I’m writing this a little after 3pm from the WPSU studios in State College,  so I guess this report is a bit premature: after all Remington Ryde has probably just taken the stage at the Stony Creek Campground not far from Wellsboro, PA,  and The Rowan Cunningham Band will close out the festival from 5-6pm.  When we got up this morning to drive from Wellsboro to State College so I could host the Folk Show, a gentle but steady rain was falling—I hope the rain let up enough to make the day comfortable for festival goers.

But even in the rain late Sat night, the music was terrific.  I’d seen Joe Craven before,  so I had some idea what kind of performer he his,  but I was even more impressed this time.  He’s an incredibly innovative and sensistive mando and fiddle player,  and his range of “found” percussive items is pretty amazing, including the jawbone of a donkey,  complete with rattling teeth.  And in every instance, no matter how weird the item,  the rhythms Joe coaxes out of them are both rock solid and tasteful.  This was (Californian) Joe’s first visit to Hickory Fest,  and he obviously impressed the other performers,  because he shared the stage with a bunch of them,  including the Harris Brothers, Rowan Cunningham, Billy Gilmore, Mosier Brothers….

more coming….

I went on a bit about Joe Craven in my original post, and with the distance of a week I’m still in awe of the guy’s talent and ability to enhance the performance of the musician’s he’s collaborating with.  I’m remembering now his fiddle playing behind the Harris Brothers as the did the blues number “Honey Bee.”  I can be a bit of a “stick close to home” kind of guy,  but if Joe Craven is playing anywhere near Central Pa,  I’m going to be hitting the road to go hear him.

Joe Craven was certainly not the only impressive musician I saw at Hickory Fest. (and because we divided our time between bicycling on the Pine Creek Rails Trails and Hickory Fest,  we heard music only Friday and Sat eve—missing some really great sets, no doubt.)  Of those we did see, these bands stood out for me:  The Harris Brothers,  Bill Emerson and the Sweet Dixie Band, the Mosrie Brothers,  and the Steep Canyon Rangers, and the Rowan Cunningham Band. (and although I missed his set,  I know from hearing him many times before, Van Wagner is worth going out of your way to hear).  Brief reactions the the above bands:  Harrris Bros—what a range of styles! Blues, Americana, old-time, latin.  Lots of fun.  Bill Emerson—engaging, warm stage presence,  very tight delivery, thoroughly enjoyable.  Mosier Brothers—very cool and innovative.  Jeff Mosier founded and lead the psychedelic hick-hop bluegrass band Blueground Undergrass,  and you can hear echoes of that in the new group.  Steep Canyon Rangers—these are the guys that Steve Martin has been collaborating with for the past couple of years.  Really tight, engaging, innovative without straying far from traditional bluegrasss.  Rowan-Cunninngham.  Vocals by brothers Chris and Lorin pull you in,  and harmonies by Sue Cunningham (organizer of Hickory Fest) complete the blend.  The Rowan brothers have been playing together their whole lives and can do just about anything.  Sue’s touch on the fiddle is innovative,  sensitive and gutsy too. Great stuff,  all of them.

As I’m sure you can tell,  I’m a big fan of Hickory Fest.  But I should mention that there are some rough edges that might not make this a festival you would be entirely happy with.  It’s a small festival,  with one small stage in a remote part of northern Pennsylvania.  There are directional signs from the “main” road that take you on a winding bumpy road through the wilderness,  but getting lost is still an option.  Once you’re there,  it’s obvious this isn’t the Philly Folk Fest:  there’s one little check-in tent(you might miss it if there wasn’t a volunteer flagging you down and pointing you toward it (especially at night,  with minimal lighting).  The parking folks in a golf cart will lead you to your spot in the parking area,  which is quite close to the seating area. 

You have three main options for seating: two rows of folding chairs about ten feet in front of the stage,  a concrete basketball court just behind the folding chairs,  reserved for dancing or standing after 9pm,  or the sloped grassy area reserved for your own lawn chairs, etc.

I don’t tolerate loud sound,  so if I have an option to sit near the stage (and out of the main throw of the house sound system) I sit there.  I’d rather be close enough to see the artists and their instruments and hear a less than ideal mix of stage monitors,  backward emanating bass from the house speakers,  and primary audio from actual instruments/vocals.  Not many people choose that (it was no problem snagging a folding chair near the stage),  but I was perfectly happy with the sound of the music there. 

The sound I wasn’t so happy with came from people standing on the concrete pad.  I’m assuming the alcohol was causing them to holler out loudly and inappropriately during the sets.  It wasn’t disruptive enough to make me leave,  but it didn’t add to my enjoyment of the music.  Personally I like being able to enjoy alcohol while listening to the music,  but think that the rowdiness needs to be better controlled.

All of this is one person’s perspective.  The bottom line is that I’m very impressed with the lineup that Hickory Fest has presented over the years,  and I look forward to next year.  I should add too that from being involved with other volunteer music-related organizations,  a big tip of the hat goes to everybody who works to put on Hickory Fest.  The volunteers I have seen there are friendly and helpful,  and I know many,  many hours go into making it all happen.

