MerleFest: The 17th annual Chris Austin Songwriting Contest

On Friday while exploring the grounds, I stumbled upon the Austin stage which was just preparing to host the finals for the 17th annual Chris Austin Songwriting Contest. I decided to have a seat and for the next 90 minutes heard better songs than those played on the popular airwaves. From a collection of unknown artists nonetheless. The contest is named in honor of famed songwriter, Chris Austin, who perished in a 1991 plane crash along with other members of Reba McEntire's band.

The contest is open to all songwriters and 840 entries were submitted this year. Many now popular artists received their first big break from this contest: Gillian Welch, Tift Merritt, Michael Reno Harrell, Adrienne Young, and Martha Scanlan. And proceeds from the entrance fee support the Wilkes Community College Chris Austin Memorial Scholarship.

The 840 entries are allocated to several categories: Bluesgrass, Country, Gospel, General. The songs were judged by a panel of other songwriters, publishers, executives, music professionals - the usual suspects. This panel narrowed the field to just three songwriters within each category, and that is who I heard perform on that stage. Jim Lauderdale was the 2009 and he was joined by the distinguished and entertaining judges: Leonard Podolak of The Duhks, Tift Merritt, and John Lohman, Program Director of the Virginia Folk Life Program at the Virginia Foundation of the Humanities.

The contest lead off with the Bluegrass category with Cobi Ferguson & Wyatt Espalin (Trees Leave), Carol Hausner, and Brink Brinkman. This was the most difficult category where, from our opinion, there was no clear winner. And it was difficult to categorize the songs. Ferguson & Espalin song was the most traditional bluegrass, whereas Hausner's seemed more country and Brinkman's more alt-country. In fact, I envision Chris Knight making his "Old Coal Mine" a hit. In the end the judges deemed that Carol Hauser had penned the best song.

The Gospel category, like every category, contained three great songs; this time by Richard Henry, Jo Ellen Doering, and once again Brink Brinkman. Nice to have two songs selected to the finals. And to us, and obviously the judges, Brinkman's was the clear favorite: Beyond the Rain. Lookout for this song and this songwriter.

The country category contained another clear winner, with perhaps one of the best individual songs I heard the entire festival: Dennis Duff's "A Man of Few Words". I don't know if being a relatively new dad had in influence, but this song mesmerized myself as well as the judges. This will be a hit. Sorry Lloyd Wood and Tonya Lowman.

The final category was the catch all and was where we heard our first blues of the weekend, from winner Miles and Letha Costin who perform with Greg Bockover as the Transzenders. The Costin's had home field advantage from being from Raleigh and being regulars at the Merlefest open jam coffeehouse. Plus there song, "Unmarked Pavement", was pretty cool. Ron Fetner's "Carolina Rain" was also a good song as was John Smith's "I Will Fly". To bad someone has to win.

The Chris Austin Songwriting Contest was a great place to start the festival - witnessing the songs and stars of tomorrow. If you or someone you know is an aspiring songwriter, this is where to start.

Merlefest - Saturday

Saturday's performances was truly phenomenal; an amazing array of talent in one event. The day started with Bearfoot, followed by The Belleville Outfit, The Dixie Bee-Liners, Cadillac Sky, The Farewell Drifters, Missy Raines & The New Hip, Scythian, Spring Creek Bluegrass Band, Patrick Sweany, The Greencards, Ollabelle, Martha Scanlan, David Bromberg, Jim Lauderdale, Doug MacLeod, Jimmy "Duck" Holmes, The Belleville Outfit again, Doc Watson, Emmylou Harris, Sam Bush, and finally BeauSoleil. What a lineup and what a day.

Merlefest - Friday

Despite being a dry festival, Merlefest is proving it is one of the most exciting musical events we have attended. Not only is the music incredible but attendees have immediate access to the artists. Want to say Hi to Jim Lauderdale. Walk on up. The same applies to Tift Merritt, The Duhks, the Spring Creek Bluegrass Band, Bearfoot, and the other dozens of artists performing each day. This festival is also fascinating from the hundreds of attendees who carry their own instruments onto the grounds and perform at the pickin' tents or the coffeehouse. The festival for the proletariat. In a similar fashion we witnessed the Jim Lauderdale hosted songwriter competition held at the Chris Austion stage. Almost a thousand songwriters submitted entries and only 3 were selected in four categories: Bluegrass, Gospel, Country, and General. The caliber of the songs and musicians were better than the standard Nashville fare. But the highlight of the day was Donna the Buffalo, who performed twice, once at the Hillside stage and then in the Dance tent. Both shows were awesome, but the dance performance was unbelievable. Add in appearances from Jim Lauderdale and Leonard Podolak of The Duhks, and it was a special evening. Check back later this week for expanded coverage.

