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- Merlefest 2006 information
Merlefest was named in memory of Doc Watson's son, Merle,
and the 19th annual event will take place April 27-30 2006 in
Wilkesboro, N.C. and will feature Nickel Creek, Emmylou Harris,
Guy Clark and Béla Fleck & the Flecktones.
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- The sun came out for the final day of MerleFest which drew even a
bigger crowd than yesterday. And the trend of unexpected guest
performers continued.
Allison Moorer started our day at the Chris Austin Stage (named
after a member of Reba McIntyre’s band who perished in that tragic
plane crash). She was joined by her “roadie” and touring partner
Steve Earle for a powerful duet.
We stayed perched up on the hillside along with the hundreds of
other music lovers for the next performer “Roger Miller-ish” Hayes
Carll who intrigued us with his humor, words and style during
Songwriters in the Round. We were surprised to see a couple of The
Greencards set up on stage. We then learned that Carol and Kym
toured with Hayes before forming their own band. The reunion of
sorts was enjoyed by one and all.
To complete our day on the hill, Rodney Crowell, the writer of
Keith Urban's latest US hit "Making Memories of Us," came on to
conduct a lively workshop of interaction and song. We then hurried
down to our seats at the Watson Stage for the finale in time to
hear the ending of another Chieftains spectacular with a number of
guests.
The Greencards kept up the energy playing to the "main house" on
the Cabin Stage adjacent to the Watson stage. This gave them an
opportunity to be projected on the Jumbo-tron TV.
The final performances of the festival by Buddy Miller and Alison
Krauss and Union Station with Jerry Douglas followed.
Well, MerleFest 2005 is over, we are headed home, but our memories
will linger for a long time... familiar sounds mixed with new
friends and new music Despite the fact that MerleFest is
alcohol-free, I still managed to have a good time. :-\ I am very
thankful to Burnie, my former work-mate who planted the seed about
going a few years back and to Carol who pushed us over the top
with the stories from MerleFest 2004, her first. Now we are hooked
and are pleased to share our experiences.
We recommend MerleFest to anyone who enjoys this kind of music and
the opportunity to be among others who do and become part of what
was termed the “MerleFest Nation.” Book tickets on your own
through the festival website http://www.MerleFest.org or buy them
on-site. Find a place to stay as close to campus as you can via
the Internet in a nearby motel (We and some of the artists ended
up staying 25 miles away as there are fewer hotels in Wilkesboro
than in Tamworth) or be prepared to camp or caravan. Access to a
private vehicle for local transportation is a must. We have no
commercial interests or ties what-so-ever to this event, but Mary
and I would be happy to answer questions from anyone who might be
interested in attending for the first time.
We hope you all enjoyed these daily reports as much as we did in
putting them together. Thanks to Helen for finding room for them
on the Rage Page.
Bill & Mary
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- Print out and have the memories
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Tamworth
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