Bluegrass Bands and Dancers Descend on Iowa
LeMars, Iowa…..”It’s just the beginning of summer, and it’s also just the beginning of a huge number of bluegrass bands and dancers that are coming to Iowa this fall,” says Bob Everhart, the President of the National Traditional Country Music Assn., located in Anita, Iowa, and Director of the largest and oldest old-time acoustic music festival west of the Mississippi River.
“We have always had good participation with acoustic musicians at our event,” adds Everhart, “but we’ve never had so many bands before. It’s not uncommon at all to have well over 600 musicians, but 20 acoustic bands, some of them international, is a new one for us. Our celebrities this year are pretty amazing too, much of it having to do with our continued dedication to keeping the pioneer and homesteader music and spirit alive in the great state of Iowa. We’ve been doing this for 34 years now, and every year is a surprise to me. This is our only fundraiser of the year for our Pioneer Music Museum, and the Oak Tree Opry performance center, and the children’s music camp we hope to one day have open.”
The event, known as the “34th National Old Time Country, Bluegrass, and Folk Festival & Contest & Pioneer Exposition of Arts, Crafts, and Agricultural Lifestyle” is in itself a mouthful. According to Everhart, “We are looking forward to a big event at the Plymouth County Fairgrounds August 31-September 6, in LeMars, Iowa. It now has to be seven days long just to take care of the number of participants, and we utilize ten sound stages from 9am to midnight every day. Along with our local and regional performers, we’re expecting Patti Page. You might remember her recording of “How Much Is That Doggy In The Window.” She will be going into America’s Old Time Country Music Hall of Fame this year. At the age of 81, however there are no guarantees. Joining her will be the oldest and last living musician that played on Jimmie Rodgers recordings. Rodgers, known as the ‘father’ of country music, created an incredible public following for this kind of music. His guitarist, Slim Bryant, is still alive, living in Kentucky, and at the age of 100, still gives guitar lessons. He will be joining Juanita McMichen, the daugher of Clayton McMichen who wrote “In The Pines’ and directed a band called the “Skillet Lickers.” McMichen will be declared “Fiddler of the Century” by the Rural Roots Music Commission this year.”
Speaking of bands, Sheila Everhart, Bob’s wife, helps with the bookings. “We have a tremendous number of incredibly gifted acoustic bands coming this year. Valarie Smith and Liberty Pike (Tn); Jake Simpson Band (Ok); Bluegrass Playground (Or); Michelle Culpit (Tn); Dick Kimmel & Co. (Mn); Handpicked (Mo); Four Mile Creek (Ia); Johnny Riverboat (Canada); Goose River Boys (ND); Truck Stop Souvenir (Ia); One on the Mountain (WV): Kenaston Family (Ne); Jimmy Pearce (Ky); Outta Gas (Ne); Skinny & The Bootleggers (Ia); Triple L Band )NM); Muhm’s Git Fid Band (Ia); Ramblin’ Riversiders (England); and Robert Silvek Band from Slovakia. Along with these many performers, we are also looking forward to a band and dancers from Hungary that do their native heritage Greecian music and dance. We’re also expecting another large band and group of dancers from the rural areas of the Russian country of Georgia. So, we’re sure to have our hands full, but what an amazing variety of old-time acoustic rural music we will be able to present this year. We even have a hillbilly yodeler coming from South Korea.”
Along with the 10 stages of music, there is also a Pioneer Expo of Arts, Crafts, and Agricultural Lifestyle activities going on in the Corps of Discovery Tipi Village. Add to that the “Old Town Busking Championship,” ‘jamming’ and ‘workshops’ wherever you go, and the Rural Roots Music Commission’s annual ” CD’s of the Year” awards, and it rounds out to be one of the most spectacular acoustic old-time music events in the upper midwest.
“We’ve even added one additional stage without a sound system,” says Bob, “there’s an old log cabin on the grounds at LeMars, so we’ve turned the front porch into a stage featuring the softer side of country music, featuring autoharps, dulcimers, harmonicas, and even zithers.”
(This article was sent to me for publishing.)
More information at the NTCMA website: http://www.orgsites.com/ia/oldtimemusic