MyJoog Artist: The Greencards

At the 2004 Austin City Limits Music Festival we had a chance to watch a little known group perform on a small, sparsely attended stage and thought, wow that band is really good. Sort of bluegrass, sort of Celtic; while neighboring attendees thought they were watching Nickle Creek. The next day we arrived early in order to catch Kelly Willis and who do we find supporting her, the same band from the previous day: The Greencards. We were sold. Since then we have attended several performances by the band and have practically destroyed their first three CDs (Viridian, Weather and Water, and Movin' On) from over use.

The Greencards are Carol Young, Kym Warner, and Eamon McLoughlin; who all found themselves in Austin at about the same time. Not that atypical, except Young and Warner are from Australia and McLoughlin is from the United Kingdom. Separately all were raised in households that listened to American roots and country music. But not American bluegrass, as Ms. Young relates, "bluegrass was very hard to find in Sydney". Young and Warner found success as country artists, but both foresaw limited options in their home countries. Independently, they set off for Austin were their musical tastes were more appreciated. The Greencards formed about six years ago and after their debut album Movin' On, still had to make ends meet as studio musicians. At the time we first witnessed their act, McLoughlin was also a supporting musician for Bruce Robison and Kelly Willis. Ms. Willis invited the band to perform a couple opening songs then had The Greencards accompany her for the remainder of the set. This was one of the most memorable sets we have witnessed over three years attending the ACL.

During this period, the band slowly started to click, however, there was still several lows that every artist experiences. As Ms Young describes, "... I remember was a very poorly attended show in Charlotte, NC, next to no one showed up. We climbed into the van after the show and drove to Annapolis, MD. The three of us were totally bummed out, no one was talking to one another and everyone was at rock bottom. Then my phone rang, it was our booking agent in Nashville. He said, 'Are you sitting down - you've just been asked to open for Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson on their 6 week summer tour in baseball stadiums.' We quickly changed our attitudes!" The highs and lows in the music industry. We actually attended one of these performances at the Bowie Baysox stadium. The stadium was jammed packed - great publicity.

Within the music industry, artists must continually tour in order to increase name recognition and support CD sales. The Greencards are no exception and have toured throughout the United States and on occasion have returned home to perform. Some of their favorite venues are the The Ark in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Nashville's Ryman Auditorium; Houston's McGonigel's Mucky Duck; the Rams Head Tavern in Annapolis, Maryland; and the Sierra Nevada Tap Room in Chico, California. They will be performing at some of these venues, as well as some of our favorites (Jammin' Java and Knuckleheads) starting April 27th in support of their current CD, Fascination.

The band is very excited about this effort, particularly after spending more time writing and testing the material at bluegrass festivals before entering the studio. According to Warner, "Normally, we start writing a couple of weeks before recording ... and this time, we took eight or nine months”. Ms. Young believes it is their most focused CD and is more themed based than the previous. Each member "wrote differently, trying to create sound more like a unit ... starting with the title track, "Fascination." But don't worry; the CD portrays the bands trademark style - "after all we're still an acoustic band with fiddle, mandolin, guitar and bass".

We haven't listened to the CD, but will have our first taste at Merlefest, while we stalk the band during their multiple performances Saturday and Sunday. The trio are also looking forward to the festival, a chance to catch Linda Ronstadt on stage as well as the impromptu jam sessions that erupt when several artists find themselves in the same location. We can't wait - both their Merlefest sets and their April 27th show at Jammin' Java. Who knows we may even show up to the Rams Head Tavern on the 28th, Cafe 939 on the 30th.....

(Photo courtesy of The Greencards.)

