Read about the International Bluegrass Awards Red Carpet
Thursday 2 October 2014. Yesterday was my gentle introduction to this year’s IBMA’s World of Bluegrass. Today things will be cranking up.
I headed down to The Raleigh Convention Centre for Songwriter Showcase, featuring:
Brandi Belle Clarke, Kristina Kidd, Lexi Adams: “Mockingbird”
Aaron Biebelhauser and Michael Cleveland: “I’ll Be On My Way”
Louisa Branscomb: “Riding Double on My Old John Deere”
Dawn Kenney, Mitch Matthews, David Morris: “Somethin’ ‘Bout a Train”
David Morris, Chris Dockins: “Weeds Where the Flowers of Love Once Grew”
Emma McDowell Best: “Round and Round”
John C. Miller: “Cloud of Dust”
Teresa Neal, Louisa Branscomb, CC Crouch: “Money Can’t Buy Grace”
Savannah Strong-Finch, Tim Finch: “Your Love is Like Moonshine”
Eric Marshall: “A Soldier’s Return”
I enjoy the concept of The Round. Each performer introduces and plays just the one song before handing over the stage. It seems to me to be a format that provides maximum exposure to the song and the songwriting craft. The songs and craft stand out and are memorable, with the audience being very attentive during the whole session (bluegrass audiences don’t talk much during performances – I like that).
Tonight was the IBMA’s 25th annual Bluegrass Music Awards night, so I needed to go back to my motel to change. I attended part of the World of Bluegrass last year, but didn’t go to the Awards show. This time around, I was keen to experience the event and was fortunate that I was invited to take some photographs at the Red Carpet beforehand (thanks Judy McDonough from JemMedia).
I arrived at the Red Carpet just in front of the venue for tonight, the Duke Energy Centre for the Performing Arts, at around 4.45pm, in plenty of time for the carpet which would be running from 5.30 to 6.30. While waiting, I met a number of photographers and journalists who were to there to cover the event. There were TV crews as well. The Award nominees, other performers and partners started arriving on time and were all interviewed and photographed in pretty much a routine that got established as we went along. It was a lot of fun.
Here are some of my shots.
The Red Carpet Walk
Chatham County Line
Del, Jean and Ronnie McCoury
Noam Pikelny
Original and current members of The Seldom Scene
Jerry Douglas and Sam Bush
It had been pretty hot in the dappled sunlight for over 90 minutes and I was pretty parched. The nominees and artists moved into a special reception area and somehow I found myself in there as well.
A glass of pinot grigio was delightful. It was a thrill to be in there and see so many faces I recognised before my trip and a lot of great performers I would be seeing over over the next two days. I would have to say, however, that the food laid on for the nominees etc was a little disappointing – three slices of meat (with a choice of three dressings) and a frozen bread bun. I hope they ate something before they came here!
By now, it was 7.15 and time to cross back to the public section and take my seat for the show.
The Duke Energy Centre For The Performing Arts
Hosts for the evening were Jerry Douglas and Lee Anne Womack and the Centre was just about full. The show was being broadcast on radio, so there were a few ad breaks. The highlight throughout for me was the live performances, and there were plenty of them:
Boxcars
Claire Lynch
Gibson Brothers
Lee Anne Womack
Dailey & Vincent
Della Mae
The Spinney Brothers
Jerry Douglas
The Seldom Scene
Blue Highway
Del McCoury Band
Balsam Range
Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen
I was interested in the life time achievement award given to The (original) Seldom Scene. The band was formed in 1971 and comprised Mike Auldridge (dobro), John Duffey (mandolin), Ben Eldridge (banjo), Tom Gray (bass) and John Starling (guitar). The intent of the band was to play locally in Washington DC, but this did not last long as The Seldom Scene became a major force nationally in the bluegrass music world. They changed the face of bluegrass with their harmonies, impeccable musicianship and their fusion of bluegrass with country, folk, gospel and rock.
The whole show was too long for me, at a little over three hours and I was pretty pleased to get moving again after being in my seat for that long. A great experience though, one that I won’t forget in a hurry and I learned a lot about the bluegrass scene as a result of it. I will post a full list of Award winners shortly.
I was then striding a few blocks to Kings on Market Street where Mustered Courage were due on at 11pm. This impeccable Australian outfit has been on an extensive (and exhausting) tour of the U.S. – 42 States since the end of July. The schedule is just about over and I was very keen to see them over here. It was a smallish crowd, but the boys put on a great show “Cruel Alibis”, “Standing By Your Side” and “Southern Style” from the excellent album Powerlines were adroitly mixed with some new songs that sounded really good to me (“Tell Me What I Need” may have been the name of one?) and a couple of crazy, but highly effective “grassed” covers of a disco hit and Queen’s “Fat Bottomed Girls”.
Mustered Courage
A great show and the boys were off immediately to yet another show, with four engagements tomorrow – three sets and a radio interview.
What an amazing day.
Read about the International Bluegrass Awards Red Carpet
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