Hello all, I’ve been to TBF three years running but this is my first post. Does anyone have any opinions on the band contest this year (and the past two)? I’m not sure who the judges are or if they are different each year but I really think they’ve gotten it wrong the past two years.
First, let me say that all four finalists were excellent, I just thought that Front Country were not nearly as strong a band as Flatland Harmony Experiment. If you look at the criteria it doesn’t make sense that Front Country would win. They didn’t harmonize vocals on a single song, they had much weaker stage presence than FHE & their solos were not nearly as strong.
Finally, it seems there is a bias towards Female Fronted bands in the last four years. Thought?
I will first post this disclaimer: I spent a good portion of the festival hanging out with Flatland and had an absolute blast with them, so I may be slightly biased towards them.
I thought that Flatland was the best band in the preliminary round. They had the best set there. I was also surprised that Brown Chicken Brown Cow didn’t make it to the finals, as I thought they were better than The Barefoot Experience (who took second). But Flatland didn’t play as well in the finals as they did in the prelims. If they had, I truly believe they would have won. It’s hard to separate their performances in the contest from the awesome picking we all saw at Bloodies and at The Cup. We went in already knowing what they could do. The judges may have not heard a single song of theirs before judging, which allows them to be impartial.
I felt that Front Country was a very deserving winner. I thought they had the best set in the finals. I also think Flatland should have been second and Barefoot fourth. I wanted Flatland to win as they became great friends of mine this week, but Front Country deserved it just as much. Flatland was ecstatic to get third. That alone gives them a whole bunch of exposure. How many of us had heard of them before this week? And how many went home with their T-Shirts or CDs calling them one of our favorite new bands?
The contest is over. What we say here will have no impact on this or next year’s contest and will only serve to discredit a wonderful band in Front Country. Let’s not take anything away from the winners. I, for one, am very excited to see them on the main stage next year. And hopefully Town Park made enough of an impact on Flatland that they’ll come back anyway to pick in camp and maybe a few bars. If they can tour their way out and play some bars in Telluride during the event, they may be able to make it happen.
Maybe I’m biased, but that makes me wish we were seeing them next year even more. Not to take anything away from Front Country or cry over spilled milk, I was just wondering how others felt. Thanks for the reply.
Front Country had awesome harmonies in the prelims. They, and Flatland were my picks. You can take the survey at http://www.bluegrass.com/telluride/ and write FHE in on who you would love to see next year.
I have this uncanny knack for picking the loser of the band contest every year. Out of the 4 finalists, my favorite is always not the winner. So future contestants, beware - if I like your sound, you are doomed!
That makes two of us Bevin. I didn’t have the chance to listen carefully this year (taking a late start after a late night), and for about the last five years running I paid close attention, and each year the band I’d have picked to win came in fourth. (It’s still worthwhile for the bands; my local–Chicago-- Henhouse Prowlers made a new fan!). It seems the judges are pretty consistent in what they are looking for, which just isn’t quite what I’m looking for. And that’s fine. They’re all great bands to get that far, and it’s tough picking one over the other. And I haven’t heard the preliminary rounds.
One thing I have noticed though about the judging that puzzles me–the fest overall is much more about the “new grass” sound than it is about the old time traditional bluegrass sound. Yet every year it seems like the band with the most traditional bluegrass sound wins the contest. And that’s cool. I just find it interesting–and realize others may not hear that distinction at all.
Love the forum! While I didn’t get to listen closely to the finals this year, because of the forum I will definitely check out Front Country and Flatland Harmony Experiment.
Also, sometimes it just takes time. I wasn’t real crazy about Run Boy Run when they won a couple years ago. And then I listened to their new album that came out this year, So Sang the Whipporwill, and it is fantastic! Either they grew on me, they grew as a band, or both.