Sunfest 2009

For the past few years artists have tended to exclude south Florida from their national tours because of its relative isolation from the heart of the country. Its just been too expensive to drive that far south. However one event that has consistently attracted popular performers to south Florida is Sunfest and the 2009 lineup looks like the best that we've seen. Need more incentive - the festival is located in the nicest section of West Palm Beach right on Flagler Drive - overlooking the Intercoastal Waterway. The promoters are right on when they exclaim "Where Music Meets the Waterfront".

No wonder the artists flock to this event. We are talking about 311, Citizen Cope, James Taylor, Slightly Stoopid, Randy Bachman, Collective Soul, Pepper, David Cook, Cold War Kids, UB40, Need To Breathe, G. Love & Special Sauce, Matt Nathanson, Bettye Lavette, and the Steve Miller Band. And this list doesn't include dozens of other excellent Reggae, Rock, Pop, Jazz, Americana, and Acoustic artists that will be performing throughout the festival.

The 2009 Sunfest runs from Wednesday April 29th through Sunday May 3rd. Tickets range from a one day early bird pass (purchase by April 26th) for $29 to a five day pass for $65 ($60 early bird). What a bargain compared to other festivals. Most festivals of this size charge close to $100 for just 3 days of music (See the Austin City Limits festival); but Sunfest, 5 days for $60-$65. Come on. This is an awesome event. You will be sure that MyJoog.com editors will be onsite; there's no way we would miss this fest. And like most festivals we attend, feelfree to upload our photos of the event to the MyJoog Sunfest Facebook page. Now for the full lineup:

Wednesday, April 29, 2009
pbpulse.com Stage	Tire Kingdom Stage	Coors Light Stage
5:30 p.m. Wavves (beach punk) 6:30 p.m. The Mae Shi (punk) 7:45 p.m. Solillaquists of Sound (hip-hop) 9:15 p.m. 311 (alternative rock)	5:30 p.m. Spam Allstars (funk/electronica/Latin) 6:45 p.m. Awesome New Republic (punk/soul) 8:00 p.m. Kinky (electronica/alternative rock)
Thursday, April 30, 2009
pbpulse.com Stage	Tire Kingdom Stage	Coors Light Stage
5:30 p.m. Black Finger (American rock/indie) 7:15 p.m. Risa Binder (pop/rock/country/soul) 8:45 p.m. James Taylor (pop/folk/soft rock)	6:00 p.m. Griffin Anthony (acoustic/soul) 8:15 p.m. Citizen Cope (hip-hop/folk/blues)
Friday, May 1, 2009
pbpulse.com Stage	Tire Kingdom Stage	Coors Light Stage
5:30 p.m. The Expendables (reggae/punk) 6:05 p.m. Crisis in Hollywood (pop/punk) 6:50 p.m. Pennywise (punk rock) 8:20 p.m. Pepper (reggae/dub/rock) 9:50 p.m. Slightly Stoopid (punk rock/reggae/dub)	5:15 p.m. The Ben Robinson Band (blues/rock) 7:15 p.m. The Nouveaux Honkies (Americana/roots/country) 9:15 p.m. Randy Bachman (rock)	5:45 p.m. Monty Warren & the Whatevers (Americana/adult contemporary rock) 7:30p.m. Mark Gaignard & The Also Ran (singer/songwriter) 9:00 p.m. Collective Soul (alternative rock/post-grunge)
Saturday, May 2, 2009
pbpulse.com Stage	Tire Kingdom Stage	Coors Light Stage
12:15 p.m. Card Sound Road (rock/country/blues) 2:00 p.m. Tonic (alternative rock) 4:00 p.m. Gin Blossoms (alternative rock) 6:15 p.m. New Noise Standard (pop/rock) 7:30 p.m. NeedToBreathe (rock/alternative) 9:30 p.m. David Cook (alternative rock)	1:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. Classic Albums Live's Jimmy Hendrix/The Who/Beatles (tribute rock) 5:30 p.m. Hep Cat Boo Daddies (rock/blues) 7:00 p.m. Ever So Klever (power swing) 9:00 p.m. UB40 (reggae, dub)	1:00 p.m. The Resolvers (reggae) 3:00 p.m. Sly & Robbie (reggae) 5:15 p.m. Wait for Green (alt rock/funk/reggae) 7:15 p.m. Dharmata (hard rock) 9:15 p.m. Cold War Kids (indie-rock/blues-rock)
Sunday, May 3, 2009
pbpulse.com Stage	Tire Kingdom Stage	Coors Light Stage
12:15 p.m. Cerveza (ska/rock) 2:00 p.m. B-Liminal (surf/reggae/roots) 3:45 p.m. G. Love & Special Sauce (alternative hip-hop) 5:45 p.m. The Jesse Young Band (acoustic rock) 7:30 p.m. The Steve Miller Band (rock)	12:15 p.m. Debbie Orta (jazz) 2:15 p.m. Spyro Gyra (jazz fusion) 4:15 p.m. Candlebox (alternative rock) 6:15 p.m. The Darrell Raines Band (blues) 7:45 p.m. Bettye LaVette (soul)	12:30 p.m. The Pretty Faces (new wave/garage pop) 2:00 p.m. Thriving Ivory (rock/pop) 3:45 p.m. Shauna Sweeney & Friends (acoustic rock) 5:00 p.m. Erin McCarley (alternative music) 6:15 p.m. Matt Nathanson (folk/rock) 7:30 p.m. Jack's Mannequin (alternative rock)