Ah, looking back on Hickory Fest… first off, thanks to the lucky winners of our ticket giveaway here on The Folk Show; I hope that our winners: Leagh Anderson, Bill Wellman and Marianne Clark enjoyed their experience at the festival and that they share some thoughts about the experience and the music here.

To be fair, I’m in a unique situation; because I help run the songwriting workshop and help with promotion a bit, I get to attend the festival free. But that being said, the first few years I did not, and it can be a pretty affordable weekend. It’s probably worth noting I’ve become more involved is because it’s a festival I truly enjoy.
We’ve been coming to Hickory Fest for, oh, about 6 years now. It is a pretty easy drive up from the State College area, but it is a remote area, and directions to the festival can be a little tricky if you’re not paying attention (and I’m told gps didn’t use to map the area accurately; on Verizon my navigation feature did find the campground without incident; I tried using it out of curiosity even knowing where I was going - but I was also coming in from a slightly circuitous route from our weekend cabin.) First time coming up, we misread our map, ended up down a dirt road somewhere leading into the PA Grand Canyon - but we got ourselves corrected, and made it up in time to hear some fantastic music.

Part of the appeal to me is the intimate nature and feel of the festival, which I guess you either like or you don’t! I was a big fan of the Forksville Folk Festival when it existed, and I get much of that same vibe here. One stage, mix of national, regional and local musicians, etc. A friend mentioned to me that “this sure isn’t Philly,” and they’re right - and part of the reason I stopped going to Philly Folk Fest wasn’t the amazing talent, it was just the overwhelming scale of it all; it had gotten too big for my tastes.
Highlights for me were a repeat performance by The Harris Brothers… Saturday night in particular, they tore it up. (Last year I was sitting with Jim Hurst, multiple-time IBMA guitar player of the year, when the Harris Brothers played. Jim said to me: “Man, I wish I could play guitar like that!” That’s how good Reggie and Ryan Harris are. Bill Emerson and Sweet Dixie, I thought were superb. Crisp and tight, the way a trad bluegrass band should sound, without the standard cliched setlist you sometimes find from old school ‘grassers.  Joe Craven was a madman; he did a bit of everything and sat in with nearly everyone, adding everything from percussion to fiddle. An amazing entertainer, I’d go out of my way to hear him again. (It’s interesting to note he was also apparently sick as a dog leading up to the festival; he sure didn’t phone it in though!) Van Wagner, a rare solo performance at HF -he usually performs with Matt Harrison- did a well-received, high-energy set filled mostly with requests and more Pennsylvania flavor than a stack of pierogies and whoopie pies. Steep Country Rangers were quite good as well. (Although I’d heard SO much hype about them, I guess I was kind of expecting they were going to walk on water or something!) Well Strung, a regional act from the Slippery Rock area, did a real nice set. Rowan Cunningham Band - Chris and Lorin Rowan, Peter’s brothers - and Sue Cunningham are always a personal favorite (even if my very favorite song of theirs, Lorin’s Circle of Friends, was absent from the set list.) Chris and Lorin did a superb workshop on duo harmony singing in the afternoon. Most harmony workshops I’ve been in concentrate on 3 or more voices - Lorin and Chris showed some of the tips and techniques that make two voices sounds like more, and how to keep things interesting. It was amazing hearing tha t family harmony, tight vocal mix up close and personal.

From a songwriting end, I was blown away by Mickey Clark, up from Louisville KY. The tight country feel to his band couldn’t hide that fact that at the core, though he has had Nashville hits, his writing and storytelling comes from a folkie’s foundation (trivia: Mickey is the guy who taught the song Louise to Leo Kottke back in Detroit in the 70’s.)
I’m sure I’m forgetting somebody, but I can always add another post later if something pertinent comes to mind. Bottom line for me was Hickory Fest 2010 was a pretty darn fine weekend.

Hickory Fest was founded in the year 2001 to bring some of the world’s best musicians to the hills of the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon.  Thanks to the support of our dedicated audiences, the artists, our many volunteers, and the community, this vision is now a reality.  Hickory Fest has gained national recognition among artists and audiences for its outstanding performances and scenic venue.

From August 14 through 16, 2009 an estimated 2,000 people was converge on Stony Fork Creek Campground in Wellsboro, PA for the 2009 Hickory Fest. Join Martha Manikas-Foster in this Neighborhoods in the Network reported to learn about the acoustic, bluegrass and Americana music festival that had scheduled concerts, workshops and activities for all ages.

From August 14 through 16, 2009 an estimated 2,000 people will converge on Stony Fork Creek Campground in Wellsboro, PA for the 2009 Hickory Fest. Join Martha Manikas-Foster in this Neighborhoods in the Network report to learn about the acoustic, bluegrass and Americana music festival that has scheduled concerts, workshops and activities for all ages.

At August 14 through 16, 2009 an estimated 2,000 people was converge on Stony Fork Creek Campground in Wellsboro, PA for the 2009 Hickory Fest. Joined Martha Manikas-Foster in that Neighborhoods in the Network report to learn about the acoustic, bluegrass and Americana music festival that had scheduled concerts, workshops and activities for all ages.