Some Thoughts

[nfire]

@ShatteredArm post:30

@Matt post:25

As you said, to each their own, but I have to chime in and say I’m the exact opposite. I am bored more by Nickle Creek and Punch Brothers than I am by The Dusters, whom I think you are selling short by implying that they are a regional only act. They tour across the country and pack good sized venues pretty much everywhere they go.

And as far as more people listening to Nickle Creek, Punch, DM3 and TBT, the only one of those bands that is remotely bluegrass is Punch, so I don’t see how that excludes The Dusters from being the future of bluegrass music. And Punch doesn’t really relate very well, as they kind of have their own, non-bluegrass, vibe going on, even though they can undoubtedly rip up some bluegrass tunes when they feel like it.

In the end, though, as you said, it’s all of little consequence. There’s never a shortage of good musicians at the festival, both new and old.

I don’t think I implied the Dusters are a regional act. Just that they’re not “up and coming.” I know it’s unscientific, but if you look at Facebook likes, all of the artists I mentioned have at least twice as many, and even Greensky has 50% more. They just don’t have much appeal outside of bluegrass circles, and they don’t seem any more popular now than they did three years ago. It sounds counterintuitive, but if they’re the future of the genre, they have to have some cross-genre appeal. I would bet that’s why TBF always features so many quasi-bluegrass acts…otherwise the demographics are just gonna get older and older and the crowd will literally just die off.

Maybe TBT, DM3, Nickel Creek, etc. aren’t traditional bluegrass, but they all have obvious bluegrass influence, and isn’t that how any genre evolves? I doubt you can find any genre of music where the listeners are so bent out of shape over tradition as bluegrass. Those non-traditional acts are the future of the genre because, like it or not, those are the artists younger observers think of when they hear about bluegrass.

very well said, and i agree. i dont think TBT/DM3/NC are any more different from Sam Bush and Bela than Sam and Bela were from Bill Monroe and Flat & Scruggs when they started.

those groups work magic to keep the genre fresh. if you don’t want to include them in the genre, too bad! i’m sure plenty didn’t want ‘newgrass revival’ or ‘hot rize’ in the genre either.

[completejohn]

I think it’s interesting how people view different artists. Some of my favorites are your least faves, and so on. And that’s what makes TBF so great. I trust that PB will find some new acts for me, get some real surprises booked and have the veteran TBF artists ready to show us why we love them. But I also expect to NOT enjoy EVERYTHING. And that, folks, lets us sneak in a shower or a Town Park meal!

It would be fun to play a “fantasy festival” game, where we would each get to book an entire weekend, based on a maximum spending level and a per-artist list of costs. It could be complicated by artists only being available certain days, and by making each Fantasy promoter ensure x number of on-stage collaborations.

Then we would really appreciate how tough booking the fest is.

[system]

@nfire post:41

@ShatteredArm post:30

@Matt post:25

As you said, to each their own, but I have to chime in and say I’m the exact opposite. I am bored more by Nickle Creek and Punch Brothers than I am by The Dusters, whom I think you are selling short by implying that they are a regional only act. They tour across the country and pack good sized venues pretty much everywhere they go.

And as far as more people listening to Nickle Creek, Punch, DM3 and TBT, the only one of those bands that is remotely bluegrass is Punch, so I don’t see how that excludes The Dusters from being the future of bluegrass music. And Punch doesn’t really relate very well, as they kind of have their own, non-bluegrass, vibe going on, even though they can undoubtedly rip up some bluegrass tunes when they feel like it.

In the end, though, as you said, it’s all of little consequence. There’s never a shortage of good musicians at the festival, both new and old.

Maybe TBT, DM3, Nickel Creek, etc. aren’t traditional bluegrass, but they all have obvious bluegrass influence, and isn’t that how any genre evolves? I doubt you can find any genre of music where the listeners are so bent out of shape over tradition as bluegrass. Those non-traditional acts are the future of the genre because, like it or not, those are the artists younger observers think of when they hear about bluegrass.

very well said, and i agree. i dont think TBT/DM3/NC are any more different from Sam Bush and Bela than Sam and Bela were from Bill Monroe and Flat & Scruggs when they started.

those groups work magic to keep the genre fresh. if you don’t want to include them in the genre, too bad! i’m sure plenty didn’t want ‘newgrass revival’ or ‘hot rize’ in the genre either.

I’ll agree with you about NC and TBT, but DM3 comes from a different musical place for me. More of a rootsy blues kinda thing. I still don’t really consider any of them bluegrass or even newgrass. NC is Folk to me, TBT are harder to classify, but their rhythms are different enough that I resist calling them bluegrass.

I’m definitely not a bluegrass traditionalist, but I also don’t feel like every band with a fiddle, banjo or mandolin should automatically be put into the bluegrass genre, which is something that happens a lot. I used to play in a band that was really not bluegrassy at all, but people insisted on calling us bluegrass when they tried to give us a label, because we had a fiddle and banjo player. I know my opinion doesn’t really match popular opinion on the subject; and maybe I’m a bit biased because I got sick of our indie/alt-country band being called bluegrass, but it’s just how I see things.

Don’t get me wrong, I love how the genre has evolved from Bill Monroe to Hartford to Newgrass to Leftover Salmon to YMSB to the Dusters etc… I love seeing young musicians who grew up playing bluegrass branching out and using their bluegrass roots to come up with exciting and different sounds, i.e. Sarah Jarosz, Chris Thile, Brittney Haas, etc. You’re absolutely right, this is how a genre keeps evolving.

The music is all good whether it’s traditional bluegrass, newgrass, poly-ethnic cajun slamgrass, Colorado Symphonic-grass, folk, rock, alt-country, western swing or whatever. The Planet always brings in good artists. :thumbsup