Merlefest Preview

We just received our friendly reminder that Merlefest is less than a week away. Tickets are still available and MyJoog.com will be covering the event for the second consecutive year. At this point prepare to camp, because most of the hotels neighboring Wilkesboro are sold out. Also expect four full days of awesome music.

Throughout the festival we will be following a few bands; providing photos, interviews, and perhaps short videos of their performances. The first is Scythian, a local (for us) Washington D.C. based band who has a loyal following through out the country. See how these guys transform their eastern European heritage into a dancing Irish fest. The next band we will be highlighting is the Greencards, bluegrass from down under (and England). We have been following this Nashville based trio for the past five years and they will be releasing their third CD just in time for Merlefest, Fascination. See why in 2006 the band received an Americana Music Award for “Emerging Artist of the Year”. Then there's Phoebe and the guys, as in Austin's The Belleville Oufit. We've never seen this band live, but have listened to bits and pieces of Wanderin' for the past year on satellite radio. But we are really looking forward to seeing this act - from what we've heard, they are tight. They also have a new CD on the horizon, Time to Stand.

Finally, we also plan to watch The Waybacks, the Spring Creek Bluegrass Band, Missy Raines & The New Hip, Bearfoot, and The Gibson Brothers perform. Yea, and we may find time to catch a glimpse of Emmylou Harris, Donna the Buffalo, BeauSoleil, or even Linda Ronstadt. See ya there.

Music Scene - West Palm Beach

While spending a couple weeks in South Florida, I was able to investigate several music venues. South of Palm Beach there is a series of small towns located adjacent to the ocean - Lake Worth, Lantana, Boynton Beach, and Delray Beach. Each town has several bars and clubs that provide live music but my favorite past time was walking around the main street areas in Lake Worth and Delray Beach. Within both towns the venues were in the same proximity allowing us to see several artists during the same evening.

We had come to know Lake Worth from the famed Bamboo Room - that used to host local and national blues and rock acts. Unfortunately the venue closed last year and there has been no word on its re-opening. However, there is still a vibrant music scene within the same vicinity, with several bars and restaurants hosting musicians: Havana Hideout, Homerun Sports Bar,
Propaganda, and South Shores Tavern. Our favorites were two that were literally across the street from each other: Brogues on the Avenue and the Lake Worth Rum Shack. Last Wednesday night we started at Brogues after hearing a booming voice coming from the bar. Over a Jamesons we listened to a fellow playing a few Irish songs and other covers. This is a nice bar - open - with a nice outside corner spot on the street. Afterward we headed to our intended destination, the Lake Worth Rum Shack. This restaurant\tiki bar hosts live music every night and this evening to regulars were playing: Jason Montero and Shauna Sweeney. We selected this evening because we had noticed that Ms. Sweeney was also playing at Sunfest on May 3rd. The duo are quite entertaining; they played a mix of originals and covers - from Eric Clapton, Tom Petty, to Led Zepplin. At least from Montero's selections. Ms. Sweeney was just as gifted, playing a more soft-rock flavor; and with Montero picking on the acoustic guitar - we really loved their act. We definately recommend taking a look at these two.

