough room to get a good mix. The band plays to the short wall and Doug Anderson was in charge of the room tonight. Mike Strickland was running sound for us too, but there was a problem somewhere in the middle of the set where a low-hum feedback signal just about drowned at the band, but Jared kept moving forward and we still had a packed room when the lights came on and the bartender yelled “Last Call” before our last song “Bouncing Around the Room.”
It was close to 5am when I finally got into bed and decided to rest on Sunday even though there were still plenty of acts to see. After walking the streets for two days, I was bushed and chose to start to work on my new photos. I took over 400 through the course of the weekend and have them sifted down into a presentation that highlights some of the moments of both of the days.
Once again, my compliments to a terrific committee of event organizers. Bristol Rhythm and Roots is one of the most entertaining and enjoyable live music festivals in our state and continues to grow each year. This is my third year as a performer and I was thrilled to play with Jared, Lance, Willie and Greg and can’t wait to do it again. It was great to hang out with friends too as local musicians were everywhere on the streets. I’m certain there were legendary performances all weekend long and what happened this weekend will be a compliment to the futures of everyone involved.