Delray Beach is not as compact as Lake Worth so it requires a little more walking. Delray Beach is probably the nicest beach in the area so its a great place to sunbath and swim. Afterward we usually head to Boston’s on the Beach, where on the weekends they host live music all day. Sometimes we will escape the high sun and listen to Amber Leigh, then head back to the beach in the late afternoon.

In the evening, head west on Atlantic Avenue. Before the railroad tracks Elwood's Dixie Barbecue hosts local blues acts on their outdoor porch. I nice place to listen to music and people watch. Behind Elwood's is the area's largest venue, City Limits. This club attracts national, regional, and local artists - with a reggae/blues/rock flavor. Any place that JJ Grey & Mofro play is worth looking into. If Irish music interests you, turn left into Pineapple Grove and go to the end of the street where you will find O'Connors. Smithwicks and music. Oh yea. Finally there are a couple other establishments we haven't ventured to yet, The Bull Bar and Dada. We will check them out our next walking tour of Atlantic Avenue.

Oneside @ RiRa Bethesda

After a night watching the The Gourds, we dragged ourselves out for a second night - why is it so hard now - to catch up with our buddies Oneside. Every couple of months the band spends two nights in the D.C. area, once at Ri Ra Arlington the second at Ri Ra Bethesda. This evening there was a good size crowd, some regulars, some family, and some fans like ourselves. Even members of Scythian showed their support. In fact, Scythian's sound crew is actively recording a few of Oneside's live performances in order to produce an EP or CD which will be available for purchase from their website.

Oneside opened with new material - both originals and covers - intertwined with some of our son's favorites from First to Last. As much as we love their CD, its nice to hear new material - even the covers which the audience sang along to. How can you not when its The band, Johnny Cash, John Prine, among others. The acoustics was crystal clear - probably a result from the audio recordings. For the first time Jake's drumming real stood out - he was jammin. Maybe it was the microphones or Lent - but he was right on. Oneside is a fun bar band. They may not have the following as the Gourds, but the evening was just as fun. See you next time guys.

Gourds @ The State Theatre

Usually every six months we have the pleasure to watch The Gourds perform at the The State Theatre in Falls Church Virginia; this time in support of there latest CD Haymaker!. Ever since seeing them perform at the Austin City Limits festival several years ago, this band has entertained us with their uncanny lyrics, zany behavior, and extraordinary musical talents. And extraordinary is an understatement. Start with Max Johnston who during a show will play the fiddle, banjo, mandolin, acoustic guitar, and a lap steel guitar. When not playing the mandolin Kevin Russell and Jimmy Smith will smoothly transition from the others electric and bass guitar. Add in Claude Bernard on the accordion and organ and Keith Langford on percussion and you have the composition of one of our favorite bands. Maybe the favorite.



And this show was no exception. It could probably be called the Kevin Russell show, because it seemed that the night revolved around him. Not that that's a bad thing. He was his zany self on stage and perhaps since most of the songs played from Haymaker! appeared to be his. They started with Country Love Listen and throughout the night we also heard All the Way to Jericho; Shreveport; Tex-Mex Mile; Way You Can Get; and Country Gal - all Russell songs. Add in Russell's "The Lower 48" and he was the man. That's odd because I really liked Smith's tracks on the new album. As with Johnston's pair - particularly "Tighter".

The first time I listened to Haymaker! I wasn't sure what I thought - probably because all CD's are instantly compared to Cow Fish Fowl or Pig. But I spent the day after the show re-listening to the CD and it is tight. It's better than the last two: Noble Creatures and Heavy Ornamentals; with great vocals, harmonies and the standard "jambalaya" of instruments. Go buy this CD.

The Justin Trawick Band opened the show and they provided a solid performance to start the night. Many of us have followed Trawick on his usual local circuit at IOTA Club, Vermilion, and The Rookery. But tonight he had a few extra's including Ken Wenzel - who was excellent on the sax. The band had a great sound with the sax, Jean Finstad on bass cello, Will Reinhardt on drums, and Josh Himmelsbach on lead guitar. Some in our party thought it had a Dave Matthews-ish quality - maybe - but not being a great Dave Matthews fan - I like to think of them as having a Trawick-ish sound.

Paul Thorn @ The Barns of Wolf Trap

The beauty of satellite radio is that it exposes us to a wider variety of music that we normally an not hear using traditional media sources. One of the first artists we heard on XM Radio X Country was Paul Thorn and his "800 Pound Jesus". This was instant classic in our household and eventually led us to Hammer & Nail, his debut CD and Mission Temple Fireworks Stand. Two great CDs. When Thorn released A Long Way from Tupelo last year, we immediately purchased it, and talking about a CD I can relate to. See Thorn and I are nearly the same age, and this CD expresses his version of a mid life crisis. Its not the standard fare wishing he was younger, but instead a self examination of his life - is he doing the right thing - the Gospel according to Thorn: we are accountable about how we treat other people. The son of a Pentecostal preacher, Thorn knows how to preach; but its not the in your face your a sinner message. Instead its encouragement for listeners to reflect on their own lives. Just listen to "What Have You Done To Lift Somebody Up". But it also seems that Thorn has a bottle of bourbon in his hand at the same time; everyone has their vices.

Thorn is a great storyteller and coming from Mississippi his music reflects blues, gospel, country, R&B, and Sun records classic rock n' roll. Not surprising the later since he was raised in Tupelo - the birthplace of Elvis. He's traveled a long road to his current situation. He learned to play the guitar at an early age and started writing songs almost immediately. He has had some interesting professions before becoming a professional musician; he was a professional boxer for awhile and even boxed Roberto Duran on national television. But eventually some smart people appreciated his talent and he slowly rose through the record label hierarchy.

We normally think of Thorn playing solo with his acoustic guitar, but for this tour, Thorn is traveling with a full band. This gives him a more rock n' roll sound and when you utilize outstanding musicians, you can't go wrong. Where did he find Bill Hinds. Tonight at Wolf Trap - The Barns he started with the full band, opening with "Mood Ring" and then following with songs from A Long Way from Tupelo. The audience sung along with "I'm Still Here", which includes our favorite line: "Father Time is undefeated". They also played the title track, "What Have You Done To Lift Somebody Up" and "Stavin' For Your Kisses". Halfway though, the band left the stage and Thorn played solo for a few songs. Here is when you can really appreciate his unique gritty voice and song writing skills. While he was playing "800 Pound Jesus", the band slowly returned each member joining in when ready. It was a nice touch. After several more songs they finished with a tent revival encore. Thorn called for the audience to rush the stage and eventually hopped down to walk through the crowd. All the while the Paul Thorn Band jammed on. An appropriate ending for a great evening.

Crooked Still & Railroad Earth at The Birchmere

On Thursday April 19th we skipped March Madness and saw an awesome show at The Birchmere by two acts we have really come to admire: Crooked Still and Railroad Earth. This was also the first opportunity to see each act at an actual venue and not a festival.

Crooked Still opened the night and in our opinion, they could have been the headliner. The band is finishing a quick Spring Break Tour! as fiddler Brittany Haas gets a week off from Princeton and her thesis. Their set solidified in our minds that the lineup transformation that occurred last year has really improved their sound. The band was always solid with the nucleus of Aoife O'Donovan, banjo player Greg Liszt, and Corey DiMario on the bass cello. But the addition of Hass and cellist Tristan Clarridge has expanded their sound - and Haas is something else on the fiddle. We also enjoy watching Liszt; he grooves more like a bass player, and with his 4 fingered style can pick with the best. And Ms. O'Donovan was her bluesy, sultry self. Most of the songs were from their latest two CDs Still Crooked and Shaken by a Low Sound including Undone In Sorrow; Captain, Captain; Tell Her To Come Back Home; Oh, Agamemnon; Can't You Hear Me Callin'; and the ever popular Oxford Town. They also sprinkled in a couple new originals (Cold Mountains was one) as well as covers from Robert Johnson, Gillian Welch and Neil Young. This was a great show, given to a large, sold out audience; we can't wait for festival season.

As much as we liked Crooked Still, it was apparent throughout the night, who the crowd was there to see. When the doors opened, the first row of tables were immediately filled with Railroad Earth fans - many who regularly follow the band. A mini Grateful Dead fanbase. This tour is still in support of their latest CD, Amen Corner, which we think is their best effort since Bird in a House. And this performance they played some of our favorite songs from the album: Been Down This Road; Crossing The Gap; and Bringin' My Baby Back Home. But it was finally hearing them at an indoor venue that really opened my eyes - and ears. Each artist in the band is an amazing musician and this is easily overlooked at festivals when the music just spreads out. But indoors, close you eyes and within the bands overall sound you can hear each distinct contributer: John Skehan (mandolin), Tim Carbone (violin), Johnny Grubb (upright bass), Carey Harmon (drums), and Andy Goessling on everything (acoustic guitar, banjo, dobro, lap slide guitar, pennywhistle). The overall sound is orchestrated by frontman Todd Sheaffer whose unassuming style allows the other band members to take center stage. But make no mistake, Sheaffer is in control - here and there he will give a subtle indication and Skehan start improving on the madolin, or Carbone on the violin. All the while, he retains a constant grin showing that he enjoys his job and appreciates his band mates.

And so did the audience. We've never seen a more crowded show and almost immediately the concert hall was converted into a dance hall. These fans digg the music. And we dugg watching the musicians - which instrument would Goessling play next; how does Skehan play that on such a small neck; listen to that bass groove from Grubb. It was a constantly changing flow of sounds- awesome. Forget the festivals; we're following Railroad Earth to indoor venues. That's where we can really appreciate their music. Too bad popular culture doesn't; these guys should be the face of the Opry, not the latest non talented pretty face.

Music @ Wineries: Virginia & Maryland

While viewing winery events at WineCompass and MyJoog we have seen a literal explosion in the number of wineries that provide live music in Maryland and Virginia. In the past you could count on the summer concert series at Tarara Vineyard & Winery, Linganore Wine Cellars, and Chateau Morrisette as well as a few random shows at several wineries; but now there are good shows every weekend. Particularly in Loudoun County.

Notaviva Vineyards is the most appropriate place to start since the winery was specifically designed as a live music venue. The winery provides year round entertainment on weekends in this spring they are hosting several talented local and regional artists: Ken Wenzel, Luke Brindley, Todd Wright, David LaFleur, and Mary Ann Redmond. Neighboring Loudoun Valley Vineyards is also hosting Ken Wenzel a steady gig on Saturdays. And Bluemont Vineyards and Quattro Goomba’s Winery showcases local artists on weekends. Expect to see Lenny Burridge Saturdays at Bluemont and Dave Pepper and co-owner David Gaetani's band Swiftkick on Sundays or during special events at QCW.

For those living in other counties in northern Virginia, there are other options. In Fauquier County, Barrel Oak Winery provides live music on Friday nights and Saturdays which include our favorites Robbie Limon and farmDoubt. And nearby, Fox Meadow Vineyards hosts a few artists this spring. Along the 95 corridor, try Potomac Point Winery. Besides good wine and a incredible chateau, don't miss Dave Goodrich, who plays a few times this in the coming months.

In the rest of the state, Friday night Barren Ridge Vineyards hosts Jimmy O and look out in June when William Walter comes to the winery. You also don't want to miss Robyn Dobbyns at
Blue Ridge Vineyard or Eli Cook at Blue Mountain Brewery (yea, not a winery - but close to many).

Maryland does not provide as many options as Virginia, but there are still good opportunities particularly at Frederick Cellars. Their neighbors are trying to beat them down, but let's hope they fail. Otherwise where else could you sip award winning Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon while listening to Bo Weevil and Karyn Oliver. Besides their annual festivals, Linganore Wine Cellars opens its doors on Sunday's for local artists.

These are examples of regular scheduled music. There are even more opportunities to listen to live music at wineries when festivals are factored in. Plus you get to drink good wine.

Fleetwood Mac

On Tuesday March 10th we attended the Verizon Center show for Fleetwood Mac's "Unleashed" tour - commemorating the 30th anniversary of the release of Rumours. Yes its been 30 years. One of my first concerts was a Fleetwood Mac show 30 years ago supporting the CD's release. We've seen the band numerous times since, we the last show probably 10 years ago. Since we had practically lost track of the band since, we were excited to see the new tour. Although we still feel the sticker shock when seeing the ticket prices. Also considering that the band is getting older, the Verizon Center is a lousy venue to hear music, and our knees were in our chins after sitting - we were beginning to second guess ourselves.

But as soon as they ripped into Monday Morning - all negative thoughts evaporated. The band can still play. The show seemed to revolve around Lindsey Buckingham and from previous shows I never really appreciated his talents. Youthful ignorance. But he can play - and he's relentless. I don't know how he had the energy. The same holds for Mick Fleetwood. All night he pounded away on drums as if he was n his 20s. John McVie was steady on bass - but since he never takes center stage - concert goers do not get a chance to appreciate his talents. Then there's Stevie Nicks. She looked great and just as youthful as when our friend Ron threw his shirt at her 20 years ago in Tallahassee. Her voice hasn't changed either, as sexy as ever. Her version of Landslide was great.

Another great part of the show is that the band isn't promoting a new CD, so all we heard were the classics: Second Hand News; Go Your Own Way; Don't Stop; Dreams; Rhiannon; Over My Head. They just kept coming. Just when we started thinking "there's nothing left to play", they'd crank out another hit - long forgotten. There were enough classics for two encores. This is a tour worth seeing. Yes the band is getting older. But they can play. We are already looking at the expanded schedule and will make a road trip to another venue.

Podcasts

We'd like to share our favorite podcasts and invite readers to comment on theirs. Our two favorites that we listen to religiously are blues shows: Texas Blues Café and The Roadhouse. We love Texas music so the Texas Blues Café fits right into our tastes. It is dedicated to promoting blues back into American culture; particularly artist that are influential to the Texas blues scene. Thus you could hear a range of music from blues, rock, and Americana. Typical is the latest feed which includes Too Slim & The Taildraggers; Randy Hansen; Michael Holt & The Trophy 500's; and Mark McKinney.

The Roadhouse promotes itself as "The finest blues you’ve never heard"; and yes, we agree with that assessment. It is broadcast out of the home of Tony Steidler in Iowa City, Iowa and each week he selects a broad range of excellent blues for his listeners. "From the Delta to Chicago, from pre-war to jump, acoustic, electric, harps, horns – it’s difficult, if not impossible, to describe the emotions conveyed with such a simple form." This may be our favorite podcast and just take look at the The 210th Roadhouse Podcast to see why: Super Chikan, John Nemeth, Robert Lockwood, Bobby Jones, and Mitch Kashmar.

There are two additional feeds we download regularly. IndieFeed promotes a range of music and as typical of the above podcasts, we enjoy their Blues feed. Then there's Bob Boilen's All Songs of Considered. The best part of Boilen's show is that he provides tremendous insight into the industry, insight that he has gained from years in the business. Even though most of the music is more popish than what we normally would listen to - we can usually find a "gem" in each show. For instance, this year we've "discovered" M.Ward, Laura Gibson, and Dan Deacon. Thanks Bob.

We really would like to hear your suggestions - particularly any alt-country podcasts out of Austin - but basically anything else you recommend.

Ticketmaster - Live Nation Merger

This week Ticketmaster and Live Nation announced a merger of the two companies and after reviewing this transaction, we can't see it being very beneficial to the average consumer. First, the joining of these two companies produce a near monopoly on ticket sale services. And not just in the United States. In the United Kingdom the new entity, Live Nation Ticketmaster, will control 70% of ticket sales. Expect concert tickets, service charges and transaction fees to increase - but that's not the worse problem. These companies already give preferential treatment to corporate sponsors or those purchasing with American Express. Already these individuals have access to choice seats - it is plausible in the near future that they may have access to a majority of seats. Live Nation Ticketmaster also plans to start selling high profile concerts by auction, effectively eliminating competition from the secondary markets provided by StubHub, LiveStub, and eBay. Another example of what's good for Wall Street is not particularly good for Main Street. Here at MyJoog.com we plan on stressing the thousands of venues where tickets are purchased outside of Ticketmast and Live Nation. There will still be daily opportunities to attend affordable shows at coffee houses, wineries and breweries, bars, and small music venues.